Guest guest Posted December 14, 2003 Report Share Posted December 14, 2003 Penny, What type of Doctor are you currently seeing? Family Doctor?, Cardiologist? Electrophysiologist? You answer will have a bearing on how your AF will be handled. Are you in the US? Rich O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 > I'm new to this (AFIB) and have been searching the web for > everything! I have only been on medication since the 6th of > December. My question is, does the medication control the > fibrillation? Since starting the medicine (Tilazem 180 mg) I still > have fibrillations daily and I'm wondering if I have to wait for a > period of time before the medicine will kick in? Would appreciat > anyone with some feedback....... > Penny Hi, Penny www.affacts.org is the afib foundation web site and has a lot of good info. I would expect a med to kick in within the time period you have been taking yours, but your doc make have started conservatively low to see if he needed to increase it. I wonder why he has you on that and not a beta blocker. Also are you taking a blood thinner like coumadin or at least aspirin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Penny - From what I can see with a google search, tilazem is a for of cardizem -- a calcium channel blocker. Calcium channel blockers are essentially rate control medications and not intended to convert you from afib to normal sinus rhythm. When I was diagnosed with afib, diltiazem (cardizem) was prescribed to keep my heart rate from skyrocketing (once they got it under control). I was in chronic afib (it did not come and go, it came and stayed) but the cardizem allowed me to function fairly normally. After getting my blood in the right range with coumadin, I was cardioverted electrically and it worked quite well. You didn't mention being on coumadin, which is frequently prescribed to help prevent blood clots -- the biggest danger of afib. Are you? Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Penny - From what I can see with a google search, tilazem is a for of cardizem -- a calcium channel blocker. Calcium channel blockers are essentially rate control medications and not intended to convert you from afib to normal sinus rhythm. When I was diagnosed with afib, diltiazem (cardizem) was prescribed to keep my heart rate from skyrocketing (once they got it under control). I was in chronic afib (it did not come and go, it came and stayed) but the cardizem allowed me to function fairly normally. After getting my blood in the right range with coumadin, I was cardioverted electrically and it worked quite well. You didn't mention being on coumadin, which is frequently prescribed to help prevent blood clots -- the biggest danger of afib. Are you? Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2004 Report Share Posted January 11, 2004 Dear Penny, Tilazem is a Calcium-channel blocker " rate control' " drug. It normally controls your heart rate (ventricular beats), while leaving your heart in A-Fib. If you want to control your A-Fib, you probably have to go to " antiarrhythmic " drugs, but these have more bad side effects. For a further discussion of drugs used in A-Fib, try this http://www.a-fib.com/Medications.htm. A-FibFriendSteve just dignosed I'm new to this (AFIB) and have been searching the web for everything! I have only been on medication since the 6th of December. My question is, does the medication control the fibrillation? Since starting the medicine (Tilazem 180 mg) I still have fibrillations daily and I'm wondering if I have to wait for a period of time before the medicine will kick in? Would appreciat anyone with some feedback....... Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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