What To Do?

My Mom is 71,she has HBP,some cardiomyopathy and is a Diabetic,has been since 1993.She has A-Fib and was diagnosed in 1999 with it.

She was put on Betapace in 99 and then got a pacemaker 2002.Her heart was pausing and she passed out.

She did reasonably well on the Betapace and the pacer for several years.

She began having longer and very frequent spells of A-Fib she has the kind that comes and goes on its own.Her heart goes back to normal without being shocked.The bouts got more and more frequent and her heart doctor kept saying that ablation may be something to think about.He then added Metoprolol to her Betapace.

She kept getting worse,she was having fast heart rates,sometimes as high as 120-130 bpm.The doctor added Rythmol to the Betapace/Met. but her heart rate went up.He took her off of the Rythmol.

She went back later and her doctor took her off of the Betapace and wanted her to take Amiodarone.She has already been told by a former doctor that it is dangerous and I did some research on the internet and found out that it can be very dangerous.

After that,we went to a different heart doctor and he was trying to do rate control instead of rythm control with Verapamil and the Metoprolol.

Her rate did come down but not enough.He did an echo and her heart function was at 40%,he took her off of the Verapamil and replaced it with Digoxin.He also upped her Metoprolol.

The Digoxin and Metoprolol helped some but at her last EKG her heart rate was still quite above 100bpm.He is now wanting to do a Complete AV Node Ablation and install a Biventricular Pacemaker

The ablation runs a risk of Sudden Cardiac Death which usually happens 2 days after the ablation but can happen for up to 2-3 months after.

I would like to know if there are any other medications that she could take.She has only taken Betapace,Metoprolol,Rythmol(a week or two),Verapamil and Digoxin.

Is there anything else that she could try,other than the Amiodarone?

If the ablation is the only option,we at least want to be sure that there are no meds. that could be used.

We are confused and dont know what to do,we have been told different things and we need some help.

Thanks for any help.

4 Comments

Afib after pacer

by renee14150 - 2009-03-14 01:03:46

I am only 31 and have a pacer recently implanted. I experienced AFIB and fast HR after the PM and my doctor put me on Diltiazem and all is perfect now. But...i have no other heath problems but Syncope...I do not have HBP or anything else heart related.

AV NODE ABLATION

by pete - 2009-03-14 03:03:01

I am an advocate for AV node ablation. I have one. My neighbour has one. Before I got to the bit where you said AV node ablation I had already made up my mind they would tell your mother that. That is the best way forward and the results are usually very good. All ablations carry risks but the AV node ablation is a lot easier and quicker than some ablation proceedures. Medication did very little for me with my AF etc. However after a biventricular cardiac resynchronisation pacemaker and an AV node ablation I took on a complete new lease of life, able to dio almost anything except run a marathon. Well there might be a risk of SCD but I have never heard of this connected with AV node ablations. The doctors know what they are doing and in most cases it is best to take their advice after having given it carefull thought. Cheers Peter

PS

by janetinak - 2009-03-14 04:03:20

Forgot to mention I was 61 when did the ablation & that was a lot of yrs ago.

Janet

I agree with Peter

by janetinak - 2009-03-14 04:03:56

I had an AV node ablation after 2 yrs of constant AFib with very high HR's & no meds nor cardioversions helping. Lots of symptoms (SOB, tired all the time, etc) & that all went away after the ablation.Of course, I am 100% PM dependent but that is easy to live with now & only med I take is Coumadin, the blood thinner, as I am still in Afib but it does its thing & I am not aware of it.

Good luck to your Mom.

Janet

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