Can anyone tell me how long they have been out of AF for after Cardioversion?

Hi Maria. Paroxysmal AF is very unpredictable and no two people are the same. Different people have different triggers and there are so many variables that the registrar has really no idea how long you will be in sinus rhythm!!! Are you on meds? Do you know your triggers? I started taking a natural anti-inflammatory containing devil's claw and my AF has drastically reduced. Before taking it l had mimimised my triggers- alcohol, msg, preservatives. Am on Flecanide and metroprolol and Magnesium which all help but the biggest improvement was the devil's claw. Anyway that's me but l hope you have some success and remember anxiety doesn't help your AF. Good luck.

Are you sure the registrar wasn't referring to a recovery period? In any event, you don't want to ask the registrar, but rather you want to ask your cardiologist or ep?

And unless you have coexisting conditions that would make cardioversion difficult to hold, the answer should be that no one knows how long a cardioverson will hold. I've had several, and they've held between 12 and 2 years each. Sometimes a cardioversion will hold forever, sometimes just a few hours. Hope this helps.

Jim

I have had over one hundred AFib episodes over the past 17 years. I am now on Multaq, and so far it has helped a lot in controlling the frequency. Are you on a blood thinner? That is extremely important, my doctor says, as A-Fib can happen any time and there is a chance in that case that a clot MAY form.For years I was on a reactive medication, taking Monocor or similar when an episode occurred, but as the frequency and length of episodes was increasing, I am now on this daily medication. Multaq is a last resort medication, and is only used when other meds do not work. It has the side effect of making me very fatigued and spacey, but the Cardio says maybe that is a price I have to pay to prevent the very frequent and lengthening episodes. I don't like it, but it is better than the alternative.

If you have had only one episode, be assured that this is a very common ailment. After the first couple of years I never went to the hospital, as the cardio assured me the Afib episode would stop. It is scary, uncomfortable and debilitating as it is happening, but as far as I know, it is not life threatening. But I am not a medical practitioner, so do your due diligence, and ask your doctor lots of questions. This is a very good website for learning about AFib from the National Health Service in the UK:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/treatment/

Good luck, and stay calm!

I did not realize you had had Afib for so long. Multzaq cannot be used for people in permanent AFib, as it can lead to stroke in such cases. Your AFib is much more serious than mine, and I apologize for my presumption. I cannot imagine how you feel having such a prolonged episode at such a high rate. Mayo Clinic has a good write-up on cardioversion, which might answer some of your questions.

There are other blood thinners than warfarin which do not require ongoing monitoring, like Xarelto and Equilis. You can ask you doc about them. Again, Maria, I wish you well.

I did not have cardioversion. I had an AF episode about 13 months ago. Went to the ER. Was given injections of two medications before I was able to get back to normal. I do not know if I have any triggers. I am currently on Metropolol Succ 100 mg to regular the heart rate. They also placed me on Eliquis 5 mg twice daily to control or prevent blood clots. So far all has gone well. I do have high Blood Pressure which is now controlled with three different medications. Never found out the ultimate cause or given any information as to why it happened. I am on Thryoid medication as I had it removed due to cancer. I am 71 years old and just very happy I can get around as well as I do. I wish you luck. This side has really been helpful and educating for me. Best of luck to you.

Hi there i have had 2 cardioversions in the past now on flecanide and warfarin been af free for over a year..

Hi Maria i was first diagnosed in 2013 after going to gp and done a ecg there and then which indicated irregular hearbeat reffered to cardiologist after scan of my heart it was a couple of months then they did the cardioversion and put me on bisprolol i was ok for a while and then it came back! i was totally guted so went back to cardiologist for another cardioversion and changed my meds to flecanide and stopped bisoprolol so probably 1st cardioversion lasted 5 to 6 mths then second cardioversion with change of meds much better still had some episodes of af but i took a flecanide tablet and it reverted back to normal rythym within about 3 hours... I havent had any episodes of af since may 2017.. still have the odd palpatation now and again but luckily thats it! I really hope it all works out for you..

Yes - I was told any variation in time - could be 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months....it is an unknown quantity depending on the individual! Mine lasted 10 days and came back with a vengeance - now after 4 emergency admissions they may do an Ablation ! They have started me on Amiodarone, with the thinners and Bisoporol but I feel pretty rubbish tbh as my Bp now keeps dropping too low....bit tough when living on your own tbh and I am not safe to go out alone!

I don't understand the logic though - after so many costly emergency admissions they stabilise me, so I am no longer a patient for urgent treatment, so they send me out to be put on the out-patient list for the procedure with the proviso if it gets bad again to call 999 ! False economy methinks.

My next o/p EP appointment is January and I will have waited over 3 months for that! But I am ever hopeful they can get me sorted as I can't live like this.....xxx

My husband 70 is normally a very fit man had an episode of A fib and a cardio version last October 2019 which luckily worked that was after having to wait 6 months for it? He came off all his drugs and was fine.

Last week 7th June, he suffered another A Fib attack.

He recently found out he also has two leaky valves and a enlarged Atrial.

He's now on Lixiana ( edoxaban) 6omgs and Bisoprolol 1.25 mgs twice daily.

He has has low blood pressure the lowest recent reading being 68/ 58 too 110/ 68 when standing, it does vary a slightly.

He's lived with low BP all his life and it never really bothered him

His cardiologist gave my hubby three options on which treatment he would like to go for.

Treat with drugs for life.... In the hopes it goes back on it's own ... These drugs can have nasty side effects. He now suffers fast loose stalls several times a day since taking the above drugs. Incidentally he does drink loads of water!

Another Cardio version.. ?

An Oblation ... We have heard some good results.

Has anyone had any problems with oblation and do you still have to take these horrible drugs for life?

We understand why blood thinners are given in the first place.

Are there any alternatives?