Out of AF but Atenolol and Warfarin for life :-( & Vitamin D
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Had my cardioversion a couple of months back and all went well with no problems since but I was dissapointed to be told that I'm on Atenolol 25mg and Warfarin 6.5/7mg alternate days for life...
I thought I'd be able to come off them more or less straight away after my cardioversion but I've been told that, because I was asymptomatic, I have to stay on them for life "just in case AF returns and I don't notice".
Although the warfarin is not giving me any problems (my INR is very stable at 2.3), I don't like the Atenolol much as the dreaded swollen ankles have appeared. As I couldn't get on with Bisoprolol (nausea) and the hospital cardiac team were very anti-Digoxin ("it's for old people" they said) so it looks like Atenolol is the only option left?
I have an appointment with my diabetes specialist GP next month so I'll bring it up with her when she goes through my BP data.
I felt quite faint in the shower this moring and nearly keeled over. My pulse after getting dry, dressed and down for breakfast was 44 (so had probably been lower) which I think is too low for me. The surgery have also put me on diuretics to try and relieve the swollen ankles caused by the Atenolol. This is working but I was already peeing for England before I went on them - so you can imagine what it's like now!
I was always tired and lethargic pre cardioversion and I've been the same since. This prompted the GP to test for vitamin B12 & D defficiency. Lo and behold, my vitamin D results were "significantly" low so I'm also on vitamin D3 tablets for the duration, apparently in can take 6 months to a year to return to normal...
2014: off 3 tablets due to weight loss and lifestyle changes, but put on 4 new ones so feel like I'm going backwards!
Sorry that was a bit of a rambling post :-)
Off for a Sunday night glass of red. Might make that two....
Stuart
"rambling" - that made me think of Rambling Sid Rumpo. Have to look out my "Round the Horne" recordings for a bit of nostalgia.
1 like, 5 replies
andrew22534 stuart1953
Posted
stuart1953 andrew22534
Posted
Never come across the AliveCor device before. Looks interesting to say the least and, as I love technology, I might have to buy one! Can't see the hospital or GP surgery giving me one but I could ask the question. If you don't ask....
Stuart
andrew22534 stuart1953
Posted
lankylass stuart1953
Posted
stuart1953 lankylass
Posted
I'm 62 but the cardiac nurses obviously didn't think I was old :-). I think they really meant it was for people who were aged and didn't exercise or get about much due to a disability.
I had absolutely no idea I had AF. By chance I'd bought a new Omron BP meter that had a better memory facility than my previous one and it just happened to have a facility to detect abnormal heart rhythms. It didn't claim to detect AF but I was sufficiently concerned to go to my GP when the majority of my readings were flagged as having irregularities. Subsequent ECGs etc., confirmed the AFdiagnosis and that's why I'm where I am today.
So, as someone who was completely unaware that he had AF, I can perhaps understand their concern. However I think a combination of regular testing with my BP monitor with its abnormality indicator and my new found ability to detect irregularities when feeling my own pulse should be enough to identify an AF episode should one occur. Icing on the cake would be if I also had one of the AliveCor devices Andrew mentioned above.
As far as I'm aware, I'm still in sinus rhythm and the ectopic heartbeats I had regularly for a while after the cardioversion have pretty much stopped now. So, fingers crossed, I'm one of the lucky ones.
The other problem I have with Warfarin is that I have a spinal stenosis which is currently treated (very effectively) with spinal injections every 12 months. This treatment almost completely stops my back pain for several months and then it gradually increases until I go and ask for some more injections! My last injections were just before my AF diagnosis so I'm pretty pain-free at the moment but the specialist at the hospital has said that she wouldn't undertake the procedure again whilst I'm on warfarin. She said she would want me off it for at least 7 weeks before and 7 weeks after.
So, my choice will be - bear the pain or risk a stroke for 14 weeks. To be honest, I think I'll come off warfarin and have the procedure because I'm not sure that the stroke risk is still there if my AF has been "cured"?...and I don't like pain...
Stuart