2 years today

[johninsd]

2 years since my AVR and aortic root replacement. So far so good for the most part. I did have some Afib a few times following surgery but a couple of "jump starts" seem to have taken care of that. I have been on warfarin since the Afib episodes and my cardio tells me that will be for life as the Afib increases probability of stroke - and I hear that stroke can ruin your whole day. Other than that pretty good - except for fatigue and weird dreams, maybe from the Amiodarone or the Metoprolol. All in all it's way better than waiting for my aorta to burst - another thing that can ruin your day, or so I've heard.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

2 years since my AVR and aortic root replacement.

excellent stuff ... and many "happy returns" to your anniversary.

 

[cldlhd]

Congrats ,time flies doesn't it?

 

[AZ Don]

I have been on warfarin since the Afib episodes and my cardio tells me that will be for life as the Afib increases probability of stroke

It's not uncommon to have some afib following heart surgery, but often that clears up after a couple months - mine did. Have you had continuing episodes of afib or are you on warfarin for another reason? Just asking because if the afib stopped then I would think the warfarin could stop as well.

 

[spartangator]

Congrats. Many more to you

 

[dick0236]

Congratulations on two years. Your profile does not indicate valve type or your age.....but I assume, since you are retired, that you are not young. Afib seems to be an issue with many "seniors" regardless of whether they have gone thru heart surgery or not. Anti-coagulation therapy is a simple, and effective, way to minimize the risk of stroke due to afib and warfarin is the current therapy of choice for valve patients, tissue or mechanical. Follow two simple "rules" and warfarin therapy is a "piece of cake".......take the warfarin as prescribe and test routinely. If possible, get your own meter and test more frequently than monthly............and yes, you are right, a stroke WILL ruin your day.......been there, done that.

 

[epstns]

John - I would bet that the weird dreams are from the metoprolol. Right after my valve replacement, I was prescribed metoprolol SE (time release) at 100 mg/day. My dreams were so vivid and strange that I remember thinking to myself "I'm ready for bed. I wonder what's playing tonight."

Over time, working with my cardio, we have reduced my dosage of metoprolol down to 25 mg/day, and the dreams are gone. I wonder where they went. . . oh, YOU go them. ;-)

 

[johninsd]

I had a cardiologist visit on Tuesday 11/15 and complained about the lethargy. He suggested quitting the Metropolol for a week to see if that helped. It's only been about 84 hours since my last dose but I've already noticed a huge difference. I have a walking route of about 2.5 miles with about 500 feet of elevation gain/loss and it was taking me an hour before, now it takes 50 minutes. I attribute this to the fact that my heart rate now goes up to about 110 but on the Metoprolol it would only go up to about 90. I also don't get as winded as I did before. The higher heart rate moves more blood of course. Now if I can avoid Afib (actually I think it was A-flutter, not all that sure of the difference). So I'll check in with the cardio next week and tell him I feel much livelier and with any luck he'll tell me to stay off the stuff.

I do have an appointment for a CT scan in a few weeks and the cardio dept. is supposed to call me to schedule an ECG, just routine followup I think, but if the AF is back it will surely show up at one of those. I also have an "AliveECG" gizmo that works with my phone to do a one lead ECG - so far it has been reporting "Normal", but my resting heart rate has gone up a bit, from the 40's to the 60's. I think the Metropolol was doing what it is supposed to do but doing it too well.

 

[Catie]

Congrats!
I was wondering the same as AZ Don, whether the afib has been ongoing or only showed up right after surgery.