Ablation recommendation

I am an otherwise healthy 67 year old male with persistent afib which began 15 months ago when I took the standard purgative prior to a colonoscopy. When I went in for the procedure, I wasn't feeling well and they informed me I was in afib. I consulted with a cardiologist a few days later who put me on metoprolol, xarelto and lisartin and told me I'd have to come in for a stress test later. The metoprolol rapidly put me into CHF and the lisartin/metoprolol combination actually raised my systolic bp to the 180 range where it had been running in the 120's prior to medication. The cardiologists solution was to put me on a titrated dosage of metoprolol in the hospital doubling the dosage from the original. I could feel my heart literally flooding with fluid and could not sleep except in an elevated position. They also put me on cardizem (diltiazem) which made sleep impossible. When I was released, I stopped the metoprolol and felt better after a few days and fired my cardiologist.
The next cardiot I went to put me on amiodarone and digoxin which spun me into another round of CHF even worse than the last. I only took two amiodarone pills but the CHF still lasted 3 months until it flushed from my system. Four months in I had a cardioversion which failed completely. After 6 months, I had an ablation which lasted one blissful month in NSR before my afib returned. I was taking cardizem/fleicanide for control and the neuropathy from the fleicanide gradually inched up my legs until they felt like concrete blocks from the knees down at which time I stopped all drugs.
I apologize for rambling but, as I'm sure many vagal afib sufferers are aware, I discovered from this site the individual nature of afib and how SOP with drugs doesn't work for vagal afibbers. I've tried every protocol on this site with no success and am considering another ablation but my EP moved away right after my procedure and there is no one qualified locally anymore. Can anyone recommend an EP in the Sioux Falls, SD, Minneapolis, MN, Denver, CO or Chicago, IL areas who does good work and actually listens to patients?

Doesn't sound "vagal" to me, and clearly you want someone who can diagnose/treat your condition without your advice.

You might try looking for an electrophysiologist who is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society and is in a location near you. Try to find an experienced EP who practices in a facility where a lot of ablations are performed. Get an expert opinion in evaluating your individual case......everyone is different. Be glad you did not continue the amiodarone. It is a toxic drug that can affect many other organs. Best of luck!

Doesn't sound "vagal" to me, and clearly you want someone who can diagnose/treat your condition without your advice.

I didn't go into all the reasons why it's vagal but severe reaction to beta blockers is the first of many signs. Thank you for your insight, jpeters.

Thank you JustMeToo. I will use the info as a fallback as I am looking for a more personal recommendation first.

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Celticpops
Can anyone recommend an EP in the Sioux Falls, SD, Minneapolis, MN, Denver, CO or Chicago, IL areas who does good work and actually listens to patients?

A friend of a friend had what was diagnosed in Denver as VFifb (it wasn't). He was wearing a "shocker" vest in case he went into Vfib. They gave him very limited options in Denver, with a number of different EP's. I suggested he go to Dr. Natale in Austin, who let him jump the queue and successfully ablated him in two weeks (because of the severity of his case). For follow up, Dr. Natale recommended Wendy Tzou <[www.cudoctors.com] who my friend said Natale was trying to recruit for Austin. So I'd suggest going to Dr. Tzou.

Good luck!

George

Thank you, GeorhhgeN. I will put her at the top of my list.

Can you fly to Austin?