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goodbye heart monitor!

shirljo profile image
14 Replies

Hello, just an update on my heart monitor as I've had it for 6 days now and today it goes back to the hospital. I had only two episodes all week where I had to push the button and as I said previously I wanted it to monitor something just to prove that I am actually feelings these feelings! I have pushed myself this week too, long hard walks (up hills, fast, slow etc) I have eaten spicy foods, drank wine, had little sleep but would it perform .............no!!

Oh well here's hoping that when I get to my appointment in June they may even reduce my tablets and I'll stop feeling so flipping tired all the time.

Today I'm off for a nice relaxing week in the New Forest, no cooking, cleaning or work! Bliss :)

Have a good week all and thank you for your comments and advice.

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shirljo profile image
shirljo
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14 Replies
Rellim296 profile image
Rellim296

What a fun week you have had! At least you had two opportunities to press the button. As you had a sensible sort of monitor, perhaps you will merely be glad to hand it back. Could not get rid of mine fast enough.

Have a great week.

You've found the secret to no AF that we're all looking for shirljo, loads of wine and spicy food :-) ...... I wish!

Hopefully, they shouldn't need much data to decide what it is. I had only a few feelings with a 7 day monitor, and those feelings were tiny which I describe as like a little muscle twitching under my armpit. It was no problem at all, and I could have just ignored it. But they said it was AF and gave me an ablation.

Good luck

Koll

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie

Typical! I am on flecanide 100mg x2 and started to have breakthrough episodes of A.F. I notified my E.P. as he had requested as I had 4 in 2 weeks. He told me to increase flecanide to 150mcg2 and made an appointment for me to discuss long term treatment which I assume maybe an ablation.since then I have not had another episode and its 15 days now! So now I'm wondering what to do. Increase tablets or what?so now I'm actually hoping for another episode to justify taking more tablets. Bizarre isn't it?! It just won't follow a pattern and likes doing its own thing.x

Rellim296 profile image
Rellim296 in reply todedeottie

We've a thing or two in common, dedeottie. I went up from 100mg x2 of flecainide to 150 x2 in July. As the max dose is, I think, 400mg per day, it didn't leave me a lot of scope to take extra if I wanted to clobber a bout of AF but it did give me a supply of 50mg tablets. Luckily I was prescribed 56 x 100mg per month and 60 x 50 mg. Would take 200mg if I woke with AF and a further 50 if that didn't do the trick. Almost always it did.

I did notice a bit of improvement at first on 300mg per day - had a long clear spell Oct / Nov but since the beginning of December it has been worse. However, I was on the waiting list for the ablation I had a couple of weeks ago. Lovely to have gone back to 100mg flec again - feels like progress.

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie

It's good to have a partner in crime! Did you have any bad effects from taking the extra. On 100 x2 I am a little more tired than usual but otherwise fine. Sounds like your ablation was a success. I must admit to being anxious about the prospect of this. Hope you continue to progress well. Keep me posted! X

Rellim296 profile image
Rellim296

I haven't noticed much change at all, Dedeottie, except numbness in my feet has spread further. My sense of taste isn't perfect and again flecainide may be the culprit, but I can't say it has got worse. Hard to know how bad it is. I find cinnamon and fresh coriander have little flavour and quite a lot of things are a bit dull, especially if one does not use salt. I used to love cranberries because of their sharp taste. How sad do I sound? I can taste lots of things and enjoy meals.

I think my ablation has gone very well - early days. It does sound a bit dramatic but it can have huge long term benefits.

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie

As soon as I knew I couldn't have cranberries I wanted them !! Thanks for the info. X

Have a great time in the New Forest! It's typical that it should hide when you want it to appear... Going to start the wine and spicy food diet straight away :D

Lis

Christo4 profile image
Christo4 in reply to

Hi Lis

Have you had your INR yet.... how was it ?

Hope your feeling alright ?

Christo.

in reply toChristo4

Hi Christo!

Yes, just last Thursday - it was 2.3, so in the zone, which is good. And which means I don't have another test for 70 days apparently... 70 days! Does that seem like a lot to you? It does to me! How are you doing, are you feeling any better?

Lis

Christo4 profile image
Christo4 in reply to

Hi Lis.

Yes feeling better thank you, up at 6:30, two loads of washing out windows cleaned in lounge just having a coffee I only have one a day, my husband says I'm having a good day ! yesterday went for a walk it was hard work plus to warm, I did not feel as good as I do today :-)

Regarding your next testing it's along time, I think I would have said something about that,worth you trying in a few weeks time what do you think ? Or look at your last 2/3 readings maybe they are setting your times of testing on those results.Let me know what you think.

Christo.

Ps this coffee is good ! :-)

in reply toChristo4

Hi Christo

Wow, you are lively today, my goodness, I think you get gold medals for all of that! I'm in awe :). Yes, it was hot yesterday, we went to the beach and it was quite hard work, but a real fun day.

I probably should have said something, I'm actually really bad at sticking my head above the parapet (much better at telling other people they should!). I've been in range for the last few tests so I guess they feel I'm stable enough. I may save up for a coagucheck and just do myself some tests in between to be sure.

Enjoy your coffee! It sounds as if you really deserve it! I'm just trying to get started on my news roundup :D

Lis

Thomas45 profile image
Thomas45

I've been on 150 x 2 of Flecainde for about 7 years. I rarely get an episode. I've noticed 4 in the last 2.5 years, the loingest lasting 2 hours. I avoid taking 2 things which I believe to be triggers: coffee and soya (except as an incidental ingredient). I also have little caffeine but I don't think that's a trigger. It's something else in the coffee, soi in the last 6 years I've had no cups of coffee (or coffee cake or chocolates), 4 cups of tea, no soya, and approximately 12 cans of Cola.

I've never had a heart monitor. I tod the doctor 9 years ago that my heart went haywire from time to time and she advised I went to A+E the next time it did, so I did.

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie in reply toThomas45

That was good advice from your doctor otherwise you can spend years trying to catch it on an e.c.g. x

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