Hey Colleen I hope you are feeling better now. I have finally heard back from my dr and cardiologist and they have decided than an ablation woud not be right for me at the moment and would be too invasive and a pacemaker would make life very miserable for me!!! Well that was good news that they aren't going to do that but now they are adding another pill Carloc 6.25. lets see if this does the trick. I am also back on all my vitamins again as Doug mentioned earlier. I was taking them before but they are just so expensive. I don't have any caffeine or alcohol. any stimulant is a trigger as well as lack of sleep. I still feel very tired though and feel that my chest is constricted - i hope this other pill doesnt make it worse. I am praying for good results. i also just want to feel my normal self again. take care all of you.

I was in permanent Afib for a year and a half. So, I am living proof they CAN do an ablation under those circumstances. I am afib free for 6 months after the ablation. I was told I had a 50/50 chance that it would work. It did work. The next option would have been a pacemaker. My doctors were very conservative in my treatment leading up to the ablation. I consider them the best in the business. Never give up hope.

Koetsh, did your doctors say why they felt an ablation was not recommended for you at this time? I had an ablation a year ago and have no afib. Several doctors had told me not to have an ablation, but I worked my way up the chain to a doctor who said I was a good candidate. Sure glad I persisted!!! I feel so great!!!

Sometimes it matters,too,how comfortable and experienced the MD is with ablation rather than you as the pt. Here on these boards we have recently been told of cases where the MD didn'tr ecommend ablation because the MD didn't want a difficult case. if that is what's going on, you should get a 2nd opinion from a major ablation center (Mayo clinic, U of Penn, NYU, etc.) where they will take more complex cases.

Jodellknits, thanks for your input. they said i wasnt a good candidate a it was too invasive and would make me very miserable and always very tired - even a pacemaker - they said my quality of life would not be good either. Not sure about all of that. I can onyl get to see the cardiologist in april but after taking that new pill for two days I have already been in Afib. I have just started to feel better now - about 18 hrs. I am not sure also if it has somethng to do with me going to need further back surgery at some stage. I am trying to get an MRI done asap to see what is going on there. I am sure all these pills are not helping - its a vicious circle - One homeopath dr that I went to said that whenever i amin sever back ache it sends a messae to the brain to pump more adrenalin - well I am allergic to adrenalin so apparently wen that happens then my heart cant handle it. Its all so weird. anyway I am seeing a naturapath tomorrow who is going to see how she can help cleanse my auras and chakras etc. Will keep in touch.
hugs to all. xxx

Koetsh, I think it would be wise to get a second opinion. My first EP told me the same things yours is telling you about the ablation. The doctor I found at my regional heart center at a University (where they train doctors and do research) told me a whole different story. He said I was a good candidate for the ablation. He was correct! I feel great. NO AFIB. I have my first year anniversary coming up on Feb. 2. I am so glad I got a second opinion! I was so miserable when I was in afib (about 90% of the time at the end). My heart goes out to all of you who still suffer.

Hey, ecook0308. Saw your question and decided to add my experience into the mix. I had severe A-Fib a little over a month ago (BPM > 280). They used Adenosine and Cardizem with no effect, other than the EXTREME chest pain and discomfort when Adenosine is blasted through the veins. Anyway, I had to be tranquilized and cardioverted (zapped) back to normal sinus rhythm. It lasted over four hours in the between home and the ER. I have been living in fear ever since, and just when I thought it would "never" happen again, it did just last night, ending me up in the ER again. They have given me Ativan for my anxiety response, which is at this point acute enough to bring on dull chest pain. I see an EP on the 1st. I have had blood drawn, a stress echo, and a full history, with more questions than answers. I have no idea what caused it, and yes because of my morbid fears, the quality of my life is a nightmare. I just turned 30. I am tired of being afraid all of the time, like my body is a walking time bomb.

My old man had Afib (and he had all sorts of other heart problems going on as well that contributed) but I haven't exactly had the healthiest lifestyle. I enjoyed eating whatever I wanted, smoking, drinking, etc., figuring that genetics and bad living would catch up to me in my 50's (when my faith in science will have hopefully paid off with all kinds of shiny new medical advancements), but here it caught up with me at 30...

I was diagnosed with svt at 8 years old, and managed it with meds...until July, when I had an episode that didn't stop that turned out to be Afib (paroxysmal).
The frequency of my episodes was approx. 2 per month, and they were pretty damned debilitating. I was VERY symptomatic - shortness of breath, serious chest discomfort, probably would pass out if not sitting/laying down.
Since the first 12-hour "premier" episode, the duration of mine were short (in comparison to many of you that I really feel for), but every time they lasted a little longer (i.e. the meds took longer to break them and put me back in NSR...which was accompanied by a rush of euphoria, btw - anybody else experience that?)

