Recent content by Elcarim

I'm on 95mg of metoprolol, started on half that. My resting heart rate sits around 58. I also Googled it before I took it and I was a bit freaked out. Apparently because it is fat soluble it can cause neurological issues, and is quite prone to causing hallucinations in elderly patients. I had...

I've just bought a pill box. And a pill splitter. These should improve my dose management. Testing 4-weekly was always the goal that my GPs had. Now that I know better I'll be testing once a week as soon as my meter arrives.

The blister pack is the way the Toprol comes packaged, with the days of the week on the back of the foil. There is one marked 'start here' that you take first, then if the next day is Wednesday you take the tablet marked 'Wednesday' and continue like this until you've used up the whole pack...

Thanks for this. I also take a beta blocker with the days of the week on the blister pack so I can cross-check that way, to be sure I have taken my meds for that day, but that alone doesn't make sure I took the correct Warfarin dosage. The pill box is a good idea, I will get one. I always take...

I've been on Warfarin for going on 19 years. For many years my INR was pretty stable, but recently it has been a bit unpredictable. I was having tests every 4 weeks for ages, but over the past 6 months or so I've been having them more like every 1-2 weeks, which is a bit of a nuisance, but it...

Thanks for the link, I will check it out. It would certainly be nice to avoid a full sternotomy this time around. Edited to add: the findings of that study are very encouraging, I will definitely be bringing this up when I see a surgeon. Thanks again!

My current cardiologist certainly seemed to think so, although he did not quite come straight out and say it.

I'm in Australia. I was pressured to have a tissue (aortic) valve put in when I was 22yo (2000). I had to have it replaced (with a mechanical valve) when I was 27yo. During the second surgery there was damage to a pacing node and I ended up with heart block and needed a pacemaker. That was 18...

I have a Garmin Vivosmart 5 and it's great. I'm a bit of a luddite, but I find it easy to use and I use most of the available features, the notable exception being the pulse ox. The pulse ox is not very accurate and uses up a lot of battery. I find it great for monitoring stress levels over...

I'll try to give you the abridged version... I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, which was replaced with a tissue valve in 2000 and then a mech valve in 2005. After the second surgery I ended up with heart block, hence a pacemaker, and a few years later it was found that the pacemaker lead...

I had loads of them for years. I had my most recent AVR in 2005. I was sure they were stress/PTSD related, but I couldn't prove it and couldn't seem to get them under control. They would happen every 2nd or 4th beat, and sometimes I would get several in a row. I would lie in bed at night unable...

Hi Zara, I can't believe I missed your question as this is something I have experienced and have a LOT of thoughts about. I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve at 19yo. I had my first OHS at 22yo, where after a lot of pressure from family members I had a tissue valve put in so that I...

Where I get my INR done if it comes up over 4.0 they have to do it again. I have had this done several times and it has always been the same or very close on the second test. I actually asked last time this happened if the second test is ever magically in range and the nurse said that sometimes...

Haha, just reading the blog post you linked and got to the bit about doing the task accurately and in the same manner every time 'just like you were making pottery mugs for sale', and it just so happens that I am a potter who makes and sells mugs, so that gave me a chuckle. Thank you for this...

I'm a warfarin lifer, been on it 18 years so far for an mechanical aortic valve. I looked into self testing years ago but the cost was prohibitive at the time and I assumed nothing had changed. The CoaguChek machine was about $1500 with no rebates available. But reading posts on here it seems...