Hello to Hans, PC, Jackie, (Fran if she ever came back around), and whoever else we used to study and talk with, in the past. I do hope this finds everyone well! Anyway, I am Rhonda, Richard's wife, and we used to frequent this forum, 9 or 10 yrs. ago, and now I'm finally back with a not-so-good update...but I will add, not completely disillusioned, b/c of the former knowledge gained from this invaluable site. I also want to share something that we've observed, but are not absolutely sure of our findings, and also not sure if we can prove it, but it's a warning to watch for, for anyone else that may see similarities. Also, I want to add that the reason we disappeared was that life got really busy with our business along with raising teenagers, so there was no time left for studies. So, I will give an update of what's been happening for the past 10 years, and bring those up to date, of what originally transpired, then I'll get to the point of this post.
Richard (now age 71) was diagnosed with flutter, in 2000. He did horrible until 2003, due to being "vagal" and being prescribed beta-blockers. He was also prescribed Flecainide, of which he still takes daily. Yes, Flec mostly worked for him, for about 15-17 yrs. (not sure if he was originally started on Flec, and didn't know about taking it on demand, at the time he was first prescribed, b/c we hadn't found this forum). He has since had two flutter ablations by an EP, at the UW hospital...Dr. Pool...and she got rid of his flutter, but then he began to have manageable Afib. As a matter of fact, he had been doing quite well, all this time, except during seasonal changes, esp. in the Fall, when he typically had more bouts. When this happened, he just endured it, while continuing his regimen of Mg. Taurate, and various other vitamins, and he worked through it. He also did a sleep study, and was found to have sleep apnea, and has been on a CPAP machine for about a year, or so. This was from my prodding, b/c he would sometimes stop breathing for upwards of a minute or more. The machine has helped immensely, with his energy and overall well-being. Anyway, all was as well as it could be until...
On Feb 27, 2017, he had his standard EP appt. so he could get his Flec prescription renewed, but this time, he was out of rhythm. If memory serves me, during a standard appt. he had never been out of rhythm. Dr. Pool decided to put a monitor on him, for a week. This was a new monitor, as I've since found, called the Carnation Ambulatory Cardiac Monitor. It sits directly over the heart with two electrode leads. While wearing this monitor, he had the worst week he has had, since his flutter ablations, which I think the last one was around 2005 or 6. Then, last week, Dr. Pool called him back into her office, for an emergency appt. for Monday, March 24, 2017, and then proceeded to tell Richard that his heart had stopped beating for 8 seconds, on 2/28/2017, with one blip at the 5 second mark. He hadn't even had the monitor on, for 24 hrs. Further, he was feeling very uncomfortable on the morning, before his heart stopped, and he had taken off his CPAP mask at around 6am. The incident happened at 8:41am. We didn't think his bad week of Afib was related to the cardiac monitor, at the time, but now we're not sure.
On the March 24th emergency appt. the doc wanted to put the monitor back on, and so at about 5pm, it was, and then the next morning he woke up in Afib, and stayed that way throughout the day. He came home from the office, a little early, feeling very dragged out, and I had the overwhelming feeling that he needed to take the monitor OFF, right away, as I started wondering if it could be the cause of these more frequent and unusual episodes. He called the doctor, and of course they said it couldn't be the monitor. He then converted earlier in the evening, and so he kept it on, but then went out of rhythm AGAIN, right before going to bed, and I said he must take it off, and so he did. In less than 15 mins. he converted to normal sinus rhythm, and then stayed that way. BUT, it gets worse!! The next night, March 26th, he had a mini-stroke, where he lost vision in half of both eyes, but it only lasted about 10 mins. He did NOT tell me this, until the next morning, however, b/c I think he was in denial, just plain scared, or didn't have the wherewithal to let me know. I'm not sure and neither is he. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage, as we've now found, due to more unfortunate circumstances.
I must digress a little. During the first week of monitoring, in Feb., the doc had prescribed Metoprolol, along with the usual Flec. Richard told her he did not do well on beta-blockers, and she knew this, but she was worried about his faster heart rate, of about 130+bpm, and told him to just bite off a tiny bit, if needed. He didn't get this prescription filled, until 5 days later, of wearing the monitor, and so he may have taken once or twice, on the last two days of monitoring, out of desperation, b/c his heart had been out of rhythm so much that week. Now, to today.
He awakened out of rhythm this morning 3/31, but no monitor this time. He took about half a tablet of Metoprolol Tartrate (about 12.5 mg), along with his typical Flec, and they converted him. He came in the kitchen and told me he felt so much better, and we talked for a moment, and then he said he had to sit down, b/c he was feeling dizzy. I got up and felt his pulse, which was very weak, and then he started falling backwards, and thank goodness I was there to catch him, b/c he went down. His pulse was ranging around 34bpm. I called the ambulance, and he's now in the hospital
He is being put on Warfarin, and then from here, I just don't know. We may be calling Dr. Natale, b/c Dr. Pool wants to put him on a Pacemaker, and we do NOT like that idea, at all.
Anyway, we will figure all of that out, but if anyone has good suggestions, I'm all ears or eyes. I do, however, still have a terrible gnawing feeling that this new monitor has played a part in most of this (not today, however, b/c that was the beta-blocker), so I have done my best, to find out how these monitors work. A typical Holter or EKG monitor is held away from the heart, but this new monitor that just came out this year, is adhered right over the heart. What I've found is that between the electrodes and the electronics, there is a magnetic field, produced. I'm wondering if this field could possibly have an effect on the heart, with the exchange or effect of electrons. I just find it very coincidental that the two times he had the monitor on, he had a very bad week, and then it started again, when putting back on, and then also having a mini stroke the next day after removing it. My gut instinct is telling something is not right, and I just want others to be on alert, just in case.
It's late now, and I have to get to bed, so I can be at the hospital in the morning. We will get the MRI and various test results tomorrow, so I will update you. In the meantime, if anyone has any input, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts. I apologize for our long absence, but am so glad to see familiar names, and to know you are doing such wonderful and important work. Goodnight all, and I look forward to reading more, in the forums, and hearing from old friends. Talk soon, Rhonda