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Re: Blood thinner - 1 year ago

Quotesusan.d Unfortunately Eliquis can’t dissolve or prevent a DVT. Traveling on long flights or being bedridden after an ablation or surgery could potentially cause a Dvt clot plus other factors I speculate as well. How I got screwed under my armpit is a mystery. . Just want to put a plug in here for compression knee socks for long flights and similar situations—they really help prevent clots

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Frequent PVCs and supplements? - 1 year ago

I assume it was atypical, left atrial flutter rather than the easier to work with right atrial flutter? Did Natale isolate your left atrial appendage? I'd guess he did if you are getting a Watchman, and when you go in for your Watchman and touchup you can be sure he will look for the sources of the PVCs (it is PVCs rather than PACs?). It sounds like the flutter has also returned? Sorry you a

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: How much post ablation support would be reasonable to expect from Dr.Natale's post ablation team - 1 year ago

QuoteFuzzyduck Thanks Jim, perhaps I shall email Dr.Natale, I am now frustrated that I didn't complain sooner because I have felt a bit isolated and in limbo regarding my symptoms, which limit my cardio Yes, you can feel very isolated if you think that what you have experienced is typical patient care in a practice--it just isn't and as far as I have heard the problem centers around

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Ectopy and Eating - 1 year ago

QuoteMeganMN immediately after eating/drinking, even just ice water... Ice water or other icy drinks are a known trigger for some people. Maybe try avoiding them and see if it makes a difference?

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: How much post ablation support would be reasonable to expect from Dr.Natale's post ablation team - 1 year ago

QuoteFuzzyduck That is when I send in a weekly update with my ECG reading, but no one seems to be taking any notice. Surely they should be the ones to send in a prescription for a beta blocker, not my family doctor... It would seem that way to me, and your experience is understandable now that you have told me who your nurse navigator is. Maybe you can request reassignment?

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: How much post ablation support would be reasonable to expect from Dr.Natale's post ablation team - 1 year ago

From what I am hearing here the quality of followup care seems to depend on who your nurse navigator is. Mine was super good--I usually had an email answered the next day, and sometimes if I were having a problem, she would answer with a phone call. I could not have hoped for any better care than I received and you are under their care for a year from the date of your ablation. You do have to ini

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: 7 months after Natale ablation...PACs are back - 1 year ago

I did find that PACs triggered Afib and I think that is the experience of some others as well. Many of the pacemaker models have an algorhythm that tries to outpace PACs and thus stop them from triggering Afib. QuoteWhyMe I am left dealing with his team and frankly they are of little help. It must depend on who your nurse navigator is. I have always had a very quick response -- usually ove

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Left atrial size - does it matter? How much? - 1 year ago

QuoteNoTrigger Daisy, I always thought that my valve problems led to the dilation but I could be wrong! Will try and get some answers from my cardiologist when I see her tmr. It is hard to say though in my case, I developed Afib in 2010 and at that time my mitral valve only was mildly prolapsed with mild regurgitation, so it could well be that Afib was more responsible for the dilation than th

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Data on leakage rate - Watchman device. - 1 year ago

QuoteChuck Connors I’m curious to learn of various resources available that discuss and show data on the leakage rates of the Watchman device, as well as how that is addressed in patients going forward. No leak is ideal, and am curious how EPs handle leak rates. It seems standard protocol post-Watchman procedure, is for most patients to come off of blood thinners. A TEE would be able to detec

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Left atrial size - does it matter? How much? - 1 year ago

Quotegloaming Thanks for posting this. My understanding is that the enlargement, which can be mildly reversed (not in all patients) over time if ablated successfully, leads to fibrosis and mitral valve prolapse, or compromise of function, both of which greatly complicate, or in some cases preclude, ablation. This is my experience: before my ablation with Dr. Natale he told me to get my severe

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Yes, the forum is back up and running! - 1 year ago

Thanks Carey—we knew you were scrambling behind the scenes!

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Estrogen and other hormones... - 1 year ago

QuoteLaniB Bioidentical HRT reduces mortality from all causes, protects the brain against dementia, protects bone density, along with eliminating/reducing post menopausal symptoms. You'll be pleased to know that a new and very large study just came out a couple of weeks ago confirming this and mentioning the benefit to Afib patients as well it being preventive for cardiovascular disease.

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: 2 months post PFA ablation - 1 year ago

Yes, recovery times from Afib ablation can vary a lot. I had other things going on, like Dysautonomia, and I had to travel out-of-state for the ablation. It took over a month for me to feel fully recovered. All the medications given during the ablation were part of the story in my longer-than-average recovery, but it wasn’t unexpected for me and I knew I would recover eventually, and it was certa

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Ablation at Abbott Northwestern - 1 year ago

Great news—keep us posted! Great “Don’t do this at home” protocol!

