Yes. For me, as a vagal a-fibber, exercise would convert to NSR. This approach works well in the AM, not so well in the PM when you're trying to get to sleep, however.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
The good news on NOACs is that reversal agents are being developed. Some are on fast-track approval, I believe, and should be in emergency medical departments soon. Of course, it could still be some considerable amount of time before they are to be found nationwide and emergency physicians are trained up on them. So I could certainly understand anyone's hesitation with regards to the NOACs bby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Spencer, Bordeaux is where the whole AF ablation procedure got it's start about 20 years ago. Dr. Michel Haussegerre (horribly misspelled, I'm sure) was/is the pioneer. It remains a renowned center.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, now you know one! Here's from my MRI report: Thoracic MRA: 1. There are five pulmonary veins entering the left atrium (three on the right and two on the left). The right middle pulmonary vein is small. The right lower pulmonary vein consists of three veins that join prior to entering the left atrium. All veins are patent without significant stenosis proximally. The bi-orthogonby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Some of us mutants have 5 pulmonary veins! 4 is the most common, but it can be 3, 4, or 5, depending on how things went in Mommy's tummy oh so many years ago! That is why the MRI mapping prior to an ablation is important. Establish the exact anatomy before sticking the catheters in.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Medical treatment of AF has 3 parts: Rate control (beta blockers - metoprolol, bisoprolol, etc) Rhythm control (anti-arrhythmics propafenone, flecainide, etc) Anticoagulation (warfarin, xarelto, eliquis, pradaxa) Your physician may want to use one or all three. It depends on the case.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
It is possible to run in full-blown AF (I've done it), but it is remarkably different than running in NSR! And, if the ventricular rate is high, it would be just about impossible, I think, to do much more than walk. I wonder if you were just experiencing multiple PACs during your excercise versus full-on AF. Everyone is different, though, so I suppose anything is possible.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon has a list of highly reputable EPs in the UK. Sorry, I have no experience with the NHS (being a Yank and all!). Also the tri-cyclic antidepressant isn't anything I know about. More than likely someone here does. There is also Bordeaux, should you elect to go the private route.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Same here. I was a 41-year old running 30-35 miles/week. AF tends to fall into two categories: adrenerigic (activity brings it on) and vagal (rest brings it on). Runners tend to have high vagal tone due to the long-term conditioning that occurs with exercise. What's your resting heart rate? Mine, for example, will wander down into the mid-40's in the afternoons. Echo the thought oby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, yes, and yes. Movement of the large intestine can easily trigger PACs. I find I'm far more sensitive to it if I'm dehydrated.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pheochromocytomas (or "pheos") are extremely rare. It's certainly worth a consult with an endocrinologist, but I'd be shocked if they found one. You'd be the proverbial pink zebra! Your general practitioner can also just do a blood test for catecholemines. It'll come back in a day and suggest whether or not going down that path is worthwhile.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Best wishes to the missus!by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Kardia app has example EKG waveforms in its help section. AFib looks like normal QRS complexes that are not preceded by P-waves and occur wth irregular, or non-uniform, spacings between the "peaks" (R to R interval). I wish it were possible to put a drawing here, but I don't think it is.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
In my opinion, the caffeine is likely to more harm than good. It is a powerful diuretic and will make you lose electrolytes which will worsen any arrhythmia that you might be temporarily addressing with the coffee. I'd cut it out if possible.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
6'2" and 215lb isn't terribly overweight. A PCP may pay it lip service, but you'll be hard pressed to find an EP who will care too terribly much about that body mass index (they probably routinely see MUCH, MUCH worse). Your potassium is key here. Get on a supplement if not actual prescription potassium chloride. Magnesium supplementation is recommended to help your body abby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
No experience with the topical oils, but an Epsom salt bath will certainly get Mg into your body. So much so, that you may have soft stools or outright loose bowels if you soak for too long. It's quite cheap and effective.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
AliveCor is on sale for the month of February. Reduced from $99 to $79.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteClayS I asked the scheduling person about exercise fully expecting to be told to take it easy until the blanking period is over, but she said you're pretty much cleared to exercise after the wounds heal. My EP told me the same thing. Give 7 days for the groin to heal and then do what you want. I had no idea what to expect, so I charged headlong back into exercise and sure enough got iby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
The (almost) scary thing is how normal you'll feel after the procedure. Once you pee out all the saline, it really is no big deal. That being said, I can give you a list DONT'S. Personal experience. I kinda thick-headed that way. DON'T go to the gym and run 5 miles on the treadmill one week post ablation. It triggered AF. Oops. DON'T enjoy a 6-pack of beer watching your fby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
AliveCor Kardia. Pretty much the gold standard for home use. If you can afford it, I'd highly recommend getting one. They're like $80 or so.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kittay, The human heart is a well-innervated organ. It has sympathetic drive (adrenergic) and parasympathetic drive (vagal). Think of the former as the "gas pedal" and the latter as the "brake". If you're excited, or scared, the sympathetic drive takes over and increases your heart rate. Conversely, if you're tired or perhaps digesting a big meal, the parasympatheby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, I take nothing now post-ablation. My experience pre-ablation, which was mercifully short, was that betas made things worse. I took only propafenone (regurlarly, not PIP). It did a "middling" job of holding NSR.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Willie, Nocturnal AF may suggest a vagally-mediated form. Beta blockers can actually aggravate vagal AF (as they did in my case), because they slow the heart down (same thing the vagus nerve does). Without knowing any more details about your case, I'd suggest talking to your EP or cardio about perhaps a pill-in-pocket approach using flecainide (an anti-arrhythmic) for sporadic episodes.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
DAB, As for the "freak out", well, I think we all did that prior to our procedures. That's just normal. The top notch EP for atrial fibrillation appears to be Dr. Natale, who operates out of Austin, TX. I am not a patient of his, but many on here are. As far as choosing a physician goes, my advice (and I even followed it myself!) is to discard the ones who aren't good liby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Elizabeth, By "K", I meant potassium ( chemical symbol K), not Vitamin K. Vitamin K is a definite no-no, especially for those on Warfarin (Coumadin). Perhaps in the future if I get lazy on the keyboard I'll denote potassium as K+ Sorry it's just my habit given iPad keyboards and fat fingers!by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesmackman Taking magnesium supplements does not bother me but taking potassium supplements scares me. I personally feel this should be done under a Doctors supervision because one can OD on potassium supplements. Yes, you can but it's harder than you might think. If you orally ingest too much potassium, it'll clear the same way too much magnesium does - a bee line to the restrooby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wade, Same here. I was 41. Runnng 30+ miles/week. Vagal afibber. Beta blockers were a disaster and propafenone only worked if it went down with beer. No joke. The vagal form of AF really can't be medicated with any degree of success approaching the adrenergic form. Choose the EP wisely but be assured it is the right choice. 37 years of age is no way to be contemplating a lifetime of meby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
The important takeaway on magnesium is to get the right supplement. It really needs to be the glycinate. The oxide is useless and the citrate is really laxative.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Smackman, I wish I could tell you. My diet is garbage, so don't feel bad. I usually don't eat at all for sometimes up to 24 hours, and other times only once a day. My GI tract is a mess and probably has something to do with AF in the long run.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
tsco, I had my ablation in August 2015 and PACs were a constant pain in the you know what for at least six months afterwards. I finally knocked them back with calculated supplementation. I know the feeling. It's a Pavolvian response of "oh no, it's coming back!" Good news is it will fade with time if the procedure was done well. As for the monitor, do you have an AliveCoby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM