quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
Great info in this thread. Thank you TMats. My wife's iWatch is showing some irregularities in her heart rate and she sometimes feels short of breath. Our family doc says nothing to worry about. Tomorrow I am making an appointment with a cardiologist. Best case, I was worried about nothing.

I think that’s the correct course of action. I’m especially impressed with the few cardiologists I’ve met, and one I haven’t, our own, sjtill. I like people who assemble the information they have at hand, are decisive and then act. Bytes, you may need a referral, it appears that cardiologists are (like many medical specialists) in short supply. If you need one, tell her PCP it’s time to see one.

12131, quite obviously, you’re a medical professional, and I feel like since your time in the Forum pretty closely parallels mine, I should know what you do, but I don’t. Thanks for chiming in.

Heart doc. Thanks, as always. We both like her cardiologist, and as an added bonus, we’re both alums of the University of Arizona (albeit, for him, UofA Medical School).

It's good that your wife responded so well.

I on the other hand has a heart that just didn't want to cooperate. I have had 5 Ablasions and 4 Cardioversions in the last 8 years.

Seems that the last ablasion has done the trick.

Bob

Getting with a good cardiologist, and especially a trained electrophysiologist (EP), is IMHO key to getting to the bottom of what she has happening and how best to treat it.

I've been down much of the road you describe with this year being a cornucopia of shit; managing aFib for 5+ years, finally got to where an ablation was called for, while waiting on that developed flutter (which is definitely different but still manifests with rapid heart rate), aFib ablation procedure that went sideways with a sustained vTac episode (shocking!) leading to treating the flutter and passing on fixing the aFIb, a Lifevest for 4 months while we waited on the cardiac MRI to rule out ARVD and then to schedule ICD implant, then 3 more month wait to do the original aFib ablation now scheduled for October. How's that for a run-on?

In the meantime, still have sustained aFib episodes with rate of 100-120 for 1-48 hours at a time. Managing that with meds while trying to modulate that to protect liver.

Again, at the core of this has been a very skilled and specialized EP. I highly recommend one if possible in your area or nearby.

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
Seems that the last ablasion has done the trick.
Bob

Bob, I sure hope so.

Georgeair, we’ve never heard of an EP; I’ll do some research.

Update on my wife for Friday morning. Yesterday, we went down to FoCo for an ultrasound to confirm presence or absence of a thrombosis in her neck. Negative, just as her cardiologist thought. This morning I gave her, what we hope will be, the last Lovenox shot in her belly. Hopeful that in light of the US results, she can go back to Eliquis.

This afternoon, back to Loveland for a TEE, and assuming clear images, a cardioversion to restore her heart rate to normal range (with any luck at all). Thanks for the good wishes. Those Forum members dealing with heart issues, I hope you’re getting good care and that we’ll all be around for some time to come.

Tmats, I have seen no indication of a Heart Cath for your wife. If that hasn't been brought up by now you need to see a better cardiologist. Because it is very possible the AFIB is being triggered by an impeded blood supply within the heart.

BTW I went thru a similar process in 2018. Started doing daily exercise mid may of 2015 because I had an epiphany, start exercising daily or start planning my funeral. Lost 60 lbs. that summer working up to walking 6 miles a day. In 2018 I had added 50 minutes on an Elliptical trainer to my daily walk and was quite fit for a 63 year old with 37 pack years of smoking in my past. One Sunday I decided to take a "light" day and did a 3 mile walk before heading to the gym for just 30 minutes on the Elliptical. Got home, had a bit of breakfast and while washing up the dishes felt my heart fluttering. As I was still wearing my Garmin Chest monitor I put my watch into the Cardio function so I could see my actual heart rate. It was at 174 beats per minute. Sat down on the couch and decided to wait and see if it would clear. That took 90 minutes and I ended up with a good trace for my Primary to look at. This triggered a full summer of tests. Started with a "nuclear" stress test, then the endoscopy, followed up with a Heart Catheterization, a full on lung study to determine how much damage I had from all those years smoking (quit in 2012), then a Cat Scan with a radioactive dye to check for Cancer, and finally Open Heart Surgery to correct a congenital defect of my Mitral valve and a triple bypass. BTW my LAD was 80% blocked and likely the primary trigger for that AFIB. A small bit of good news is that 3 years of exercise had created a LOT of peripheral blood flow within the heart to provide a bypass around the blockages. Read that section carefully and compare it to how your wife has been treated at this point.

I believe the reason why I was so thoroughly tested is a matter of Geography. I happen to live in the Metro Detroit area where there are many first rate hospitals and cardiologists available. You are located in an area that lacks the level of care available in major cities. I strongly suggest that you talk to your cardiologist about taking your wife to the Cleveland Clinic for a regimen of testing to identify exactly what is going on within your wife's heart. I will also note that just because you like your cardiologist that doesn't mean that he is actually providing the BEST care.

There are times when a complete asshole with the bedside manner of a tree stump is the best choice because he makes sure his patients do well. In my case I had a growth spurt where I grew 5 inches in 3 months when I was 12 and had my chest cracked by one of the finest Thoracic Surgeons in the world to correct a deviated Sternum. That surgeon was a total asshole. After I was out of the ICU he came into the room and asked my Mom how much I had been moving, too which my Mom stated I had been quite still. Snapped his fingers and two interns grabbed my by each arm and they pulled me straight up in the bed. I let out a scream loud enough to wake the dead and my older brother came out of the chair he was sitting in looking to do battle. Ended up having to do enforced breathing therapy 2 times a day after that. Lesson learned. I will note that if you have your chest opened up for any reason breathing deep will hurt like hell. However if you fail to do that deep breathing odds are very good you can develop pneumonia. As a result you will then be put on a breathing regimen that WILL HURT LIKE HELL. Tip here is start breathing deep as soon as you leave the ICU. Because one of the things that surgeon will ask when they see you is for a good cough. Fail that test and you will be on that enforced breathing therapy which will hurt worse than if you do your own deep breathing exercises.

