Guest guest Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 My name is Gene and I've been lurking in the group for about 6 months. Brief history... An insurance physical discovered my afib almost a year ago. After the echocardiograms and chemical stress tests, etc, my very conservative Doc wouldn't do a cardioversion until my protimes were stable for 3 months. Cardioversion happened in October 05 and I was in NSR for 3 months when I went off of warfarin. A week later I went back into afib. I believe the relapse was stress induced because of an abnormal prostate report during a colonoscopy. (That turned out ok after all) So back on warfarin and add toprol. Had the next cardioversion March 16, 06. Still on warfarin and now Rythmol instead of toprol. Doc says the meds will be permanent to keep me in NSR. I'm not wild about taking rat poison, anti-freeze and plastic (Rythmol)the rest of my life. He says if my afib comes back, maybe in three years ablation technology may be improved enough to consider. We haven't discussed much about ablation or maze because afib is a new, and controlled (at this point) problem for me. I'm lucky, in that when in afib, the only symptom is low stamina. Mine seems to be persistent afib. I go in and stay in afib until cardioversion. My sister, on the other hand, used to go in and out all the time, depending on what she was doing. Afib went away 5 months ago when she started some nutritional supplements. I think she had paroxysmal afib? Wow... maybe that wasn't so brief! My question: What is different in my system now compared to my system 5 years ago when I didn't have afib. Or what is the REAL " why " behind this condition in an otherwise perfectly healthy 53 yr old. I know from this site and others that there are a whole slew of different reasons people revert BACK into afib, but what CHANGE made them susceptible in the first place. As with most medicinal issues these days... the industry treats the symptoms because they don't really know the cause. Th-Thump Th-Thump.... Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 In a message dated 4/24/2006 9:18:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, ggheld@... writes: From the sounds of your post, part of which I deleted for brevity, I think it's time for you to consult an electrophysiologist and get a specialist diagnosis, prognosis and treatment program. This subject is getting far too complex for a GP, internist or even a run of the mill cardiologist. Gordon Excellent advice. Heart arrhymia's/electrical problems are not part of the daily lives of GP's and your average cardiologist. Finding an excellent EP is important. If you cardio refers you to someone, be sure they are top shelf and not simply a referal agreement between practices. Are you in a metropolitan area with a major medical center and teaching hospital(s)? Rich O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 > My question: What is different in my system now compared to my > system 5 years ago when I didn't have afib. Or what is the > REAL " why " behind this condition in an otherwise perfectly healthy 53 > yr old. Gene: The more you look the more possible causes you'll find: genes, height, heart structure, past drug/alchol use, higher indidence among athletes, higher incidence as we age, etc. No single answer or single treatment for all. From the sounds of your post, part of which I deleted for brevity, I think it's time for you to consult an electrophysiologist and get a specialist diagnosis, prognosis and treatment program. This subject is getting far too complex for a GP, internist or even a run of the mill cardiologist. Gordon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 I think mitral valve regurgitation (leak, prolapse) contributes to this in many of us. Lil In a message dated 4/24/2006 6:18:39 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, ggheld@... writes: Gene: The more you look the more possible causes you'll find: genes, height, heart structure, past drug/alchol use, higher indidence among athletes, higher incidence as we age, etc. No single answer or single treatment for all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 > > > My name is Gene and I've been lurking in the group for about 6 months. > > Brief history... > An insurance physical discovered my afib almost a year ago. After > the echocardiograms and chemical stress tests, etc, my very > conservative Doc wouldn't do a cardioversion until my protimes were > stable for 3 months. Cardioversion happened in October 05 and I was > in NSR for 3 months when I went off of warfarin. A week later I went > back into afib. I believe the relapse was stress induced because of > an abnormal prostate report during a colonoscopy. (That turned out > ok after all) So back on warfarin and add toprol. Had the next > cardioversion March 16, 06. Still on warfarin and now Rythmol > instead of toprol. Doc says the meds will be permanent to keep me in > NSR. I'm not wild about taking rat poison, anti-freeze and plastic > (Rythmol)the rest of my life. He says if my afib comes back, maybe > in three years ablation technology may be improved enough to > consider. We haven't discussed much about ablation or maze because > afib is a new, and controlled (at this point) problem for me. I'm > lucky, in that when in afib, the only symptom is low stamina. Mine > seems to be persistent afib. I go in and stay in afib until > cardioversion. My sister, on the other hand, used to go in and out > all the time, depending on what she was doing. Afib went away along with all her allergies 8 > months ago when she started some nutritional supplements. I think > she had paroxysmal afib? > Wow... maybe that wasn't so brief! > > My question: What is different in my system now compared to my > system 5 years ago when I didn't have afib. Or what is the > REAL " why " behind this condition in an otherwise perfectly healthy 53 > yr old. I know from this site and others that there are a whole slew > of different reasons people revert BACK into afib, but what CHANGE > made them susceptible in the first place. As with most medicinal > issues these days... the industry treats the symptoms because they > don't really know the cause. > > Th-Thump Th-Thump.... > Gene > In a message dated 4/24/2006 9:18:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, ggheld@... writes: From the sounds of your post, part of which I deleted for brevity, I think it's time for you to consult an electrophysiologist and get a specialist diagnosis, prognosis and treatment program. This subject is getting far too complex for a GP, internist or even a run of the mill cardiologist. Gordon Excellent advice. Heart arrhymia's/electrical problems are not part of the daily lives of GP's and your average cardiologist. Finding an excellent EP is important. If you cardio refers you to someone, be sure they are top shelf and not simply a referal agreement between practices. Are you in a metropolitan area with a major medical center and teaching hospital(s)? Rich O Sorry for the long posts included in this reply.... It is odd that nobody on this site really addressed my main question. What changed in the last 5 years to cause afib in me... (or you)? (My doctor couldn't answer the question either). I didn't change hight, or start resting after meals, or start sleeping on my left side, or start drinking more beer, or any of the rest of the things that typically put people BACK into afib. Most here must acknowledge that there was life BEFORE afib. All this website deals with is which drug they are on now and how effective or dangerous it might be. The main hope being... can one be lucky enough to have maze or ablation to scar up the heart enough to cause interuption to errant signals. My sister had paroxysmal afib and had taken several of the drugs we discuss here. I'm on rythmol and coumadin for now. Anyway, she started some special nutritional suppliments under the direction of a naturopathologist and her afib along with all her allergies went away. She is now drug free and afib free for 5 months. Could there be something which has changed in availability of certain minerals, amino acids, or nutrients, causing inadequate function of electrical transmission in the tissues? Thanks for your reconsideration... Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 > > > My name is Gene and I've been lurking in the group for about 6 months. > > Brief history... > An insurance physical discovered my afib almost a year ago. After > the echocardiograms and chemical stress tests, etc, my very > conservative Doc wouldn't do a cardioversion until my protimes were > stable for 3 months. Cardioversion happened in October 05 and I was > in NSR for 3 months when I went off of warfarin. A week later I went > back into afib. I believe the relapse was stress induced because of > an abnormal prostate report during a colonoscopy. (That turned out > ok after all) So back on warfarin and add toprol. Had the next > cardioversion March 16, 06. Still on warfarin and now Rythmol > instead of toprol. Doc says the meds will be permanent to keep me in > NSR. I'm not wild about taking rat poison, anti-freeze and plastic > (Rythmol)the rest of my life. He says if my afib comes back, maybe > in three years ablation technology may be improved enough to > consider. We haven't discussed much about ablation or maze because > afib is a new, and controlled (at this point) problem for me. I'm > lucky, in that when in afib, the only symptom is low stamina. Mine > seems to be persistent afib. I go in and stay in afib until > cardioversion. My sister, on the other hand, used to go in and out > all the time, depending on what she was doing. Afib went away along with all her allergies 8 > months ago when she started some nutritional supplements. I think > she had paroxysmal afib? > Wow... maybe that wasn't so brief! > > My question: What is different in my system now compared to my > system 5 years ago when I didn't have afib. Or what is the > REAL " why " behind this condition in an otherwise perfectly healthy 53 > yr old. I know from this site and others that there are a whole slew > of different reasons people