QuoteCarey Ablations are rarely 100% effective, especially long-term. You base that claim on what? You want to argue about semantics? your welcome to contradict what has been repeatedly expressed on this site, and stated by Shannon also? Tell us then that yes, Ablations are rarely not 100% effective even long-term.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sounds like you may have been back and forth from NSR to AFIB for those 3 years. Since you are apparently triggered by stress, or an Adrenal response, you may have been in NSR at home, then after going out to the Doctors, were stressed enough to get an episode that they caught with the ECG's/EKG's, then later reverted back to NSR. Even though you are getting an Ablation, all this diby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
" I cut caffeine and NSR ever since approx 6 months ago. 6 months of medicated NSR. But now 11 days of non-medicated NSR (25mg Metoprolol)" Sounds good, amazing recovery for someone with "Persistent AFIB", although 11 days isn't that long in terms of AFIB prognosis. Keep doing what works. At least by now you should know how you feel on the reduced drug regimen. Metroby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"Fluttering has made it into my file along the way. Not sure if that is because of me describing an anxious feeling in chest or it showed up on 14 day or 30 day heart monitor readings. I did get a few unusual readings while on 30 day monitor folling EP increasig Flec to max dosage. Could have been panic attacks or reaction to increase Flec or Met. Not had since) " Although Flecainideby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"In 2021, I again had a material increase in episodes associated with (note I did not say caused by) vaccinations" My EP says 10% of Vaxxed patients developed Myocarditis, and my Mom's Cardiologists says many of their patients have developed palpitations or arrhythmia after getting boosted, thus they are advising against further Vaxx for anyone with these issues. This would mby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Geo: "Scheduled to speak with Natale on Friday. Not sure what or what not to speak to him about. Do I bring up how I have had this concern?" I would write down a list of things you want to go over, prioritizing it with the most important being first. Ask what your concerns are. I'm not sure what "concern" you are referring to, certainly you could ask about the followby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey The people always recommending Ablation on this site are the ones who failed to manage their own Afib, thus they tend to be more pessimistic about Afib prognosis. Failed to manage their own afib? Seriously? That's really unfair to a lot of people; you're patient blaming. If you think afib comes in one flavor and it's always manageable, you're very wrong, partiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
You could completely cut out the Caffeine, and limit Chocolate. Also continue to taper down on the Metropolol to 25mg, and Flecainide also. If you completely get off the Flecainide, then Metropolol can also be discontinued. See what happens. Postpone your Ablation. Sounds like your always going to be wandering about the caffeine if you don't have a good trial without it. You can always rby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I would feel your pulse during these episodes, see if it is regular as far as rate and rhythm, also check your Blood Pressure with a home BP machine. Secondly I would get on a holter monitor for at least a week. You need a Cardiologist if you don't have one. I don't know what kind of Holter monitor you had, but the newer one are smaller and less obtrusive.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Coming from someone that has used Flecainide frequently, and took too much having an adverse reaction, I would Titrate up slowly, and be conscious of side effects, then back off if you need to. 75mg every 8 hours makes more sense for someone worried about getting too much. Tolerance is dependent upon the person, lookout for signs of cardiac depreciation: Feeling faint, shortness of breath, weaby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"What is the significance of your average HR while in Afib?" The lower you HR is (down to to what your normal NSR HR is) the better and more efficiently the Afib Heart will operate. Symptoms are usually proportional to how high the Afib HR is. Having an low HR negates the need for rate control drugs and thus any potential side effects from these drugs. As George stated a Afib HR ofby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Geo: The fact that you have been in NSR for 5 months is a very positive sign. I suspect you were actually in and out somewhat of AFIB during the 3 years, but regardless, the 5 months is great news. To an extent, the negative structural effects of prolonged AFIB are reversed out by maintaining NSR for that long. You mentioned getting off of the medications. Are you having side effects fby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey There are accepted definitions for these terms and they're not ambiguous: Paroxysmal afib = afib that lasts less than a week Persistent afib = afib that lasts more than a week Longstanding persistent afib = afib that lasts longer than a year Permanent afib = afib that the patient decides to live with and not try to stop No EP would call afib lasting 3 years permanent afiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN Persistent Afib can be several Episodes in a year. What makes it "Persistent" is that it doesn't resolve on its own within about a week, and requires an intervention such as an Electrocardioversion to return to NSR. 3 years of solid Afib would be called Permanent Afib. For example if I had 2 episodes in a year, and went and got Cardioverted at 36 hours on one epby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey When you say "Persistent Afib for 3 years", can you be more descriptive? How many episodes? If Geo is using the term correctly, and I assume they are, then there aren't episodes. It was non-stop afib for three years. Persistent Afib can be several Episodes in a year. What makes it "Persistent" is that it doesn't resolve on its own within about a wby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
