Quotegloaming I was on the drug, even to the point of 150 mg/diem at one point, for a total of just over five years. I was told to stop immediately when I was placed on amiodarone. I experienced nothing except the bliss of NSR once again within 10 hrs of taking the first 400 mg of amiodarone. :About seven months later, I stopped taking metoprolol on the advice of my outreach nurse about six weekby Rucan - AFIBBERS FORUM
I was on the drug, even to the point of 150 mg/diem at one point, for a total of just over five years. I was told to stop immediately when I was placed on amiodarone. I experienced nothing except the bliss of NSR once again within 10 hrs of taking the first 400 mg of amiodarone. :About seven months later, I stopped taking metoprolol on the advice of my outreach nurse about six weeks after my secby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
I discovered this forum after my first ablation in 2017. In May 2017 I had a Cryoablation with Dr. Daniel Beyerbach at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. The journey leading to the ablation was a difficult one. I developed Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation while training and doing endurance running races, marathons and 50 k's. The first step was to put me on warfarin and Flecinide. The fleciniby Patti Starr - AFIBBERS FORUM
A different account: when I went to the ER with high AF six days after my index ablation, after they had done the routine tests, including a full blood workup, they came back with my first dose of amiodarone and two very large oval white tablets. My raised eyebrow had the nurse say, 'Your potassium is low.' First I had heard of such a thing. Four months later, I was back in the ER, bby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you for the thoughtful and thought-provoking replies. To clear up some misunderstanding, I have not had an ablation and am puzzling over the next decisions. The ECV was successful and I've been in NSR since then (4 months). I do feel better than I did having AFIB 24x7 for the prior 2 years but I wouldn't call it "a high" as someone on this forum described. I do beby mike111 - AFIBBERS FORUM
The disorder is progressive by nature. It is always best to get robust intervention early. I have had several cardioversions. One of those lasted 16 hours, the last only took 20 whole minutes and I was back in AF, still in the hospital. My first ablation failed inside of six otherwise blissful days. I, too, was placed on amiodarone. I asked why not Flecainide or Sotolol, or the commonlyby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotemjamesone As to PIP, of course you could come off Amiodarone and experiment, however success is unlikely given your long term persistent status. Natale and a small number of other top EPs have very good success rates ablating longstanding persistent afib, better than most average EPs with paroxysmal. I know of a successful ablation on a gentleman who had been in persistent afib for 30 yeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
As to PIP, of course you could come off Amiodarone and experiment, however success is unlikely given your long term persistent status. Catheter ablation is also far less effective for long-term persistent and at best you would probably be looking at a series of those procedures. If I were in your position, I'd look into surgical ablation, like the Wolf Mini Maze (WMM) which have shownby mjamesone - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Again, Following your recommendations (and probably too much thinking), I finally had a (successful) cardioversion in August. After being in persistent AFIB for at least two years, I'm now in normal sinus rhythm. Still taking Amiodarone and Eliquis along with a few other drugs on the advice of cardiologists. I asked my EP about changing to Multaq (or some other anti-arrhythmic)by mike111 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Everyone, my name is Rich, I am a 60 year old male and have had heart rhythm problems since I was a teenager (although, I honestly believe they were present even as a preteen). I am a first time poster, but have been getting comfort and encouragement from this forum for years. Whenever I would feel defeated, like I couldn't take another palpitation, or like I was the only one in the enby RichS63 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi! I was where you are about 24 months ago. I had been controlled, with two cranky months in each of '20 and '21 near Christmas, probably due to the stresses of family gatherings. But otherwise, I was active and my metoprolol of 25mg per day seemed to do a good job. In fact, my cardiologist felt that it's possibly more important benefit to me was to keep my borderline hypertensby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Interesting - my husband recently had open heart surgery and he was started on Amiodarone immediately - surgeon told us this is best practice for open heart surgery. He was on it for about a week. Also, they put in a atria clip for his LAA. Again, standard practice we were told.by sldabrowski - AFIBBERS FORUM
Here are some quotes from a few studies on oral anticoagulants. "Warfarin reduces stroke risk by 64% and mortality by 26%" "Low-dose new oral anticoagulant regimens showed similar overall reductions in stroke or systemic embolic events to warfarin (1·03, 0·84-1·27; p=0·74), and a more favourable bleeding profile (0·65, 0·43-1·00; p=0·05), but significantly more ischaemic strokesby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
My hand is up. I had my first ablation at the end of July last year, but I was in the ER with full-blown AF six days later. Amiodarone beat it down quickly, over night in the ICU, and I took the amio for another seven weeks. Within six weeks, and after a Holter to check things out (the one I would normally get after an ablation anyway), it showed '...a LOT of PACS,' was what the outrby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you are over 60 and have a diastolic pressure of low 80's, that's nothing to be concerned about. Personally, I take my BP first thing when I wake up. My Galaxy 4 watch must be calibrated with a proper cuff every three weeks, or the app won't let me register a reading. So, I feel it must be pretty close during any one three-week period. My own readings each morning run betweeby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello! I traveled to Austin in 2014 thanks to the help of Shannon and this forum, for a successful ablation with Dr. Natale (with Dr. DiBiase in the room as well, exciting). That was my 6th overall, but only the first for a-fib. Previous attempts were for various other arrhythmias I have, which I'd been on amiodarone for (but not after the Natale ablation). I've continued to have arrby Johnny M - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the suggestions. I came across a "Black Box" warning on Flec toxixity by FDA. That's why I am apprehensive. The only other meds I am taking: Bisoprolol and Xarelto (planning to switch to Apixaban due to cost). Will not touch Amiodarone. I will consider giving a daily dose of Flec a try. I did take it daily before my first ablation (2007) but don't remember how much.by Ritva - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's really not a large dose, and many people remain on flecainide at a dosage like that for years. Are you mixing it up with amiodarone? Flecainide doesn't have the toxicity problems amiodarone does.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
it sounds like you had a great resting heart rate but it didn't last long, unfortunately. I'm not convinced Dofetilide at 500mg would work for me but I will mention it to my EP. As Carey stated, I don't have many options for medicine left and Amiodarone worked exceptionally as far as heart rate and no known side effects, but long term that likely isn't the case. You alsby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax Is it a good or bad thing I'm alternating between afib and aflutter? We know it isn't a good thing my resting heart rate is over 100bpm at rest regularly. Also, any ideas of a good rhythm control medicine that I can mention to my EP? It's never good that you've got either and alternating isn't an improvement, but it's also not unusual. Neithby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Initially I was in afib on all of the ecgs After some medication It turned into flutter. I have no idea if I was between afib and a flutter Off and on. I have not converted to normal sinus rhythm Since the entire fiasco with flecanide and propafenone. I did convert with amiodarone early on. From my fitbit and kardia it appears at any given time I am in a flutter or Afib. I can see theby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
more great info thank you once again. In my case I need to find meds that will get my heart rate down as amiodarone did without the toxic harm. I've done research on medication and I can't take anything in the 1C class and amiodarone can't be taken long term. Both sotalol and diltiazem don't get my heart rate Low enough so not sure what else would be left as far as medicatioby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax What I am confused on is since both are rate control drugs and my current NP and EP knew I was in sinus with amiodarone (my ecg showed sinus rhythm when I was discharged from the hospital on amiodarone) why wouldn't my EP put me on dronedarone/multaq which apparently is a lot less toxic and which may of gotten me back in sinus rhythm like amiodarone did? While they hoped thby Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM
The knowledge on this forum is incredible. You said the same thing the nurse practitioner did prior to my first call with my current EP. She asked about my heart rates and it wasn't such a simple response since I had an extrmely adverse reaction to type 1C antiarrythmics, specifically flecanide and propafenone. I did tell her that as well as my heart rate was never lower since my Afib diby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax What is the general consensus on what a resting heart rate with afib while on medication should be? Is anyone on this forum in the 50s-70s with their resting heart rate on medication? I mentioned in another post even with 120mg sotalol twice a day and 240mg of Diltiazem once a day my resting heart rate is low 100s to mid 115s or so on average. That is just sitting with no exertby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
What is the general consensus on what a resting heart rate with afib while on medication should be? Is anyone on this forum in the 50s-70s with their resting heart rate on medication? I mentioned in another post even with 120mg sotalol twice a day and 240mg of Diltiazem once a day my resting heart rate is low 100s to mid 115s or so on average. That is just sitting with no exertion. Sleepingby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi, first let me say that i've read on this forum for a few weeks before posting. I have enjoyed reading and learning so much from the very knowledgeable people here. There is a ton of great and helpful information and i'm glad a forum like this exists. With that said, I have a few questions i'm hoping to get help with and not sure if I should create different threads or keeby cornerbax - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree with Carey, and found that even though I had AF, and was between ablations, my heart wanted to rest near 50 BPM. However, doses of metoprolol higher than 12.5 mg BID often had my heart plodding along at 40 and fewer beats. It made me feel so awful that I had to go to the ER once only to learn that my heart rate was running at 30 BPM, barely enough to keep me alive. I was told to discontiby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
"...The cough was not ablated..." I think you might need to rephrase that. Coughs, per se, are not ablated. They're a response to an irritant. Or to embarrassment. You are right to try not to become worked up about the odd post-ablation blip of AF. Happened to me two weeks later, but it eventually responded to metoprolol and I have been fine for the past 12 weeks. It mby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Johnny, I was instructed to stop Amiodarone 3 weeks after my RF ablation ( II was a Flec failure). I’ve been fine, it was scary to stop but it’s great not to need any drugs!by LoisA - AFIBBERS FORUM