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Re: Off of blood thinners - 5 months ago

Thank you!

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Off of blood thinners - 5 months ago

Carey, thanks for replying. I don't know if this answers your question but I had open-heart surgery because of a problematic valve repair. I also got a maze procedure -- seems like the works! I'll ask for more info about "oversewing" at my next appointment. It is wonderful if it is closed for life! Just want to add that re the TEE, I don't mind a few days of discomfort,

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Off of blood thinners - 5 months ago

Related question -- I had "oversewing" of the part of my atrium that could transmit blood clots (that's how it was explained to me), and a TEE done a few months later showed it to be intact and functioning well. My question is whether it will be obligatory to have a second TEE in order to get a decision about whether I can stop Xarelto or reduce it. I had what I felt to be a very b

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Fish Oil consensus? - 5 months ago

Wow that's a surprise George. Kudos for reading the article all the way through. I've tried fish oil and don't think it's for me re a-fib -- it's unscientific to draw conclusions from that, but I've chosen to eat more fish rather than taking more fish oil.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: How to Stop Atrial Fibrillation Naturally in just 4 minutes! - 5 months ago

Thanks for this -- I'll try it for stress reduction.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Celebrating my post ablation 3 month anniversary - 5 months ago

Cindy, I'm so glad for you! Wishing you great health in the coming year.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Back in AFIB again - 5 months ago

I know how disappointing it is to be back in a-fib after hoping it's over. As others say though, there are often things that can be done. I'm glad you have doctors you like. After getting two ablations, multiple cardioversions, and all the a-fib drugs I'm eligible for, I received a maze procedure, which, knock wood, is helping. It requires open-heart surgery, but I think there

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Oversewing for stroke protection - 5 months ago

My fate is uncertain re anticoagulation. I had a maze procedure, it was done along with surgery that required my heart to be opened, and the surgeon also "oversewed" part of my heart to keep blood clots from escaping. My cardiologist has done a TEE and says it looked good, I really hope I won't need another TEE. My electrophysiologist said I might be able to switch to aspirin, but

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Post Watchman TEE - 5 months ago

Jayhawk, fingers crossed for you re the TEE watchman results. Crazy about the tornado -- I'm glad your home was OK.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Anyone Taking Diltiazem? - 1 year ago

I take it for permanent a-fib. It's actually my only drug other than xarelto. I'm not aware of any problems from it. But seeing CC's note about being lethargic, I wonder whether my reduced energy is entirely caused by a-fib/flutter or is partly from diltiazem. Susan, it's reassuring to see you are very happy with it!

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Co-Worker Ablation Death - 1 year ago

This is tragic, I'm so very sorry. And also worried. I don't know if this is relevant but I asked my EP about a bad outcome I'd heard of (someone's heart being nicked) and he said that in some institutions, if a patient's a-fib is judged as being especially hard to control they take a very aggressive approach to the procedure, and that makes injuries more likely to happe

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: How to reverse persistent AFib? - 1 year ago

I have persistent a-fib after an ablation. I'd love to take flecanide or Tikosyn but my heart has problems that rule out both of those. So I'm going to try another ablation. (I've tried amiodarone and it didn't help me.) My electrophysiologist does not think that persistent a-fib will cause an ablation to fail, and he thinks my prospects are good with a second one. I urgently

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Pacemaker Necessity? - 1 year ago

My past cardiology practice was very concerned about my (sometimes) low heart rate. For most of that time I was taking an antidepressant that brought my heart to the low 40s. They did not want to discuss the antidepressant, it was almost a taboo, so my PCP gave me a different one that didn't affect my heart (and my heart speeded up to a normal rate). I understand that since one drug can lowe

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Colchicine's Rebirth as Cardiovascular Drug Approved by FDA - 1 year ago

I took colchicine after my ablation because I had pericarditis. (Don't remember how it was diagnosed.) The problem was, it made me extremely nauseated. My doctor reduced the dose and gave me an anti-nausea drug -- she said that colchicine is very good for that purpose so I should try to keep taking it for three months. I'm glad that period is over!

by Drummer - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM

Re: Good news - 1 year ago

This is wonderful!!! I'm so glad for you!

