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Af

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popeye62
popeye62

Hi folks long time away june was a bad month all new stack of meds.went to see my heart nurse found out my cardioversions on the 7th,of august meds have got rate down from in the 170 to 61 beats.blah blah also putting me down for angia gram she could not believe i have not had one yet.i was here last year going for cardioversion when it went back into sinus rhytm i dont think thers much chance of that hope they dont put me on a treadmill i will explode after 10.seconds on it

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  • mike78443
    mike78443 popeye62

    Posted

    Wow, guys I was cardioverted once and it lasted 18 hours. Then they put me on cardivert or something like that and within a week I was back in normal rythem. Drugs will only last so long and then you'll need an ablations. I'm a fib free I take a 81mg of asprin. You won't believe how good you'll feel once you stop taken all those heart meds. I feel for each one of you, but if you want to stop the maddness get an ablation as soon as you can. Best of luck to you all
    • derek76
      derek76 mike78443

      Posted

      My first cardioversion lasted for fifteen momths and the second one for nine. As you take 81mg aspirin rather than 75 you are obviously in the USA. It is not all that easy to get an ablation in the UK NHS system.
    • simon56380
      simon56380 mike78443

      Posted

      I'm living in Australia and have private health cover, so not reliant upon the public system here (which I  would probably have to go on a long waiting list for an ablation). My cardiologist says that I'd only be a candidate for ablation if I went back into afib again.

      Going on what I'm reading in these forums, I suspect that this is more of a 'when', rather than'if'!

      My cardiologist told me that only 60% of ablations are successful on the first attempt! and given that this is an emerging area of medicine, when they are still making improvements and perfecting various techniques, I'm in no rush to have one ATM, but suspect it may be inevitable.

      My older brother had an ablation a decade ago after being cardioverted several times and was found dead six months later (autopsy was inconclusive, but was probably a fatal heart rhythm). This adds to my reluctance to rush out and get an ablation at this point in time.

      I guess my cardiologist and I both seem to be working on the same principle, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!".

      Hopefully by the time I need one, there'll be a better than 60% success rate.

       

    • mike78443
      mike78443 simon56380

      Posted

      Ok guys a Cardiologist is not the person to be talking to about your afib. You need to see a electrocardioogist. Cardiologist takes care of the plumbing of your heart and EC takes care of your electicial side of your heart. The EC preforms the Ablation. However, your Cardiologoist can try and correct your afib/aflutter using drugs to control or correct your issue but when drugs stop working and they will you'll need to go to a EC. While its true my first one didn't take but it did last me for 18 months I then developed a case of a flutter and a slight case of afib. It's been 9 months now and I hope all is well for the rest of my life. the heart meds really screwed with me, I was depressed and feeling useless with afib. I feel for each of you but their is a working cure for afib, seek out a EC and talk with him or her about your case. It's really a simple procedure your in and out in 36 hours
    • lankylass
      lankylass derek76

      Posted

      Hi Derek, I know that I have replied to you before and I do get your posts in my e-mail, you probably get mine too, I am due for my next CV on 20th August after the first one lasted for 7 months. You did pretty well with your first lasting for 15 months. Are you stil in sinus rhythm? Did you have a third after your second lasted for nine months or did you go down the ablation route? I am considering that if the next one doesn't last, not looking forward to it but like Popeye, if it helps you get rid of these horrible feelings you get with AF then it's worth it. Cheers, 
    • derek76
      derek76 lankylass

      Posted

      It seems that outside factors cause my AF. My aortic valve replacement at 77 caused the first one in May 2012 with the later first cardioversion lasting for the fifteen months. Stimulation of my vagus nerve during a colonoscopy put me back in it and the next CV lasted around nine months until I had a DRE (digital rectal examination in urology) in January that again stimulated it and I have been in and out to AF since.

      My seven day ECG monitor in May did not have me in AF all the time but it showed that I had tachy bradycardia and up to three second pauses between heart beats and needed a pacemaker.

      Look for my recent long post, My pacemaker experience.

      For some reason my heart rate went from a recent average of 72 up to 100 after the pacemaker was fitted. The cardiologist was happy to leave it like that untreated until I go back on a blood thinner and get another new health problem sorted out and see him in six months to discuss ablation or another CV. I spoke to another doctor beforte lreaving the hospital and she has prescribed Diltiazem that I am rather wary of but over this week it has brought my heart rate mainly into the 60's and 70's and only about half of my BP readings are showing the irregular symbol.

    • simon56380
      simon56380 mike78443

      Posted

      Hi Mike, you are spot on with the electro cardiologist advice.

      My cardiologist has already told me that if I go into AF again, that he would refer to to an electro-physiologist for an ablation. As I said before, this is probably just a matter of time until this happens for me as most cardioversions tend not to last. 

  • lankylass
    lankylass popeye62

    Posted

    Hi Popeye, Just wondering how you are? If I remember right I think that you were due to have a cardioversion a few days after mine? I replied to you when you returned from holiday but haven't seen any of your posts since, not like you to be quiet!!! Anyway, I had my second cardioversion on Thursday 20th August, all went well, for those due to have one the procedure is very simple and the scary bit is the wait just before you go in. No need to be really, they put you to sleep and in a few mins you are awake, no after effects from the anaesthetic at all. You get a few marks on your chest/back where the pads were, a little like sunburn but they are fine now. I keep checking my pulse to see if it is still working, as I said this is the second CV, the first was last Oct and lasted until voting day this year, 7 months. I have been told that this also may fail but I am keeping everything crossed as I don't really want an ablation, I have spoken to a few on this site who have had good experiences and it's a bit of 'que sera sera', if it's the only way to get rid of this horrible AF, then I will probably do it. I am due to go on hol in Sept so hope it will be ok, at least the flippin' travel insurance will be cheaper, they have you over a barrel when you are 'waiting for a procedure'. Anyway Popeye, I hope that your CV goes well and that you are feeling better. Cheers. PS, The guy who did mine is called David Biggs, arrhythmia nurse at Fairfield General Hospital, Bury, great guy. 
  • lankylass
    lankylass popeye62

    Posted

    hi Popeye, I was just wondering how you are? I am seeing the arrhythmia nurse tomorrow, he did my cardioversion last August, I seem to remember that you had one done on the 7th August, I haven't seen any posts from you for ages, I e-mail Jessie occasionally and we chat about this and that, we wondered if you were ok? Hope to hear from you soon. Cheers, Lankylass
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