Atrial Fibrillation Forum - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Medication

mjamesone — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:42:00 +0000

I tried questioning my cardiologist about stopping Flecanide and I didn't get an answer

That's not good. You really want a partnership, not to be ignored. While these three medications are frequently given for AF, that doesn't mean this is the right combination for you. Some do well on beta blockers such as bisoprolol, some have lots of side effects and do better on calcium channel blockers. Some, inclucing myself, didnt need either for many years early in my AF journey. Same with Flecainide.

Don't know much about your history, but in many cases a trial off Flecainide can be a good reality check to see if it's really needed. But more important, you want a doctor who listens. So if this one doesn't, I would find one that does.

Jim

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:36:16 +0000

Susan, it is so good to hear this news. You deserve it with all you have been through!!

Re: Medication

GeorgeN — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:27:35 +0000

Quote
Carlorea
I was diagnosed with AFIB in September 2025 and the emergency Doctor at the hospital prescribed : Bisopropol 2.5 mg//d + Flecanide 50mg ( 2/d) + Xarelto 20 mg/d

The 50 mg flex 2x/d is a relatively mild dose (likely the smallest dose in the literature) as is the Bisopropol 2.5 mg/d. Xarelto 20 mg/d is the standard dose. At 140 pounds, you could be allowed to take an extra 100 mg/day as a bolus, on-demand dose to terminate an episode (if they only last 2 hours, not worth doing). But if they start lasting longer you could ask about this. The original paper on the topic is here.

Re: Impact of Age and Diagnosis-to-Ablation Time on Sex Differences in 12-Month Outcomes After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: An admIRE Subanalysis, written by Dr Natale

Qwackertoo — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:24:35 +0000

I’m a Female patient of Dr Natale going on 8 months, only 6 months IF you count from touch up and Watchman date.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Qwackertoo — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:19:55 +0000

Susan, Sounds great from your Awake Ablation with strep throat too and except first and last 7 minutes being awake. Glad to hear you have such a positive Holter report and continue to improve!

Re: Medication

Carey — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:36:14 +0000

Quote
Carlorea
Has anyone in my situation been given all 3 of these meds?

Literally millions of people have, including a large percentage of the members here (including me). It's a very routine regimen for afib. The flecainide prevents afib, the bisoprolol protects you against a dangerous side-effect of flecainide (and also lowers your heart rate and BP), and the Xarelto protects you against blood clots.

Oh, and you can probably switch back to regular latte, and a glass of wine now and then should be fine. Caffeine has been shown to actually be mildly beneficial for afib in multiple studies, and alcohol in moderation doesn't seem to be a major factor.

Re: Medication

susan.d — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:14:29 +0000

It’s common to be on Flecainide, a Beta blocker rate control drug and a blood thinner to prevent a stroke from afib.

Medication

Carlorea — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:04:05 +0000

I was diagnosed with AFIB in September 2025 and the emergency Doctor at the hospital prescribed : Bisopropol 2.5 mg//d + Flecanide 50mg ( 2/d) + Xarelto 20 mg/d. Since then, I had one episode in October that lasted about 2 hours, and nothing since.. My current cardiologist with a God's complex thinks that this is the right regimen.
I am 73 and otherwise in good health, I watch my diet , I weigh 140 lbs, I stopped drinking wine , and switched to decaf latte.
I tried questioning my cardiologist about stopping Flecanide and I didn't get an answer .
Has anyone in my situation been given all 3 of these meds? I live in Canada and it's too far to travel to get a second opinion from one of your top EPs, like Dr. Natale.
Thank you in advance.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

susan.d — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:59:16 +0000

I got my holter results back to see what my pvc post 3 month ablation burden is. My ventricular arrhythmia is <1%. Better than 50% but I was concerned if I have new areas firing because of the 7 single VE beats in 72 hours or if it is the unusual amount of stress I’m going through. Thank goodness there is AI.

Out of 307,187 beats, I had 16 ventricular arrhythmia beats:
2 VT events-one at 171HR (I felt that) for 3 beats, another VT for 3 beats
1 bigeminy event for 3 beat count,
7 single VE (ectopics) events for a total of 7 beats. One was a premature VE (pacs?) and the other six were VE (pvc?)
0 SVTs

Summary and comments
72-hour test.
Sinus rhythm, pacemaker activity observed
Minimum speed 68 beats per minute, maximum speed 91 beats per minute and average 71 beats per minute.
Ventricular arrhythmias as detailed above include short segments of Non-sustained VT (triplets).

My ablation was January 5th of this year.

According to AI, I this is good news:
A 72-hour Holter test showing only 6 ventricular ectopic (VE) beats three months after a PVC ablation is typically considered an excellent clinical outcome. A successful procedure is often defined as a reduction in PVC burden by ≥80% from baseline.

Here is a breakdown of the findings based on your description:
Significant Reduction: A reduction from a 50% burden (roughly 50,000+ beats per day) to 6 beats over 72 hours (2 per day) represents a >99% reduction, indicating high success.
Healing Period: While 3 months is a standard follow-up window, the "blanking period" (healing time where arrhythmias can briefly return) can last up to 3-6 months. A very low count like 6 suggests the heart has healed well.
Significance of 6 VEs: In a healthy heart, a few premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) daily are considered normal.
Procedural Efficacy: Recurrences of the original high-burden PVCs usually show up as significant daily totals (thousands), not single-digit counts over three days.

Common Reasons for Low-Level Post-Ablation Ectopy:
Inflammation: Residual inflammation from the ablation scars can cause minor ventricular irritation.
Routine PVCs: These could be background PVCs unrelated to the original 50% burden.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:21:53 +0000

Quote
susan.d
With my pacemaker, ideally I need cellular or wifi 6 hours a day. There was a situation in which I had neither for days. Once I had wifi, my pacemaker was able to transmit the missing data it had stored.

On my prior post about the VitalConnect monitor uploading data when I was out of the WiFi range, I should have said when the patch is out of proximity to the phone to be able to download the data. If I go to one floor of my house to another, I always have WIFI, but the patch is not transmitting the data until I get closer to the phone.

I have used VitalConnect for 3 years. For the first time, last evening the phone stated the patch was not connected to the body. Thankfully, the customer service department was still open
I was told to put a bandaid on the small strip between the two circular areas of the patch! So far this is working. I hope this is not affecting the readings…..I have 116 hours to go per the phone!!

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

susan.d — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 07:36:05 +0000

With my pacemaker, ideally I need cellular or wifi 6 hours a day. There was a situation in which I had neither for days. Once I had wifi, my pacemaker was able to transmit the missing data it had stored.

Impact of Age and Diagnosis-to-Ablation Time on Sex Differences in 12-Month Outcomes After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: An admIRE Subanalysis, written by Dr Natale

susan.d — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:30 +0000

[www.heartrhythmjournal.com]

Written by Dr Natale

It’s only a summary but a full version is available.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:04:36 +0000

Quote
Qwackertoo

I had a visit with my primary care provide today. I told her I was wearing a 7 day Vital Connect heart monitor. I showed her the phone I had with me that was uploading the information from the monitor. She had never seen that monitor before. She then brought up the website for the hospital the clinic is affiliated with. It is a major research and teaching hospital and my local cardiologist practices there. I learned from the website that they are now using only the BardyCam monitor. I might try that one next year. It would eliminate the need to having a phone to deal with. That is a minor detail, though, but just want to give it a try!

Hi Pixie

Interesting. Do you have to have the phone with you at all times for the 7 days? Back when I had my Implanted Heart Loop Monitor, 35 months, I had the Samsung phone on my nightstand and it did the downloading and updating during the night or when I was nearby. Every so often, mainly after a power outage or flicker of the power, I'd check to make sure it was up to date/connected and maybe a couple of times it needed a software update and follow those steps when prompted. I would need to use it, rarely ever did, to place it near where the implant was, wait for vibration to press the screen for symptoms and I believe there were a few options for symptoms to choose from at that point.. I think in 35 months I only did that maybe twice. On that model, just had to wait every month for them to send the data, then my EP to sign off on the report and then wait for it to be uploaded to my patient portal. I think now Boston Scientific IHLM's have a patient portal/website where you can review the data in real time, although I hope I never need or have one again~!!!

I don’t need to have the phone with me at all times, but I usually do. You can be out of a WIFI area for a specific amount of time (I have that written somewhere) and when you return and have WIFI, the data saved on the patch is downloaded to the phone. The phone indicates if the “Body Contact “ is good, if the data is downloading and how many hours are left on the patch. There is other data on the phone, but those are the ones I pay attention to. I did learn that if a patch cannot be tolerated for 7 days, in my case, my EP will get the data he feels comfortable with if I wear it less than 7 days. I was glad to hear that!!

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Qwackertoo — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:58:17 +0000

Quote
Pixie
I had a visit with my primary care provide today. I told her I was wearing a 7 day Vital Connect heart monitor. I showed her the phone I had with me that was uploading the information from the monitor. She had never seen that monitor before. She then brought up the website for the hospital the clinic is affiliated with. It is a major research and teaching hospital and my local cardiologist practices there. I learned from the website that they are now using only the BardyCam monitor. I might try that one next year. It would eliminate the need to having a phone to deal with. That is a minor detail, though, but just want to give it a try!

Hi Pixie

Interesting. Do you have to have the phone with you at all times for the 7 days? Back when I had my Implanted Heart Loop Monitor, 35 months, I had the Samsung phone on my nightstand and it did the downloading and updating during the night or when I was nearby. Every so often, mainly after a power outage or flicker of the power, I'd check to make sure it was up to date/connected and maybe a couple of times it needed a software update and follow those steps when prompted. I would need to use it, rarely ever did, to place it near where the implant was, wait for vibration to press the screen for symptoms and I believe there were a few options for symptoms to choose from at that point.. I think in 35 months I only did that maybe twice. On that model, just had to wait every month for them to send the data, then my EP to sign off on the report and then wait for it to be uploaded to my patient portal. I think now Boston Scientific IHLM's have a patient portal/website where you can review the data in real time, although I hope I never need or have one again~!!!

Re: AFib & Aura Migraines

hwkmn05 — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:12:10 +0000

Was your PFA done by Moussa Mansour at Mass General?

Re: Test

hwkmn05 — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:02:12 +0000

Im on about every 3 weeks presently. Tho, one in Dec all last year. 3 so far starting first week of March.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:25:29 +0000

I had a visit with my primary care provide today. I told her I was wearing a 7 day Vital Connect heart monitor. I showed her the phone I had with me that was uploading the information from the monitor. She had never seen that monitor before. She then brought up the website for the hospital the clinic is affiliated with. It is a major research and teaching hospital and my local cardiologist practices there. I learned from the website that they are now using only the BardyCam monitor. I might try that one next year. It would eliminate the need to having a phone to deal with. That is a minor detail, though, but just want to give it a try!

Re: Test

Carey — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:06:47 +0000

Are your episodes increasing?

Re: Test

hwkmn05 — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:16:05 +0000

Wouldnt that be nice? I popped in again last night. After 10 hours to convert my HR was at 43 and is settling at 49/52. Not that I feel bad, just seems a tad low. No Metoprolol tonight, which has been working so to speak to keep the heart settled a bit along with a small dose of Flec/50. We ll see where this goes in May meeting with EP.

Re: Aspirin and Eliquis

mjamesone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:49:32 +0000

Never took both at the same time, but dual antithrobotic therapy (DAT) is a recognized approach when clinically indicated.

In fact, after stenting I was advised to take Eliquis along with a more potent antiplatelet agent than aspirin called Brilinta. But in the end, decided against Eliquis, with the thinking of minimizing bleeding risk while prioritizing stent recovery over AF stroke risk. At that time, I was several months post ablation and AF free.

Jim

Aspirin and Eliquis

PamelaJean — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:46:13 +0000

I have a very complicated history but was wondering if anyone else is on both aspirin (for CAD) and Eliquis (for paroxysmal afib)?

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:40:54 +0000

Quote
Qwackertoo

Hi Pixie

I hope you get great results when you wear your monitor and get your results. Plus I hope you don't have any rash or irritation from whatever monitor they send. I think the difference for me was only 7 days vs 30 long days of exposure to adhesives. They were starting to pop up but thankfully my 7 days were over. Just finished with my Telemed with TCA and I can breathe easier and start planning our Big Family Celebration Trip to Switzerland, my favorite place on Earth~!!! Even more so than Hawaii or Alaska~!!! IF everyone is able to go, there will be 21 of us, maybe more~!!!

What a relief to get that great news!! Have a wonderful time celebrating with your family in Switzerland!!

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Qwackertoo — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:07:23 +0000

Quote
Pixie

I am glad you shared the good news. That is great! I start my monitor in a few weeks, I sure hope I do as well as you did.

Hi Pixie

I hope you get great results when you wear your monitor and get your results. Plus I hope you don't have any rash or irritation from whatever monitor they send. I think the difference for me was only 7 days vs 30 long days of exposure to adhesives. They were starting to pop up but thankfully my 7 days were over. Just finished with my Telemed with TCA and I can breathe easier and start planning our Big Family Celebration Trip to Switzerland, my favorite place on Earth~!!! Even more so than Hawaii or Alaska~!!! IF everyone is able to go, there will be 21 of us, maybe more~!!!

Re: Test

GeorgeN — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:12:12 +0000

Hopefully it means everyone's afib is quiet!

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

susan.d — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:53:55 +0000

Thx gloaming!
I’m not out of breath walking anymore, my daytime o2 is back to normal so I don’t need daytime o2…however I have edema on my legs and fingers which maybe either a drug side effect or cardiac. I’m taking two different water pills a day. One increases my K so I need frequent lab work.

I would use my EP again if necessary. I’m a firm believer to remain awake during an ablation to limit the anesthesia from suppressing any arrhythmias during mapping.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

gloaming — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:57:14 +0000

Fantastic! Good for you, Susan. I hope it continues to improve, and that your monitor results show a marked and durable improvement.

Test

Mark — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:26 +0000

Have not seen anything posted in a long time so just checking.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

susan.d — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:48:32 +0000

I am wearing a 72 hour Spacelabs Eclipse pro. It’s 3 electrodes taped with paper tape to my left side, right side and sternum. It’s been 37 hours of pain. My skin is blistering and I can’t shower because of the paper tape. I am considering ripping off the paper tape and replacing with Tegederm waterproof transparent sheets which I can tolerate.

It has a belt clip with a small device. It retails for 1700 UK pounds or $2300. It’s free for me. It is up to 14 days but I am lucky to be allowed 3 days. The past two I only had 24 hours each.

I had an ablation 3 months ago and see my EP afterwards for my post ablation appointment. I had arrhythmias today so it will be interesting in getting back the results. I’m flying to the states hopefully next week if I can fly out and may repeat it with a week Holter under better environmental circumstances to see if less stress will improve my burden. I feel a few PVCs /pacs a hour so my burden is low-better than my 50% burden I had before the ablation. My EF has improved from 39-44 to 50-55 (MRI) and I am physically able now to walk and use a treadmill and get my life back. If I wasn’t living in an extremely stressful environment I think it would had been a full successful ablation.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Pixie — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:15:27 +0000

Quote
Qwackerto

Hello again Pixie

I guess the little gap in the monitor on my chest didn't hurt anything. My telemed appointment with the NP is Tuesday afternoon. 0.0% Afib/Flutter 2.2% PAC's (I was really worried that number would be much higher) and 0.4% PVC's and several runs of SVT's with longest being 15 beats @ maximum 158 bpm so less than 6 seconds. All the months, 35, of my implanted heart loop monitor SVT was only mentioned once in one monthly report of 43 seconds way back a year or more before my first ablation. So we shall wait and see. I also hate waiting.[/quote

I am glad you shared the good news. That is great! I start my monitor in a few weeks, I sure hope I do as well as you did.

Re: 7 Day Heart Monitor—Dr. Natale

Qwackertoo — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:52:49 +0000

Quote
Pixie

Thank you for the update. I am glad the Bardy Cam worked for you. I am goung with the VitalConnect in a few months, but might try the Bardy Cam based on your experience. One question for you, though. Based on where the patch was applied, did you feet that it adhered to all of the skin in that area?

I, too, am on 88 mcg.Synthroid daily. I have my TSH checked every 3 months because I know how that can affect AFIB if it is not in the normal range.
The waiting for any test results is hard for me. I should be use to it by now, though. I hope your results are ok.

Hello again Pixie

I guess the little gap in the monitor on my chest didn't hurt anything. My telemed appointment with the NP is Tuesday afternoon. 0.0% Afib/Flutter 2.2% PAC's (I was really worried that number would be much higher) and 0.4% PVC's and several runs of SVT's with longest being 15 beats @ maximum 158 bpm so less than 6 seconds. All the months, 35, of my implanted heart loop monitor SVT was only mentioned once in one monthly report of 43 seconds way back a year or more before my first ablation. So we shall wait and see. I also hate waiting.