Posted on 07/21/2011 6:52:00 PM PDT by Focault's Pendulum
I was diagnosed in May this year with A Fib. For those of you who do not know, that is a sometimes rapid and irregular heart beat.
I'm on a beta blocker,and a blood thinner also to control my blood pressure.
If you have it you know the symptoms. Lately I've been getting dizzy and a prickly feeling on my upper back if I get up too fast. (Yeah I know the joke line...get up slowly)
My Doctor has just seen appropriate to up my meds slightly. Most of the time I feel great.
But I've been having days like crap. I sometimes can hardly stand for five minutes at a time without having to sit or lay down. I have actually had to do my morning shower and shave in increments.
I feel OK most of the time. but these episodes seem to becoming more frequent.
The were happening once or twice a year, now they're coming every few weeks.
BTW my beta blocker is supposed to lower my blood pressure and slow the heart beat. It has, but I sometimes experience a rapid beat which quickly subsides.
My ministers wife has it and just went through quite a process. She had to be shocked a couple of times but it kept re-occurring....then she was on meds to control it but the meds slowed her heart down too much...so she had to get a pacemaker installed to compensate for that! It’s been a rough few weeks for her but things seem to be getting back to normal.
I started having episodes in the spring of '09,my heart rate would run up about 160 and my bp would drop to 90/50 or so.
It would resolve itself after some time...as long as a couple of hours.I was hospitalized for observation during one episode and a cardiac nurse showed me how to get out of it by performing a vagal maneuver...basically straining like your having a hard bowel movement.
The bottom line was after a heart cath I had a triple by-pass because of blockages of 80-85% in the descending coronary artery and voila!...no more problem.
Obviously everybody is different,but that's what worked for me at age 72 and I feel better than ever.
I have A-Fib, been treated for almost 10 years.
I was ablated, but that didn’t take. I’ve been told by my cardiologist that since then the ablation process has improved by light years.
I was on a beta blocker, same issues as you describe. Exhausting, and depressingly frustrating. They tried some anti arrhythmics, first one was a dud, second one (rythmol , generic version) did the trick. No more beta blockers. In fact my doctor was willing to stop the Coumadin after a while because I had no incidents of A fib and have stayed in normal sinus rhythm, and I promised that if I did I would get in and see him. That was about 8 years ago.
My cardiologist says that if I tire of taking the drug, or it becomes less effective, my odds with ablation should be much better now because the advances are so great.
You need to have some long talks with your cardiologist and explore what other options you may have. You might be stuck with the beta blocker, but you should find out if ablation is a possibility.
It is possible that your doctor may be taking the path of least resistance here. Be proactive and ask questions, lots of questions, learn. If your cardiologist is not willing to spend time and seriously explain and discuss things, you should find a different doctor. If I had not asked why I had to take Coumadin when I was in normal sinus rhythm, I’d still be stuck on it. We worked together on my treatment.
THAT’S what it’s called!
I don’t even have to do any strenuous exercise, when all of a sudden my heart just goes, “Boom-boom-boom-boom!” rapidly.
I’ve had that since I was twelve. Docs looked at me about it -tried to re-create it on a treadmill. Failed.
I deal with it with slowed breathing exercises. I kneel down, close my eyes and slow my breathing. It doesn’t slow regularly, either. It’s just, “BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM....Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.”
Worst one was a little over a year ago. Kept going overnight and into the next day. I just tried to ignore it and get my butt to work. Eventually, it subsided.
Yes, my husband had the cardiac catheter ablation also. It totally cured his A-fluttering. i thot for sure I was going to be a widow, but it was NOT heart surgery and nothing really serious. He does not have to take beta blockers, coumadin, etc. He has tons more energy, we can go for hikes without him pooping out. I talked to friends who’d had the cardiac-stop, and it is evidently about 50% successful.
Ever since my heart attack last year, I’ve been on Lisinopril and Carvaedilol (or somethign like that). One is for blood pressure, the other for rhythym.
