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Re: Loop Recorder - Yesterday

Yeah, aspirin just isn't a good choice for most people. It has a higher bleed risk and is less effective at preventing the kind of clots that afib produces. And since you're female, you can consider your CHADS-Vasc score to be 1 unless you're over 75. The point for being female is no longer counted for women under that age.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Dr Natale's staff is terrible - Any experience with Dr. Vivek Reddy? - Yesterday

I would give Norma one more call.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Walking/Exercise to Stop AFib Episode? - Yesterday

I never had any luck converting afib with exercise, but I often could convert my very rapid flutter with it. It took a lot more than a brisk walk, however. I would have to push it to the point where I would have been reaching aerobic levels (if my heart rate hadn't already been 250). Typically, I would do laps up and down a flight of stairs. But in my case, I don't believe this was due

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Dr Natale's staff is terrible - Any experience with Dr. Vivek Reddy? - Yesterday

Have you spoken with Norma? She's Natale's scheduler. If you haven't talked to her, you're talking to the B team. If you haven't, call one more time and ask for her specifically.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Is the Esophagus Spared during Pulsed Field Ablation? Early Histopathology & In Vivo Esophageal Retraction - 2 days ago

Maybe PFA causes some muscle stimulation which causes the muscles of the esophagus to contract and thereby pull back from the esophagus. Pure speculation on my part but it sounds plausible.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Loop Recorder - 4 days ago

QuoteMikeN Wow am I confused. I thought the CHADS2 score is what is used to determine anticoagulation not how long you go without AFIB. You are not confused. Being afib-free only means you can safely stop anticoagulants if you're a CHADS-Vasc 0 or 1. I've been afib-free for 8 years and I have a Watchman device, but I still take 1/2-dose Eliquis because I'm a CHADS-Vasc 3.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Loop Recorder - 6 days ago

I've worn one a couple of times and I don't understand the psychological aspect you mention. It's recording your heartbeats, not your conversations. And the data? It's the most boring data in the world. All it outputs is a report giving various measurements like how many PVCs, PACs, runs of arrhythmia, etc. it has detected. That's what your EP will see. I doubt if anyone

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Watchman - 14 days ago

I don't know, Ken, but if I'd experienced a PE of unknown cause, I'd stay on full-dose Eliquis forever. A Watchman wouldn't help you prevent that since PEs are caused by clots in the venous circulation, not arterial, and the Watchman can only prevent clots in the arterial circulation.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Watchman - 15 days ago

Quoteallofus Although I thought they still recommended daily baby aspirin with Watchman. Do you know if that is still the case? That's still the FDA's recommendation, but when the FDA approves drugs or devices, they rarely change their approval later. That's why, for example, flecainide still isn't approved for use with afib even though that's its most common use and h

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Watchman - 16 days ago

A Watchman provides comparable or superior stroke protection No bleed risk No daily meds No interactions or side effects Impossible to forget a dose, lose your meds, etc. In the long run, lower cost

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Scheduled PFA at Keck Medicine of USC, and questions about amiodarone - 21 days ago

Yes and no. Austin has a lab that was brand new in 2019, so everything in it is also brand new. It's huge and it's beautiful and has all the latest whiz bang toys. Their old lab was in the basement and kind of cramped. So for Natale and the rest of the staff, it's a big improvement. Will that actually make a difference for you? No, not really. Natale's going to do the same job

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: 10 years after my Bordeaux ablation - 21 days ago

Quotemontos Everyone has to make their own decision about ablation, but my advice is that if you do choose to do it, make sure you find the best EP you can. That's the best advice you'll find anywhere. Glad to hear you're doing so well 10 years later, Monty!

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: New onset of Afib 78 yo woman - 21 days ago

Age is not a limitation. Physical health is, but not age. You say her HR is over 100. How far over 100? And yeah, September is along time to wait. While she waits, she could use a rate control drug such as metoprolol, which even her PCP should be willing to prescribe unless she has problems with low blood pressure. And depending on her CHADS-Vasc score, she may need to be on a blood thinn

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Curious case of Afib and Stent - 24 days ago

Lucky you. It could be that your afib was being caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, so opening that artery up improved circulation and thereby eliminated the afib. Just speculation, but it's pretty plausible.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Scheduled PFA at Keck Medicine of USC, and questions about amiodarone - 24 days ago

Yes, Natale uses PFA. He was using it during clinical trials before it was FDA approved. He also uses RF as-needed because PFA still can't deal with everything.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Scheduled PFA at Keck Medicine of USC, and questions about amiodarone - 24 days ago

Yes, there's a problem with that. In addition to the side effects of amiodarone, it conceals your afib. If you go into an ablation on amiodarone, how is the EP to know if they've actually fixed your afib? All he can do is a PVI and hope for the best. That's not the mark of a well-trained, experienced EP these days. If you were to do an ablation with Natale or someone like him, h

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Scheduled PFA at Keck Medicine of USC, and questions about amiodarone - 24 days ago

He wants to put you on amiodarone and continue it through the ablation?! I would refuse that plan. It doesn't make me comfortable with his skill and experience. You really can't find 2-3 days off to travel to Austin or Los Robles?

