Atrial Fibrillation

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Anyone have or know someone that does/had and went thru the electric shock treatment to cure it?

 

[oops!]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

....UH...whats up lester....?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Ask the cardiologist to speak with other people who are local and had it done. When I had my heart attacks last July I spoke w/other patients who had the same procedure I went through.

My first FIL had a "timing" problem w/his heart and they had to stop it and reset the "timing" and he is fine. My step Dad has a Defib/pacemaker that was installed to take care of his heart.

I know JB had mentioned he had been through alot too..... my money is on him for a clear answer.

Bob

 

[JB]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Yeah. I got defibrillated a couple of times but I remember nada about it.

Fibrillation is uncontrolled quivering of the heart muscle instead of the rythmic pulsing that pumps blood well.

A defib zaps the muscle to get its attention. If it works (usually does) the muscle then resumes proper rythm.

Is that what you wanted to know?

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

An electrical cardioversion will usually work, at least short term, but it's not a cure. A-fib is almost always a lifelong affliction and needs to be managed with meds like Digoxin and blood thinners. Emergency treatment with Cardizem is usually preferable to electricity unless the person is having really serious symptoms.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

My heart beats really funny sometimes. It will start to hurt if I let it keep doing it. I've found if I set down, but don't lie down, force myself to relax and breath deeply and rhythmically I can get it to calm down and it will go back to working normal. I can't get anybody to believe there is anything wrong with it so I have to treat it myself like this.

 

[JB]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Beats funny in what way, Charlie? Fast, slow or erratic?

I have had episodes of bradycardia, abnormally slow pulse (as slow as 35bpm), and I have had times when my heart actually stopped for a few seconds. Both can be scary as heck, but neither resulted in anything serious. Nobody wanted to believe me, either.

My cardiologist finally put me on a halter monitor, to record my ECG for 24 hours. Both showed up. He changed my medication. . .took me off cardizem and hytrin (the hytrin was for BPH) and put me on atenolol. Problem went away.

If whatever worries you happens frequently enough you might need to wear a halter monitor for a few days. Talk to your Doc.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Yea, the Dr has told my mom that she has AF and she called me yesterday to try to find out what I could about it cause the Dr wants to shock her heart.
She says she don't like the idea of stopping and restarting her heart but I don't think she can live the way she is now.
She is on blood thinners and water pills and when she feels a spell coming on she will take a couple water pills and after going to the bathroom all day, she is better.
The part that bothers me is the possibility of blood clots getting out.
I know that the blood pools when the AF kicks in and that leads to clots if pooled long enough.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

My wife has had AF several times as has her mom. Her mom went through the electro business but it only worked for a short while.

My wife manages her AF with Sotalol (akin to JB's Atenolol), both beta blockers, and warfarin to prevent clotting.

When she first started having AF, I thought it was bad, but the cardiologist started her on the meds and assured me that AF wasn't terminal. He said he had one patient that had been in AF for about 30 years, but it was managed.

Spinner, you're correct about the threat of blood clots caused by pooling blood due to poor heart function during fibrillation. She needs to be on warfarin or Plavix to prevent that.

The only cure, and this doesn't always work, is ablation of the affected area of the heart and sometimes can be performed via catheter.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Thanks BB.
He has had her on meds and still can not get the heart to act the way he wants and wants to do the shock thing.
I think she is on warfarin and some other stuff, but nothing seems to be working right.
A 2nd opinion here you would suggest?

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Cardio. assured us that as long as she kept the PT (prothrombin time) where it should be with the warfarin and took the Sotalol VERY regular, any AF would be minimal and non-consequential. YMMV. There are several meds that fall into the same general class - Sotalol, Atenolol, Atenolol AF, Betapace, etc.

I would only go the elect. route if all medicinal options have been exhausted. Surgical ablation would be the bottom of the list for me. You might want another opinion. Medicare I'm sure will pay for it.

EDIT: I'm not a health professional, just a layman that tries to pay close attention. But I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.

You might want to run this by Time2fish via PM.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Thanks again BB.
I was going to suggest a 2nd opinion to her just to make sure that maybe this Dr is not missing something about the meds.
Thanks on the T2F.
I'm sure he will see it and if he can offer anything to it he will.

 

[oops!]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

nuthin dad cant handle spinner

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

nuthin dad cant handle spinner

Huh???

 

[oops!]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

you have a pm

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Spinnerbaitnut: I've sent you a PM but I think Drowned Rat and Boatbuoy gave very good answers. Nothing more I could really add to their replies.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Thanks T2F, you have PM back.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Talked to her yesterday and told her I would feel much better if she got a 2nd opinion on this just to make sure her Dr was on the right track with her meds.
He might be missing something another Dr would pick up on.
The one she has now I know nothing about and I suggested 2 that I do and they are tops in their field.
She assured me that she would and that right now the meds he had her on seemed to be working since she has had no episodes so far since he went up on one of her meds.
She is on Wafarin for sure and at the time of the call was not aorund the other meds to tell me what they were but she will and I will post up what they are.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

Well, I don't personally know anyone who have had it done but I do see the procedure being done all the time. You see, I am the guy who maintains the equipment that the cardiologist use. I think the doctor wanting to do the shock to find out where the trouble spot is/are on the heart. Once he is sure of the problem spot, he will ablates the tissue that caused the AF. I don't think it hurt because the patient is awake the whole time.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Atrial Fibrillation

My cardiologist finally put me on a halter monitor, to record my ECG for 24 hours. Both showed up. He changed my medication. . .took me off cardizem and hytrin (the hytrin was for BPH) and put me on atenolol. Problem went away.

If whatever worries you happens frequently enough you might need to wear a halter monitor for a few days. Talk to your Doc.

Not trying to be a smart@ss, just so you know, it's called a Holter monitor. In case anyone goes asking their care provider about it. I used to be in the business of designing such medical electronics.

h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holter_monitor