Wolfpack - Dr. Natale's office is going to look at the disks. The nurse I spoke with made it sound like they would have a much better idea by doing that....hopefully they are right. Yes - 40, 32 and 58.....so I'm hoping it's at least 40. The nurse said 58.5 was actually too high...not sure why this hasn't come up before. Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes Libby you are right. The 60-65% reflects the ejection fraction. The other two numbers were for the peak emptying velocity. As they are not consistent with each other, Dr. Natale's office is going to get the disks and review them. I may need to have another TEE, but maybe not once they see the results themselves. Amazing how much there is to learn about all of this. If need be, I mby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Does CHADS score come into play if you've had a successful (Dr. Natale) LAA isolation ablation and have had no Afib for 5 years? Is there a reason for this score? When I googled it, it always came up as being tied to Afib...so if you don't have it anymore, is it relevant? Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Libby and Carey - thanks for responding to my post LIBBY] - I've had CT of my lungs, and other than a nodule that was double checked and unchanged, nothing wrong. I have never smoked. I have very mild sleep apnea (the lowest was a 5 in the "mild" range..mine was 8. The lung dr. didn't seem to think it was a big deal. I had several TEE's after my ablation, anby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all - I'm trying to figure out just what I need to do to get myself off of blood thinners, assuming that's possible. I had two ablations done by Dr. Natale, with the last one (flutter ablation "touch up") in June 2014 - 4 years ago. I have not noticed any Afib since then, nor have any doctors picked anything up. About 2 years ago, I ended up with pneumonia, and feby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Interesting points made about triggers, which I hadn't considered. I was just always afraid of caffeine and alcohol after a few of my episodes were linked to those things. I would say that if it happened much more frequently when consuming something, and not having an episode when you don't, that would be a better correlation. I remember when I used to get Afib every day...and it hby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for your input on this. I've done pretty much the same, although not so well with lowering carbs...I'm working on that right now. How do you schedule your intermittent fasting, by the way? That's always intrigued me. Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hard to say, as I didn't drink coffee much before I had Afib, it came on as I was drinking a strong cup of coffee, and alcohol would bring it on as well. For me, it felt like caffeine and alcohol were triggers. And there definitely ARE triggers for most of us, it seems. I will continue a little caffeine as I seem to be OK with it now. Haven't had almost any alcohol, but would likby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
JKAF - did you have that reaction to acupuncture after your ablation? I've been going for acupucture for a few years and the only time I had a problem was after my first ablation, when I went into Atrial Flutter after he inserted a needle into the shoulder area.... apparently, there were a few "spots" not detected in my initial Ablation that were taken care of with ablation #2. Sby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I actually HAVE been drinking a little coffee most days and haven't noticed a problem..although sometimes I may have more PAC's later which is probably attributed to that. I hate to "just try it" on things that aren't a good idea however, as I wrestled with Afib for 10 years, had 2 ablations and definitely don't want to do anything to bring me back down that road...by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good evening all I've had 2 ablations done by Dr. Natale, and so far, all is good. It's been almost 4 years since my last one, so hoping and expecting NSR will continue. My first ablation was a LAA or left atrial appendage isolation, which to my understanding, is harder for doctor to do, but often is the "HUB" of where the afib is originating. Once done, getting Afib agaiby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for all of that information, Lois - that was helpful.. Between Dr. Sinatra's recommendations, an excellent vitamin regimen I've been on for about 10 years, my efforts to do more aerobic exercise and drinking PH balanced water, I am hoping to do better than a lot of people who end up in full heart failure, which progressed from diastolic dysfunction. That scares me to death....eveby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for your response, Lois. Couple of questions on what you wrote. Do you take the Ubiquione or the Ubiquinol? I am confused as to how they differ. I am also not sure what BNP is...? I'm not on statin drugs but I do take vitamin K2 along with D3, which is the recommended way to take it, as they work well synergistically. I happen to be an Account Rep for a wellness manufacturer, aby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Lois - I have to chime here, as I believe it was my diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction that resulted in Shannon's post on here, and perhaps some of my story will be helpful to you as well. Last year I was diagnosed with DD after an ultrasound done at my annual checkup at the Cardiologist. I had been complaining of shortness of breath for over a year. I still wonder if there was aby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good