Well It Looks Like I Now Have Atrial Fibrillation.....

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Harrybaby666

Harrybaby666

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2003
Messages
2,541
Location
NH-Further North
Hi Guys,

I was yet again in the hospital overnight and the ER doctor indicated that I have "transient" Atrial Fibrillation, so I was admitted over night.....I have to say that I am ready to choke the hospitalist who came in and discharged me, as I have been home all weekend with my blood pressure either remaining normal or becoming mildly low and my heart rate has been fluctuating and going above 100. I had one episode last week (the one that sent me to the ER) and my HR was 188. Sooooo.....that being said, I was in overnight and let me go home the next day.....I was given a shot of Lovonox while I was in the hospital and let me tell you, I cut my self shaving and oh boy did I ever have a hard time getting it to stop bleeding......this has not been a good weekend......:eek::D
 
I hope that you get to feeling better. I have afib so I know what it feels like. And I have learned to live with it along with medicine but when it was a new thing I really had trouble. I hope they get it under control for you. Maybe the doctors and medicines can get it to go away totally. !!!!
 
Harry,heres some good thoughts and vibes going out from
Canada your way,wishing you a BETTER week after the weekend
youve encountered and atrial fib is awful,no better word for it
I had the privilige of 10 years of it,then i don't know if it was the
maze the amiodarone or combo of both not saying how ill the dam
amiodarone made me after surgery.
I hope they find the right meds and you are controlled of the afib,as with
me in saskatchewan there wasn't a doc that offered a med to me for it
or likely ever knew i had it is better way i can put it and at least they have
diagnosed it and i pray it gets better for you as your doc's are smarter in
this way,sorry your weekend was horrible,only better from here i say.
All the best
 
Ross said:
Just Lovenox? They aren't putting you on anything else?
Click to expand...

Was this one of your NH Hospitals? No wonder you don't like them!

A-Fib responds well to medications. Several of our members were put on Sotalol (generic form of BetaPace) which works well with few side effects (mostly some dizzyness until your body adjusts to it). It is recommended that it be started while hospitalized for a few day "just in case" a dangerous arrhythmia develops while the body is adjusting to the medication.

MANY Doctors like to put their patients on Amiodarone (the Sledge Hammer of AntiArrhythmics) because It Works and Works Fast. It also has a laundry list of nasty side effects if taken in too large a dose or for too long a time (months / years).

I can't believe that this hospital didn't treat the underlying problem. YIKES !

'AL Capshaw'
 
Oh This has NOT been a good day.....I woke up with a BP of 180/130 and a HR of 120, so needless to say, I am BACK in the hospital, and dealing with the same arrogant and less than understandable (meaning India) doctors.....My BP and HR have been fluctuating throughout the day and they FINALLY drug a Cardiologist in on it, so we shall see what kind of flim flam story they give me this time...And yes Ross, they did NOT put me on Coumadin as of yet.....Because these "ahem" doctors need to see "evidence" of arrythmias.....Like I just wanted to come to the ER.....I just couldn't live without the wonderful hospital food.....translation: I wouldn't BE here if I were not having problems, and secondly, I think that they are doing themselves a big disservice if they don't at least do another Cath...but then it ONLY MY life we are talking about here......Sorry to vent guys...and AL, yes, the medical field here in New Hampshire (aka "Better Slums and Garbage"...LOL) definitely leaves a lot to be desired......I am just tired of all the run arounds I am getting from the doctors....I truthfully have more faith in the nurses than I do the doctors and they are the better part of the medical field...
 
Well it wasn't Coumadin I was thinking of, but perhaps something to deal with Afib, like Sotolol.
 
Well, this certainly was an interesting day....woke up with chest pain again, drove down to get my event monitor put on and immediately after I had it put on, it detected that I was in Atrial Fibrillation....so that being said, I now have a NEW local cardiologist (the one who witnessed my episode) and I get to go see him after I have this monitor taken off in one month.....Thankfully, they now have rock solid evidence that something is either going on or changing with my heart status......Just wanted to keep yall posted. Harrybaby
 
And The Diagnosis Has FINALLY Been Made......It seems that my heart monitor has really been blabbing up a storm..LOL...Non Stop A-Fib...Sooooo....that being said, my now former Cardiologist has started me on Cardizem (Diltiazem) to try and slow the heart rate......now to see if this will work.....Harrybaby
 
Harrybaby666 said:
And The Diagnosis Has FINALLY Been Made......It seems that my heart monitor has really been blabbing up a storm..LOL...Non Stop A-Fib...Sooooo....that being said, my now former Cardiologist has started me on Cardizem (Diltiazem) to try and slow the heart rate......now to see if this will work.....Harrybaby
Click to expand...

