Had a Cardioversion 9th Nov

[gixxerboy]

Had the Cardioversion on the 9th and was told it had worked, before been discharged they stated stop taking Digoxin immediately , i'm now feeling a bit dizzy/weary/tired could that be due to stopping it suddenly ???

[Ktomoph_]

gosh....thats an interesting one....I too was told to stop taking digoxin prior to cardioversion ( which failed after a couple of hours). it didn't occur to me at the time whether the stopping of digoxin was the reason for feeling dizzy or so weary.

I will continue to watch this post to see if anyone has any answers.

were you given any different medication instead?

[gixxerboy in reply to Ktomoph_]

No other medication was mentioned , was just told to carry on taking the 1's that I've been taking

[Ktomoph_ in reply to gixxerboy]

...so was that the 9 November?

and are you still in NSR?

....sorry, just lots of questions popping up into my thoughts....

which AF has been diagnosed and which other medication?

[gixxerboy in reply to Ktomoph_]

yes that was he 9th of November, upto now i'm still in NSR but keep getting a little flutter so maybe i'm going backwards or is it due to stopping the Digoxin ??? I keep thinking your body gets used to something and now its giving me withdrawal symptoms lol i'm still taking Ramipiril / Bisoprolol and Rivaroxaban

[Ktomoph_ in reply to gixxerboy]

....dont like to say it, but that was my reason for asking if you are still in NSR...the cardioversion may have only worked for a short time, just as it did for me.

But dont see it as a negative, just another step. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 times for it to fully work.

How long were you taking the digoxin?

As said, I hadn't considered whether stopping the digoxin had affected me, but I was given an alternative and a reason why, which I cannot 100% recall.

It is something to definitely talk to either your GP, arrhythmia team or even cardiologist about - I personally prefer asking the arrhythmia team and cardiologist.

Trust your instincts gix, but most of all stay positive.

[gixxerboy in reply to Ktomoph_]

If it is going back into AF a least I know what to expect and I won't be worried this time. nothing to it at all.

I was on Digoxin from March this year.

Can I ask what alternative you were offered ?

I live in the North east of the UK and theres not much communication in this town,

[Ktomoph_ in reply to gixxerboy]

I dont think it matters where we live to be honest, my experience has been that if we want to know something we must actually chase it ourselves - which is why I believe - and from experience - your arrhythmia person and your EP cardiologist the best to ask.

I found their number on one of the first letters I received and made the call to the arrhythmia person named. This is perfectly acceptable, so please do call.

I am relieved to hear that you are not so worried now that you have had the first.

There are lots of other things involved in why I am on some of the medication, mostly to do with what my body can or cannot tolerate. And also what has happened since with other diagnosis. But after trial and error I am now on nebivolol - fairly low dosage - instead of digoxin.

[Hidden]

Hi gixxerboy, I'm not medically trained, so unable to comment on specific medication. That said, if told to by your doctor, it is generally thought better to increase or decrease doses gradually over time. In my case, I was on digoxin for a short before my cardioversion and was told to stop which I did without any problems. Cardioversions are rarely a cure for AF, although they can be more successful for younger patients if done quickly, but they are a very valuable guide in helping medics determine further treatment. Mine lasted around a year for which I was very grateful, but it did help determine that I might be a reasonably good candidate for an ablation and apart from a few blips, so far, so good. Hopefully, your CV will work for a good while, but the important thing is that you have gone back into sinus rhythm, but do not get disheartened if AF does rears it's ugly head. It's a great move forward! Try not to worry about the symptoms you mention, they are likely to reduce as your heart adjusts to beating regularly.....best of luck.....John

[JonathanPittsCrick]

I don't think your symptoms would be related to stopping the digoxin, more likely to be caused by a slow heart rate while in normal rhythm and the beta-blocker (bisoprolol) could make that worse. Depending on your overall heart condition it may be better to take flecainide which stabilises the heart without slowing its rate.

Flecainide also doubles the chances of the cardioversion staying successful.

I should suggest getting advice from your EP doctor or arrhythmia nurse at the hospital.