advice. Thanks. And yes, I can be a worrier....lol Be well ~ Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you for clarifying that. I have had two ablations, both with Dr. Natale, and have been Afib free now since the second one, in June 2014. As it was a LAA isolation ablation, your numbers all have to be good to not have to be on a blood thinner. One of my numbers was e on the border..so they had me on the lowest dose of Eliquis. Fast forward to March 2016, and I got walking pneumonia. Wasby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carey - can you please clarify what you were saying when you wrote about Eliquis and the brain. It's unclear what your message was. Thank you ~ Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carey - are you saying that you have seen many cases of Eliquis causing a brain bleed, and therefore a stroke? I would hate to think that the agent that is recommended for avoiding a clot is even more dangerous for potentially causing a stroke in a different way....it sounds like a no-win situation. Jackie - is the Watchman what Shannon had when he had an issue? I am thinking about it, but wby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie - Does that apply to their skin being thinner? I would think people with thinner skin (more common as we age) would therefore be more likely to bleed..no? And bruise.... Glad you brought up the reversal agent...is there one yet for Eliquis? Shannon and I were talking about the Watchman..what are your thoughts on that? Going for another procedure sounds daunting, but having a bloodby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Jackie - thanks for the information. I won't take any additional gingko then, per your advice. I am going to continue as I have been doing for now, and try to get an appt to see Dr. Natale when he is in the NY area again, for a follow up. I don't know if I would do a Watchman, but the thought is there, as i don't like taking something that has so many precautions...and thereby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Tom - I had a LAA ablation with Dr. Natale in Sept of 2013. I experienced flutter the next Spring, and went back for a "touch up" ablation. All has been good since...3.5 years and counting. He is excellent and my experience with the St David's medical center in Austin Texas was very good. I dealt with Shirley, one of his nurses, who was very helpful . They will take goodby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Jackie - thank you. Happy New Year to you too! I am taking 5 mgs twice/day, so yes, I think that is the full dose.... The supplement has a total of 60 mg. of Proteases (Bromelain, Aspergillus, Oryzae var), Quercetin powder, Bilberry extract and Ginkgo Biloba (leaf) extract,.all together. The Gingko is the last item mentioned, so I believe it is the least. I have already been taking thby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI all - I haven't been on here in awhile as things have been going smoothly with my Afib, or rather, lack of it. Two ablations and all is good. However, I did end up having to be on Eliquis for reasons that don't matter to this discussion. I have a supplement that I'd like to take that has some Gingko Biloba in it, but want to be sure that's not a problem. I already haveby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Rick - I spoke with Shannon and he said you can call him. Why don't we touch base sometime tomorrow and I'll give you his info? Also, be sure to change my email...it's ToBHerd - there's no "a" in there Have a good night ~ Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Jackie - I've had a busy week and am still in the middle of it with a few deadlines. I'll email you on this some more in another day or two, OK? Thanks for your help ~ Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Jackie - thanks for your suggestions. Do you feel that the D-ribose and L-carnitine need to be in powder form? I prefer pills or capsules if it doesn't matter. And how much Taurine do you take? I have to watch my Omega-3's as I already take some in various supplements I take..for lowering cholesterol and overall heart health - being on Eliquis too. I am praying that these nutby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good morning ~ I'm a former Afibber who has had two ablations - the first for Afib and the second for Flutter - both done by Dr. Andrea Natale in 2013 and 2014 respectively. I no longer have Afib, thank God, but now seem to have another problem,which I am wondering if there's any connection. I have been dealing with shortness of breath for a little over a year. It started soon afteby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Didn't someone mention that Acetyl L-carnitine was sometimes a problem for some people, no? Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Oh my - well that's a lot of natural blood thinning you're already doing, George! I'm only talking about taking maybe 30 mgs. max of the ginkgo/day. I don't take aspirin and I'm inconsistent with the fish oil, but when I do take it, it's about 3600 mgs. of that...again, I probably should take that more consistently, but I don't. Given the low dose of gingby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I didn't ask for a second opinion because my Cardiologist is concerned about where the clot MAY have come from...and since there is uncertainty about the whole thing, I'm guessing she isn't about to change her mind. I really liked the nephrologist that I went to a lot...and would prefer not to have more CAT scans if I don't have to (I've had a few in the past few years,by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM