"The bpm dropped to 47bpm, then got as low as 39bpm. Climbed back to 74bpm but 10 minutes later Afib at 120bpm. Took 3 tries and 2 minutes using the Valsalva Maneuver to bring it back the 59bpm." Yes, you could be going in and out of AFIB, while in AFIB your device may have a hard time accurately measuring HR, from the variability in pulse rate and strength, you could do a pulse fingby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"What type of EKG machine do you have?" Mine is a brand called Fukuda Denshi. It is 20-25 years old. I didn't have much to spend so I got it for less than $200 on Ebay. It does work, just too old for parts and support documents online. If I did it again I would spend closer to 300, and get something not over 15 years old. It has saved some trips to the Dr's office, aby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"Last Saturday I had an episode soon after laying down to go to bed, this was a first. I decided to try holding my breath for 40 seconds, something I read here on this forum. My Afib at 120bpm resolved immediately and was gone for 15 minutes. Wow! I purposely was not going to take flecainide that night as it was Sunday the next day, I could catch up on sleep then as this discovery was tooby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDina Yaffa Also, once someone is in AFib what are the best methods for getting out of it besides meds and breathing exercises?. TIA- Dina Are you familiar with an outpatient procedure called an electrocardioversion? As a last resort, that is surest way of ending AFIB, but the AFIB may return.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
The girl who runs the site wants you to beg for help before they admit you. It's her way of limiting newcomers who might clog up the Forum with the same redundant questions. I also tried multiple times, and was meet with silence.by The Anti-Fib - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
This is a CDC update from the 11th of this month. Contagiousness depends on how sick you are, and how far you want to go to protect others who may be high risk.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey So that entitles you to misquote me? Actually I said "rarely 100% effective" and was referring to Ablations at large, not paroxismal. If an Ablation was 100% effective, then after one Ablation procedure, there would be no more Arrhythmia ever. Please lighten up. I didn't intentionally misquote you. All I ask is that you stop telling people ablations are rarelby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carey: "I don't see any difference between "successful" and "100% successful." So that entitles you to misquote me? Actually I said "rarely 100% effective" and was referring to Ablations at large, not paroxismal. If an Ablation was 100% effective, then after one Ablation procedure, there would be no more Arrhythmia ever.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey You want to argue about semantics? your welcome to contradict what has been repeatedly expressed on this site, and stated by Shannon also? I'm not arguing semantics; I'm arguing basic facts. I asked for a source and I didn't mean the experiences of people here. As Pompon points out, the people who have a successful one-and-done don't come here. They go aboutby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
What is your history with taking this Cardizem? Have you taken it at this dosage before? or at a lower dosage? I know our situations are different, but I have taken the immediate release form with Flecainide for rate control in AFIB, but at a lower dose with no adverse effects, (I took it every 4 hours at 15-30mg as needed, less at night, more during daytime activity).by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Ablations are rarely 100% effective, especially long-term. You base that claim on what? You want to argue about semantics? your welcome to contradict what has been repeatedly expressed on this site, and stated by Shannon also? Tell us then that yes, Ablations are rarely not 100% effective even long-term.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sounds like you may have been back and forth from NSR to AFIB for those 3 years. Since you are apparently triggered by stress, or an Adrenal response, you may have been in NSR at home, then after going out to the Doctors, were stressed enough to get an episode that they caught with the ECG's/EKG's, then later reverted back to NSR. Even though you are getting an Ablation, all this diby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
" I cut caffeine and NSR ever since approx 6 months ago. 6 months of medicated NSR. But now 11 days of non-medicated NSR (25mg Metoprolol)" Sounds good, amazing recovery for someone with "Persistent AFIB", although 11 days isn't that long in terms of AFIB prognosis. Keep doing what works. At least by now you should know how you feel on the reduced drug regimen. Metroby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"Fluttering has made it into my file along the way. Not sure if that is because of me describing an anxious feeling in chest or it showed up on 14 day or 30 day heart monitor readings. I did get a few unusual readings while on 30 day monitor folling EP increasig Flec to max dosage. Could have been panic attacks or reaction to increase Flec or Met. Not had since) " Although Flecainideby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"In 2021, I again had a material increase in episodes associated with (note I did not say caused by) vaccinations" My EP says 10% of Vaxxed patients developed Myocarditis, and my Mom's Cardiologists says many of their patients have developed palpitations or arrhythmia after getting boosted, thus they are advising against further Vaxx for anyone with these issues. This would mby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Geo: "Scheduled to speak with Natale on Friday. Not sure what or what not to speak to him about. Do I bring up how I have had this concern?" I would write down a list of things you want to go over, prioritizing it with the most important being first. Ask what your concerns are. I'm not sure what "concern" you are referring to, certainly you could ask about the followby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey The people always recommending Ablation on this site are the ones who failed to manage their own Afib, thus they tend to be more pessimistic about Afib prognosis. Failed to manage their own afib? Seriously? That's really unfair to a lot of people; you're patient blaming. If you think afib comes in one flavor and it's always manageable, you're very wrong, partiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
