Back from the hospitol

Well, I just spent three days in the hospital so that I could be put on Sotalol. Got out of the hospital on Wednesday and went into a-fib for 2 hours on Friday. Guess we will see what happens next.

6 Comments

AF ablation

by golden_snitch - 2009-08-29 01:08:28

Hi Bob,

just one thought regarding the ablation: I used to think, too, that with AF one should wait with that for as long as possible because it is not yet a standard procedure, often takes more than one attempt, and in some patients it only helps to the degree that after the ablation their AF can be controlled by meds again. But then I heard that there is some evidence that ablations are more successful in those patients who only suffer from episodes occasionally. My EP always says: AF causes AF, meaning that it'll get more frequent over time. He also says that as soon as someone has daily episodes or even permanent AF, the harder it gets to cure it with an ablation.

Just a thought that might be interesting for you. If you feel fine now with the meds, that's perfect. And with Dronedarone there probably is a good alternative to an ablation as it doesn't have as many adverse effects as Amiodarone or Sotalol.

Best wishes,
Inga

Multaq

by golden_snitch - 2009-08-29 09:08:59

Hi there!

Has your cardio metioned Multaq (Dronedarone), yet? It received FDA approval in the beginning of July, and is now already available in the U.S. so maybe this would be an option for you in case the Sotalol is not working. It's expensive, though, I think 4.50$ per tablet.

I'm on Amiodarone, not for a-fib but for all kinds of other arrhythmia. They will switch me to Multaq as soon as possible, but it's not approved in Germany, yet. Unfortunately. I hate taking Amiodarone, it can do so much harm to the lungs, thyroid gland, liver, eyes etc.

Best
Inga

Same Here

by Bionic Man - 2009-08-29 12:08:00

I was put on Sotalol in December. I had to spend three boring days in the hospital also. The Dr was hoping the Sotalol would take care of the A-Fib. It didn't. I still have regular bouts of it. I do feel better on it though. The next step for me would be to try an ablation. For now the a-fib episodes don't bother me too much. I'm aware they are happening but they don't keep me from doing the things I want to do. Once the episode passes I feel fine. I've been hesitant about having an ablation, although a lot of people on this website have had great success. I'd like to try to control it with medicine if possible. If it gets to a point where I can't take the a-fib any longer then I'll give an ablation a try.
Hopefully they can figure it out for you. Keep us posted. I'd be interested to hear what they do for you as I am in the same situation.
Good Luck,
Bob

Bob and Inga

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-08-30 03:08:50

Well, I haven't heard of Dronedarone before, so I will have to ask about it. However, I have SSS with A-Fib, so I am not sure if that would do the trick to help me. So far however, they have tried:

Bisoprolol
Digoxin
Amiodarone (which I found I am allergic to)
Rythmol
Metaprolol
Tikosyn
and now Sotalol

All have failed to control my a-fib.

Like you Bob, they state that my only next option if the Sotalol doesn't work will be an ablation and like you I have been trying to put it off (hence the long list of tried meds). However, my a-fib is stopping me from doing normal activities. I am not sure how high my heart rate got up to during the a-fib on Friday, but I do know that it felt the same way it did when my heart rate jumped up into the mid 200's the two times I was called by the monitoring company (while wearing a two week halter) and told to go to the hospital (something I always try to avoid). So I would estimate it was probably about 230 or 240 at the time (while I get light-headed at that, I don't typically start passing out until it hits into the low to mid 300's). I will keep everyone posted as to what ends up happening.

On a not so side note, I am so sick of this. I hurt nearly all the time and the one thing that has helped me keep my sanity (my martial arts) has been stripped from me due to the pacemaker. Even after the pacemaker, I have passed out twice due to my heart rate going so erratic that it throws my BP way off and it drops causing me to drop. If I were younger with an entire lifetime ahead of me, my life would have evolved around the heart problem. If I were older, then I wouldn't expect to be able to do as much. But at 34 my life has evolved around pushing my body to the extremes at every turn to suddenly not even being able to run a block (I use to run 18 miles a day). I am so close to just giving up.

Multaq

by golden_snitch - 2009-08-30 07:08:19

Hi!

So, seems like you have tried almost everything. Multaq is a multi-channel-blocker like Amiodarone, they just took the iodine out of it. The iodine in the Amiodarone was supposed to be responsible for all the adverse effects and irreversible damages to the lungs etc. So they modified the Amiodarone, and the new drug is called Dronedarone. So maybe you won't be allergic to this.

But if you suffer that much, I would probably rather give an ablation a try. As I said, as long as you have these episodes and are not in permanent atrial fibrillation, chances to cure it with an ablation could be higher than later on. And the actual procedure is really not that bad. However, it's better be done by well-trained EPs that do a few hundred of these ablations per year. Lots of hospitals are offering the ablations, but it's worth looking at two or even three different ones.

Best wishes
Inga

I Agree

by Bionic Man - 2009-08-30 10:08:12

Inga is correct. My A-Fib is mild. I can function with it. Yours is affecting your quality of life. I would certainly consider all avenues. I live in MA. I am being treated by one of the top Boston Hospitals. They do hundreds of ablations every year. The EP's are very experienced in ablations. I have a lot of confidence in them. It is a good idea to look into different EP's to find who has the most experience. I also have read the longer you wait the more difficult it could be to treat. Like you I have SSS. The bradycardia has been taken care of with the pacer. I no longer have any issues with that. I consider myself fortunate. I can still do the activities I enjoy.
Hopefully you'll be able to get this squared away and return to the lifestyle you were used to.
Thanks for the insight.
Bob

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