What should I do I need advice now

Ok so last Saturday on Halloween I went in to ventricular tachycardia ended up getting cardio version and a nice 2 day stay in the hospital. I am now on tambacor and metropolol 2 times a day , had pacemaker adjusted and xeralto . I don't generall take well to meds but being tired and feeling funny is better than being dead.
So my choices are stay on meds forever with no guarantee I won't go into tachycardia again or have more issues or #2 have an ablation I that lower left area which is a risky ablation also no guarantees that it won't happen again . But if successful I may be med free or at least just beta blocker.
Surgery is set for next Friday but I am chickening out . I have had 2 ablations in the past not as risky but not successful as a matter of face the second one is thought to be the one that led me to all of these problems.

2 Comments

May want to give meds some time...

by Lurch - 2015-11-06 06:11:10

As for the Beta Blocker, you may want to give it some time. When I first started on Atenolol I could barely function during the day. Took about six weeks before I started adjusting to it and felt like I could do things again.

I still have days where I have very limited energy, but it is very hard to tell if that is the disease or the meds...

Good luck.

Between the rock and the hard place

by Theknotguy - 2015-11-06 12:11:08

OK, so you're between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Know the feeling very well as I've been there too.

Had my PM for about three months when my heart decided (for lack of a better term) to throw a temper tantrum. I went into afib with RVR. While lying in bed my heart rate went from 60 to 140. Was thinking I was going to die and almost wishing it would happen. Had to go to the ER and get an IV with a heavy dose of Cardizem. So I can feel your pain.

First, to answer your question, I can't really tell you to go or not go. That decision has to stay with you. Sorry 'bout that but it's your life. Sometimes in life you put your money down on the table, spin the wheel, and see what comes up. Not fair, I know, but life isn't always fair.

A question for you. I see you have a Medtronic. I've got one too. Since I go into afib often, my EP got the Medtronic with the extra software program called APP. (Atrial Preference Pacing) APP has mitigated my afib over the past two years. Do you have APP on your Medtronic? It's a question to ask your EP.

You say in your post your tachy is in the lower left area. So I don't know if APP would help, but it's still a question to ask.

I'm on almost the same medications as you to control my afib. However I'm very lucky in that I don't seem to have adverse reactions to the medication.

When I came out of the hospital it was strongly suggested I get an ablation. But my EP said he wanted to hold off at the time because of other trauma I had. We worked out dosages of Metoprolol and Cardizem which, along with the APP, keep my afib down to a reasonable level. We've pushed off ablation for two years now and are in a wait-and-see situation about the future.

I'm down to one dosage of Cardizem per day. I have an unusual dosage of Metoprolol of 25mg in the AM with another dosage of 50mg in the PM. It's (for me) a minimal amount of Metoprolol. I don't feel the need to sleep all the time and don't feel like a zombie. I've discussed the situation with my EP and know when to increase my dosage of Metoprolol during afib and when to punch the button and go to the ER. Not a perfect solution but, like I said before, I've pushed off ablation for two years and for the forseeable future.

Hopefully I've given you some questions to ask which may open up other possibilities for the future. I also hope things get better for you.

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

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