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Is V8 really safe? - 24 days ago

Thanks, George! That means that a mg of KCl is 52% K, so to equal V8's 850 mg of K, you would need to use 1292 mg of KCl. Basically, just measure out 850 mg of salt substitute then add half as much again and you've got what they add to LS V8. If the label on the salt substitute doesn't tell you how much KCl is in a given measure, you'll need to buy a gram scale. Those can be h

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Is V8 really safe? - 24 days ago

I assume you're talking about low-sodium V&, not the standard stuff. Just leave out the watercress and add a salt substitute composed of potassium chloride (KCl). That's easy to find at any grocery. How much to add is another question. Campbell's adds a little over 100 mg K per ounce of juice (850 mg per 8 oz of juice), so I would go by that. The trouble is I don't kno

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Is V8 really safe? - 25 days ago

QuoteGeorgeN I used to travel with a container of potassium chloride powder. I soon learned to put the container out by itself, not hidden in my luggage for TSA go find. It seems there is something in KCl that triggers their sensors. KCl is slightly radioactive. I'm sure that's what they're picking up.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Does all hospitals use as assistants nurses or residents during surgery? - 26 days ago

In all likelihood that nurse wasn't just an RN, but almost certainly a CRNA, or nurse anesthetist. A CRNA requires 7-10 years of training and prior ICU experience. They are very often used for procedures like you had and all the colonoscopies I've had used one. I think you were in good hands.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Weird Flutter Amid a Quiet Heart - 27 days ago

Don't take anything containing pseudoephedrine again.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Check Your Iron Levels! - 27 days ago

QuoteGeorgeN If someone wants to comment on one of these old posts, please comment here in this thread and post a link to the post you are referring to. Otherwise no one will ever see your comment. Thanks for reminding people of that, George. It drives me nuts to see there's an unread message and even if I go back 5 years I can't find it. On the plus side, new forum software is i

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: ARRC/AF study - 28 days ago

QuoteIf we can avoid it, I think we should. Of course. But if Dr. Natale had avoided it in 2017 I would today either have a destroyed AV node and a pacemaker or I'd be functionally disabled and probably in heart failure. I agree with Dr. Jais in general that doing the least harm is always the prime directive ("first, do no harm"), but putting someone through an invasive procedure

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: ARRC/AF study - 29 days ago

Never posted here before that I can recall. Personally, I don't find the results very surprising. Especially considering that a lot of EPs will put you on an AAD post-ablation prophylactically because a lot of ablation patients will experience arrhythmias for the first month or two even with a fully successful ablation. Better to keep things calm and skip all the anxiety.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Flecainide and Diltiazem - 30 days ago

Quotejoeponcakia Is the medication causing this and what can I do to alleviate my fatigue? It very likely is the meds, particularly the diltiazem because its entire purpose is to lower your heart rate. It or a beta blocker are often prescribed with flecainide to protect against a rare but dangerous side effect known as 1:1 conduction. I don't know of anything you can about it other than

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Right Side to Left Side for Ablations - 4 weeks ago

They will always go into the right atrium and then through the septum to the left atrium. Yes, the left side has some risks the right doesn't, but today in 2025 those are pretty much overcome with various means EPs have learned over the years and improving technology, with PFA being the most obvious example. I wouldn't be concerned in the least about this issue.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: EP in NY recommendation please - 4 weeks ago

Is there a reason to prefer NY?

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Dr. Natale - Questions - 5 weeks ago

QuoteDaisy Pacemakers don’t do a lot for Afib, except that they can be set to outpace the arrhythmia and that sometimes stop it. I don't know if anyone is still doing that. I asked my EP about it 10 years ago and he just shook his head and said it was a nice idea but it just doesn't work.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: AFib & AFlutter Alternating - 5 weeks ago

I doubt the sotalol will put you back in NSR by itself, but if you were cardioverted a day or two after starting it, that's likely to work. If it doesn't, then the sotalol definitely isn't working.

by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM