Good morning Peach414144-
It was so wonderful to hear from you. I am so sorry you are suffering so much. I don't know how much help I can be, but I am a good listener and we have quite a bit of medical history in common. My story is the reverse of yours to the T. I was diagnosed with severe bradycardia (slow heart rate of 38-40 beats per minute) when I was 29 years old. At that time, I was continually told by a local clinic that I was "too young" for a pacemaker. I have had a pacemaker for the past 30 years. They typically last about 12-15 years depending on how dependent your body is for the pacing need. Working as a paramedic, I can share with you that we don't typically see pacemakers implanted in patients with a history of Atrial Fibrillation as the pacemaker itself does not treat the A-fib. In patients with A-fib, the pacemaker is commonly used to treat the underlying slow heart rate which happens with some patients in A-fib but not all. More often than not, with A-fib we typically see elevated heart rates. A better treatment modality for A-fib would be medications to prevent blood clots and strokes in patients that suffer from it. There is a newer medication called Exoaban that has been cleared by the FDA for this type of use. You might want to ask your physician about that. In addition, most cardiologists prescribe beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers to treat A-fib as these drugs are effective in reducing the heart rate. As a prehospital healthcare provider, the biggest concern I typically see in my patients that have A-fib is the possibility of a stroke. (Please don't be alarmed, this is quite common. Just be familiar with signs of symptoms of a stroke: facial drooping on one side, slurred speech, and unilateral weakness on one side of the body). Strong precursors for strokes in A-fib patients can be caused by uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure, so you may wish to have someone check that for you regularly. I reside in Minnesota, and our ambulance service provides free blood pressure checks to anyone who calls. This might be an option for you in your area as well. I will be honest in that I don't know a ton about HPTD as I was just diagnosed in August 2021. I am doing some research on that topic and will let you know what I find out. Please stay encouraged and know that I care. I will share more after the weekend.
Wishing you a peaceful day.
Sherry