Guest guest Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 .. snip.....Why do these meds make me so short > of breath and lethargic?? Whats the alternative? > thanks, > Sue.....snip Sue, I was diagnosed in April 2003, a 64 yr old female now, and have been in chronic 24/7 AF ever since. One failed cardioversion, and discovery of a family history means I am not a good candidate for further cardioversions. I keep my eye on ablation for a " cure " but am not ready for it yet, as my life is almost as normal a before AF. Almost. There is absolutely no reason for you to be so miserable, and you need to get your cardiologists to try different things with you - or get new cardiologists. I was first put on calcium channel blockers, and they caused horrible edema. Then I switched to Toprol as my beta-blocker to keep heart rate down; it gave me gas, and I switched to atenolol (my GP and cardiologist agreed on the atenolol switch, no problem...), which got rid of that problem, and the edema is also much, much better on the beta-blockers (for me, we're all different). All beta-blockers cause some energy reduction (despite the literature, which says that only about 10% of people suffer fatigue - that seems to me nonsense), most of us estimate maybe 10 to 15% below what we'd like, but nothing like the misery you describe. Without high BP I'm not sure why you're on the ACE inhibitor - beta-blockers alone keep BP down. Maybe the combination is making your BP control a little wacky, keeping it from going up when it should, and that could cause shortness of breath. I also take digoxin to make each heart beat a little harder - that helps, because AF reduces the ability of the heart to pump blood, so getting a little more out with each beat helps combat the AF - a little. Coumadin or other anticoagulant is a must for us AF'ers if we're in it a lot. Once your INR is stable, it's a bit of a nuisance but should otherwise be no problem, there are usually no side effects, and a coumadin replacement that requires no periodic testing is in what we hope are final stages of research trials, should be marketed within a year or 18 months if all continues to go well. It sounds as though you do not have a cardiologist and/or GP who explains and works with you. You will get immense support from this forum, and learn a LOT, stick with us, there is incredible expertise here, and also there is empathy and caring. You MUST have a physician who is willing to make changes in your meds and get those side effects reduced. Do whatever it takes to find someone who CARES about you as a patient. As long as you are in any kind of AF, your life will be different, but it needn't be a disaster. People have lived for decades with various forms of this poorly understood illness. I live in NYC, ride subways and climb the stairs all the time, walk long distances even though I have an artificial hip. Like most of us, I wish I had all of my original energy, but I don't, so I make the best of what I have - which is a LOT. You should be able to reach a similar status. All my best. Kathleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 > Hi, > I was dx with chronic a-fib a year ago June 2003. I've been on 50 mg > Toprol XL, Lisinopril, and 7.5 mg Coumadin daily. I had a > cardioversion which left me badly burned at the time of diagnosis. > (did Lovenox injections 2X a day after conversion for 2 weeks also; > that was fun). The thing is that I do NOT nor EVER had high BP! It was > always on the low end actually. Sometimes too low! The beta blocker > and ace inhibitor really do a job on me; i am stripped of energy, > short of breath and sweat buckets. I'm a 45 y.o. female and see my > cardio and GP and have told them about these side affects. I am often > light-headed upon standing even if i get up slowly. My doc says i'll > have to be on these meds " forever " including the coumadin. My heart > rate is slow but erratic. I never know when i'm in serious a-fib, its > just always there. > I feel as if the meds are poisoining my body. My health and well being > have deteriorated so much in the past year and i am totally > frustrated. Also have gained about 30 lbs. but not from eating. > I guess I have to live with this. Why do these meds make me so short > of breath and lethargic?? Whats the alternative? > thanks, > Sue Sue, If in fact you are always in afib, it seems to me your shortness of breath and fatigue could be also from the afib itself, not just the meds. Did your Dr. suggest an anti-arrythmic med like tikosyn or flecainide to try and get you out of afib? Or perhaps ablation somewhere down the line? A good part of dealing with afib is maintaining a positive mental attitude - I know it's really hard sometimes. Looking at the meds as poison (they're not) isn't helpful and I think getting control of your weight gain would be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 > Hi, > I was dx with chronic a-fib a year ago June 2003. I've been on 50 mg > Toprol XL, Lisinopril, and 7.5 mg Coumadin daily. I had a > cardioversion which left me badly burned at the time of diagnosis. > (did Lovenox injections 2X a day after conversion for 2 weeks also; > that was fun). The thing is that I do NOT nor EVER had high BP! It was > always on the low end actually. Sometimes too low! The beta blocker > and ace inhibitor really do a job on me; i am stripped of energy, > short of breath and sweat buckets. I'm a 45 y.o. female and see my > cardio and GP and have told them about these side affects. I am often > light-headed upon standing even if i get up slowly. My doc says i'll > have to be on these meds " forever " including the coumadin. My heart > rate is slow but erratic. I never know when i'm in serious a-fib, its > just always there. > I feel as if the meds are poisoining my body. My health and well being > have deteriorated so much in the past year and i am totally > frustrated. Also have gained about 30 lbs. but not from eating. > I guess I have to live with this. Why do these meds make me so short > of breath and lethargic?? Whats the alternative? > thanks, > Sue Sue, If in fact you are always in afib, it seems to me your shortness of breath and fatigue could be also from the afib itself, not just the meds. Did your Dr. suggest an anti-arrythmic med like tikosyn or flecainide to try and get you out of afib? Or perhaps ablation somewhere down the line? A good part of dealing with afib is maintaining a positive mental attitude - I know it's really hard sometimes. Looking at the meds as poison (they're not) isn't helpful and I think getting control of your weight gain would be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 > Hi, > I was dx with chronic a-fib a year ago June 2003. I've been on 50 mg > Toprol XL, Lisinopril, and 7.5 mg Coumadin daily. I had a > cardioversion which left me badly burned at the time of diagnosis. > (did Lovenox injections 2X a day after conversion for 2 weeks also; > that was fun). The thing is that I do NOT nor EVER had high BP! It was > always on the low end actually. Sometimes too low! The beta blocker > and ace inhibitor really do a job on me; i am stripped of energy, > short of breath and sweat buckets. I'm a 45 y.o. female and see my > cardio and GP and have told them about these side affects. I am often > light-headed upon standing even if i get up slowly. My doc says i'll > have to be on these meds " forever " including the coumadin. My heart > rate is slow but erratic. I never know when i'm in serious a-fib, its > just always there. > I feel as if the meds are poisoining my body. My health and well being > have deteriorated so much in the past year and i am totally > frustrated. Also have gained about 30 lbs. but not from eating. > I guess I have to live with this. Why do these meds make me so short > of breath and lethargic?? Whats the alternative? > thanks, > Sue Sue, If in fact you are always in afib, it seems to me your shortness of breath and fatigue could be also from the afib itself, not just the meds. Did your Dr. suggest an anti-arrythmic med like tikosyn or flecainide to try and get you out of afib? Or perhaps ablation somewhere down the line? A good part of dealing with afib is maintaining a positive mental attitude - I know it's really hard sometimes. Looking at the meds as poison (they're not) isn't helpful and I think getting control of your weight gain would be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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