Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Hi My name is Cathy, age 74, and I have a complex cardiac history that includes Pulmonary Venous Hypertension, Atrial Fib, Atrial Flutter, SVT's, PAT's and persistent Atrial Tachycardia that started in 2009. I've since had multiple cardioversions and 3 ablations which ultimately caused Stiff Left Atrial Syndrome that was diagnosed at the Mayo clinic 3 years ago. I had a Watchman device and a bi-ventricular Pacemaker placed in 2017. I have moderate to severe CHF with preserved ejection fraction. The Docs say that my tricuspid and Mitral valve are both moderately regurgitating and my pacemaker leads have tethered themselves to my Tricuspid valve so there's no way to fix my valve unless they replace it. My cardiac meds include Torsemide for fluid management, dofetelide for rhythm control and metoprolol for rate control.
So now I'm just trying not to let the shortness of breathe and all of the other age related conditions depress me too much and hope that the Docs can figure out a way to extend my life expectancy and most importantly, still have an acceptable amount of quality of life.
I've looked on Mayo Connect and as yet have not found anyone that has been diagnosed with SLAS or Stiff Left Atrial Syndrome. My doctors at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville were able to diagnose it and told me that it is relatively rare but is known to be caused by having had multiple ablations for Afib and Flutter. If you have had 3 or more cardiac ablations or are considering additional ablations, talk to your cardiologist about this under diagnosed complication.

I sincerely hope you continue to improve, and that in a few weeks you won't look back.

My heart is in afib, not flutter, with heart rate 180+.

I had episodes once a year, starting in 2015, perhaps not coincidentally while on a cancer med. Once I got off the cancer med, I went 2 1/4 years without any afib, so mine is not worsening, and the episode last week was very brief. I am not concerned about a clot after a brief episode and neither is my doc. With a longer episode, they do an echo to check for clots. That's the best they can do until they start prescribing short term anticoagulation.

I have now had 8 episodes of varying length but the trend is toward fewer and shorter. I cannot take meds due to low blood pressure and certainly don't need an ablation.

I have a Kardia Mobile and have worn a Holter monitor for a month. It confirmed that I always feel afib and that I don't have it except during one of these episodes.

Usually a rate above 140-ish is going to be flutter. AF can be between about 140 all the way down to 80, if you can believe it, but a proper 12 lead ECG is needed to determine so.

IF this happens increasingly more often, and I'm afraid the research suggests it is highly likely in all patients (AF is a progressive disorder pretty much always), you might wish to acquire a modern smart watch that can produce a rudimentary ECG. If there is AF going on, your watch will detect it. Then, you can download the record and paste it into your files and attach it to an email or an SMS to your cardiologist.

It is good that you self-revert before long. This means you're still in the paroxysmal stage of AF. It can last years. I got about four out of mine before the frequency and duration began to climb and I needed the intervention of a highly skilled, highly experienced, and very busy electrophysiologist (EP). The wisdom in the field is that you want to get control, either with medicine or with catheter ablation, while still in the earliest stage, that being paroxysmal. It becomes increasingly hard to win the battles as one progresses to persistent, and finally to permanent, AF. So my advice is to see at least a cardiologist now, and to ask about NOAC's (Novel Oral anticoagulants) to keep your risk of stroke low. What people forget, or never learn, is that a stroke from an arrhythmia, particularly AF, is high for even weeks after even a short episode. The reason is that a clot can form in the left atrial appendage and get dislodged some time after it has formed. When it gets pumped out of the atrium, into your left ventricle, and then into the left arterial descending (LAD), or into your brain................

Well I just went two years and three months without afib and once again dialed 911 and ended up in ER overnight. Stress of moving?

My pulse was 184 with afib, shortness of breath, faint, chest pain. Troponin was going up so they kept me there: it reached 10 which is above normal. I also have a long QT interval at 460, Blood pressure was lowish after diltiazem but stabilized.

Have to see cardiologist for the big picture. No blood thinners as yet. I feel that something else is wrong. Usually I recover after an episode and this one was short, under an hour. But I am a little short of breath and my chest feels wobbly so to speak. I have a Kardia and I am in sinus rhythm.

I overheard something about "depressions" on the EKG and have to ask about that too.

catpurrs, do you mean you'd like some suggestions for questions to be put to a cardiologist or an electrophysiologist? Or just more information about the various disorders you mention?

Hi all. Catpurrs I've been connected to mayoconnect for some time but have never asked any questions etc. I would like to do that but don't know how. I have a pacemaker,bradycardia, PVCs,Pacs ,heart disease. Thanks for info in advance

I am taking Eliquis and have osteoarthris in both knees.
I do not use nsaids.

I take glucosamine chrondroitrin, hyaluronic acid,
and a mixed collagen, boron , frankinsense and glucosmine tablet and have had no knee pain for 10 years.

Have you gotten that form to get a cheaper Eliquis price?

Your resting HR might be as low as 50. Technically, that is in the range of 'bradycardia', but physicians are quick to point out that the label is not apt for a great many people with otherwise healthy circulation and hearts. If you have short term bouts with elevated HR, that might be an indication of fibrillation or SVT, or simply tachycardia. A Holter monitor or 12-lead ECG should tell the story.

I was on Amiodarone last fall for about eight weeks. I had no visible side-effects,...well...except for wishing fervently to be off it. Fast!

I'm with you on the surgery... Thought I would have less stress when I retired, but these decisions are BIG! Good luck and thanks