I know how you feel. I have the same thing. I do take meds to lower my heart beat but otherwise I just take a day at a time even though I don't feel it. There is a new procedure called cryoablation that seems to be really good. They freeze parts of your heart and it really stops the afib. I can't have an ablation and I wouldn't anyhow but I would consider this because the results have been quite good.

Even though you don't feel the fast heart rate, is it there? Just make sure the rate is well-controlled. If you have fatigue and dizziness you may need to take something else to control the rate and help your heart pump a little better. I'm glad you've found some peace of mind. Best wishes

Hi, and thanks for your concern. The rate has always been controlled with Lopressor. It is when they started messing with other drugs that I really realized how bad I could feel. I only have to take 50mg of Lopressor a day and I'm OK. I know there are newer procedures out there for ablation, and if I lived in a bigger city, with more experienced EP's, I might give it a try. The EP I saw here is the best that Idaho has to offer, and he told me "I could do 3 ablations and you still wouldn't be happy"...I guess that means I don't want to give it a try. Because of previous open heart surgery there are centain procedures I can't have, such as the mini-maze or maze....so I'm just going to take it day by day also. I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in getting this A-Fib resolved.

Good luck Dee, I know you have been wrestling with this for a while. I may come to the same point myself but I am relatively young and hold out hope to get back to an athletic lifestyle that I miss so much.
My thoughts and prayers.

Michael

This is an interesting post. There are 2 views on this that have made my decision (or lack of decision) difficult. Depending on what day it is, I hold to one of the 2 theories/beliefs:

1) Ablation and other procedures are the only way to go. It fixes the problem, lessens the chance of drug problems like bleeds, prevents stroke and eliminates risk of heart failure that rate conrol/clot prevention can't eliminate. AFIB is progressive. This is the only way to stop its progression. Blood thinning and rate/rhythm control is only a bandaid, not a fix. I'm not comfortable taking rat "poison" or newer drugs that could cause a bleed or don't have an antidote.

2) Ablation etc. is not required if you are asymptomatic, otherwise healthy and stay on rate control/blood thinning medications that are well tolerated. Ablation may only reduce symptoms... unless you are monitored all the time, you may have undetected times of AFIB. It may never work or may take multiple ablations with possibly hidden AFIB occurences. If you have enlarged atria, have had AFIB awhile, have sleep apnea or other contributing factor, it is less successful. Besides, rate control prevents chances of heart failure and blood thinning (particularly Pradaxa) lowers risk of stroke to almost the same as the regular population. I don't want parts of my heart burned/frozen/zapped.

So... the question is ... does rate control prevent heart failure by keeping the heart from racing, or is it the AFIB itself that causes heart failure in the long term? Is there scientific evidence to support the answer? I'm pretty comfortable with the stroke risk reduction with Pradaxa... it is the heart failure thing that is a question that would make me decide one way or the other.

BTW... I have treated sleep apnea, slight atrial enlargement, 62 years old, diagnosed in February/March, persistent, asymptomatic, on Pradaxa and Bystolic (beta blocker), drugs well tolerated, athletic, and no other medical issues.

I'm not a candidate for ablation because of an extremely enlarged left atrium. I'm also not a candiate for the Cox-Maze procedure (which I don't want anyway). Ablation doesn't always work the first time, or the second time, and it's a very long procedure to put yourself through. Doctors talk a mean game, but there is nothing set in concrete about ablation to be honest.

Hi Petycap,
I feel the same way. I really don't know for sure what the answer is.
You gave a great summary of our choices. I struggle with the fear that this is damaging my heart. I believe (but I don't know what the odds really are) that even with good rate control the fibrillation is stressful to the heart and will eventually take a toll...the atria will enlarge. Good rate control can certainly slow the progression of damage. Rate control doesn't stop the a fib, but it slows the ventricular beats which is the main cause of congestive heart failure. So good rate control is very important.
I have paroxsymal a fib, and I am very symptomatic if I have no meds on board. My heart literally slams around and my chest will feel sore for several days after an episode. I have been in NSR for 4 months with flecainide. It scare me to take this drug, and I avoided it until the a fib progressed to the point that it was affecting the quality of my life alot. The a fib itself scares me more though.

I think we all wrestle with answers to this problem. I would be more at ease if they could come up with a safe medicated way to control the AF. I had a small stroke (TIA) about a year and a half ago and am scared to have another.

I have been on 4 different rate control medicines and none of them have really worked. I am currently on Sotolol and although it does sap my energy, it doesn't bother by stomach and whatever side effects it has, I can live with. I will be seeing my EP Friday and both he and my cardiac doctor want me to start amiodarone. I have researched and read about it on the internet as well as posing a question in DS and looked at previous discussion and have decided it is much too toxic for me.

The decision that I am reaching for me, is to see if and when I can have a cryo-ablation (I did have an ablation in March and it's back). From what I have read, it is supposed to be at lease 70% more successful than the heat ablation. If I am not a candidate for that, I will ask about a pacemaker. I just can't believe that the strong meds prescribed for this will not affect us later on.

I do not have any other health issues (thank God) and I don't want this or the medicines to be the cause of something else.

We all have to make peace with our decisions.

Take care, Joan

I came to the same conclusion as you have. I take fish oil and aspirin and jog 4 or 5 times a week to keep the heart strong.

I would think twice and then think again before getting a pace maker. It doesn't cure the atrial fib at all...and once they destroy the AV node there is no turning back. That would be the very last resort I would ever try...especially because you still have the A-fib going on.