Sadly, I experience an irregular heartbeat from time to time now. It’s hard to describe really. Normally, one never notices one’s hearbeat. When it’s irregular, it’s the only thing one notices.
Luckily it seems to return to normal after a few seconds, maybe 10-15. It seems like listening to a clock tick at the exact wrong time it’s supposed to.
How the heck did I let my heart get in this shape!? /facepalm.
Having a suspect ticker is for the birds ;/
That’s great to hear! I have SVT and am scheduled for an ablation on September 13th... I am very sensitive to caffeine/alcohol/heat and many medications. I am looking forward to a new life with a metronome.
That’s great to hear! I have SVT and am scheduled for an ablation on September 13th... I am very sensitive to caffeine/alcohol/heat and many medications. I am looking forward to a new life with a metronome.
“good luck finding a dr who will help you since they make so much money off RX drugs.”
How do they do that?
I paid for 18 holes of golf yesterday and struggled to manage 11, before crawling back to the clubhouse; and I blame the BP drugs for the most part.
Not whining, I just see it as a "quality of life" issue.
Dad also eventually had angina, and congestive heart failure which also lasted many years, and then COPD.
Your symptoms sound like more than just AFib. If you have not seen a cardiologist, you need to. If you are being treated by a cardiologist, I would make and appointment and ask a whole lot more questions, about why you are having these symptoms. Maybe even get a second opinion.
I went to the closest med. school and went into their campus bookstore, and bought several physicians hand books of diseases and symptoms, plus internet search to become familiar with my Dad's chronic problems. Many times I had already figured out his problem(but I did not let on), and then the Dr. would confirm it.
This preparation helped me to know the questions I needed to ask, as well as to understand the answers.
Please call your cardiologist office asap and tell them of your symptoms.....this all can be taken care of and you will feel better......
All doctor are not created equal and it appears you’ve got an unequal one. Effing pill pushers.
See if your atrial fibrilation can be treated with radio frequency ablation.
Call a Dr. Maradi (sp) at University of Michigan
I consider myself very blessed.
I have been on Dygoxin in the morning, and Metropolol, Coumadin and Lipitor in the evening for almost 6 years. I have never felt bad or had any side effects that I know of, except if I cut or scratch myself accidentally it takes a little while to stop the bleeding. Just this week the cardiologist’s office called to tell me it’s time for my annual visit.......and to be thinking about switching to the new blood thinner that doesn’t require monthly bloodtests. So I guess I’ll probably give it a try....although the commercials on TV mention some pretty hairy side-effects that it might cause.....I’ll try it with the hope of eliminating the bloodtests. I wish you all the best. AFTERTHOUGHT: I take a number of good supplements for my general health, my joints, my prostate, etc. I think THEY may be a large factor in my feeling good pretty much all the time. Blessings on you, friend.
Not familiar, but that seems like a big number.
FWIW: I take 250 MCG of Digoxin with breakfast. And 25 MG of Metropolol, 10 MG of Lipitor and 7 MG of Coumadin with dinner.
I actually have a friend that takes not only Lisinopril, but also Coumidin, a blood-thinner made from rat-poison. When I asked him how he was doing he said,"It doesn't affect me. Affect me."
I just scrolled down the page and read each person’s remarks, and I am more convinced than ever that there will never be a cure for heart disease or cancer. Why? Because they are both gigantic INDUSTRIES! Hate to sound cynical or suspicious, but as El Rushbo says; and this pertains to EVERY situation you care to name: FOLLOW THE MONEY!
I deal with people every day with A Fib (I’m a RN Case Manager). It sounds like some of the symptoms are from your beta blocker, and that you are also having breakthrough A Fib. A Fib can lead in more extreme cases to RVR (rapid ventricular response)/V Tach. This is a potentially lethal rhythm. If the rapid heart rate lasts longer, and you are having symptoms such as chest pressure along with a prolonged or intermittently frequent rapid heart rate, call 911 (don’t mean to scare you)
You should touch base with your doc about what’s going on.
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