Afib at 100 bpm

I was really struck by the comment from your cardiologist; "don't worry about it!" It isn't his condition and it isn't his lifestyle. I just wouldn't be very pleased with that response. When I was so anxious about possible A-fib episodes, my cardiologist did say "it won't kill you" but he also pointed out that I was the "healthiest patient I've seen today." In other words, anxiety won't keep us in or out of rhythm. I asked for and got an appointment with an electrophysiologist that is a good match for me; we have plan A (try an anti-arrhythmic) or plan B (schedule an ablation if that is what I wanted.) I opted for plan A first with the understanding that plan B is always available for me if I don't tolerate the med or just feel too many break-throughs. I am concerned about the med; it is pretty powerful stuff and I will have to consider if the risk is worth the cure. On the other hand, ablations are not guarantees either. I feel we are between a rock and a hard place. But I do believe you deserve to feel decent whatever you choose--different meds, a different doc, a look at triggers if you think that you have them. I so sympathize with the stress of having the A-fib episode making me feel lousy! I wish you good luck!

Thanks for your comments. I wasn't too thrilled about his saying "just don't worry about it" either. I was on the drug amiodarone for rhythm support but could not live with the it made me feel. I have also had 3 cardioversions the
last only helped for a month. I wish you best of luck which ever plan you choose to follow!

I am on Flecainide; it scares me when I read the warnings though I don't feel any side effects so far, but (and I know I shouldn't do this) I cut the dosage in half and I have had no PACs in the six weeks I've taken it. Who knows if it is really doing any good? I definitely understand your feelings. The EP that I saw was super, though; he thoroughly approves of sites like this where people can ask for feedback and understand they aren't alone in this situation. He said he was part of a support group when he was in training and he learned more about A-fib from listening to patients than he learned in classes. Hang in there!

He may have been the typical busy 'There, there...' responder among physicians who have trouble with empathic interactions. Maybe they're too exhausting for him. Not excusing, more trying to guess why the somewhat distant and cold, 'Fuggedaboutit.'
I'm sure you are reasonably well-informed about your heart's structure and its disordered state. AF won't kill you,.......but....it can take the starch out of a person if that person is symptomatic, as I am. It's just distinctly unpleasant, unnerving, exhausting....people told me that I looked grey. And part of the concern we have is that, although AF won't kill us, it does invite other follow-on conditions that can kill us, so it should be strictly limited in its extent....the number of hours it is allowed to take place. And that is why ablations are the best way to rid the patient of the effects, those being tachycardia, chest wall thumping, loss of sleep, enlarged heart chambers, prolapsed mitral valve, and eventual heart failure.
I am truly sorry to learn that your second ablation has failed. I don't know what I would have done had my second failed, but....fortunately...... Are you in a position to go to another EP? A better one, one who deals with complex cases? If you don't mind some travel, some expense, but want the very best, I can recommend Dr. Andrea Natale at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin. He is one of the best in the entire world. He travels to other hospitals, not just Austin (CA as an example, two or three of them), so maybe you can call and find one close to you and you can be scheduled.
BTW, no cardioversion of my four ever worked for more than 16 hours. The first didn't work at all, and to add insult to injury, I came-to from the propofol just as the technician administered the third most jouled jolt. NOT happy about that!