You could completely cut out the Caffeine, and limit Chocolate. Also continue to taper down on the Metropolol to 25mg, and Flecainide also. If you completely get off the Flecainide, then Metropolol can also be discontinued. See what happens. Postpone your Ablation. Sounds like your always going to be wandering about the caffeine if you don't have a good trial without it. You can always rby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I would feel your pulse during these episodes, see if it is regular as far as rate and rhythm, also check your Blood Pressure with a home BP machine. Secondly I would get on a holter monitor for at least a week. You need a Cardiologist if you don't have one. I don't know what kind of Holter monitor you had, but the newer one are smaller and less obtrusive.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Coming from someone that has used Flecainide frequently, and took too much having an adverse reaction, I would Titrate up slowly, and be conscious of side effects, then back off if you need to. 75mg every 8 hours makes more sense for someone worried about getting too much. Tolerance is dependent upon the person, lookout for signs of cardiac depreciation: Feeling faint, shortness of breath, weaby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"What is the significance of your average HR while in Afib?" The lower you HR is (down to to what your normal NSR HR is) the better and more efficiently the Afib Heart will operate. Symptoms are usually proportional to how high the Afib HR is. Having an low HR negates the need for rate control drugs and thus any potential side effects from these drugs. As George stated a Afib HR ofby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Geo: The fact that you have been in NSR for 5 months is a very positive sign. I suspect you were actually in and out somewhat of AFIB during the 3 years, but regardless, the 5 months is great news. To an extent, the negative structural effects of prolonged AFIB are reversed out by maintaining NSR for that long. You mentioned getting off of the medications. Are you having side effects fby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey There are accepted definitions for these terms and they're not ambiguous: Paroxysmal afib = afib that lasts less than a week Persistent afib = afib that lasts more than a week Longstanding persistent afib = afib that lasts longer than a year Permanent afib = afib that the patient decides to live with and not try to stop No EP would call afib lasting 3 years permanent afiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN Persistent Afib can be several Episodes in a year. What makes it "Persistent" is that it doesn't resolve on its own within about a week, and requires an intervention such as an Electrocardioversion to return to NSR. 3 years of solid Afib would be called Permanent Afib. For example if I had 2 episodes in a year, and went and got Cardioverted at 36 hours on one epby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey When you say "Persistent Afib for 3 years", can you be more descriptive? How many episodes? If Geo is using the term correctly, and I assume they are, then there aren't episodes. It was non-stop afib for three years. Persistent Afib can be several Episodes in a year. What makes it "Persistent" is that it doesn't resolve on its own within about a wby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
You have been in NSR for 5 months? Since your Asymptomatic, or little symptoms, rate control appears to not an issue, and you tolerate Eliquis if you need to take it, sounds there is absolutely no rush. When you say "Persistent Afib for 3 years", can you be more descriptive? How many episodes? How long did they last, and did they require Cardioversion to get back into NSR? Also whby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Cardeviloil wiped me out, the most I could take was 6.25 BID. I didn't get low BP, but just extreme lethargy and fatigue. If it was me, I would just take the dose of Carvedilol at 6.25 dose I was comfortable at, and then if needed, add another type of rate control drug called a Calcium Channel Blocker (Diltiazem). The Diltiazem can also lower blood pressure, so you would have to experiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I would just drop the 1st EP.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cardizem lowers the HR, and could help potentiate vagally mediated AFIB, in that it could accentuate HR drops after exertion or upon eating/digestion. This drug also slows the excitabilty of the electrical signal being fired through the SA node, and decreases electrical conduction through AV node. So coming out of AFIB having too much Cardizem in your system can cause too low a HR upon restby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"so it's hard to imagine how drugs that suppress anxiety could cause afib." Antidepressant Drugs can cause more anxiety in some people, but I agree, very unlikely a direct causation of AFIB.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM