Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Hi Everyone.....Happy Easter! Its been a while since my last post ...so i thought id check in and say Hi etc. I went into afib after gall bladder surgery and had to be converted. I was in the hospital like 3 days...one day the nurse came in and said...man you re heart is all over the place....the problem being I couldnt feel a thing. I was going to a clinic and getting free pradaxa....still i couldnt tell any difference if it was working or not. On my last visit to clinic....the dr. spent like 3 min. in room...advised to go aspirin and he d see me in a year. So I kinda had no choice but to switch to 2 aspirin a day. I feel no difference and have no idea if I ve been in afib or not. I dont want to start a big aspirin discussion as Ive read all the aspirin posts but I still wonder...Am I still just a heartbeat away from a stroke or does the heart heal the afib or what? Without health insurance I havent a clue and I no longer qualify to go to the clinic. Its nice seeing everyone and always enjoy the positive support here and no one makes fun of my posts!! I dont know what kind of advice Im looking for but any feedback is much appreciated.
Make it a great day!
cuzinvinny
Make it a great day!
cuzinvinny
"does the heart heal the afib?"
The answer is "no", it tolerates the afib.
Are you in afib all the time?
Do you have any of the CHA2DS2Vasc risks?
You are asymptomatic all the time?
Did the doctor know you were taking Pradaxa?
Was it an EP that prescribed aspirin?
Did they prescribe 2 aspirin per day?
How many mg?
Coumadin is cheap. Did they consider that?
What did the nurse mean by "your heart is all over the place"?
Was that AFTER you were cardioverted?
You know Pradaxa only stops strokes... you can't feel it, right?
Good to hear from you again.
petey
It is also important to control your rate. Do you take anything besides aspirin?
Why won't the clinic let you go there anymore?
It was good to hear from you...keep us posted
I dont have any CHA2DS2Vasc risks.....There is a history of heart disease on my Dads side....He and all his 3 bros. died of heart attack....Since my last post I started the dash diet and lost almost 30lbs....The Dr. that saw me at the clinic was a cardiologist from the office of the Dr. that treated me in hospital. I have no idea if im
asymptomatic cause I cannot tell the difference and couldnt in the hospital where I had to be converted. They could not get the coumadin to work to their satisfaction and switched me to pradaxa which I was getting for free from manufacturer through the clinic. I had an ekg and stress test after the conversion and all was fine. I guess what I was wondering if anyone else has the problem of not being able to tell when you re in afib?
I no longer qualify for the clinic because my disability payment is too high but soon will be able to get Kancare (medicaid) with a paydown amt. Im eating right (Dash diet) and have eliminated all alcohol, sugar and dairy from my diet. Drinking lots of water...starting walking as excercise....Im not sure what else I can do. Im taking (2) 325mg aspirin a day. I conclude that afib is like my anxiety and depression in that its a condition that has to be managed on a daily basis....Im doing all that I can think of to do...to get healthy and remain....still wonder about the afib which maybe I can address when the Kancare goes through. Thanks so much for your replies!
your friend,
Vinny
I think this is wonderful!
Sounds like you are doing quite well. Some people with a fib cannot tell if they are in a fib or not. Others have alot of symptoms. The most important thing whether you are in a fib all the time or only some of the time is to control the heart rate. Do you take any other meds besides aspirin? A beta blocker?
The other most important thing is anticoagulation. Aspirin isn't quite as good as coumadin or pradaxa but it's better than nothing. Especially if you don't have any risk factors.
I hope Petey answers because he is in a fib all the time and has no symptoms.
No offense to our Italian friends, but who in their right mind is going to make fun of a guy whose nickname is "CuzinVinny?" Not me!
Congrats on the weight loss and lifestyle change...I just got yelled at a few weeks back by my cardiologist, since I have gained weight due to the afib drugs (not being able to exercise to previous levels). Of course, the drugs are just a poor excuse. As you have proven, with lifestyle change, weight loss IS possible! I hope to develop some discipline here shortly!
Irish Bill
petey
"What did the nurse mean by "your heart is all over the place"?
I would suggest that you be wary of what any nurse randomly comments about - to you. Unless she is at some significant level of cardiac care and understanding. I have had nurses make comments to me that were not only stupid and ill-conceived but they were also inappropriate regarding the/my condition of AFIB.
The aspirin is a weird gig. I think it doesn't hurt to keep it going 325 or 81mg, whatever. Whether it helps in the long run is questionable, but why stop now?
Take care! :)