My quality of life was completely compromised, considering I'd gone from drinking freely on weekends to having to quit smoking cold turkey, cutting out all caffeine, alcohol, and having no choice but to stop eating garbage. For me, my heart felt more sensitive during the digestive period, and exercise (walking up a long staircase, even) aggravated my condition. If not for my girlfriend (who also happens to be a nurse :) it would've been exponentially more depressing.

I had an svt ablation at the end of July (soon after my svt "presented"). My EP hoped ablating the svt pathways would rid me of Afib, but...not so much.
I had an Afib ablation 2 months ago to the day, and I was completely FINE...until last weekend.
The last several days, I've been having flutter issues and stuff that's got me concerned and worried that it's NOT my heart healing, but the evil Afib returning. I know "some Afib" is to be expected during the first 3 months of recovery, but since this is starting to act up all of a sudden NOW, I fear that it's going to progress and I'll need another procedure (or two).

I just wanted to say that I lurked these boards from time to time since July, and after reading some horror stories of people's conditions that are far worse than mine, I felt like I had no business complaining, so I didn't post. Then, after how great I felt after my Afib ablation, I felt so lucky and relieved that I'd be like bragging to post anything...until I read someone thanking one of the luckier ones for telling their story because it gave them hope. I realized that having read about positive outcomes (like Jodelle's), had given ME hope, so I decided to force my lazy ass to create an account & urge people who live in less populated areas to travel to bigger cities where experienced Dr.'s WILL treat you (and do a better job of it than those who haven't dealt with as many or as varied cases).

My luck being what it is, and as wicked a person as I've been most of my life, I fear that my fight will probably be longer and...well, it's going to suck (and I probably deserve it ;) BUT, I have no choice but to deal with it, and as depressing as it is (having thought I had it beat, and now...maybe not) I'll be damned if I let it beat me. Everybody's condition is different, and everyone deals with it in whatever way works best for them. Some with research, support, others with prayer... Anger works best for me. haha. (seriously, though ;)

I just want to say that I'm not generally the most empathetic person, but I feel for everyone on here.

I wish ALL of you the best, and hope that every one of you gets the best possible treatment, sees their quality of life improve, and "they" discover a cure within the next few years so we can all grab drinks together and laugh about it. We're all in this $#it together. Take care.

I thank you all for your posts, my first 'job' of the day is to click on the Daily Strength email to read any. I like all of you live in the hope that more resaearch will be done on our condition. I sometimes am free for 2 months then bang it will return, I rely on the pill in the pocket which for me is bisoprolol, fortunately this has returned me back to NSR within less than 8 hours up to now but it is a very scary time both pulse rate and BP go sky high. Have been to ER a couple of times but they have only given me the drug then sent me home when all goes back to normal. Have an appointment to see cardiologist in March but have not had an EP mentioned. I may ask to see one. so pleased I joinrd this group it really makes me feel better to know that I am not alone.

Well JLfml - thanks for all your input. Yeah I know how you must feel and it is gret to hear of the good reports instead of all the bad reports. Jodelleknits, I had a really good cardio who highly recommended that when inxt saw him that i would have to make the decision of an ablation as I had tried all the drugs and i had no other option!!! Well i dont know if i mentioned it earlier but he died of a heart attack!!! Can you believe that. My physician here also recommended an ablation but after his consultation with the next best cardio in or nearest big city he said no ways. I canonly say I must give it a bit of timetill I see him in april and tke it from there.
I saw this naturpath lady yesterday - turns out she is a Bach healer and told me that all my problems were related to several losses in my life which were suppressed all the time and only started to come to the surface when my daughter got married!!! Thats when i firt went into Afib. There are too many losses that I have been through to mention on here(not only people but physical as well as others) but the biggest loss which has caused all this havoc now is when my mum passed away end of October. I have been given some remedies to help, this is along with all the vitamins etc and was told to go and do Yoga as well. Everything is controlled by the mind so who knows??? I wish I had a tape recoder with me in the room as I cannot remember everything she told me - it was very interesting and at this stage I am trying anything and everything. I still reckon the vitamins and nutrients have to help me. As to the stress in my life - maybe if I win the lotto one day and take a holiday - who knows - I could be cured!!!! :)