Sue, I'm in the same boat you are. I'm four days away from finishing a 30 monitoring. I too will want to see the report. While it's clear I have some AFib, it seems like what I really have is tons off PACs. The 24 hr holter after my ER visit at the beginning of this mess had me at 0.03% AFib and nearly 20% PACs. I suspect the 30 day results will be a similar. I know I'm stillby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey The Kardia wouldn't tell you any more than that. I agree with wolfpack's interpretation. The 1st image is afib, the second is NSR with some PACs, and the third is NSR. A Kardia would probably just say "unclassified" on #2. The very clearly identifiable P waves in #2 should tell you it's not afib. Well, if the Kardia would give me essentially the same result Iby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks. That is kind of what I thought. If that is correct, I'm a little disappointed in monitor because in the second scenario it just tells my I'm in arrhythmia, and I'd like to know is if I am in afib. Would the Kardio monitor differentiate between the two? Or is that why they have the subscription service to have your traces read?by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey You post photos here by posting them to a photo hosting site Yeah I noticed that, was just being lazy... but since I have a minute while my cells spin... I'm at work and don't remember my photo share account passwords, so I put the on an unused blog page: Here's the link If you click them you can see them better.by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey What device did you buy? I bought an Emay. An acquaintance of mine suggested it, and I liked the idea that it was a stand alone unit, and came with software so you can look at and keep track of traces on the computer. It is also advertised as recognizing 12 different types of events, which I thought might be good. so now my nerdy self is trying to figure out how to interpret. I getby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJoe Most likely old new to many of you but interesting for newly or relatively newly afflicted like me. Googled: Dr Najeeb and listened to ECG Interpretation 1-8 & Cardiac Arrhythmias - Aterial & Ventrical Fibrilation It took a few hours but answered sooo many questions to make the time worthwhile. His train of thought is very easy to follow. But i realize that non technically/by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteThe Anti-Fib Bolimasa: Are you on a CCB like Diltiazem? That would help with your HR going so high on these intermittent AFIB episodes. Diltiazem often also helps with PAC's also. Yeah they put me on Diltiazem at the ER... part of me would like to quit taking it to see if it really makes a difference.by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack Yes, excess fibrosis or a very large left atrium will, like I said, "scare away" some practitioners. They are indicators that a PVI-only ablation probably won't work. Yours looks pretty vanilla to my layperson's eyes. Ask them, though. Your insurance probably paid a pretty penny for it, so get your money's worth! Vanilla to me too... all my tests have hby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack If the MRI was of the delayed enhancement variety then it may have been done to look for fibrosis which, unfortunately, is used by some centers as an exclusion protocol for AF ablation. If in your case that was done and didn't show anything then I don't suspect you'll hear much about it at all. The MRI also estimates the dimensions of each heart chamber. LA anterior tby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey How do you decide who is great ablation PE and who isn't. It's the same as choosing a surgeon -- volume. You want the EP who's done thousands of ablations, not hundreds. The first thing you do is simply ask them. Any EP should have a pretty good estimate of how many he does every year and for how many years. One way to get a good estimate is this site. Althouby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
So since I suspect I'm heading there... How do you decide who is great ablation PE and who isn't. Clearly the Dr. Natale so frequently mentioned here has a great reputation, but I'm sure for many of us that is not an option. I'm seeing a local hot shot EP... but I suspect there is a chance that being an academic expert type does not necessarily make him the best ablationby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey The cause is probably genetic for all of us. Consider this: The vast majority of the population has all the same lifestyle issues we do and yet the vast majority of the population doesn't have afib. Also, the afib world is full of super health-conscious, fit people, and yet they have afib anyway. Thanks for saying to this. Being new to the problem I'm really struggling wby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
So do you worry about your heart rate when you run? From my 48 hour results it's clear that mine might be shooting up pretty high when I'm exerting myself... My high heart during that time was ~190... which corresponded with my doing a steep hike at altitude. (~9k ft) I'm an on again off again runner... (used to be pretty regular but since wrecking my knee 5 years ago my motby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteKen I know that knowing when one is in afib or not varies a lot between individuals. For me, prior to diagnosis and meds to control the rate, my resting heart rate was 50. In afib, it was rapid, weak, irregular and up to 180 bpm. Easy to feel on my carotid or radial pulse. No doubt what was going on. However, until it was caught on an ECG, I didn't know what was happening, and my Dby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well I'm hoping the monitor proves useful... The bad thing is that I'll only get data when I choose to use it. What I'd really like is full time monitor like the one I'm wearing now, but one were I can see the data and one where I can flag the times I'm doing exertive sort of of exercise. I didn't order the Kardia monitor... I decided to try the Emay monitor siby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
