Would love to hear opinions

Amioderone is a last ditch effort IMO youo need to see another EP. Don't be afraid to travel. I had great results at UCSF after failed ablations locally.

@koleke
I take 200mg each morning. I have no side effects.

@bradsnanny how long have you taken it?

@koleke
about 2 years. My bloodwork is done every 6 months.

I was on amioderone for about 7 months prior to my ablation in February 2025 because my other medications had stopped working after quite a few years. I was very nervous about amioderone and after the ablation when the doctor wanted me to continue it for a few months, I asked if I could just stop it since I didn't want to take it any more. He had no problem with that, saying well it stays in your system for weeks/months after stopping anyway. I have had no more Afib since the ablation. I do take diltiazen daily tho because I feel like I have tachycardia sometimes if I don't.

I have Afib 23 hours a day. TRIED Cardiconversion lasted positive a few months. I am on Blood thinners Eliquist. I take Atinolol for BP. I am getting off Atenolol due to my BP is low instead of high now. I have found no triggers for my Afib. I have found no real solution for Afib either. I am a senior. Drs only prescribe pills or ablation which is not lasting. It is a guessing game. My last Cardiologist said to live with it unless the beating bothers me too much. All big guessing game. No real solution.

So sorry to hear this. Can they give you an antiarrhythmic medication?

@9yellowbox Have you had an ablation? Was it ever discussed? Was it ruled out for you, and if so, what was the rationale? Ablation is the 'gold standard of care' for stopping the heart from fibrillating. Yes, it's true, much of the electrophysiology and cardiology field with arrhythmias these days is 'palliative'; they try not to let it get worse or to progress, which atrial fibrillation (AF) tends to do. It can lead to heart changes called remodeling. You don't want that. So, if you CAN have an ablation, or your EP thinks you aren't a good candidate, maybe get a second opinion.

@9yellowbox
First I can emphasize with you on dealing with AFIB. I don't have recurring AFIB but I was having constant VFIB. The VFIB is far more dangerous as that is part of heart that is sending blood to body.

I did an ablation 10 years ago on RV. It worked. I then kept getting PVCs of LV. Got shocked many times as turned into VFIB and medications were not working. Just (June 4th) had ablation on LV. I have no idea if successful as had two other areas that were creating PVCs but were on outside of the heart muscle so could not be done when inside doing the other ablation PVC spot.

Because of VTAC I was put on Amiodarone along with Mexiletine. I don't read much discussion about Mexiletine but was told by EP that is the pill form of Lidocaine.

Have they discussed with you medications? Many medications can help reduce AFIB. AFIB in cardiology is quite common issue with many not even knowing they have it. That is the biggest fear with cardiologist as when you have AFIB (sustained) you need to be on a blood thinner to help prevent blood clots which will led to strokes.

Learn to live with it is not something I would like to hear! Anything that affects your physical and mental health need to be addressed. From your post it is affecting you both physically and mentally.

Have you asked about other medications? Asked about repeat ablations. What I learned about ablations is yes will fix the area that is ablated but will not fix other areas causing the AFIB. I was told every cell in heart muscle is capable of sending it's own electrical signal.

Have you considered getting a second opinion from a renown medical institution like Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins. Those institutions do second opinions all the time. These institution's will work with your local cardiologist on what they find and treatment plan. I had this done before I moved closer to Mayo Jacksonville.

So you have gone to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville? Did you have a good experience and get different answers from your EP?
I have had two ablations. One worked for four years and the last one I just had didn't work for long. About 14 hours. This is not a route I want to continue to take unless they know it will work. The last one was a horrible experience.