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

New choices to make - 1 year ago

Hello everyone, I just had an appointment with my new EP. My cardiologist wanted me to see him because amiodarone wasn't working. She says that my previous heart surgery (mitral valve repair) is causing me to be extra resistant to treatment. The EP is very considerate and nice and wants me to decide among three options. Those are: 1) staying in a-fib, 2) taking Tikosyn (after three days

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: when things goes to sh#t - 1 year ago

I am so very sorry for all you are going through. I can imagine it would be extra stressful to deal with medical care outside of one's home country, on top of all the other concerns. I think I read that yoga is good for reducing a-fib occurrence, but despite having read that I haven't been able to make it a habit. But I imagine it might reduce stress. Anyway, nothing good to offer here

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Amino acids lessen AFib frequency - 1 year ago

I was glad to see your post as I'm interested in natural approaches, given that I had a disastrous experience with an ablation. I'm doing tolerably OK in permanent a-fib with diltiazem and xarelto, although I would vastly prefer to be in NSR. For a while I was drinking loads of V-8 juice, which I still think is likely healthful but didn't change my heart rhythm. I'm wonde

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Pace Makers - Anyone with experience/thoughts? - 1 year ago

Susan, I'm so very sorry for what you've endured. It is very helpful to see your information on pacemakers, although I'm sorry you directly experienced it. I hope things are much better for you now.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Berberine - 1 year ago

Sorry George, I realized you've told me there's already a thread about berberine. I'll search for it. Thanks! Drummer.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Berberine - 1 year ago

Here's an article about it: . I don't know how to attach it, but it appears on Pubmed with no paywall. Drummer

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Complications associated with pulsed field ablation versus radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation - 1 year ago

Thank you so much for this abstract Susan. My cardiologist told me someone in her practice can offer me a PFA, which would be safe for my phrenic nerve, which was damaged in my previous ablation. But my PCP thinks I should never have an ablation again, since I did so terribly in my last one, which I assume was RF, and had to be hospitalized for a week afterwards. I'm not going to jump into a

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: More Tired Since Ablation - 1 year ago

I don't know how good a comparison this is, since I had a disastrous ablation that didn't fix the a-fib and left me needing to be hospitalized for a week. But that said, they told me in the hospital that I'd need three months to recover. You seem in a far better situation than I was, but I still wonder it is possible that your heart might need a little more time to recover. I'

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Berberine - 1 year ago

Hello, here's a link to an article with positive information about berberine for stopping a-fib. I'd love to know what others think about this. I realize that at the least, it hasn't been tested anywhere near the extent that established drugs have been. Still, if it can help us! Drummer

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Out of options? - 1 year ago

Re my post about an age limit for flecainide, I think my cardiologist actually lied to me! I still like her well enough, and I'm not ready to try and replace her because of this. But I think when she told me I'm too old for flecainide, it really was likely because she didn't want to have a conversation about sick sinus syndrome, which she and I have discussed before. She's ver

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Out of options? - 1 year ago

Wow Susan this is amazing! Do you have a device that gives you EKGs? And prints them? It seems like you must have to record one daily. It seems well worth it if the drug/ablation options aren't the way you want to go. Thanks so much for sharing this.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Out of options? - 1 year ago

Carey, thank you again so much. I think the problem must be that I have sick sinus syndrome. But I noticed an online site says some patients might be monitored in the hospital for their first 24 hours after taking flecainide. I've only once had a problem with SSS -- it was nearly 20 years ago when I was in a hospital being infused with several drugs to slow down a-flutter. It caused a nurse

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Out of options? - 1 year ago

Actually no! I've had my mitral valve repaired but the others definitely don't apply.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Had Successful Ablation for Flutter - 1 year ago

I'm so glad for you! Cardiologists should read this site because it doesn't seem like they all know about reduced LA and maybe other things people report here.

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Out of options? - 1 year ago

Wow!!!!! I am so grateful for this forum!!! This is amazing to know about flecainide. Maybe my doctor had a different reason in mind but that's definitely what I was told. Edited my earlier post to say Metoprolol instead of Wellbutrin, yikes. Depressed maybe?

by Drummer - AFIBBERS FORUM