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.
I just started back lap swimming. Laoutlet, I began the summer swimming 30 laps, and by now, I would be up to 45. ( I keep track, and i only swim seasonally in an outdoor town pool) This year, I started at 4 and am only up to 16. I don't know if I'm extra cautious due to last years cardiac event in the pool (this was after joining a masters swim team in the fall and getting pushed too hard.. I developed cardiac edema and had an afib attack) or if it's the Bystolic. Thoughts?
http://www.drjohnm.org/2011/12/the-most-complicated-disease-af/
The most complicated diseaseAF
Dr John Mandrola
December 21, 2011
You may have heard that AF is a tough disease to understand. Questions far outnumber answers.
What causes AF?
Why do some not feel it at all, while others are incapacitated?
Whats the best treatment? Drugs? Ablation? Surgery? No treatment?
Should I take a blood thinnerand which one?
Where should one go for the best AF care?
This short email from a reader captures the essence of AF support group mayhem:
Reader (me): Ablate, dont ablate, cardiovert, maze, mini-maze, no 5 Box, cryo, hot, no cold, hybrid, balloon, ring, lariat, watchman, cut, dont cut, take meds, rhythm controlno rate control, CHADS, no CHADS2, no CHA2DS2VaSC, noleft atrial size, no fibrosis, alpha/beta/calcium channel blockers, magnesium/potassium /taurine, dont take taurine, do something now, no wait they are making advances, Bordeaux, no Austin, no Cleveland, no San Francisco, no U Penn, no Johns Hopkins, yoga, no reiki, no epsom salt baths, exercise more, exercise less, niacin, niacin bad, aspirin, noCoumadin, noPradaxa, norivaroxaban and apixaban geesh! This is the only disease that they cant make up their minds about. If I put these words in the right order, you could sing them to the Billy Joel song, We Didnt Start the Fire!
1)IslandLuvr: Personally, I wouldn't touch Pradaxa with a ten foot pole... but it's your decision. Just be sure you're fully informed about Pradaxa. For me, I don't think the risks are worth it... but we all need to make our own decisions because it's our own bodies.
2)IslandLuvr: Well, I would say the following three articles (one is from Reuters, one from CBS News, and the other in the Seattle Times-- although-- for disclosure-- it was clearly written from a news release from the legal industry) is a good enough reason not to go on Pradaxa.
My prediction is that Pradaxa will eventually be removed from the market. Did you know Pradaxa leads the FDA MedWatch in more reported fatalities than any other drug last year?
Study: Higher heart attack risk from pradaxa
Patients taking the new anti-clotting drug Pradaxa have a 33% higher risk of heart attack or severe symptoms of heart disease than do patients taking warfarin.
The finding, from Cleveland Clinic researchers Ken Uchino, MD, and Adrian V. Hernandez, MD, PhD, is based on data from seven clinical trials that enrolled 30,514 patients.
"The risk of [heart attack] or acute coronary syndrome is increased with [Pradaxa] compared with various control treatments, which include adjusted-dose warfarin, [Lovenox], or placebo," Uchino and Hernandez conclude.
More here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500368_...
Insight: Top heart doctors fret over new blood thinners
(Reuters) - For millions of heart patients, a pair of new blood thinners have been heralded as the first replacements in 60 years for warfarin, a pill whose hardships and risks have deterred many from using the stroke-prevention medicine.
But growing complaints of risks and deaths tied to the new crop of drugs have made some top U.S. cardiologists hesitant to prescribe them. Some are proposing a more rigorous monitoring regimen for when they are used.
Most concerns revolve around Pradaxa, a twice daily pill from Boehringer Ingelheim that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2010 to prevent strokes in patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. It was the first new oral treatment for that use since warfarin was introduced in the 1950s.
"The good news is you now have an alternative to warfarin," said Dr. Alan Jacobson, director of anti-coagulation services at the Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system in Loma Linda, California. "The bad news is you can kill a patient as easily with the new drug as you could with the old drug" if it is not handled properly.
More here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012...
FDA Warns Pradaxa May Lead to Severe Internal Bleeding or Heart Failure
The Safety Communication in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on December 7, 2011 that the anti-clotting drug Pradaxa can lead to severe, if not fatal, internal bleeding. According to the FDA's warning, Pradaxa may be likely to cause serious internal bleeding or heart failure that in some cases lead to death.
We have noted on multiple occasions patients who have been bleeding out from Pradaxa and our hands are tied, says Dr. Bryan Cotton of the Center for Translational Injury Research in Houston, Texas. Theyre bleeding out all over and theres absolutely nothing we can do about it. Im helpless when it comes into my emergency room.
With more than 2.6 million Americans diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation, the anti-coagulant drug Pradaxa was prescribed to a great number of Americans to reduce the risk of stroke. The FDA, however, found that the drug may do more damage than good in the December 2011 Safety Communication on Pradaxa. The document reported that of the estimated 371,000 Pradaxa users, 1583 reported gastrointestinal hemorrhage and 466 reported vascular hemorrhage. Fortunately for individuals who have been prescribed Pradaxa, the Pradaxa Lawsuit Center website provides essential information to help gauge their options.
The comprehensive website, http://www.pradaxalawsuitcenter.com, provides answers about heart attack and internal bleeding risks, as well as answers to liability questions that apply to most Pradaxa claims. Additionally, the Pradaxa Lawsuit Center website offers free, no-obligation Pradaxa case reviews to interested parties. While visiting the website, patients have the opportunity to ask professionals any questions about their individual situation and receive an initial personal consultation at no cost. Attorneys representing Pradaxa victims across the country are standing by, available to chat live to answer any questions a patient may have.
These additional concerns deserve serious consideration in weighing the risks and benefits of [Pradaxa], said Archives of Internal Medicine editor Rita Redberg, MD.
For more information about Pradaxa risks and lawsuits, including how to contact a Pradaxa lawyer, please visit http://www.pradaxalawsuitcenter.com/.
Read more: http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/bus...
petey :-)