Yes or no

I sent in a reading from my pacer yesterday to see if I am always in AF, as it doesn't feel like it, the person that read my tracing said yes, I am 98%in AF. He said that my Ventricals beat at 60 to 90 beats a min. which is good. It is strange but I don't feel the AF, which I did in the past, I am having grave doubts about going 3 days into the hospital to see I if I can take that anti-arrhythmic drug and then get Cardio verted. After being in AF since Nov. of last year the drug may not work, so all of that for nothing. I am only on Xarelto and Synthroid, I would then have to add the anti-arrhythmic drug. So, given my age and the above what would be the point, would being in AF do damage to my heart, my ventricals are not beating fast.

Liz

I have a friend who has been in permanent afib for at least 10 years and he just takes a blood thinner and a pill for high blood presure. Nothing else. His heart rate is about normal but is out of rhythm.

Thanks Colindo, my heartrate doesn't feel out of rhythm most of the time, so I am surprised that I am in AF. I guess I was wondering if being in AF would lead to heart failure, ten years would be good.

My Daddy lived in Permanent Afib for over 12 years. He took Eliquis and a Beta Blocker for rate control plus BP medication. Daddy passed away at 85 almost 86 years of age.
He lived a good life in AFIB. Daddy had other underlying issues such as Diabetes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2020 11:12PM by smackman.

Many people live with persistent AF and feel no symptoms at all. I know several people like that. If I were in persistent AF that was asymptomatic and could control the rate with drugs I didn't mind taking, I wouldn't do anything about it. I'd take my Eliquis and my diltiazem or beta blocker and go about my life. I wouldn't take antiarrhythmic drugs and sure as hell wouldn't undergo an ablation. It's a perfectly valid choice.

Thanks Carey and Smackman:

I don't need a rate control drug, my heartrate is usually in the 60s. I don't want an ablation, I am getting calls from U of M wanting to set up an appt for me to check out how I respond to the antiarrhythmic drug and then cardio verted. I told them no, not at this time. I am actually feeling pretty good, I still have a large garden and cut my own lawn (about 2 acres) I got a new mower, it is a Walker, pretty neat.

With your responses I feel better, I just never thought I would end up in permanent AF.

Agree with Carey.

Continue what you’re doing, Elizabeth. Keep following healthful lifestyle practices, drink your mag water, take other supplements as you believe are appropriate, based on the guidance in this forum, and continue your yearly EP appointments.

We can lead excellent, healthy lives while in AF.

All the best!

/L

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Carey
Many people live with persistent AF and feel no symptoms at all. I know several people like that. If I were in persistent AF that was asymptomatic and could control the rate with drugs I didn't mind taking, I wouldn't do anything about it. I'd take my Eliquis and my diltiazem or beta blocker and go about my life. I wouldn't take antiarrhythmic drugs and sure as hell wouldn't undergo an ablation. It's a perfectly valid choice.

Great comment as always Carey, but I'm surprised to see you comment "sure as hell wouldn't undergo an ablation" rather than 'would think twice about undergoing an ablation' or such-like. I'd have thought the mantra here would be that an ablation would still be better than a life on rate control drugs and the still significantly higher risk of stroke even on blood thinners. Except, of course, that you're responding specifically to Elizabeth rather than folk in general many of whom would be much younger. That must be it! Just me overthinking everything as usual... !

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Carey
sure as hell wouldn't undergo an ablation.

Liz:

I thought that since you were able to convert on your own for all of those years, that it was a good indicator that you could maintain NSR again, and that giving it one more shot was worthwhile. Of course the Covid thing and all complicates this decision. I do know of 4 people now who were in the Hospital for other stuff, and never got Covid from being there.

"would being in AF do damage to my heart, my ventricals are not beating fast."?

No, no damage, the only thing I am aware of is that the longer you are in AFIB, the less likely it is ever reverse out of it, except for getting an Ablation.

Hi All, with the greatest respect for your knowledge and helpful comments over the years , I’m also interested in your (Carey’s ) comment about ablation. Has something occurred that has changed the way you feel about the procedure?

I have taken it that Carey said what he did about an ablation if he was in my situation. People are reading in too much in his comment, he was responding to my situation/age, what would be best for me.

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JoyWin
Hi All, with the greatest respect for your knowledge and helpful comments over the years , I’m also interested in your (Carey’s ) comment about ablation. Has something occurred that has changed the way you feel about the procedure?

No, not at all. For most people who have paroxysmal AF that is symptomatic, ablation is currently considered first-line treatment and I wholeheartedly endorse that.

Where I think folks have misunderstood my comment is distinguishing between asymptomatic patients in persistent AF and symptomatic patients in paroxysmal AF.

Imagine this: You're perfectly healthy, leading an active lifestyle, and then one day you go to your doctor for a routine checkup. Your doc does an EKG and discovers that you're in AF. Really? You had no idea. This happens to people -- a lot of people. So after a thorough evaluation it turns out you're in AF persistently, probably have been for some time, but it causes no symptoms for you.

So at that point your choices are: 1) take an anticoagulant and a beta blocker to keep your heart rate down (if necessary) and live out the rest of your life just as comfortably and long as anyone else, or 2) take drugs, do ablations, etc. to stop this condition that causes you no symptoms and poses no danger.

Why would you choose #2?

I think people here tend to all be paroxysmal with symptoms and don't quite understand that not everyone with AF is like that. Some people literally don't even know they have it.

It's the "good" thing for symptomatic people: they know when they're out of NSR. Therefore, they may see a cardiologist and decide what to do.
Many asymptomatic people are diagnosed with afib AFTER they've had a stroke.

Elizabeth you are right on track. in y humble opinion! Be happy you don't feel the afib! My grandmother lived to 95 in permanent afib, no issues with it....and my dad is 83 and living just fine also in permanent afib.

I'm 1 ablation down, occassional afib but lots of ectopics...I wish I was asymptomatic like you!

Forget about the missed beats and live your life!

Elizabeth,

I was actively participating on this phorum several years ago, then my afib greatly declined, but now I'm back. Back then, I was advised on this phorum that my levothyroxin (Synthroid) dose may be too high; I reduced it and no more afib episodes for over a year! Recently I have started getting more episodes. Now I am pretty old (82) and it's looking like my need for thyroid replacement has fallen again. (It may be that my Hashimoto's has started to resolve after a decade of eating glutin-free.) Anyway, my advice is to get your thyroid status updated, if you haven't done so recently - and stay on the lean side. It might help.

Elizabeth,
Several years ago, I was advised on this phorum to consider reducing my intake of levothyroxin (Synthroid). I did and my afib episodes almost disappeared. Now I am older - 82 - and some episodes have reappeared.
It's looking like my need for thyroid replacement has fallen again ( Maybe my Hashimoto's has resolved after years of being glutin-free.) My advice to you is to get your thyroid status rechecked if you haven't recently - and then stay on the lean side. It might help.

Judy

Thanks Carey, at 79 years old, and a close on 20 year history of paroxysmal AF which has always been difficult and debilitating, (occurring now 6-7 times a month,)I’m considering an ablation. Just hoping I’m doing the right thing.