Atrial Flutter.. feedback welcome

[Guest]

Hi all.. i have had atrial flutter for along time, before surgery i had hopes that the flutter would be ' cured' once we replaced my mitral valve . Not so .. still have it and it makes me tired. I really wanted to get started in re-hab but i get so tired with the exertion . I consulted with a specialist in afib etc and he said , according to the holter that it was not bad enough to merit intervention at this point. sigh.. Have any of you had atrial flutter after surgery , did it improve ? So far , none of the meds have helped.. not the calcium or beta blockers . The only thing that has helped some is a homeopathic formula for afib and Xanax. The dr. said , if it was working, good.. but it does not control it 100 % of the time . I am feeling frustrated . I know my God is bigger than my problem, i just want my problem to go away. : )

 

[dick0236]

It has only been 3 months since your surgery and your heart is still trying to figure out "what happened".....in addition to the anxiety you may be feeling. Keep your doctors informed and I'm pretty sure "your problem will go away".

 

[Adrienne]

My MV repair and maze procedure

My MV repair and maze procedure

Hi MargieB. First of all, I already knew that very soon I would need surgery on my MV. Then in August 2005, I went into AFib. To make a long story short, I finally went to the ER. They shocked me back into normal sinus rhythm and put me on lots of meds to try to keep it in NSR until I had my surgery. The surgery would have been done the following week, but the surgeon whom I had already seen and decided that he was "THE MAN" was going away for two weeks. He saw me in the hospital the night before going away, and said he would do a left maze along with the valve surgery. He probably would not have done that if I had not been in AFib when I came to the ER.

Since the maze was done along with my MV repair, it was no more painful than the surgery would have been without a maze. I will say that - knock on wood - my heart beat is very regular (maybe an occasional PAC or PVC).

I don't know if they do a maze for atrial flutter or just for atrial fibrillation. Also, I don't know if they would do one unless they are opening you up already for another heart surgery like a valve job. I know that there is something called a pulmonary vein ablation for many kinds of arrythmias. There are people on this site who have had an ablation done.

Oh, I have heard that magnesium sometimes helps for arrythmia, but maybe someone else knows more about this than I do.

 

[Guest]

I had atrial flutter a couple of weeks after my OHS, I was seen by an electrophysiologist who put me on flecanaide, I was already on a betablocker so I did not have to be in the hospital when they started the med. You may want to ask your cardiologist if that is an option for you. I stayed on the flecanaide for about three or four months, then discontinued along with the betablocker.

 

[COLLEEN S]

Wish I could help, don't know much on that subject. Best wishes

 

[Optimus]

Hey Margie B!

I am 5 weeks post op. I had issues with fib and flutter for the last 10 years. I had many issues with my heart, more than you....just so you know and don't compare. However, I was not in afib when i left the hospital or at the 1 week check but I am in and out of what looks like flutter, fib and sinus now. They noticed it at my first rehab appt. Confirmed today at hosp by EKG that it is something, and will know more after holter next week early. If I am in and out, we will probably wait, or....if more in, may try some meds for awhile like the other post to your question. I don't feel like I am in fib...i feel pretty good!!!! Have they tried actual rhythm drugs on you? I guess we really have to learn to wait it out on some of this, and believe me, you are not alone in wanting to feel better NOW! I am with you on that for sure! Hang in there, and do not give up, if nothing else helps, there will be a solution somewhere.

Susan.

 

[hook]

I had flutter, and all kinds of bad rhythms in my atrium. It got so bad I almost needed a walker to go to the bathroom because I would nearly pass out half way there. The rhythm Doc put me on amioderone and it cleared up. While my rhythm was in check I went to cardiac rehab and got started the road back. After three months I asked to get off the amioderone and kept my fingers crossed; been in good rhythm for over a year now.
You will see it here a thousand times, but the heart does take a long time to heal; be patient and exercise as much as you can

 

[Guest]

THanks all of you for the feedback.. i am doing better and hoping to start re-hab soon. I injured my foot and cannot walk very well just yet due to that .. so re-hab has to wait abit. All things in due time i guess.
Let's hope the aflutter continues to improve : )