Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

I had a TIA in October 2010 when I was 71. I was in hospital for 3 days and put on Warfarin. Until that time I had no idea that I had afib didn't even know what it meant. Thinking back I had had a few bouts of afib but thought it was vertigo because I had that for 20 years. I did not seem to have any permanent damage from the stroke. Since then I have been on Warfarin and switched to Pradaxa when it became available in Canada. I have always had high blood pressure. Slated to have an ablation June 11/2012.
Moy...

I had a TIA about ten years ago, but that was long before I was diagnosed with afib. I Later had a stent put in my carotid artery and have been on Plavix ever since. The GP I first went to with shortness of breath (the only symptom I ever had of afib) was absolutely in a panic that I would have a stroke before I could get to the ER. Being in the ER is like getting caught in an undertow.

It will be interesting to see what kind of response you get to this question.

I had a TIA (age 53) in June 2011 with no residual effects. Wasn't on any anticoagulants as my CHADS score was 0 at the time. Been on Pradax ever since. Had my 3rd (and final) ablation 1 week ago and so far so good but the dr. says I will be on this for the rest of my life . . .

ursamajor1: I think this is important info for all of us. BTW, are you female? CHA2DS2VaSC scoring now includes being female as a risk factor. I noticed many women have had TIAs.
nangirl: Hope the 3rd is a charm.
Moy: I had vertigo and silent migraines (aura only) and I swear that afib and these symptoms are related. Good luck with the ablation.

Petey- I remember some time back in the posts, that others, including me, also have had occular migraines (aura only). I would love to bring this up to my Cardio next time I see him as I really think that this common experience is a major finding. Until I joined this site, I had never found anyone who has ever experienced occular migraines. It truly has to be connected to AF. I started having them when I was 25. When I was 31, my father died of a heart attack at age 53. I started having dizziness and palpitations shortly after his death and my doc sent me for a nuclear stress test (because of my dad's young age at death and because his dad/my grandfather died at 40 years of age of heart attack). The nuclear stress test showed ischemia. During the imaging portion of the test, I had major palpitations and I believe that is why the test showed ischemia, however, Afib went undiagnosed until I was 42. A heart cath was done because of the ischemia shown on the stress test, however, no blood flow problems were found. My heart muscle and arteries were and still are very healthy. I believe there were very early signs that AF diagnosis was imminent.

CLane,
It is really interesting that you think there could be a connection with afib and aura migraines. I never thought about it because I have had migraines for a long time. Same with vertigo. Then when I went to see an ENT specialist in October 2010 and had my vertigo cured.
Moy...

I had my first ocular migraine when I was 30, 33 years ago. I felt there was a connection. I did a little research Many people have ocular migraines after pulmonary vein isolation and their is a connection betwee PFO and ocular migraines. Read below:

Migraine or headache with ocular symptoms after pulmonary vein isolation.
The prevalence of previous migraine or headache with ocular phenomena, as shown in table 1, was 16%. This concerned nine male patients and six female patients, with a mean age of 52±9 years. A total number of 15 patients reported new symptoms or exacerbations within three months. The patients with new symptoms (8% of the procedures) were four males and one female with a mean age of 46±11 years. Exacerbations were almost as common as de novo symptoms in the three months after ablation (7%). Symptoms occurred more often after a redo procedure (p

Just looking at your post Petey and I never really thought of myself as and old lurker but I guess I am.
Moy...

THIS GOT CHOPPED OFF:

Migraine or headache with ocular symptoms after pulmonary vein isolation.
The prevalence of previous migraine or headache with ocular phenomena, as shown in table 1, was 16%. This concerned nine male patients and six female patients, with a mean age of 52±9 years. A total number of 15 patients reported new symptoms or exacerbations within three months. The patients with new symptoms (8% of the procedures) were four males and one female with a mean age of 46±11 years. Exacerbations were almost as common as de novo symptoms in the three months after ablation (7%). Symptoms occurred more often after a redo procedure (p

Most complaints had disappeared when patients visited the outpatient clinic at three months after the ablation. ‘Migraine accompagnée’ was formally diagnosed in this way in one new patient, and in one with an exacerbation. Transoesophageal echocardiography, performed after three months in still symptomatic patients could not show a persistent hole with flow through the septum. One of the patients reported his symptoms spontaneously with a drawing of the ocular signs he had developed before he was interviewed .
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...

PFO is a hole in the wall separating the right and left heart chambers. Blood from the right chamber travels to the lungs, picks up oxygen, goes to the left chamber and out to the body. With PFO, blood from the two chambers may mix, allowing unoxygenated blood circulate and "starve" organs.
PFO may trigger migraine by allowing blood with insufficient oxygen to reach the brain.
Link
Studies found a higher prevalence of PFO in people with migraines than those without. Also, migraines decreased after PFO was surgically corrected. Non-migraine headaches did not decrease
Read more: What are the Causes of PFO Migraines? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_4911745_w...