Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Welcome Mr. McCoy. I am Mary. New here too. I am sure with your 10 years of experience will be helpful to many people here. None of us can fathom what might be next around the corner...it makes today a sure thing. 😊

@1943 Hi this is Mary...mrk4445. Yes I experienced shortness of breath, and terrible fatigue. Had to push myself just to do my every day tasks and had to rest in between doing every day tasks like dishes and cleaning. For me not normal. Sit down to rest and fall asleep. Sleep 9 hours and wake up feeling exhausted like I was run over by a truck. It became my new normal way of feeling and it was robbing me of my life. I couldn't participate in my normal activities no longer. I would blow it off as aging or being out of shape. It wasn't. It was paroxsymal afib. I had an ablation procedure 5 months ago. Since my ablation I have gotten my life back. My energy level is back to normal. I have returned to everyday life symptom free. I have 6 month follow up soon. I am still on Fleconide for heart rythm and eliquis. At this point I do not know what my long term outlook is but I am grateful for relief of symptoms now. I would have an ablation again in a heart beat.💓 Maybe you would be a good candidate for an ablation or other procedure too. Maybe a consultation with your cardiologist could help explore the possibility and find find out if you are a good candidate...I hope you will find help and relief from your as I have.

I'm a new guy here. Moniker is Dick McCoy, one of the real McCoys 😁 & a 71 yr ol' fart. Retired law enforcement officer from NY, now live in rural north central PA. Diagnosed with Paroxsymal AFib about 10 yrs ago, Catheter Ablation on January 2015. Cardioversons in Sept 2015 & May 2018.
Currently controlled by Dilitiazem, Flecanide, Ramipril, & Atoravastatin. Also have a 4.3 TAA (Thoracic Ascending Aneurysm) that was found to be 4.0 about 3 yrs ago.
Trying to fathom what, if anything, my next step is. That's my life, in condensed version, and I'm stickin' to it!
~ Dick

Does anyone experience shortness ofbreath. Since being diagnosed with afi b and taking metropoolol and diliazem can't do anything without being out of breath.

Hi Eileena. All these conditions pose difficult challenges in our everyday life. Thanks for the information about home monitoring. I agree that our ecg in doctor's office is just a snapshot of a bigger unseen picture. It has been encouraging to hear the stories of others and the results of there procedures. I have learned much from participating in connect. Thanks for your post.

mrk4445
@mklapperich

I had a slightly different experience. I had PVCs that would NOT stop even after having a quad bypass. ( I believe the blockages were caused by the PVCs, but have no confirmation from my doctors.)

The ablation I had was for the PVCs that now even the Mayo Clinic indicates are far more damaging than Afibs. I had a single place generating those PVCs. My Cardiologist put me on an aspirin right after I had the bypass. He had me on Metropolol for a short while and switched to Carvedilol from which he took me off within 6 months, but due to frequent migraines that abated with the Carvedilol it was difficult to wean off. It took me 14 weeks of decreasing a single dose weekly to finally be off the Carvedilol, but it's been a year and no migraines.

I never took Warfarrin, only aspirin, a regular one, not a baby one.

I also donate blood every 8 weeks. When my cardiologist asked me why I'd want to donate blood I told him it is the ONLY natural blood thinner and causes your body to generate new blood cells after you donate. Of course there are age restrictions for donating blood and the blood bank did request I talk to my cardiologist about it.

I occasionally see a single PVC when I take an ECG reading at home. I use a little device attached to an iPod, but a different model can be placed on an iPhone or there is the iWatch band. This is from AliveCore and can be obtained from their company. It has helped me monitor my condition and I'd recommend you and almost everyone else in the world get one to help them and to help their doctors to see what is happening away from the clinics.

The ECGs we get in the clinic situation are only a snapshot and do not always help the over-all health picture the cardiologist needs to help guide your health. So, an effective method is to have the technology available at your home.

Sorry, did not mean to get preachy, but did want to share.

There is no guarantee tykosen will keep you out of AFib. Nor a guarantee that cardioversion will keep you in sinus. It s worth a try to give it a shot but it s not a cure- all. Everyone is different so results are not the same for all.

As my afib is continuing the physician is suggesting to give me Tykosin ( 5 doses) as inpatient and do the electro cardio version . Then continue with Tykosin. Does anyone knows it is safe and effective to come our of arterial fibrillation.
?

Hi Martin. First time I went into afib I had to call 911. In ambulance they could not get me stable for transport...went bells and whistles to the hospital. They did have to shock my heart...2 times even and it would not come into rhythm. After 3 days in hospital came back into my rythm. Then was put on warfrin. Within 6 to 8 weeks I was hospitalized again. When released they put me Fleconide to help with heart rhythm And changed blood thinner to xerolto. I could not take xerolto as it caused blood in urine. As I am only a 1 for stroke risk I went off blood thinners and took aspirin. After continued episodes of high heart rate and no energy, doctor suggested the ablation. So they went through the groin to the atrium of my heart, and cauterized 4 areas where the heart was mis-firing. It takes 3 months for heart to heal. In the cauterized areas scar tissue forms and prevents the heart from mis-firing after ablation. Doc kept me on Fleconide and put me on Eliquis...guessing Fleconide as a precaution as the heart heals and of course eliquis for clot prevention. I have 6 month check soon...he said usually they have you wear a wear monitor for a few days to see if you are having normal rythm. I don't know if they will take me off Fleconide for that or not...I do not yet know if my good results will remain long term. Of course as anyone with afib would I hope for the best. At some point I would like to go off heart medicine and see if I remain stable. And return to aspirin instead of eliquis. It will all just depend upon if I stay stable or not. It is always wait and see. What is certain is that my illness has brought deeper life lessons. Live and love in the moment, don't worry, and trust God.

Hi @mrk4445. I am impressed with your experience so far and hope others will consider talking about it with their doctors. Your stable heart rhythm and revived energy are what so many with heart rhythm problems hope for. That you went around cardioversion (by medication or electrical shock) is a tribute to you and your medical team. Would you mind sharing your understanding of your treatment with three components -- surgical ablation of heart tissue, Flecainide medication, and Eliquis? That combination suggests that you have overcome arrhythmia in both your atria (upper chambers) and ventricles (lower chamber). Does that feel like a total fix?