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Ok, preschool started a week ago, and my 4-year old brought strep home. Now I'm sitting here with a sore throat and a temp of 100.4. I'll visit my GP tomorrow and do the test, but I'm going to insist on antibiotics no matter what. In fact, I found some old amoxicillin and just started it anyway. Since strep can lead to myocarditis or pericarditis, what are the specific concerns forby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Anything associated with activity - exercise, climbing stairs, stressful situations - would be adrenergic. Anything associated with relaxation - evening/nighttime, big meals, sleep - would be vagal. That's very broad, but it's a start.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
GeorgeN Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > wolfpack Wrote: > > > If you're vagal (as I am/was), betas will make > things worse. > > If you are in high rate afib, then betas may be > called for as rate control (whether you are vagal > or adrenergic). If you are not in afib and you > are vagal, betas will be unhelpful.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
GeorgeN Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is NOT true for vagal afibbers. Amen to that! Something even a decent number of cardiologists don't understand. If you're vagal (as I am/was), betas will make things worse.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sam, 25mg metoprolol is a low dose. It won't make you fall over. Just monitor your HR during the day. If it turns out you can't tolerate it, then you can just stop. If in fact you end up on propafenone for rhythm control you might consider stopping the metoprolol in that case as well.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Metoprolol is a beta-blocker. Betas are used for what is called rate control. It doesn't work to restore normal sinus rhythm but rather to just slow down the ventricles so they don't try to beat so fast when you are in Afib. Anti-arrythmics (AAR) drugs try to hold you in sinus rhythm by "calming down" the atrial cells. Examples of those are propafenone and flecainide, to nameby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Sam, Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in! A few things first. Don't be scared. A-fib isn't going to kill you. Next thing to do is find a cardiologist you can trust and who will partner with an EP to manage your case. Get off the aspirin, it's useless as an anticoagulant and may irritate your stomach. If you find you need anti arrhythmic drugs in the short term, avoiby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wow, I had no idea about the MRI stuff! In my case it was done the day before the ablation, so I thought it was simply part of the anatomical mapping procedure.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon, Thanks for clearing that up. The cardiac MRI (delayed enhancement) reported 0% scarring. Of course, that was BEFORE someone stuck a catheter in there!by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon, Which dimension is used when referring to left atrial enlargement? This got me looking back at my cardiac MRI report. It says: LA measurements Roof to floor: 6.6 cm Left to right: 4.7 cm Ant to post: 4.1 cm And, elsewhere: LA DIMENSIONS (LV SYSTOLE) --------------------------------- DIAMETER: 4.5 cm The report calls this "moderately enlarged". The EP reportby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks. The past few days I've added some homemade "Gatorade" to my intake (pint of water, one pack of sugar, a pinch of salt and a dash of crystal light for flavor). That should help the absorption and electrolyte balance. Might add some KCl in addition to the NaCl as well. I'll see how that goes over the rest of the summer. Although I do like the binge beer drinking idea.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the input on glucosamine. Kind of what I thought, too. I'll keep taking it. Knees are important!by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, salt ain't hard to find. I've been looking for an excuse to eat Doritos! I should also mention I supplement with glucosamine sulfate (2000 mg) for general joint health with all the running. I'm not aware of any AF interactions with that but that doesn't mean that there aren't any. Anybody have an opinion about glucosamine?by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mag doesn't have many side effects. Mainly loose bowels if you take too much. That's more of a problem with the magnesium citrate form, though. As mag supplements go, I'd rank them thusly: Magnesium oxide (worst, not really bioavailable but probably the cheapest of all) Magnesium citrate (OK but watch out for laxative effect) Magnesium glycinate (Best, no bowel issues but modeby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jay1215 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I believe the main one was Amodorone?? Not sure Yikes! Amiodarone really isn't good in my opinion, especially given your age. So it sounds like they chemically cardioverted you rather than electrically. The aspirin is just about useless as an anticoagulant. That thinking is really quite dated. Anti coagulatby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
George, I'm on RX potassium @ 10 mEq/day. I supplement 400 mg/day mag glycinate (200 mg mornings and 200 mg nights). Sodium I haven't worried about since our food is all overloaded with it anyway.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Every once in a while I'll get some really palpable PAC's while I'm out running, usually after a few miles and a good sweat. It's a bit confusing to me as to why this would happen, given I was a vagal AFer prior to my ablation. Is adrenaline causing a few errant beats? Or could it be just dehydration and electrolyte shift creating a chaotic substrate? I'm just not sure whby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
smackman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I read amiodarone should be the last line of > defense for A-fibbers Amiodarone is nasty stuff. My dad was on it for a few years. It will turn your sclera blue - even your skin, too. It builds up in ALL of the body's tissues and is NOT excreted renally. The half life is forever and a day. Oh, and it can caby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
jbrosnan@earthlink.net Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's been bloody hot here in NC > this summer and I've been trying to stay hydrated > but I think doing cardio work outs while out of > rhythm may have some impact. Uh, yeah! Iby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Travis, Nice to meet you here as well. I've posted several times on your blog. Name is Jeff. I, too, struggle with figuring out these supplements. I'm just supplementing Mg in the form of glycinate. I've found that a simple 200-400 mg/day keeps me pretty calm. If I go under, I'll have the occasional PAC. If I go over, I'll get into PVC's. So I just literallyby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the informative response, Jackie. I will certainly take all of it into consideration. I agree that many medical professionals must have been asleep the day in medical school when they taught that all this stuff in our bodies is connected!by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Robert, That's great that your cardio spent so much time with you. But, to echo what Shannon said, you should also involve an EP. If I may hazard a guess, such an accommodating cardiologist wouldn't mind "teaming up" with an electrophysiologist. And, to be honest, that's what it takes to beat AF - teamwork.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
So I've been on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for going on 4 years now ever since I had an esophageal ulcer. What, if any, role do these things play in AF? I'd love to get off of them, but every time I've tried, I get bad reflux and the inflamed esophagus causes ectopic beats. And I bloat and gain weight. Maybe I should just give up? Could they actually be beneficial in an AF seby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tibbar, The AliveCor is a device that attaches to any smartphone, either an iPhone or Android device.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Robert, I would write down all of my questions on a sheet of paper so that you don't forget anything while in the office. Office visits are short - maybe 15 minutes. If possible, you could take a friend with you to help ensure that everything your cardiologist says is understood by you. It's easy to forget things. Certainly take your prior test results with you to the appointment.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm repeating again what I've mentioned in > previous posts about a friend's partner who is a > daily runner. At that time, many miles a day. > Lots of perspiring in the warm weather. > In hot weather, it's really crucial to hydrate > well, but also replenish your critical &gby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wow. I drink about a gallon of water per day and even then it's not enough sometimes (July/August)! My "barometer" so to speak about hydration is simply the color of urine. If it's yellow (especially dark yellow) then that's a good sign that I'm dehydrated. I continue to consume pure water until it flows clear. And like I said that can be over 1 GALLON on hot,by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Holly, Flutter can actually be easier to ablate than medicate. Flutter circuits are usually in the right atrium and are physically large. Calcium channel blockers work to slow electrical conduction in the heart's tissue - good for AF when there are multiple areas "firing away" in the left atrium, but not so good for a well-organized flutter circuit in the right atrium. Common AAby wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Robert, If you can afford an AliveCor, get it. It takes all the mystery out of what's going on at any given moment.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM
Eric, The nitty gritty details of my AF probably don't belong in this thread, so I'll send you a private message instead.by wolfpack - AFIBBERS FORUM