Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Hi I am Kancha. I was admitted in the hospital to take Tikosyn ( for arterial fibrillation) on 19 th after three capsules I am in my sinus rhythm ( after a year the heart rate has come to normal ) I will be taking two more pills and then will go back home after three days. It was a big risk to decide to take this medicine as it could take me to extreme higher arthemia. Thankfully I did not go through it. No much side effects so far. I wonder why this medicine was not tried before. I am so happy that I tried it and hope my fibrillation does not come back.

Thanks for sharing. I did go look the devise up and learned it is an incredibly simple solution to the problem you had.

I have PVCs and do not have the clothing you have. I only take a regular aspirin for blood thinning and give blood every 8 weeks or so to help further thin my blood. Seems to work sell so far.

@marlynkay
Hi Wally, your medical history is worth reading it several times ! . I want to be sure, if I understood everything properly. I'm a pacemaker recipien myself, but a different one. they implanted a two chamber-pacemaker (two electrodes, one in the right atrium and one in the right chamber/ventricel). I read that you got a ICD 2001, which was replaced by a CRT-ICD 2015 (to resynchronize the two chambers of your heart). my question is, how did they replace them? do you know that?
yoanne

Approximately 30 yrs ago I was diagnosed with AFib, Cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. The medicine prescription at this time was coreg, enalapril, Pradaxa and baby aspirin. Because my ejection fraction was 20, I received an implanted pacemaker defibrillator in 2001 An additional drug was prescribed named rythmol which kept me in sinus rhythm for most of 8 years. However, there were approximately three or four episodes of AFib that occurred during this time which required cardioversion and a dosage adjustment of rythmol. My ejection fraction had improved to the high 40's. Rythmol eventually became ineffective and was replaced with amiodarone after a cardioversion was performed. Three years of amiodarone kept me in sinus rhythm until the drug attacked my thyroid and had to be stopped. Ejection fraction had decreased to 30 and created an episode of ventricular tachycardia which was corrected by a shock from the ICD The decision in December 2015 was to replace the original pacemaker/defibrillator with a Bi-V device to assist with the lower chamber pumping efficiency but did not correct AFib. The drug Sotalol was added. In March 2016 I experienced another episode of V Tach and was corrected by the ICD and converted me to sinus rhythm. Since March 2016 I have been in sinus rhythm. The prescription menu includes coreg, Pradaxa, sotalol, atorvastatin, furosemide, potassium and magnesium for the heart. January 2018 I experienced three V Tach episodes within a two week period and all corrected by the ICD. Since then I have had lightheadedness, headaches, vision changes, sore eyes, some nausea and some fatigue. I have had all the tests many times, i.e. echocardiogram, cardiac cath, ekg's. No artery disease, no blockage found. I had gone thru an electrophysiology study of the heart to attempt to find the cause of the V-Tach without any negative findings. Never had an ablation I have never had a heart attack. A scan of the head was performed as a possible cause of the head complaints. Head scan was negative. The cardiologist feels my head issues are probably caused by the medication but is reluctant to change because I have been without incident since January 2018. I feel my options are getting another opinion from Mayo or living with feeling as though you are in a fog, looking thru dirty glasses. Lightheadedness is not pleasant.

Approximately 30 yrs ago I was diagnosed with AFib, Cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. The medicine prescription at this time was coreg, enalapril, Pradaxa and baby aspirin. Because my ejection fraction was 20, I received an implanted pacemaker defibrillator in 2001 An additional drug was prescribed named rythmol which kept me in sinus rhythm for most of 8 years. However, there were approximately three or four episodes of AFib that occurred during this time which required cardioversion and a dosage adjustment of rythmol. My ejection fraction had improved to the high 40's. Rythmol eventually became ineffective and was replaced with amiodarone after a cardioversion was performed. Three years of amiodarone kept me in sinus rhythm until the drug attacked my thyroid and had to be stopped. Ejection fraction had decreased to 30 and created an episode of ventricular tachycardia which was corrected by a shock from the ICD The decision in December 2015 was to replace the original pacemaker/defibrillator with a Bi-V device to assist with the lower chamber pumping efficiency but did not correct AFib. The drug Sotalol was added. In March 2016 I experienced another episode of V Tach and was corrected by the ICD and converted me to sinus rhythm. Since March 2016 I have been in sinus rhythm. The prescription menu includes coreg, Pradaxa, sotalol, atorvastatin, furosemide, potassium and magnesium for the heart. January 2018 I experienced three V Tach episodes within a two week period and all corrected by the ICD. Since then I have had lightheadedness, headaches, vision changes, sore eyes, some nausea and some fatigue. I have had all the tests many times, i.e. echocardiogram, cardiac cath, ekg's. No artery disease, no blockage found. I had gone thru an electrophysiology study of the heart to attempt to find the cause of the V-Tach without any negative findings. Never had an ablation I have never had a heart attack. A scan of the head was performed as a possible cause of the head complaints. Head scan was negative. The cardiologist feels my head issues are probably caused by the medication but is reluctant to change because I have been without incident since January 2018. I feel my options are getting another opinion from Mayo or living with feeling as though you are in a fog, looking thru dirty glasses. Lightheadedness is not pleasant.

Thanks for sharing. I did go look the devise up and learned it is an incredibly simple solution to the problem you had.

I have PVCs and do not have the clothing you have. I only take a regular aspirin for blood thinning and give blood every 8 weeks or so to help further thin my blood. Seems to work sell so far.

I was on Warfarin for 14 years, with no problems. Honestly, I would still be on it had I not experienced several bleeds resulting in 8 transfusions and a stay in ICU. My body just could no longer tolerate the blood thinners. The following 3 years I took nothing for the A-Fib. Yes, very risky and extremely scary worrying about a possible stroke.

Three years after the ICU incident I saw the Watchman ad on television stating it was for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem (me) and could not tolerate blood thinners (me, again). I discussed this with my cardiologist, had a TEE to insure that I was a good candidate and was referred to an electrophysiologist for evaluation and confirmation.

As for Eliquis, the only time I took it was after the implantation. I took it for 6 months only, followed by a low-dose aspirin daily for life. From the Watchman website you will learn that this is the the protocol for the device.

This is my A-Fib story and the implant is working for me so far. I'm also living with other heart ailments, sleep apnea, arthritis and cancer. If you are interested in the Watchman do your due diligence and talk to your cardiologist and/or medical team. I don't know your medical history nor am qualified to suggest that this what you need or would work for you.

Tresjur