Mr Drs. answer re emerg.

[Guest guest]

I too am a bit confused as to when to go to the hospital. The doctors tell

me that AF is not a life threatening condition, but when I go to the ER they

usually put me in Rescus. Why is this? Luckily I am not usually too badly

compromised by it. I do get a bit short of breath and have a bit of chest

tightness, it is more the fear of it all that affects me. They usually watch

the monitor and give me some extra medication until the rate comes down.

Lately I have been trying to keep calm and get the rate down at home as it is

so

disruptive to have to keep going in. Last time I went in the doctor told me

the three things they look for are chest pain,

dizziness and shortness of breath. I think you have to assess how you feel

as to whether you need to go in or not, I agree that if I went in everytime,

I would be in there every other day. Pat

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/25/2006 12:02:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

stanmar@... writes:

If you are healthy and have no underlying heart problems. This may be a case

of a Doctor inexperienced in dealing with AF. If this is the case, you

should request to see a cardiologist / EP. Who can give the ER a course of

action

to follow for you.You don't need a well intentioned Doc shooting from the

hip.It has been reported on this board of people waiting up to 48 hours, before

having to go to the ER. They would be paroxysmal I believe.

Rich O

I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

Any opinions please...thank you.

n

[Guest guest]

I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

Any opinions please...thank you.

n

[Guest guest]

> I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

> going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

> answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

> not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

> Any opinions please...thank you.

> n

>

Did she say what magic they would perform when you turned up?

I'm all for going to the hospital when AF hits bad and you feel unwell

but if I went to the hospital every time I was in AF for longer than an

hour I would have spent over a year in hospital in the last five years.

Of course their may be some individuals who need immediate attention and

I can understand newly diagnosed AFers going in early to be monitored to

see how their AF progresses. I suspect this '1 hour' rule does not apply

to most AFers so I'd ask further questions as to if/why it applies to

you.

--

D

[Guest guest]

Hi ine,

I am on warfarin as well as other medications to slow my heart rate. Does

your pacemaker slow your heart and do you have to take anything other than

warfarin. My EP says I should only take medicine when I need to, but I don't

think it works like that. Pat.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

I try to avoid going to ER as much as possible, the reason that they put

you in Rescuss is that they are not sure what is going on and your

symptoms of rating heart and BP could be the sign that something serious

is going on.

My heart rate goes too fast and am quite often in afib I choose to stay

out of hospitals because I tend to cope well with afib as I am in and

out of it on a daily basis, last time I went to the pacing clinic they

said I was in afib 52%. I try not to become too concerned as I am on

warfarin to prevent stroke, I have a pacemaker to prevent my heart from

stopping, I am not sure that anything else can be done apart from drug

treatment.

ine

Re: Mr Drs. answer re emerg.

I too am a bit confused as to when to go to the hospital. The doctors

tell

me that AF is not a life threatening condition, but when I go to the ER

they

usually put me in Rescus. Why is this? Luckily I am not usually too

badly

compromised by it. I do get a bit short of breath and have a bit of

chest

tightness, it is more the fear of it all that affects me. They usually

watch

the monitor and give me some extra medication until the rate comes

down.

Lately I have been trying to keep calm and get the rate down at home as

it is so

disruptive to have to keep going in. Last time I went in the doctor

told me

the three things they look for are chest pain,

dizziness and shortness of breath. I think you have to assess how you

feel

as to whether you need to go in or not, I agree that if I went in

everytime,

I would be in there every other day. Pat

[Guest guest]

For what it's worth, the nurse at my Cardiologist's office said that I

should go to the ER if my heart rate was sustained at 150 bpm or more

for 4 hours or more.

[Guest guest]

It depends...are you on coumadin? If not, 12 hours then to the ER as you will

need anticoagulation to reduce your risk of thrombus/stroke. Otherwise, it

depends on your heart rate (too fast - go to ER) and how you feel (?very short

of breath, dizzy etc - go to ER).

celtic8586@... wrote:

In a message dated 4/25/2006 12:02:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

stanmar@... writes:

If you are healthy and have no underlying heart problems. This may be a case

of a Doctor inexperienced in dealing with AF. If this is the case, you

should request to see a cardiologist / EP. Who can give the ER a course of

action

to follow for you.You don't need a well intentioned Doc shooting from the

hip.It has been reported on this board of people waiting up to 48 hours, before

having to go to the ER. They would be paroxysmal I believe.