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Progression question - 1 year ago

QuoteZb3 What sides did flecainide give you? I was put on 200mg a day from the beginning which seems like a high dose. Aside from a lot of palpitations I haven’t noticed any sides yet. Also interesting to know that even after an ablation the disease will look for ways to progress, therefore necessitating more ablations. Seems hard to win with this one I got complete heart block with Flecaini

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Progression question - 1 year ago

QuoteZb3 Oh does it get worse does it? I had thought if you were medicated and kept yourself out of afib it wouldn’t progress. I had frequent afib at 27-28 which came on rapidly - was in afib 14% of the time according to my holter but had it every single day. On flecainide and beta blocker daily now and largely out of afib and medications still working despite the odd break through. I get violent

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Action Potential, Induction, etc. - 1 year ago

Yes, fascinating! I saw that Natale was an author of one article, so good to know that he has worked with different induction strategies. Have you noticed any differences related to posture in your own case? If there were, it could be really helpful for induction. Left side versus right side positioning is significant for some.

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Long Awaited Natale Consult - 1 year ago

ButTaurine doesn’t inhibit not all aspects of P450, only P450 3A4. You can look up different medications to see how they are metabolized and while 3A4 is any important one, many drugs are metabolized by 2D6. QuoteThe cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is an enzyme of great historical importance for pharmacogenetics and is now thought to be involved in the metabolism of up to 25% of the drugs that ar

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Long Awaited Natale Consult - 1 year ago

QuoteMeganMN I'm not exactly sure. He wants to induce it first because sometimes introducing the catheters will prevent induction of the Atrial Tachycardia. So he can pinpoint fairly closely where it is coming from before even hitting the EP Lab. I'm not exactly sure,.but I think he is planning to then give me some mild sedation, get the catheters in and then try to induce again,.but

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Long Awaited Natale Consult - 1 year ago

QuoteMeganMN This time, they are planning to try to induce medically and map it, then sedate me, introduce the catheters, and then ablate me. So do I have this right that they are going to give you isoproterenol while you are awake, map you, then give general anesthesia, introduce the catheters and ablate? While with a straight forward Afib ablation they would give general anesthesia first th

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Long Awaited Natale Consult - 1 year ago

QuoteFuzzyduck What do you mean by your arrhythmia being paroxysmal, your SVTs or your Afib? Because when I had my ablation in April I hadn’t had any afib since November but I had svts, not nearly as many as you but runs of them. But he managed to get my afib going for a ‘very short time’. Enough to know what to ablate…although I appreciate our cases may be very different… This touches on

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Long Awaited Natale Consult - 1 year ago

QuoteMeganMN He did say that most EP labs are afraid to use the high doses of Isoproteronol that are needed. Did he explain what the cautions are with using high doses of Isoproteronol?

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Finally Ablation - 1 year ago

QuotecalvinIt was a great release of emotions when I got off the phone. I bet! Congratulations and keep us posted.

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Someone made a MYSTERY POST - 1 year ago

QuoteCarey I changed the settings to display 200 topics per page rather then the former 50 topics. Thanks, this is much better!

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Natale Telehealth Consult - 1 year ago

I can tell you how it worked for me--hopefully they are still doing it the same way. Someone called an hour or two before my appointment just to get some basic information by phone. Since I have an iPhone they said that my consult would be on FaceTime--they would need to make another arrangement if you don't have FaceTime. They can only give you an approximate time for your consult with Nata

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: It may be time to ablate. Options are in play. - 1 year ago

Quotedocboss No response to my inquiry as of this date, but I shall make another attempt in a week or so. You will get a response much faster if you go directly to Dr. Natale's assistant: Norma Bazerghi RN, MSN, MBA Single Trip Procedure Coordinator for Andrea Natale M.D. Direct Line: 512-615-6205 Fax: 512-776-1978 Attn: Norma If you would like her email address, send me a private

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Valvular Afib Questions - 1 year ago

I can't comment on the difference in treating "valvular Afib" and non-valvular. I'd guess that this is not a clear-cut distinction as many of us, including me, have had valve involvement that became an issue somewhere in our journey with Afib. It is possible that it is the effects of Tikosyn in particular that might be in question as you prepare for a TAVR--maybe someone else

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: It may be time to ablate. Options are in play. - 1 year ago

Quotedocboss Unfortunately, the local facility performing ablations is unavailable for three months. Hence my interest in alternative locations/treatment. I contacted the Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute for a consultation with Dr. Natale's group. Unfortunately the best EPs performing ablations will have significant wait times--in fact, if they don't you probably don't want to go t

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Three-Month Blanking Period After A-Fib Ablation Should Be Shortened, Researchers Say - 1 year ago

And, in fact, most of our EPs take us off antiarrhythmic meds about 2 months post ablation, demonstrating their clinical experience with recurrences.

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM

Re: Mucinex - 1 year ago

Quotegreyhoundgal I remember Natale telling me at the 6 month checkup after the ablation that if I kept a healthy lifestyle I shouldn't need a touchup but said that when I get into my. 80's if I need another touchup to just give him a call. So it sounds like he is okay doing touchups on patients in their 80's? I wondered about that as, though I had my index ablation with him whe

by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM