Post Cardio Version ?

Great reply!

Based on my BP and HR, I am probably back in afib. I am going to try to think about it if I can until I see cardiologist in one month. I am already tired of it dominating my daily life. It hasn't even been a month. What are the risks factors if I am on medications to control HR and an anticoagulant?

Sandy , How many cardioversions have you had ? How long has longest worked ?

I had two - 9 days & 2 1/2 week .Thanks! Didi

Hi Didi, ya I've had a lot of them in total around 10. Last fall/winter I went through a bad spell and had around 5 between November and January. I had a lot of family stress at the time so I think this was a big part of it. Affecting my stomach /vagus nerve etc. The longest I've gone without a correction is about 3 years. And lately I've been having problems again due to stress (kids) lol. So I'm trying hard to avoid going into full blown a fib by watching my diet more, trying to reduce stress (ya sure) etc. The last correction I had was 9 months ago. That was when a had that series of cardioversions.

How close together can you get them ? If you don't mind telling me what drugs are you taking ?

I started Tikosyn 2 1/2 weeks ago after Cardioversion - seemed to work until last night . Now I'm fluttering like crazy !!

Thanks for answering , Didi

Well I've had two in one day from two different hospitals! And currently I'm on flecainide 50 MG 2xday. I refuse to go on any other anti arrhythmia meds and I will not go higher on the flecainide either. They are all too dangerous for my liking. I'm not on any blood thinners but have been in the past.

Flecainide didn't work for me so am on Tikosyn and Eliquis . I , like you , hate the meds .

Am going to consult with Dr Andrea Natalie in Austin in November .Am hoping to find THE ANSWER with him .

How are you feeling now?

Best, Didi

I'm feeling not to bad some good days and then some days when it's so friggin cranky lol. Those days I get frustrated. So I review my diet and stress levels and try to do something about them. You must live in Texas. I live in Ontario Canada just north of Toronto.

Sandy and Didi: I sincerely appreciate you sharing your experiences. I gain insight and perspective from your posts. I live in Concord NC, just north of Charlotte. The lightheadedness is irritating today. I want and need to work in my garden and flowers.

I live in Oregon -

I agree with you re meds - especially Flecainide - I hated that stuff - but and its a big one - reconsider the blood thinner because we are so at risk for stroke in AFIB .

Ya I've discussed this numerous times with my cardiologist and they tell me this all the time in emerg but my cardiologist says I don't need it as I know every time I go into A Fib. I am very symptomatic so I go usually fairly quickly to get cardioverted. The risk seems to be after 24 to 48 hours after the onset of A Fib after this point your risk goes up substantially for stroke. I think the longest I've been before being cardioverted is approx. 4 hours. I have no other risk factors, and I'm only 57. So ya it's a hard call.

I love cardioversions !!

Hahaha how many have you had? What's your Afib history? They are all so interesting and different from each other.

First AFIB last June in Palm Springs.

Returned to Portland and started Pradaxa and Diltiazem ( both 100 mg)followed by Flecainide 100mg .

Then Cardioversion a month ago .

Lasted 9 days only.

Next Cardioversion 2 1/2 weeks ago followed by Tikosyn ( hospital 3 nights)

So far it's ok .Fingers crossed .

Interesting. Have you had any ablations? I've had 2 a week apart for the flutter. I hear that the ablation for A Fib is a 6 hour procedure and is more risky than the 20 minute flutter ablation. I'm not so sure I'm gonna do that when the time comes. How does it affect you socially and mentally? It has definitely affected my ability to travel abroad even to the USA. And hiking and going to a cottage were a hospital is far away is now a thing of the past for me . I do really miss my total freedom.

No Ablations yet . Do you have AFIB _ or flutter ? 

I have a consult set up in Nov . to see a prominent AFIB physiologist in Texas who does ground breaking forms of ablation . It's a long way to travel from Portland but I want the best opinion I can get about this . 

I like my physiologist here but have read so much about Dr Natalie I feel I need to proceed and see him also . It's scary to say the least . Like you my whole life has been turned upside down by this thing. 

I am an anxious person anyway and this has doubled the anxiety factor !

Doctors who say AFIB is no big deal don't HAVE IT!! 

I want a magic cure NOW!!! I am never not thinking of AFIB always afraid it's going to rear its ugly head again . 

