Re: How Do They Know When You're Cured of AF?

[Guest guest]

Dave - for me a " cure " would be no medication and afib that was short,

infrequent and didn't require any help to stop on its own.. anything better than

that would be gravy!

Who did your procedure and where?

Stef

Dave wrote:

Hey guys,

I've been Afib and SKIP BEAT FREE! ever since i had the surgery

about 1 month ago now. It's been a total life changer. I've gotten

back to my heavy lifting, about 80% as heavy as i used to go , each

week i'm going heavier and heavier. I'm doing cardio at least 4

days a week and pushing it hard now and it's feeling just amazingly

good.

I have had no skipped beats and no Afib whatsoever thus far.

I have a couple questions:

The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me. How

do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask the

skipped beats if i were having any?

I was very symptomatic before the surgery and i just want to make

sure that if I'm having them, they wouldn't get masked. I'd expect

to feel them when i'm recovering from a heavy set while lifting

weights or doing cardio. I haven't felt any weird beats and in fact

i find myself standing there waiting for it to happen sometimes lol.

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

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.

[Guest guest]

Stef, Dr. Oral at Univ of Michigan did mine.

I had 3 cases of Afib over 3 yrs, and in the last year every workout

i've had very bad skipped beats when i've been doing workouts which

has caused me not to work out as hard as I'd like. Now i've been

pushing it and i've had zero skipped beats.

So i guess im wondering how they know ur cured, is there some test

they can do like an Xray to see the scar tissue in there or just an

EKG or what? What do they look for?

And does the Toprol XL mask the skipped beats? I hope it isn't

because ive felt great. But i plan to come off all meds in 3-6

months as long as i'm cured and it'd be disappointing if the drug

has been masking the skipped beats.

Dave

> Hey guys,

>

> I've been Afib and SKIP BEAT FREE! ever since i had the surgery

> about 1 month ago now. It's been a total life changer. I've

gotten

> back to my heavy lifting, about 80% as heavy as i used to go ,

each

> week i'm going heavier and heavier. I'm doing cardio at least 4

> days a week and pushing it hard now and it's feeling just

amazingly

> good.

>

> I have had no skipped beats and no Afib whatsoever thus far.

>

> I have a couple questions:

>

> The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

How

> do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

>

> I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

the

> skipped beats if i were having any?

>

> I was very symptomatic before the surgery and i just want to make

> sure that if I'm having them, they wouldn't get masked. I'd

expect

> to feel them when i'm recovering from a heavy set while lifting

> weights or doing cardio. I haven't felt any weird beats and in

fact

> i find myself standing there waiting for it to happen sometimes

lol.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

> 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.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Stef, Dr. Oral at Univ of Michigan did mine.

I had 3 cases of Afib over 3 yrs, and in the last year every workout

i've had very bad skipped beats when i've been doing workouts which

has caused me not to work out as hard as I'd like. Now i've been

pushing it and i've had zero skipped beats.

So i guess im wondering how they know ur cured, is there some test

they can do like an Xray to see the scar tissue in there or just an

EKG or what? What do they look for?

And does the Toprol XL mask the skipped beats? I hope it isn't

because ive felt great. But i plan to come off all meds in 3-6

months as long as i'm cured and it'd be disappointing if the drug

has been masking the skipped beats.

Dave

> Hey guys,

>

> I've been Afib and SKIP BEAT FREE! ever since i had the surgery

> about 1 month ago now. It's been a total life changer. I've

gotten

> back to my heavy lifting, about 80% as heavy as i used to go ,

each

> week i'm going heavier and heavier. I'm doing cardio at least 4

> days a week and pushing it hard now and it's feeling just

amazingly

> good.

>

> I have had no skipped beats and no Afib whatsoever thus far.

>

> I have a couple questions:

>

> The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

How

> do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

>

> I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

the

> skipped beats if i were having any?

>

> I was very symptomatic before the surgery and i just want to make

> sure that if I'm having them, they wouldn't get masked. I'd

expect

> to feel them when i'm recovering from a heavy set while lifting

> weights or doing cardio. I haven't felt any weird beats and in

fact

> i find myself standing there waiting for it to happen sometimes

lol.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

> 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.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I have a couple questions:

>

> The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

How

> do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

>

> I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

the

> skipped beats if i were having any?

Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of months

or so you can stay off them.

My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the meds.

If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and I'm

still in NSR.

Gordon

[Guest guest]

>

> I have a couple questions:

>

> The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

How

> do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

>

> I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

the

> skipped beats if i were having any?

Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of months

or so you can stay off them.

My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the meds.

If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and I'm

still in NSR.

Gordon

[Guest guest]

>

> I have a couple questions:

>

> The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

How

> do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

>

> I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

the

> skipped beats if i were having any?

Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of months

or so you can stay off them.

My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the meds.

If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and I'm

still in NSR.

Gordon

[Guest guest]

Gordon,

Yeah i'm on Warafin. They haven't given me any kind of monitor at

all yet. Maybe they will when i come off the meds.

I just had a nasty skipped beat. Scared the h ell out of me cause

now i'm no longer used to them lol and i think worst case (heart's

going to stop) when i get em. That's the first one i've had. I was

just standing in my kitchen and boom, skipped beat. I guess i

should expect this for the first few months eh?

See i wasn't having Afib every week or anything so 3 months might

not be long enough time to tell if i ever have it again. I went 4

months between the first 2 episodes, then 2 yrs before the next one

until i decided it was time to get the surgery so i woudlnt' worry

about it anymore.

>

>

> >

> > I have a couple questions:

> >

> > The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

> How

> > do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

> >

> > I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

> the

> > skipped beats if i were having any?

>

> Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

> heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

> long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

>

> Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of

months

> or so you can stay off them.

>

> My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

> less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

> regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

> want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the

meds.

> If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

> mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

> times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and

I'm

> still in NSR.

>

> Gordon

>

[Guest guest]

Gordon,

Yeah i'm on Warafin. They haven't given me any kind of monitor at

all yet. Maybe they will when i come off the meds.

I just had a nasty skipped beat. Scared the h ell out of me cause

now i'm no longer used to them lol and i think worst case (heart's

going to stop) when i get em. That's the first one i've had. I was

just standing in my kitchen and boom, skipped beat. I guess i

should expect this for the first few months eh?

See i wasn't having Afib every week or anything so 3 months might

not be long enough time to tell if i ever have it again. I went 4

months between the first 2 episodes, then 2 yrs before the next one

until i decided it was time to get the surgery so i woudlnt' worry

about it anymore.

>

>

> >

> > I have a couple questions:

> >

> > The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

> How

> > do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

> >

> > I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

> the

> > skipped beats if i were having any?

>

> Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

> heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

> long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

>

> Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of

months

> or so you can stay off them.

>

> My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

> less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

> regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

> want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the

meds.

> If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

> mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

> times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and

I'm

> still in NSR.

>

> Gordon

>

[Guest guest]

Gordon,

Yeah i'm on Warafin. They haven't given me any kind of monitor at

all yet. Maybe they will when i come off the meds.

I just had a nasty skipped beat. Scared the h ell out of me cause

now i'm no longer used to them lol and i think worst case (heart's

going to stop) when i get em. That's the first one i've had. I was

just standing in my kitchen and boom, skipped beat. I guess i

should expect this for the first few months eh?

See i wasn't having Afib every week or anything so 3 months might

not be long enough time to tell if i ever have it again. I went 4

months between the first 2 episodes, then 2 yrs before the next one

until i decided it was time to get the surgery so i woudlnt' worry

about it anymore.

>

>

> >

> > I have a couple questions:

> >

> > The doctor said in about 3 months they'll know if it cured me.

> How

> > do they determine if the RF Ablation cured me?

> >

> > I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg one per day. Does this medicine mask

> the

> > skipped beats if i were having any?

>

> Dave: They told me that the heart can take a couple of months to

> heal from the burning so they keep us on the medication for that

> long. Are you taking Flecainide and/or Coumadin as well?

>

> Once you stop all the meds and are afib free for a couple of

months

> or so you can stay off them.

>

> My cardiologist says that sometimes the PVI will make the symptoms

> less noticable so you have to be careful to monitor yourself

> regularly. If you have a take home event monitor they'll probably

> want you to use that for at least a month after you quit the

meds.

> If you don't it might be worthwhile to ask for one. I hate to use

> mine as I don't like to listen to the sound of my heartbeat three

> times a day but I'm always happy when the 30 seconds is over and

I'm

> still in NSR.

>

> Gordon

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I just had a nasty skipped beat. Scared the h ell out of me cause

> now i'm no longer used to them lol and i think worst case (heart's

> going to stop) when i get em. That's the first one i've had. I was

> just standing in my kitchen and boom, skipped beat. I guess i

> should expect this for the first few months eh?

Expect is a strong word. Perhaps a better way of looking at is to not

be surprised at them.

>

> See i wasn't having Afib every week or anything so 3 months might

> not be long enough time to tell if i ever have it again. I went 4

> months between the first 2 episodes, then 2 yrs before the next one

> until i decided it was time to get the surgery so i woudlnt' worry

> about it anymore.

I have never heard of the surgery making afib worse.

See if you can get an event recorder and use it next time you get what

you think are symptoms. That's the only way to be sure.

Gordon