Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 In a message dated 1/16/2004 7:13:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, cregorswan69@... writes: << I feel like their is nothing I can do I just sit around the house all day doing nothing for the most part. I have few and far between moments where I can actually do something. If anyone has any help they could give me I would greatly appreciate. >> Cregor, You do not mention taking any medication to slow your heart rate or control the rhythm. Also, you do not say whether you had a sinus node ablation when the pacemaker was installed. (One traditional " remedy " for afib has been burning out the atrial node, the heart's natural pacemaker, and installing an artificial pacemaker.) Either way, it sounds as if your pacemaker is not doing enough for you if you are having pulse rates of 378 and having 4000 afib episodes a month. Your situation sounds like that of my brother before he started taking medication for his afib, except that he has never had a pacemaker. Like you, he reached the point at which he could do almost nothing before he was diagnosed and treated for afib. He couldn't sleep, eat normally, climb stairs, or even walk across the floor without extreme distress. When his doctor diagnosed him and treated him with Digoxin and Atenolol, his symptoms immediately receded, and now he lives a normal, active life. His resting pulse rate was 160-170 when he was diagnosed, but now is about 80 on medication. Although my afib is paroxysmal like yours, I, too, reached a point at which I was so dizzy that I couldn't work. Again, medication made the difference for me. When the doctor added Verapamil to the Atenolol I was already taking, everything smoothed out, and I was able to go on with my life. If you did indeed have the node ablation along with the pace maker installation, then you are actually in afib all the time. However, the pacemaker should be controlling your rate so that you feel no symptoms from the afib, or so my cardiologist told me. If you don't know the role your pacemaker is playing or whether you had an ablation, I think you need to ask some questions and discuss the possibility of medication to control your rate and/or rhythm. There are many medications available that can make life in afib very livable. I am very sorry for you and wish you the best success in solving this problem. in sinus in Seattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 Help, I have a bad case, not that any are good, of Afib. At 4 years old I had heart Trekology of Fallouw(Speeled something like that). When I turned 30 I started developing Afib. Prior to that time I was very healthy, more than most with heart problems. When it first started my heart raced upto 378 beats a minute. The did a scope test an found out that I had developed 6 obad electrical patterns in my heart. They tried to do an ablation but my heart patterns were to irregular for them to map my heart, so they had no luck killing them off. We were sent, with our company, for 2 years in South Africa to work. They decided to put in a pace maker because the problem was so bad. This was a relief for a short time but then the afib started back up. We are now back in the states and I am in the process of appling for SSI. My afib occurs quite regualry. With my last pace maker check up it was over 4,000 times in a 1 month span. This has caused me not to be able to work and really enjoy any part of life. I actually wake my wife up at night with the beating of my heart. I feel like their is nothing I can do I just sit around the house all day doing nothing for the most part. I have few and far between moments where I can actually do something. If anyone has any help they could give me I would greatly appreciate. It is hard to discuss with friends because they really don't understand my problem. I am only 34 so it is hard to even want to look forward to coming years. HELP! Cregor Swan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 Hey man I with you on that one Im only 33 but I just try and do the things I enjoy no matter how bad I feel. Usually after I get away from the house like maybe a basketball game or something the symptoms seem to lessen maybe because Im enjoying myself and not worrying about a-fib. But when I get back home is when I notice it the most but I just try and go on anyways. Hope this helps L.B. Major Afib > Help, > > I have a bad case, not that any are good, of Afib. At 4 years old I > had heart Trekology of Fallouw(Speeled something like that). When I > turned 30 I started developing Afib. Prior to that time I was very > healthy, more than most with heart problems. When it first started my > heart raced upto 378 beats a minute. The did a scope test an found > out that I had developed 6 obad electrical patterns in my heart. They > tried to do an ablation but my heart patterns were to irregular for > them to map my heart, so they had no luck killing them off. > > We were sent, with our company, for 2 years in South Africa to work. > They decided to put in a pace maker because the problem was so bad. > This was a relief for a short time but then the afib started back up. > We are now back in the states and I am in the process of appling for > SSI. My afib occurs quite regualry. With my last pace maker check up > it was over 4,000 times in a 1 month span. This has caused me not to > be able to work and really enjoy any part of life. I actually wake my > wife up at night with the beating of my heart. > > I feel like their is nothing I can do I just sit around the house all > day doing nothing for the most part. I have few and far between > moments where I can actually do something. If anyone has any help > they could give me I would greatly appreciate. It is hard to discuss > with friends because they really don't understand my problem. I am > only 34 so it is hard to even want to look forward to coming years. > > HELP! > > Cregor Swan > > > > Web Page - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AFIBsupport > FAQ - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AFIBsupport/files/Administrative/faq.htm > For more information: http://www.dialsolutions.com/af > Unsubscribe: AFIBsupport-unsubscribe > List owner: AFIBsupport-owner > For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email, > send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help > > Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 Hi Cregor, I am not going to be much use to you as I dont know what the oringal dianosis was and I am not a DR. What I can say and for comfort is that the equiptment and the Drs skills have moved on a tremendios amout over the last 3 Year. I would seek the help of Dr in the USA, and se what the best can come up with. C Uk > >Help, > >I have a bad case, not that any are good, of Afib. At 4 years old I >had heart Trekology of Fallouw(Speeled something like that). When I >turned 30 I started developing Afib. Prior to that time I was very >healthy, more than most with heart problems. When it first started my >heart raced upto 378 beats a minute. The did a scope test an found >out that I had developed 6 obad electrical patterns in my heart. They >tried to do an ablation but my heart patterns were to irregular for >them to map my heart, so they had no luck killing them off. > >We were sent, with our company, for 2 years in South Africa to work. >They decided to put in a pace maker because the problem was so bad. >This was a relief for a short time but then the afib started back up. >We are now back in the states and I am in the process of appling for >SSI. My afib occurs quite regualry. With my last pace maker check up >it was over 4,000 times in a 1 month span. This has caused me not to >be able to work and really enjoy any part of life. I actually wake my >wife up at night with the beating of my heart. > >I feel like their is nothing I can do I just sit around the house all >day doing nothing for the most part. I have few and far between >moments where I can actually do something. If anyone has any help >they could give me I would greatly appreciate. It is hard to discuss >with friends because they really don't understand my problem. I am >only 34 so it is hard to even want to look forward to coming years. > >HELP! > >Cregor Swan > > > Codling Hornchurch Essex England Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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