As I understand it, they give you rhythm control drugs before and after. That's the part I am not comfortable with, not the paddles.

The other thing is that cardioversion doesn't last. Not sure what the benefit is if it doesn't last in most cases.

I would ask those questions... Why cardiovert if it seldom lasts and if you have to take drugs that can have bad side effects and only work to keep you in NSR for a period of time.?

I was not put on rhythm control drugs when I had my first cardioversion. My first cardioversion put me back into NSR and I stayed in rhythm for 14 months. That was 14 months with no medications (other than warfarin) and normal sinus rhythm where I felt great. I think that was well worth it. The procedure itself is very low risk and was not difficult or painful at all.

After having three cardioversions over the past few years (with 10 - 14 months between each one), I did agree to go on a rhythm control drug (Rhythmol). I've not had any problems with it. I'm on the lowest possible dose and for now it's working.

Since there is no permanent cure for afib, the most you can do is treat it the way that works best for you for the highest quality of life as possible. Some people, like me, have a difficult time maintaining rate control when in afib, so remaining in afib and doing rate control only isn't really an option for me.

What I'm doing now may not work forever. When it stops working I'll try something else. But just because something won't work forever, if there is a chance that it will work for a time and it doesn't have any great risks, then why not try it?

i just feelt that this doc who called me couple of times and was the e p that i was refered to was more interested in making some money .

when i saw him very first time , he had not even read my file and then it took him only 5 minutes to decide that i should go for cardioversion and that he can do it right here in his office .
needless to say i was not very impressed but cant say much since i am with an hmo .
then his office called gain to ask me if i have decided and i said no not yet .

this is the thiird time they want me to go and see him regarding that .
i am on the meds for rate control such as toporol and on warafin ,i feel fine overall since i dont feel it that much like our ( resident Psychologist ) peteycap .

And what i see is that even the docs dont know much about this yet .and i may be a guinne pig .

i was told after my lab work that i may be diabetic , i told my doc i am not taking any more pills i will cut down on sugar and loose some weight but please no more pills .

thanks again to all my friends for listening .

regards to all

ray
los angeles

I completely understand the distrust for doctors and the feeling that they are looking out more for their profit margin than for your best interests. However, it doesn't take a cardiologist or EP long to determine that attempting to get you back into normal sinus rhythm might be the best treatment option for you if you are newly diagnosed to atrial fibrillation. So the doctor may have only needed to review your file for 5 minutes to decide that.

I believe you are close to my age (early 50's) and as my cardiologist told me, at my age and given the fact that I did not have any serious underlying heart conditions, he felt it was in my best interest to try and maintain normal sinus rhythm as much as possible for as long as possible. Remaining in afib even with rate control is not completely harmless. Over time it can cause damage to your heart, (enlarged atria, fibrosis of the heart muscle, and development of heart failure).

If you don't have confidence in your current EP than check with your HMO to see if there are other doctors you can see. All of my cardioversions were done by my cardiologist not an EP. I'm sure your HMO has more than one in-network cardiologist.

What would make me uncomfortable is the doctor saying he could do it in his office. All of mine were done in the hospital cath lab as an out-patient procedure. I wouldn't feel safe having it done in a doctor's office.

Cardioversion can work if you catch the atrial fibrillation immediately, but that doesn't happen for most people. For me cardioversion was a huge waste of time. It lasted all of three days, but come to think of it that is 2 days and 20 hr. longer then my ablation lasted:) I think it's a waste unless you are just recently diagnosed. For a persistent A-Fibber, it's a huge waste of time.

I also have persistent afib. Once I go into afib I stay in afib until something is done to convert me back into normal sinus rhythm. I've had afib since 2007. I've had a total of 4 cardioversions (the last one was in May of 2010. All of my cardioversions have worked to put me back in NSR and have lasted for several months.

No, it doesn't work for everyone.

But, if you've not tried one yet, it's definately worth a try. Just having persistent afib or because you've been in afib for several months doesn't automatically mean it won't work for you.

I had a cardioversion for afib Dec. 2010 and have not had afib again. I have had 2 bouts of flutter though. Mine stems from having had a maize procedure during the valve replacement and now there is a new pathway somewhere. I had another cardioversion this Dec. and so far so good.

I had 2 cardioversions 4 years ago and I am still in NSR with the help of flecainide. I think the cardioversion is worth it.

I too was very leery of Rhythmol and I didn't want to take it twice a day (alternating with my Inderal) as the original electro guy wanted me to do after I saw him for the first time 3 years ago after being hospitalized with my first bout of afib. However, a few nights ago when I had my third afib incident, the internist who happened to be in the ER was very reassuring and he gave it to me via injection and of course they do that slowly over a 2 minute period, and they are monitoring you closely. It was not scary and it didn't have any immediate effect. But I converted back to sinus rhythm in 4-1/2 hours instead of it taking 12 to 14 hours like it did before! Be aware that the longer you are in afib, the more strain on your heart, and the more likely the condition will become permanent. I can understand your reluctance to let the doc give you the drug in his office; it should be in a hospital setting where they have an array of drugs and monitoring equipment, just to be safe. I now worry that the next time I go to an ER, there may not be a doc as familiar with the drug, and I don't want just anyone to give it to me! The alternative is to lay there helplessly for hours at a time praying your heart converts and worrying about the strain the chaotic beating imposes on your entire body. Good luck1

Don't be afraid of cardioversion. Of all the things they put us through, it's one of the easier ones. My first one kept me in rhythm for 5 years. My second was last spring and it held until Oct. I was scheduled for a third one but went back into rhythm while getting my pre procedure ekg. There's really nothing to it.