After having an angiogram my coronary arteries are clear but I have been diagnosed with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction and AF

[greengo1]

What exactly is LVSD and are both conditions treatable or curable ? Thank you for any information

[BobD Volunteer]

Not being medically trained I had to look at Google (you could try this) and it appears to be a form of heart failure treatable with ACE inhibitors and beta blockers.. That is about all I could find that was intelligible to a mere mortal like me.

Bob

[greengo1]

Thank you very much for your reply Bob, I will look ACE and LVSD up. I am already on Beta Blockers. I am just confused because I have been diagnosed with both conditions and wonder what applies to which or what causes which and what treatment is available

Hopefully my heart consultant will make all clear the next time I see her.

The trouble is that there is such a long period between my angiogram and my next appointment where I hope all will be explained

In the meantime I am trying to be forewarned and trying to find the correct questions to ask

All I know up to now is that my arteries are clear

Thank you again

Johnny

[diggercase]

Hi, I also have lvsd and afib with a heart beat of 200 beats pm ,the af I'm told is the cause ,it makes my heart enlarged witch then caused heart failure,had angiogram all clear ,2cardioversions did not work they won't try abolation,am now on medication management ,digitoxin and 5other drugs ,but you must talk to your cardiologist, there are of different things they can do for you ,so when you sit and think about what is happening write it down and take it with you on your app and make sure you ask any about any thing that is worrying you ,good luck

[greengo1]

Thanks diggercase for your help and advice and good luck to you as well. Maybe a bit of a stupid question but do the drugs that you are taking affect or restrict your life style in any way such as travel or diet?

[diggercase]

Hi ,digoxin is a rate controll drug they can't do anything for the rhythm ,it interacts with biosoporolol to slow the heart ,I get very cold extremities find walking difficult at times breathlessness ,tired some times but on the whole I try to be positive, I don't know if you are on warfarin or not I take 8 mg per day ,there is a restriction on alcohol certiain other things you have to avoid.i take water tablets if I'm going any distance I try to wait till I get home.warfarin is not a blood thiner as many would believe it's an anticoagulant ,like cement just takes a lot longer to harden,travel on long haul flights can b expensive ,if u speak to your cardiologist they should inform you about your diet ,light exercise is good,try to stay stress free and don't worry.if you are not sure just ask them ,don't know if this of any help but am all ways willing to talk

[greengo1]

Hi diggercase, what you are telling me is very helpful towards my understanding of the conditions and treatments available. I am very grateful for your help. Whatever anticoagulant that I am going on is up in the air at the moment. My cardiologist is keen to get me on warfarin but my GP is dropping hints that there are other alternatives which are less restrictive and do not need monitored so often, the downside is they cannot be reversed if bleeding occurs so I am trying to find out as much as I can before my next appointments and agreeing to whatever they recommend. Like you I am also on water tablets, tired and feeling the cold. Like you I try to keep my chin up. In the meantime I am sure things will get better for us both. I will let you know what happens. Thanks again

[diggercase]

Hi there are things they can do they canput an icd in your heart wich stops blood clots,pace maker,different things, I've been going through this now for nearly 4years have been told there is nothing they can for me ,the electro phisyologist said they would not attempt abolation ,so the lower the heart rate the better ,apperantly my afib is playing havoc and causing problems with the lvsd so it's only medication management for me, I preferred warfarin once I settled down with it I have a blood test every 7 or 8 weeks ,are you permantly in afib it is a little bit harder to treat,if you are parasaxamal again different things they can do if lvsd is alcohol related it is possible it can be reversed but as I said write things down and ask your cardiologist ,I made the mistake of not doing the first time I saw my cardi and was frustrated ,never made that mistake again.i hope this is of some help but they are the only ones that you should take advice from,but talking to you has made me feel better ,because unless another person is suffering the same illness as you it is hard for then to really understand ,my name is john. Please excuse he spelling lol

[greengo1 in reply to diggercase]

Hi Diggercase (John) My name is John as well. Everything you are telling me is helpful and I will take your advice on writing everything down. Up to now I do not know if I am in permanent AF or not, my symptons don't seem to be as severe as your's yet. The new drugs I mentioned in the last post do not seem to be as restrictive on alcohol or food intakes as warfarin and there is no need for regular blood monitoring. They are apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban. According to the report that I have read on line they are available on NHS and reduce the risk of stroke more than warfarin. They might be worth looking up online. It seems that they are more expensive than warfarin but according to a NHS report are more cost affective in the long run by reducing the number of strokes

Best of luck

John

[diggercase]

Hi john ,i asked the anticoagulant team and the cardiologist because of what is going on they were not suitable, and as warfarin has been around a long time I accepted it. Have they said anything about cardio version yet ,things will become clearer ,and the way forward if they find out why this is happening hopefully you won't have to long to see your consultant ,the hospital I visit is now 6months between apps,but I am just glad they found it in time ,hope this help. John