revert BACK into afib, but what CHANGE > made them susceptible in the first place. As with most medicinal > issues these days... the industry treats the symptoms because they > don't really know the cause. > > Th-Thump Th-Thump.... > Gene > In a message dated 4/24/2006 9:18:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, ggheld@... writes: From the sounds of your post, part of which I deleted for brevity, I think it's time for you to consult an electrophysiologist and get a specialist diagnosis, prognosis and treatment program. This subject is getting far too complex for a GP, internist or even a run of the mill cardiologist. Gordon Excellent advice. Heart arrhymia's/electrical problems are not part of the daily lives of GP's and your average cardiologist. Finding an excellent EP is important. If you cardio refers you to someone, be sure they are top shelf and not simply a referal agreement between practices. Are you in a metropolitan area with a major medical center and teaching hospital(s)? Rich O Sorry for the long posts included in this reply.... It is odd that nobody on this site really addressed my main question. What changed in the last 5 years to cause afib in me... (or you)? (My doctor couldn't answer the question either). I didn't change hight, or start resting after meals, or start sleeping on my left side, or start drinking more beer, or any of the rest of the things that typically put people BACK into afib. Most here must acknowledge that there was life BEFORE afib. All this website deals with is which drug they are on now and how effective or dangerous it might be. The main hope being... can one be lucky enough to have maze or ablation to scar up the heart enough to cause interuption to errant signals. My sister had paroxysmal afib and had taken several of the drugs we discuss here. I'm on rythmol and coumadin for now. Anyway, she started some special nutritional suppliments under the direction of a naturopathologist and her afib along with all her allergies went away. She is now drug free and afib free for 5 months. Could there be something which has changed in availability of certain minerals, amino acids, or nutrients, causing inadequate function of electrical transmission in the tissues? Thanks for your reconsideration... Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Hey Gene, The unknowns you're hearing sound very familiar. A few observations: 1. When I was diagnosed some years ago, I believe part of the description included the words, " of unknown etiology. " As explained to me, that meant: we haven't got a clue what's changed and why this is happening to you. 2. For all my docs over the years, if they can't measure it with a machine (or hear it right now), it isn't going to be part of the discussion. Maybe your docs will be different, but none of mine ever really even attempted to answer the underlying question of cause. Very best to you as you figure it out. Brent > > > My name is Gene and I've been lurking in the group for about 6 months. > > Brief history... > An insurance physical discovered my afib almost a year ago. After > the echocardiograms and chemical stress tests, etc, my very > conservative Doc wouldn't do a cardioversion until my protimes were > stable for 3 months. Cardioversion happened in October 05 and I was > in NSR for 3 months when I went off of warfarin. A week later I went > back into afib. I believe the relapse was stress induced because of > an abnormal prostate report during a colonoscopy. (That turned out > ok after all) So back on warfarin and add toprol. Had the next > cardioversion March 16, 06. Still on warfarin and now Rythmol > instead of toprol. Doc says the meds will be permanent to keep me in > NSR. I'm not wild about taking rat poison, anti-freeze and plastic > (Rythmol)the rest of my life. He says if my afib comes back, maybe > in three years ablation technology may be improved enough to > consider. We haven't discussed much about ablation or maze because > afib is a new, and controlled (at this point) problem for me. I'm > lucky, in that when in afib, the only symptom is low stamina. Mine > seems to be persistent afib. I go in and stay in afib until > cardioversion. My sister, on the other hand, used to go in and out > all the time, depending on what she was doing. Afib went away 5 > months ago when she started some nutritional supplements. I think > she had paroxysmal afib? > Wow... maybe that wasn't so brief! > > My question: What is different in my system now compared to my > system 5 years ago when I didn't have afib. Or what is the > REAL " why " behind this condition in an otherwise perfectly healthy 53 > yr old. I know from this site and others that there are a whole slew > of different reasons people revert BACK into afib, but what CHANGE > made them susceptible in the first place. As with most medicinal > issues these days... the industry treats the symptoms because they > don't really know the cause. > > Th-Thump Th-Thump.... > Gene > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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