Acknowledged, Scooter. I feel like we just haven’t yet reached the stage where it’s necessary to look elsewhere for medical care. Wyoming is certainly not at the center of the highest levels of healthcare, but the UC Healthcare System is in the orbit of the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver and Anschutz MC in Aurora, about the best Colorado can offer. That said, I felt like the best choice for me was to travel down to Phoenix when I needed spinal neurosurgery, so if it becomes necessary to cast a wider net, we’ll do so.

My wife weighs “a buck nuthin’,” exercises regularly, doesn’t smoke, and drinks very moderately. Images of her heart, both CT scan, and the first TEE, look good. Right now, she’ll undergo today’s procedure, and hope that normal range heart rate is restored. If not, or if not for long, we’ll consider next step. Thanks for responding and best wishes for continued heart health for you.
T

I had an afib incident recently while working on my garage. Lifting a bunch of heavy stuff.

My apple watch said I was in afib, a while latter it said I was back in sinus rhythm.

I called my cardiologist's office and talk to a faceless person on the phone telling them about my watch and did not get a call back in 24 hours.

I went onto the hospital website and uploaded the strip from my watch.

I got a message 10 minutes later to call the office.

They scheduled a stress test, I passed the best for me ever. and a bunch of pictures with dye.

The stress report said nothing serious, nothing unexpected for someone my age.

They also gave me a heart monitor for two weeks.
It is the size of a bottle cap taped to my left shoulder with two wire leads.

You mail it back into the company who made it and they email the results back to the doctor.

I have my annual cardiologist checkup in a few weeks and will find out what he thinks.

It can't be that serious or he would have messaged by now, no news is good news.

Congestive Heart Failure is not fun, I know from experience.
Cardioversion worked well for me, I've been stable for 3 years now.
And yes my doctors say the same thing about the rise of AFIB I once asked one if it started about 5 years ago and just got a stare.

My wife had the TEE Friday, because the ER doc changed her anti-coagulant med. Looked good, cardioversion performed and she’s back in normal range for heart rate. Still fatigued, it was a tough week, but doing well.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
My wife had the TEE Friday, because the ER doc changed her anti-coagulant med. Looked good, cardioversion performed and she’s back in normal range for heart rate. Still fatigued, it was a tough week, but doing well.

Glad to hear that!

I had horrible AFIB for several years. Medication helped very little until I got put on Tykosyn.
I had the cardioversion, and it was unsuccessful. The cardiologist sent me to a specialist about an hour away and he did a successful cryoablation. Losing 150 lbs helped a lot, though. It's been a couple of years now, and I'm still not back in AFIB, off all my heart meds, and feel better than I have in years.

I’m happy for you, Todd. I imagine it takes incredible willpower to lose 150 pounds, not many can do it.

Glad to hear about the successful cardioversion. Hope your wife is feeling better soon.

I'm glad your wife is doing better. Thanks for sharing. A lot of good info in this thread.

Thanks to everyone in the thread for all the info.

Looks like it’s time to get an Apple Watch and a Kardia.

And it goes on. Four days after cardioversion, my wife went back into arrhythmia.

Her cardiologist is referring her to an electrophysiologist, pointing toward an ablation. For now a Rx for another anti-arrhythmia drug, Amiodarone, in an attempt to bring the arrhythmia under control. She has to be on that for at least 10 days, then perhaps a third cardioversion. Her heart rate is generally elevated, but could best be described as erratic now. She’s pretty devastated about the quick return, hope the amiodarone gets things under control.

Amioderone will be more than likely have good results.
It’s just not good for long term use.

It worked for me.

Good luck,
Bob

I won’t derail the thread with my afib stories, but I would suggest some base blood work before starting on amioderone. After being on it for a while, my thyroid and liver counts were all over the place. Just a thought, and best of luck to your wife.

quote:

Originally posted by p226gsd:
I won’t derail the thread with my afib stories, but I would suggest some base blood work before starting on amioderone. After being on it for a while, my thyroid and liver counts were all over the place. Just a thought, and best of luck to your wife.

I'll second to be careful with Amioderone. I was on it for a very short time and it showed in an eye exam and a pulmonary test. Luckily both seemed to have cleared over 6 months.

Appreciate the concern over prescribed use of amioderone, no one is more concerned about ingesting all these drugs than my wife. She absolutely hates the fact that she had to buy a pill organizer to track these meds. Prior to the first Afib incident, she took Fosamax, over a bone loss concern—and that’s all.

She’s had a lot of blood work, especially in the last 10 days or so. We’ve both been trying to learn about amioderone, and yeah, it appears to be scary powerful with potential for harm in the long term, but her cardiologist, in pointing her toward an ablation, is cognizant of two things: that it’s important for my wife’s physical and mental state to get this arrhythmia under control, and that he now believes the ablation is probably the best course of action to get things under control and let her get on with life. We sure don’t see amioderone as a long term solution, and neither does her cardiologist.