Rich O

I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

Any opinions please...thank you.

n

[Guest guest]

The warfarin is to prevent blood clots.

The pacemaker is to prevent your heart from beating too slowly because you are

on medications to control the high heart rate of atrial fibrillation.

STahaney@... wrote:

Hi ine,

I am on warfarin as well as other medications to slow my heart rate. Does

your pacemaker slow your heart and do you have to take anything other than

warfarin. My EP says I should only take medicine when I need to, but I don't

think it works like that. Pat.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

No the Pacemaker stops the heart from going too slow, mime is set at

60bpm so if the heart tries to go slower the pacemaker kicks in. I am

taking atenolol at the moment to try to slow the rate, I would not know

how to take medication when necessary, anyway I have episodes of afib

everyday so that would not work.

ine

Re: Mr Drs. answer re emerg.

Hi ine,

I am on warfarin as well as other medications to slow my heart rate.

Does

your pacemaker slow your heart and do you have to take anything other

than

warfarin. My EP says I should only take medicine when I need to, but I

don't

think it works like that. Pat.

[Guest guest]

My cardiologist said I could wait for conversion up to 72 hours without

coumadin, but longer than that, and it would be at least three weeks and

then with proper INR. I have no other underlying structural problems

with my heart, YMMV, and so, likely, will your doctors' opinions.

--

Clay

Carroll wrote:

> It depends...are you on coumadin? If not, 12 hours then to the ER as you will

need anticoagulation to reduce your risk of thrombus/stroke. Otherwise, it

depends on your heart rate (too fast - go to ER) and how you feel (?very short

of breath, dizzy etc - go to ER).

>

>

> celtic8586@... wrote:

>

> In a message dated 4/25/2006 12:02:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> stanmar@... writes:

>

> If you are healthy and have no underlying heart problems. This may be a case

> of a Doctor inexperienced in dealing with AF. If this is the case, you

> should request to see a cardiologist / EP. Who can give the ER a course of

action

> to follow for you.You don't need a well intentioned Doc shooting from the

> hip.It has been reported on this board of people waiting up to 48 hours,

before

> having to go to the ER. They would be paroxysmal I believe.

> Rich O

>

> I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

> going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

> answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

> not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

> Any opinions please...thank you.

> n

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

The rule is 48 hours then a thrombus must be ruled out with an esophogeal

echocardiogram BEFORE cardioversion or you are at major risk for a stroke.

Clay Haapala clay@...> wrote: My cardiologist said I could wait for

conversion up to 72 hours without

coumadin, but longer than that, and it would be at least three weeks and

then with proper INR. I have no other underlying structural problems

with my heart, YMMV, and so, likely, will your doctors' opinions.

--

Clay

Carroll wrote:

> It depends...are you on coumadin? If not, 12 hours then to the ER as you will

need anticoagulation to reduce your risk of thrombus/stroke. Otherwise, it

depends on your heart rate (too fast - go to ER) and how you feel (?very short

of breath, dizzy etc - go to ER).

>

>

> celtic8586@... wrote:

>

> In a message dated 4/25/2006 12:02:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> stanmar@... writes:

>

> If you are healthy and have no underlying heart problems. This may be a case

> of a Doctor inexperienced in dealing with AF. If this is the case, you

> should request to see a cardiologist / EP. Who can give the ER a course of

action

> to follow for you.You don't need a well intentioned Doc shooting from the

> hip.It has been reported on this board of people waiting up to 48 hours,

before

> having to go to the ER. They would be paroxysmal I believe.

> Rich O

>

> I asked my doctor yesterday how long should I wait before

> going to emerg? She said l hour. I was surprised by her

> answer I thought I could wait longer than that as I do

> not normally have any other stress like short of breath etc.

> Any opinions please...thank you.

> n

>

>

>

>

>

>

>