I understand every thing you said - we are sisters !

Well to start with I had both. But it was the flutter that they abated right away. Twice in less than a week and a half. The second one hurt sooo bad. Ya I too want it fixed now without all the drugs. I'm not sold on the ablation for it. The one thing that really gets me is doctors don't look outside the box for each patient. We are all treated the same when in fact there could be MANY reasons one suffers from Afib including stomach issues, food issues, vagus nerve etc, etc. But they just look at you like you have three eyes. So I do my own investigating and I call the shots as to what I'm want to do. I actually do not believe mine comes from my heart I think it is all related to my stomach /vagus nerve and food issues. I actually made myself go into a fib just to prove it but they don't know who to send me too cause really it's not a cardiologist that would deal with issues like that. But the other doctors /specialists send you back to the cardiologist lol and around and around we go. Just Afib alone can make ANYBODY anxious never mind adding brain dead doctors to the mix lol

Yes we are totally sisters! 😊

Have you seen an electrophisiologist ? They deal with electrical systems in our heart and seem better equipped to deal than cardiologists ( although some are both)

I feel we must be our own advocates and make our docs check out all areas of concern - if not - move on to another doc !!

I agree with you in all you said and feel good knowing we can bounce stuff off each other .

Knowledge is power sister!!

Also - I take Xanax for anxiety - it really helps !!!

Yes knowledge is power my Afib friend . I don't think we have electrophysiologists here in Canada as a specialty. At least I've never heard of one or seen one here in Canada. Do they deal with just the electrical portion/function of the heart? It takes a long time to get an appointment to see other cardiologists. All the ones I have seen just do not want to acknowledge there could be other issues going on that could be causing it. I'm interested in electrophysiologists though. Maybe I should see if we have them here for sure or not.

I'm so glad I've been able to connect with you Didi and be able to express our frustrations and experiences be them good or bad. It really helps me to cope. Thanks

I checked - yes you have electro physiologists up there - lots !

Happy we are sisters in AFIB !

I did some research last night re vagaries nerve and AFIB . You have a point !!Lots of work is being done to see if the stimulation of vagal nerve can help AFIB SYMPTOMS !!! If that is true - it could be an easy non invasive approach vs ablation . They already use the procedure is already used to cure various other conditions .

Maybe we are on to something here!!

VAGAL NERVE ( sorry computer spell check error)

Omg thanks for looking that up for me. I'll mention that to my GP when I see him next week.

Ya for me I think the vagus nerve is somehow stimulated with food sensitivities or stress or even pressure in that area. I've yet to figure it out but all I know is that it's not my heart per say and that it originates in my gut area.

Today I'm going fishing with my husband. I'm sooo hoping that I won't go into a fib. Man will I ever be annoyed if I do. So stay tuned. Lol. The weather is changing here so I want to get the last good fishing days in before the cool fall comes and then winter

I have not fished with my husband this year because of AFIB - can't take the heat as I did and am afraid to be in boat for 9 hrs straight out in the wild - probably silly on my part -but it had kept us from doing something we love this summer.Have fun .

I am much more sun sensitive on AFIB (drugs?) and get hot easily . You?

I was a sun worshiper so this isn't good !

Wow me too! 2 weeks ago when we were out there fishing it was intensely hot and bam into a fib I went. Only for about an hour though but long enough we had to bring the boat out etc. And of course there was a LONG lineup to get out lol. I was so disappointed. Today it's much cooler. But my heart is already being pernickity lol cause I'm thinking sooo much about our son who has caused us major heart ache in the last few months. Haha no pun there . This causes me stress and then heart stuff. So I'm hoping the fishing will divert my attention and lessen the stress. I'm gonna catch a whopper today!

Stress is a trigger point - I BELIEVE IT . I spend so much time trying to avoid all stressful triggers ( last night it was difficult as my son in law was getting into politics with me) 

fishing is the BEST stress reliever - go catch that whopper ( what are u fishing for?)

dont think just fish ❤️

Haha yes fishing brings us closer for sure. The lake were fishing at is called lake Muskoka actually lots of America's come to this lake including Goldie Hawn lol. It has good bass fishing with some pickerel and trout but we usually catch the bass.

We love fishing for small mouth bass - catch & release!