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Kardia?
I just had an episode of afib at 1:30 am with pulse around 165, short of breath. I actually tried taking simethicone (for trapped air in GI tract) and used cold water and thought it might be getting better. I jumped in the car with my oximeter/pulse on my finger and drove to the hospital at 2 am just in case. In the parking lot, I seemed okay and drove home. Now I am afraid to sleep! My Kardia needs a new battery so I relied on the oximeter.
So I need a new Kardia or is there something better and cheap that people are using? I have gone two whole years without an episode- usually more than one a year and always end up in ER, one time ICU. Dodged a bullet this time.
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Batteries are available for the Kardia. I have replaced mine 2x. Slide open the battery door on the back of the Kardia to find and replace the battery.
I am 36 yrs with Type 1 and 76 yrs old. Good luck!
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2 ReactionsI replaced the battery once at a jeweler's store. Since my afib occurs so infrequently (if dramatically) the battery runs out between episodes so I am caught without. I guess I'll just have to remember once a year.
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3 ReactionsI don't understand why you would think you need a new device? If it's as simple as replacing a battery, and the battery isn't proprietary and unique to that device, you should find replacements at hardware stores, pharmacies, and the like, maybe even Radio Shack or whatever it's called this week.
It's surprising how many AF sufferers report that they get their worst episode, or their only episodes, when in bed. It must have something to do with compression of the heart itself, or compression of the Vagus nerve...that's my best guess.
It is hard to accept this as a fact, but the truth is that atrial fibrillation won't kill you. You won't die from AF. If untreated, it could lead to heart failure years from now, but that would be your cause of death, not the AF.
See an electrophysiologist about treating your heart's arrhythmia. Medications and monitoring only go so far because it is a progressive disorder...it gets worse over time. Over time, medications will lose their efficacy and potency, and you'll need a different treatment. So, the wisdom is that you should get the condition fixed mechanically as early as you can BEFORE it progresses to a point where a pacemaker is all that's left for you.
Once again, so that you can sleep, and as much as the palpitations are extremely intrusive (believe me, I get it!), you will not die because of atrial fibrillation. But if you want more peace of mind, see an EP right away.
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2 ReactionsIs this addressed to me @gloaming?
Yes, I was just interpreting your first post higher. It seemed, since you asked the question, that you were no longer feeling secure in the Kardia device, which I found odd. If I have misunderstood, please disregard my comment.
I just have trouble getting the battery out and go to a jeweler. Not sure where you got the idea that I wasn't feeling secure.
I don't need an EP and am not on any meds (diltiazem with an episode). Thanks for the advice. I just went two years without an episode- twice the usual interval- and it only lasted 10 minutes.
I stopped eating after 5 and don't recline after eating. I also drink low sodium V-8 for potassium, and take Mg. I have no idea if a cancer hormonal med contributed (I stopped two years ago). We'll see. So far I am lucky I guess- the last episode in 2021 was terrible.
Okay, I understand better. BTW, kiwi-fruit, dried apricots, and beets are excellent sources of K. Also, coconut water. Not the milk, just the water.
Good luck to you, and I hope you can keep the AF at bay for many years.