What wonderful news! Hope you get to the point where you're in NSR all the time.

Chubster

So happy for you, Paul!
Cheryl

Sorry to hear you having issues. I still had to be put on a rythmn control drug after my 2nd ablation. I'm on multaq and it works pretty good along with 50mg of extended release metaprolol. I have been sotalol. 80mg 2x's daily and had to increase it to 120mg 2x's dsily. I was on thst prior to my 1st ablation. I was still having 2 to 3 episodes per week for 4 to 6 hrs at a time. The only issue with sotalol is it can eventually elongate ur QT waves so that's why ekg's are important to have and they usually hodpitalize u for your first intial dose. Sometimes ablations don't take and u may need a 2nd one. Good luck.

DeTalentedOne: Guess you missed the update. The EP visit yesterday was very good. My AFIB burden was only 13%, which compared to where It was before the ablation, is excellent. She didn't think that playing around with any more drugs or surgery was warranted. I fact, she stopped my metoprolol PIP. My heart rate is usually in the low 50's ... I've been a weightlifter/bodybuilder all my life (since age 13, over 50 years), so my heart is like a runners, on the slow side. Metoprolol makes it too slow.

So next stop is the blood work for the hyperthyroid next week, if that's ok, I'm moving from Coumadin to Eliquis around 1/1.

12/31 is the one year anniversary of my stroke. What a year!

Geeez, sorry to hear this Paul. I hope things settle down. :(

Good to hear you had a productive visit!! All the best! :-)

Paul: Glad to see your update and things are going okay.

Christine (aka Orchard25): Sorry to read about the mix up in drugs. My dad also had afib and the same thing happened to him more than once. I don't remember all the specifics but it went along the lines of too much of one drug one time, two different drugs that worked against each other and they kept increasing the dosage of both until my mother stepped in and demanded that they get a second opinion, and drugs that weren't appropriate for his problem. Instead of helping him, they made him worse. It took over a year for them to get things straightened out. I'm very hesitant to trust any drug therapy because of my dad's experience. I know that the drugs have helped many people on this forum, but I think your experience is not as unusual as you might think. Here's wishing that the rest of your care is completed with a lot more care than your recent experience in the hospital.

Todd

So happy to hear this great news, Paul:)
Do hope it is " full (well not too fast) speed ahead now!
Take care and God bless.
Hugs,
Cristine

It seems to me that your ablation did some good. Maybe the improvement will continue. What exactly is a-fib burden? My episodes are further apart up to five weeks and I have self-converted each time. After an episode I may feel weak and tired and out of breath from any uphill or stair climbing. Then there are many normal days. I guess I am getting used to life with a-fib. I am not a candidate for ablation, take Warfarin and Sotalol, no PIPs. Sotalol slows my heart rate to 40 -50 bpm, I do not like the feeling but it is better than a-fib. I hope you will settle in more and more days in NSR. Have a good Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Marya

Paul you are a real help in this forum and you helped me a lot ..wish and pray things go good for you my friend Tony

AFIB burden is a measure of the proportion of time your heart spends in AFIB. In order to obtain this number, you need to be continuously monitored. I have an implanted monitor called the Reveal LINQ (and Medtronic product). So when I visit the EP, they can get a good reading on my status. My AFIB burden was 13%. Of course, some of that number is a function of how AFIB is defined. What degree of irregularity? How long does it need to last to be considered AFIB. Are there standards for all these things? Do people with normal hearts show occasional AFIB? I mean, no one is perfect --gg--. Anyhow, I hope that my EP uses the same
yardstick next time around AND I hope the number goes down. Many of us who have had ablations, still get occasional issues. Personally, I'm willing to live with my current status. I'm so much better than I was.

Hi Paul:
I am currently taking a cardiac monitor course. In this class, I have learned that irregularity is defined by QRS complexes/intervals ( heart beats) that vary by more than 0.08 seconds (2 small squares on ECG paper) and have learned that sustained arrhythmia is defined by a rhythm lasting at least 30 seconds on monitor/ECG. Maybe this helps to answer your question regarding degree of irregularity and how long it needs to last. I am assuming that this is the yardstick by which all cardiac monitoring is measured. I agree with you regarding healthy hearts may occasionally have a bout of Afib, though it may be non-sustained. I am curious...are you able to get print outs at your EP appointments for your records. Do they download the data from your monitor to a computer. I find this implanted monitor stuff fascinating! It is so amazing what technology exists!

They printed out something, but I didn't see or ask for it. Funny, I get copies of everything else. Next time I see the EP I'll ask for it.

Carrie, did you learn how they calculate the AFIB Burden? Do they just add up all the AFIB time lengths and divide by the time period?

Hi Paul,
Thank you for the information. I had the Reveal Link also, implanted twice and both times my body literally expelled it. A rare incident I hope. My doctor did get some good information. So I record a-fib only when I feel it and discount frequent single extra beats. Again happy Holidays, Marya

Hi Paul: We havent touched on that yet in class. I bet you are right though. My guess is that they calculate all the time spent in AF against total montoring time. I wonder if the Medtronic/Reveal website might have some information on how AF burden is calculated by their product?