Good Grief! Did he also suggest following that with a PEZ Candy chaser? (YES, I'm being Sarcastic :)

MY NON-Professional understanding is that Cardizem may help to lower the A-Fib rate but does NOT prevent A-Fib, merely shows it down.

Ask him if he has ever recommended Sotalol (Generic form of BetaPace0 which (my cardio says) "targets" A-Fib.
Several of our members report Very Good Control of A-Fib with this medication which has few and minor side-effects once your body adjusts to it. The manufacturer recommends being Hospitalized for a few days while your body adjusts, "Just in Case" any dangerous arrhythmias are triggered during the adjustment.

I'm not a fan of Amiodarone, the Sledge Hammer of anti-arrhythmics, but it does 'do the job' and seems to be OK for Short Periods to time (a couple of months or so).

Your Cardio sounds like he falls in the ULTRA-Conservative camp.

'AL C'
 
This is why I am changing Cardiologists......I feel as though Dr. Eddinger (the one who DROPPED me as a patient, yet he was the one who called me today with the diagnosis....boy did he ever get a big surprise....he said he wanted me to see him in a couple of weeks.....I told him that I have switched to a doctor that I feel was more interested in my care, he was right there when I went into A-Fib at the hospital, so he understands that I was extremely scared and he was genuinely concerned about me.....Dr. Eddinger, however, never came to the hospital, he sent someone else, and as I stated before, he dumped me as a patient about a year ago.....so, that being said, I am praying that Dr. Danford will be a perfect fit for me, and I feel as though, if things don't go right with this medicine, he will do whatever it takes to get me on the right track. I can't believe how hard this has been, and believe you me, I plan on throwing it in Dr. Briggs (the doctor that was sent to see me in the hospital instead of Dr. Eddinger) that my blood pressure machine was accurate and that he shouldn't "poo poo" such devices....I feel if they weren't accurate, the government wouldn't have let them be placed on the market. What A Fiasco This Has Been....
 
I see that fighting spirit - good for you Harry, stick to your guns.

But for now, sit back and relax and feel confident that this new cardio is all you expect him to be.

Best Wishes & Good Luck
 
Harry-

Gosh, what a boob that other card was! I hope this gets you on the road to feeling much better. You have suffered so, so long.
 
Nancy said:
Harry-

Gosh, what a boob that other card was! I hope this gets you on the road to feeling much better. You have suffered so, so long.
Click to expand...

Gosh, I sure hope so Nancy.....I have to tell you though I am truly insulted by the cardiologists basically telling me it was all in my head, and as for Dr. Eddinger, I just didn't feel as though he deserved to have me as a patient after the way he has been acting. Boy, it sure took him by surprise when I told him I would no longer be seeing him.....I know it upset him, but the way I see it is that he basically left me to fend for myself......And I will tell you, I am done suffering, and I think they know that considering the fact that they were trying to get me to STOP going to Mass General.....I think they were offended by my going down there...at least Dr. Briggs was.
 
wow, harry,
i'm so sorry you are dealing with this. ross is right, sotalol (betapace) often works well. joey was on it for years before his surgery and it prevented afib altogether.
after surgery, however, it didn't work so they used amiodarone.
there are so many meds out there that control or prevent afib. joey is now on multaq and although it seems to be doing the trick, he has still had a few episodes of afib.
tykosin is another drug that his doctor (antiarrhythmic specialist) would want to try if the multaq is not successful (need to be hospitalized for the tykosin).
also, while you are in afib, even if it has slowed down, shouldn't you be taking coumadin or aspirin?
i hope this new cardio works out and takes good care of you. it would make you so much more at ease with this.
please keep us posted and stay well,
sylvia
 
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