It's interesting to see how this is for everyone else... as I'm certainly at the stage where it is confusing to me. Thanks for sharing.by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteThe Anti-Fib Does exerting be yourself bring on more PACs? Slow steady exertion caused mine to go away. What do you mean? Caused them to go away permanently or momentarily? Like if you noticed to yourself having PACs a walk would make them mostly go away? And are they really gone or do you just not notice them? (Since I rarely notice mine if I'm not looking for them)by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteThe Anti-Fib "how much do arrythmia problems effect athletic performance? " This varies widely from person to person. I had everything: frequent PAC's, AFIB and Heart Failure. The Doctors were amazed at how active I was able to remain. Increased breathing can help compensate for loss of blood flow. Unless it's severe PAC's like every other beat, the AFIB shoulby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Does exerting be yourself bring on more PACs?by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
And the good news... or is it really bad news?... they moved my appointment up a month to next week. (and now I can confirm that those crappy waiting times are because they double book... cuz that's what the scheduler said he was doing.) If anyone has good ideas regarding questions I should be asking I would be appreciative. I would like to go in prepared.by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack Sleep apnea study is an excellent idea. Your heart’s not failing. AF is a pain in the ass, but it’s peanuts compared to real heart failure. There’s a way through this with careful and deliberate choices. You can be free of atrial arrhythmia. Well, maybe it's not technically failing, but I sure feel like it is failing me. (***whine***) I keep eyeing mountains I've cliby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Everyone does this at first -- they search for a cause. It's rare that anybody finds a cause, and when they do it's usually sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, or a major bodily insult such as surgery or a serious illness. I very much doubt that your BP meds are to blame. Calcium channel blockers are commonly prescribed for afib as rate control drugs. Yeah, now I'm wonderiby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey I know the my peak rate during my 48 hour monitor (180- yikes) was when I was hiking up a steep trail, so I don't know how they really assess the relationship between heart rate and activity (though I did have at least one high rate while I was probably sleeping,so there you go, it must be somewhat of a problem) Sorry, but my bet would be welcome to afib. There might be someby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotevanlith My suggestion to you as i check a lot of boxes you do.....get an ablation....you will prob. need 1 anyway why wait....i am yet to hear anyone say dam why did i get that ablation so fast and not go on drugs instead......there are plenty of suggestions on a narrowed down list of incred. Ablationist out there on this great forum so if you decide to move on my sugg. you are in good handsby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN It doesn't sound like you have awareness of when you are in afib much of the time. Hence an on-demand med to convert probably doesn't make much sense. Also sounds like your episodes are too frequent to make that appropriate. For the monitor, You could keep a diary of times you are significantly exerting yourself on days. Then you could correlate that with the monitorby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
So the cardiologist office called. I had an heart MRI on Tuesday... and everything looked normal. Now it's getting sent to the research, to assess fibrosis issuesn in anticipation of a possible ablation. I guess I should be glad all my tests keep coming back normal (other than sometimes crappy BP), I've always been in such good health... I just don't understand why my heart has gby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
I discussed the reversibility issue with my thrombosis pharmD... I think he said that there is some for Pradaxa, and it's expensive. The drug that was recently approved for some of the other blood thinners is not actually available yet... When it is, it is supposed be $27,000. We'll see how problematic the INR is. I hit the goal of 2 today... Now to see how consistent I am. At lby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN (though my K was at the low end of normal) but one has to always wonder if 'normal' could still be a problem causing alteration to my personal normal. (yeah, grasping at straws when the probable cause is simply pudgieness nudging up my BP) Potassium can be an issue for us in the afib world. I know I strive to keep mine >4.0 or so. My first afib episode, I also weby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN the T wave abnormality was gone, but now I have prolonged QT. So Question #2: If you have Afib do you usually have a changing set of abnormalities?... I have been taking the med he prescribed (diltiazem), ( prolonged QT can be a side effect of diltiazem < Also, magnesium has been called "natures calcium channel blocker." Maybe there is a way to substituteby bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Jackie and George for all the links to info. I have to admit I'm feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed. by all the info... and my propensity to check out everything on pubmed isn't helping much.. not enough hours in the day... that's for sure.by bolimasa - AFIBBERS FORUM