new EP

I saw a new EP today at U of M, didn't talk long, I still am in AF. He said if I wanted to try meds and heart conversion (the electric charge), I said yes so I will start taking a med tonight (the only one you don't have to go to the hospital for) Propafenone (don't have much faith in it). Since I only started Eliquis Sat., he said that I would have to wait 4 weeks or else do the tube down the throat, I guess I would rather wait.

I asked about an ablation he said yes that is an option, I asked if he did them and he said yes. I asked about how many he does in a year he said about 100, that isn't good enough. I also asked about a Watchman and he said I wouldn't be able to get one, he said my ins. wouldn't pay for it. If I would ever have an ablation, they no doubt ablat the LAA and I would still be on a blood thinner, well we shall see.

Liz

Quote
Elizabeth
If I would ever have an ablation, they no doubt ablat the LAA and I would still be on a blood thinner, well we shall see.

There's no reason to assume it would be necessary to ablate your LAA.

But I'm curious about your statement that you're "still in AF." How long have you been in afib now? I didn't see where you first said you were.

Carey:

I went into AF around the 9th of Nov., so a month, my heartrate isn't high and I don't feel bad just a little tried when doing a lot of walking etc. that is why I had to take a blood thinner being in permanent AF. I will try the meds and cardio conversion and if that doesn't work, I will see. My oxygen saturation is 98% which is good.

Liz

If you're in afib and have been since November 9th, you're persistent. You're right that fixing it might involve ablating your LAA. Tough to ablate and it really calls for someone of Natale's skill level.

If your rate isn't that high and you're not experiencing severe symptoms, doing nothing is a reasonable option. You can live a perfectly long, healthy life by just keeping your heart rate under 100 and taking an anticoagulant like Eliquis.

Liz:

You may very well convert on your own, now that you are restarting the Propafenone, so waiting would make sense. If you are ever contemplating a TEE "Tube down the Throat" in the future, I wouldn't be scared of it, I have had it done around 20 times. I am mostly Persistent, and if I thought I was probably not going to convert on my own, I would rather have TEE, vs waiting 4 weeks. It's done right before they Cardiovert you. The main difference is that if you get a TEE done the amount of time spent under Anesthesia is 10-15 minutes, vs only 1-3 minutes if it is just an ECV by itself.

Thanks Anti fib

Wow, 20 times and did it always put you in NSR and how long would it last? I guess you are on a blood thinner, do you have any problems with it. Is your BP a little higher when you are in AF?

liz

Liz:

It always worked after 1 shock, and I stayed in NSR from anywhere from 4 days to 18 months. As for a Blood Thinner, I get off after I have been in NSR for 3 weeks solid. It's 3 months now in NSR, so I am off of the Blood Thinners thankfully. I did have side effects from Eliquis. It made my Inflammatory conditions worse, (Arthritis and Tendonitis), and after about a month of taking the Eliquis, I started getting Hair loss. My Hair kept coming out for about a month after I stopped taking the Thinner.

As for my Blood Pressure it drops considerably while I am in AFIB. I think this is because of the effect of the Diltazem and Bystolic I take for Rate-Control.

Also about the TEE, an advantage to getting one that it would be safer, in that a TEE is much more certain to find a Clot if their is one in the Atria, vs relying on a Blood Thinner, to prevent a Clot, and the Body to absorb any pre-existing Clots.

Anti fib

Thank you, very helpful, I will see if they will schedule me for a tee and the shock. After being on Eliquis for only 5 days, I already got a bloodshot eye and I notice I am getting some hair loss, dang that is a heck of a pill.

I just made a contact with the EPs office and they will schedule the tee/cardioversion, they will be calling me back for the date and time--hope I have some good luck like you have had, although I don't want that many.

Liz



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2019 02:08PM by Elizabeth.

I had the TEE before my first cardioversion its not bad at all. The put me on Xarelto which seems to have fewer side effects as time goes on. I have been on it since June of this year. I was only on it about a week before the cardioversion.