Persistent AF?

[Moonriver]

I have now been in AF for six weeks. Does that mean it is persistent? Does that mean it is unlikely to revert to NSR now? Does your heart remodel in such a short time? I am having a second cardioversion next week. A hospital took me off flecanide which usually puts me back into NSR if I take it immediately.

[Japaholic]

Im afraid I cant answer your questions BUT I simply wanted to let you know your not alone and that a guy in southern Japan feels your anguish. Chin up........

[Loo53]

Can't understand why the hospital took you off Flecanide if it works?

[Moonriver in reply to Loo53]

The doctors said it was not a drug to be taken long term because if you had a defect in the heart it could kill you! I had gone into af the day before and took 100mg flecanide but still in af later so took another 50mg and still not in rhythm. So I went to a and e with pulse rate of 150. The flecanide usually works but on that occasion did not.

[PLangbridge]

Hey In my case it comes and goes. When it comes it sticks around for days sometimes 2 months, then as fast as it arrived its gone. Unfortunately its always back about a week later..

Not sure how useful that was, just my 2 cents

[excalibur]

Hi - sounds fairly persistent, but a second cardioversion should work though they may suggest a stronger drug such as amiodarone to keep you in NSR. You should ask to be referred to an EP if you have not already seen one

Lance

[Moonriver in reply to excalibur]

Hi lance I can't use the drug you mention because I have thyroid problems. I had thyroid cancer and am on thyroxine at suppressive tsh doses to keep cancer cells at bay. I have been in af with tsh at 3 and 1.5 so I can't say the Af is due totally to that although over the years might have had a gathering effect. I am seeing a new EP but all seems to be taking so long since the cardiologist I had before retired. On bisoprolol I was wheezing so was taken off that.

[excalibur in reply to Moonriver]

Sorry to hear about the thyroid issues as well. There is an alternative to Amiodarone: Dronedarone, but don't know whether that has thyroid complications as well. Hope you find a solution

[Hidden]

Have they tried you on different drugs? If not, why? Flecainide gave me palpitations. We had to try four different drugs to get the one, Disopyramide, which works a treat for me.

I had 24/7 AF 10 years ago, not sure how long for as it gradually built up and became more and more constant. But I guess at least 6 months, and it was almost 24/7 for a lot longer than that.

I was booked in for an ablation and the EP said because it was 24/7 they would know straight away whether they'd "got it" or not so virtually guaranteed a high success rate. It worked 100% straight away, and my AF hasn't come back, although I have another problem now.

Koll

[Moonriver in reply to Hidden]

It's great you had such a successful ablation. I have tried bisoprolol and had wheezing. Then diltiazem which controls my BP but not my AF. Flecanide seemed to hold me in NSR but last time was not the case. However, if the docs had left me in peace and let me have the drug maybe the AF would have settled. Who knows? I had a thyroidectomy due to aggressive thyroid cancer so some AF drugs I can't take because it affects the thyroid levels or readings. Are you still on AF drugs even though you ablation was a success? Sorry you have another problem.

[Hidden in reply to Moonriver]

No, the only drugs I took after the ablation were anti-coagulants. I went for 8 years like that, but now I've got a different problem, not AF, so back on drugs but different ones. Not sure whether I'll have another ablation or not, I'll just go with what the EP suggests. My other problem is arrhythmia again but they said they'll have to do an EP Study to find out what it is.

[pip_pip]

Hi

When I asked my cardiologist this question, he just looked at me in silence.

In other words, maybe, maybe not. You'll know if it goes back to sinus, I suppose. It might do. I have been in AF for this legth of time and woke up one morning and 'hey presto' back to sinus, just a few weeks ago. Doesn't stay away though.

Phil

[cbsrbpm]

Similar to you I have been in persistent AF now for 14 weeks and the hospital also took me off flecainide and put me on Bisoprolol. I assumed they took me off flecainide because it was no longer working for me as taking extra tablet whilst in A & E did not work. I am due for my first cardioversion next Tuesday as it has taken a while for my INR to stabilise. I expect they will then decide what to do next if it does or doesn't work. Hope you get sorted soon, good luck.

Brenda

[Moonriver in reply to cbsrbpm]

Brenda, Good luck with your cardioversion. Mine is on Wednesday. I am on one of those new drugs rivaroxiban and apparently they have to do a TOE for that I was told because they can't give you a blood test to see where you are at as they can with warfarin. I could not get a quick access nhs appointment at my local hospital for warfarin and my cardiologist gave me the new one to cover me since I had been taken off my asprin without an alternative!

[sapphy]

I was in persistent AF for 18 months before I was given my internal cardioversion. I have been in NSR for the last 2 years. I was put on 5mg of Bisoprolol after and continue to take it.

[jondeanp]

I was in AF for 5 months before a cardioversion (my first) in May this year put me back into NSR. I had doubts that it would work after what i thought was a long time in AF it fixed me

I have felt the odd flutter every now and again which makes me think "here we go" but nothing, touch wood, to send me back into a full episode

I was on bisoprolol ( and warfarin) until the cardioversion and for a period afterwards until i was checked with an ECG that all was stable

[abihel]

Hi I had my second cardioversion on the 1st Sept and fingers crossed still in SNR.....My story is much the same as you persistent day and night it's horrible isn't it? It affected my life completely always tired, sweating, out of breath and I couldn't walk very far at all! My first on lasted 6 months and it was heaven. I am being sent to see EP in a couple of months so maybe an ablation is on the cards...I don't know yet. It did take me a little longer to feel myself after my second cardioversion about 4 days. Unfortunately I'm suffering with shingles now....just what I need lol.....but I am on the mend I'm 52 and fed up of feeling 102 lol!! I take bisoprol it did affect my breathing at first and was wheezing really bad...but I did persist and it has got easier...I take 5mg a day and have done for the past year, so when I went into AF this time my heart rate didn't get as fast as last time. Good luck let us all know how get on. xxxxxx

[Moonriver in reply to abihel]

Well, it does tire you out especially the drugs. I used to do salsa but haven't the energy today so hope my second cardioversion works so I can feel that I am not always swimming upstream like a salmon! It is disconcerting and makes me feel very tense and on edge or maybe that is the meds, who knows? It is balancing the heart and thyroid that is so tricky.

[Ryan2012]

I think you need an ablation. The longer you are in AFIB the more difficult it is to get in SR. You might need more than one. I needed 3. AFIB is very stubborn to fix but better than having cancer in my opinion.