Bootsz: Welcome. I'm in my 14,640 day in afib. Going out this a.m. to do 5K. What's your concern about the 8 days? petey

For me, I would really feel the same as you after 9 days. I hate it if it's 24 hours. I guess it all depends on how symptomatic you are , because hard as I try, I'm still a wimp about feeling bad. Hope things get better for you soon.
P S Wish I could be more like Petey who is a wonderfully kind guy & from whom I've learned a lot.

Hi, Petey I'm glad to here you're doing so great, I'm a wimp also I guess. And thanks Juniebe, I want to be like Petey and run (walk fast) on our beautiful trails! My eldest brother lives with this everyday for the past two years, he has a heart valve replacement, but can't use a pacemaker like my other brother with the same valve replacement.

I just looked up a procedure at the Mayo Clinic called CABANA. I think I'd rather have an ablation than a cardio-version, cuz what IF THEY CAN"T RESTART YOUR HEART? JEEZ!

This is how I think about afib. As long as your HR is around 100 or less and if your Chads score warrants you to be on an anticoagulant..and if so, you are taking it...then, it is a huge nuisance, but not life threatening. I was in afib for the better part of a month when I reacted to a dose of epinephrine. I didn't feel good, but I functioned.

A Cardioversion is used to get you back to NSR. It is a quick fix. It is a shock to your heart that doesn't take long and is no big deal. It is not a quarentee to stay in NSR....but you may stay in NSR indefinately. It is performed on an out patient basis

An ablation is a bigger deal...it is a procedure that can take hours to do, and there is a recovery period. You are an inpatient. It is meant to Keep you in NRS...it may or may not. It is the choice of many who have symptomatic afib or who's afib has gotten worse or other personal reasons.

All of us wish there was a way to control it....each of us has a unique version of afib and a vary in how we treat it and cope.

I hope the Sotolol will convert you soon!!!!

I somehow avoided being electrically cardioverted during my year plus of paroxymal afib before I had my ablation. My longest stint of afib that didn't go away was something like 13 days. Like you, they put me on Eliquis and after 30 days they were going to cardiovert me, but I went back into rythem on my own. Oddly enough, that was almost better than having it come and go multiple times a week because at least I didn't have to deal with that dreadful feeling you get when it shows up.

I'm not an expert, but a cardioversion isn't really a "cure'. They just set your heart to beating normal again. You may go right back into afib if that's the stage of afib you are in. I think it's a fairly risk free procedure and there's little risk of your heart not starting back up.

An ablation is an attempt to cure afib (if not permanently at least for a period of time) and involves them running catheters into your heart and scarring up your heart tissue with heat. So there are obviously much more risks involved than getting cardioverted. On top of that, I believe that many people get cardioverted at the end of their ablation anyways if they are in afib when they are done with the procedure. I don't think I did, and I never really asked. i wasn't in afib going into the procedure and I'm not sure if they were able to get me in afib during the procedure. i think they just put scar tissue around the four pulmonary veins. (I haven't had a doctor visit since the procedure so I have a lot of questions I'll be asking.)

As far as other treatments, they will most likely try an antiarrythmia medicine first, which solotol might be so you may already be there. They usually do rate control first (metoprolol), then rythmn control (Rythmol in my case), and if that doesn't work, they go to ablation. i know Anthem won't pay for an ablation if you don't prove via EKG that the antiarrythmia drug didn't work.

You are on Eliquis so that will reduce your stroke risk, so I wouldn't worry too much about being in afib currently.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with me, it really is helpful to know that I'm not alone and that I'm probably not about to die any time soon!

We are all in this together....whether or not we have afib...it is one day at a time for all of us.

I feel for you. My longest stint in A-Fib was 57 1/2 hours. I converted to NSR on my own, in line at Walgreens to get my flecainide. :) I was on 162 mg of aspirin a day and on metropolol my heart rate was around 70-80 so I was fairly sure I wouldn't throw a clot. My concern for being in that long was the emotion and mental uncomfortableness.

I guess what is missing here is to know whether you are symptomatic when in afib. How fast is your heart rate? Do you feel ok? Did you convert on your own with past episodes? You mentioned your heart rate is low. Do you know for sure you are in afib?
Have you been managed by a cardiologist or an EP?
If you are still in afib I think you should call your Dr back and tell him you've had enough. Time for some action to get back into NSR...maybe cardioversion. If you haven't seen an EP that would be a good idea too.

This started 11 days ago, with very low BP & low HR, felt dizzy standing, very tired and short of breath. I called my cardiologist on Sat, two days after the beginning, he just had me cut down my dosage of Metaprolol and Candesartin. But I went to see him the following Monday, he said i was in A-Fib after an EKG and a listen, put me on Eliquist & Sotolol. My script wasn't ready that day, went to the ER, feeling bad. That's when my HR started getting to be over 100, and it's still pretty high, 80's to low 100's. BP has continued to be low, had to stop my CHF meds that reduce the BP. (Candesartin) which makes me nervous, I can't wait to get this over with.

Marikay, what's an EP?

An EP is an electrophysiologist, a doctor who specializes in the electrical activity of the heart. Since many arrhythmias are electrical in nature, most of us with afib seek out an EP for treatment, as they are the most knowledgeable on the subject.

I'd been to a string of cardiologists over the years for my afib and SVT, but it wasn't until I found a good EP that I got a real treatment plan.

Electrophysiologist. They are specialists in arrythmias.
What is the cardiologists plan? Just let you stay in afib? I think the idea is for the sotalol to help you convert. But did he give you a time frame? I think you should call and push for something further unless there is another plan.
Being permanently in afib is fine if you are feeling fine. Some people like Petey can't tell when they are in afib. If you don't feel good in afib then don't settle for that. Different meds might help how you feel so the afib is more tolerable, especially since your chf meds were changed. Cardioversion may be your next step to get back into NSR and then the sotalol will keep you there hopefully.
Do try to stay calm. As everyone has said, afib isn't fatal. Push your Dr if necessary to find the best way to treat this for you, so you feel the best you can. Please keep us posted. You will get lots of support here. I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. Hang in there.

I don't have an appt until August 10th! damn! i have tickets for a Giants game on the 13th!

Hi, I think I'm out of A-Fib, HR has been in the 60's all day! BP low normal!