Failed Dc Cardioversion

[Jefferson57]

I recently posted of my Frankenstein procedure and some asked me to follow up. Here goes...

Alas, it was nice while it lasted. I had a blissful and reflective nine days of NSR with an average of my old 62 resting bpm heart rate.

Failure was always on the cards as my heart was banging around a bit and now I'm on at 78 bpm resting while remaining on 5mg Bisoprolol and 20mg rivaroxaban daily

Pulse is thready and irregular when taken manually.

ECG scheduled for 9 Feb during my post procedure follow up. As such I am asymptomatic and other than a bit of tiredness following exercise and a particularly enjoyable propensity for afternoon naps.

I am still experimenting with vitamin supplements and am still on 300mg fish oil, 450mg mag, 100mg potassium, 300 mg vit C and 200 mg Hawthorn, daily.

Any/all suggestions welcome.

BP is 117/78 and steady. And overall, I feel great.

Oddly, the thought or realization that I have a statistically significant chance of being dead in five years has enhanced my life and I am really enjoying things. I have an overwhelming sense of wellbeing and contentment in contrast to many who suffer from anxiety for exactly the same reason. Must be the Forces mentality of being ex Army. Or maybe I'm really stupid. Dunno.

Still cutting weight and set a new target for myself.

I do moderate exercise and pulse gets up to 146bpm during lite runs and cross trainer. Recovery time is good and pulse rate drops to 75-80 in less than a minute. I asked the gym guy what the record was and he said 'Zero' so not a record I want to match.

I will post again after 9 Feb checkup and ECG.

Stay safe.

Jeff

[rosyG]

Hi

It all sounds good- don't get the "dead in five years" bit- not from AF anyway.......

[Hidden]

I wonder if you are confusing having AF can make you 5 times more likely to have a stroke - hence the need for anticoagulants. I don't want to stop you from making the most of life, but to the best of our knowledge, no one has died from AF.......the fact the you were in sinus rhythm, albeit for 9 days is actually quite helpful for the medics to establish a treatment plan so best of luck on the 9th

[Jefferson57]

AF, as I have learned here, isn't a fatal illness. It is actually a symptom of a larger condition, heart disease. As such it is not fatal.

No one dies from a runny nose but if it a symptom of pneumonia or TB then you still have to look at the long term with limited prospects.

The numbers on the Chad test give me a 1 or maybe at 2, which give me a 20% change of having a stroke increasing as I age and other symptoms exacerbate.

I'm not selecting my box nor looking at music tracks and flowers yet. But to ignore the actual situation I am in and to not understand and accept the risks is something I am not prepared to do.

[Polski]

A '20% chance of having a stroke'? I think not, and if you do, then the anti-coagulants should take that right down. BobD can we have a reminder of actual stroke risks? I think we're getting muddled here!

[Jefferson57]

Thanks for replying. I'm not here to spread terror among the aflicted.

The booklet I read mentioned that I am 5 times more likely to have a stroke now that I'm diagnosed with AF. It also mentioned a 20% chance of one in the next 5 years. That equates to about 4% per year.

If that's wrong, great. I'll cancel the big loan and world cruise.

. Meanwhile Im taking as many precautions as I can. I was rocked by this and if it is going to shorten my life, it's not going to lessen it.

Time for my naked Zumba class.

[Spoiler]

I have had 9 DC cardioversions in 4 years, 2 cardio versions by medication. My first 2 totally failed by DC due to the medications I was on. Propafenone worked in conjunction with my 3rd DC cardioversion and lasted 22 months, since then anywhere from 6 days to 7 months range. I have learned many many triggers to avoid, stress is big, need adequate sleep, hydrate, treat sleep apnea, no alcohol, caffeine and for others some of these do not matter. For me They do and when I have to go to ER, it is like a big grey cloud, I detest it totally. Best to you to learn what is your best avenue. 🙃

[Jefferson57 in reply to Spoiler]

Cheers S,

Sounds like you've been through the ringer. Fair play to you. I seem to be asymptomatic as it happens which is good because my AF is permanent.

I had never heard of a CV via medication. Must read up on that.

Every day a school day...

[Spoiler in reply to Jefferson57]

Flecainide 100 mg every 12 hours, while in hospital, the 3rd dose converted me, then reduced to 50 mg every 12. Tikosyn converted on second dose while hospitalized but 2nd dose caused cardiac arrest. My second EP consult said because the tikosyn converted me on the 1st dose it was a indication that they should have reduced my dose.