You have been in NSR for 5 months? Since your Asymptomatic, or little symptoms, rate control appears to not an issue, and you tolerate Eliquis if you need to take it, sounds there is absolutely no rush. When you say "Persistent Afib for 3 years", can you be more descriptive? How many episodes? How long did they last, and did they require Cardioversion to get back into NSR? Also whby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Cardeviloil wiped me out, the most I could take was 6.25 BID. I didn't get low BP, but just extreme lethargy and fatigue. If it was me, I would just take the dose of Carvedilol at 6.25 dose I was comfortable at, and then if needed, add another type of rate control drug called a Calcium Channel Blocker (Diltiazem). The Diltiazem can also lower blood pressure, so you would have to experiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I would just drop the 1st EP.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cardizem lowers the HR, and could help potentiate vagally mediated AFIB, in that it could accentuate HR drops after exertion or upon eating/digestion. This drug also slows the excitabilty of the electrical signal being fired through the SA node, and decreases electrical conduction through AV node. So coming out of AFIB having too much Cardizem in your system can cause too low a HR upon restby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"so it's hard to imagine how drugs that suppress anxiety could cause afib." Antidepressant Drugs can cause more anxiety in some people, but I agree, very unlikely a direct causation of AFIB.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I have noticed a transient reaction several times to taking a larger daily dose of Flecainide, that went away after 4-5 days. It caused aggressive over-reactions to issues, kind of like roid-rage.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think your supposed to skip the dose your unsure of, and resume the next scheduled dose, as if you had taken it. The risk of adverse effects from a double dose outweigh missing a dose.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
It doesn't sound like the Phorum software to me. You've been using this software for several years and this sort of bug has not presented before. I never had an issue. The inconsistency makes me think it's with the host/server connection downstream to the user.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bob, what is your age? "is there any issue with stopping and starting Eliquis from an efficacy or medical standpoint?" Probably not for you to worry about. If you decide to get off of it, you just get off it. Having said that, there is a Black Box Warning for Eliquis. ; View this warning with the perspective that there are many AFIB patients who don't take or stop theirby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
"Said EPs wouldn’t do anything until on blood thinners for a year." A year? BS, an EP could treat right away. they may want to wait for 3-4 weeks before they try a Cardioversion.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotealfrae13 I have paroxysmal afib and was on propanolol 60 ER. I then was put on flacainide 75mg 2/day. It works fine but now I am light headed most of the time and weak. Is this the expected side effect and will it go away over time The paper George referenced was for "extracardiac" adverse effects. The weakness could possibly be from the Flecainide causing reduced cardiac contraby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
No not in the ICU Here is my account, taken from this old thread 8 years ago. It is not exaggerated account, it happened this way. What was bad, was that upon referral from my EP, I went to ER room, took the 300 Flec (1st time that high of dose), and then had an EKG done. My Doctor faxed them orders for STAT treatment, but they somehow got misplaced. It was a busy day at this ER room.by The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had been wondering about this lately. On my last successful conversion, I just chewed and let the Flec dissolve in the mouth and under the tongue, then washed down with a tiny bit of water. It did leave a bad aftertaste, and my tongue tingled for awhile, but for a successful conversion it was the small inconvenience. The thing is food in the stomach can effect absorption, if we are usingby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your right Mark. The Cardio and EP Dr's often tend to lump everyone into one main treatment category. This has been discussed various times in Forum over the years in regards to Dr's not recognizing Vagally induced AFIB. It complicates the treatment protocols for Dr's and the staff/nurses to have to think in terms of multiple treatments depending upon baseline HR's. Severaby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think taking a drug like Wellbutrin would be more of a concern for someone who had AFIB, and then started the drug and ended up getting their NT levels too high. It could cause an elevated HR by over activating the CNS and indirectly contributing to AFIB. Since you are already familiar with the drug and how you respond too it, it doesn't sound at all like you were getting too much Norepiby The Anti-Fib - AFIBBERS FORUM