My husband had cardiac arrest on 3/5. After cpr and being shocked 2x his heart began again.
He had a catheterization done in the hospital and a defibrillator put in the next day. He has no heart blockages. They cannot find what or location creating his continued a fib. So ablation is not an option for his case.
We are scheduled to see a specialist on a fib on 4/16. Any information from anyone that would help about this problem would be so helpful. They are looking into a possibility of the cause being amyloidosis??
Anyone out there have this issue of your heart being in constant a fib? What have you done that has helped or stopped the issue.
Cardio inversion was recommended also. But from everything we’ve read it normally only lasts for one year in 80 out of 100 people that receive this treatment. Plus the risk of stroke, death etc during the treatment doesn’t sound worth the risk for only a year.
My husband is in blood thinners know and new blood pressure meds. He gets dizzy from changing positions, laying to sitting, sitting to standing.. doctor says this is probably from a fib and the possible concussion he may of received during dropping on his head during the cardiac arrest.
Any information, suggestions, new treatments that worked for you or questions for specialist would be so appreciated!!!!
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I’m sorry to hear your husband is ill. It’s hard to advise unless you know what causes the arrest but they seem to have dealt with that well . aF often results from other cardiac issues or other illnesses so that’s what needs sorting out first. aF itself won’t be very serious but amyloidosis is serious and they need to work out whether this rare disease is a familial problem or whether there is an underlying illness causing it ( so the illness can be treated). He is anti coagulated and that’s the main issue regarding the AF. Keep in touch snd let us know how you get on
I have now had 3 cardioversions for persistent AFib and as I can barely function when in AFib and cannot take beta blockers or calcium channel blockers Cv has shown that ablation would likely work for me. My last (3rd) CV has kept me in Normal Sinus Rhythm for over a year now. I am on the waiting list for an ablation but due to Covid restrictions and then the hospital and cardio unit closing because of Covid will be waiting a little longer - I was due to have an ablation in April last year!
Thank you for your reply. I wish you the best outcome. I wish my husband could have ablation too. I believe it to be the better longer lasting treatment. But they cannot find where to ablate. Good luck to you.
If you can get a year or more out of a cardioversion, then go for it. I've had nearly a dozen. They're pretty routine. Never had a problem.
They first try medications to convert. If that doesn't work ... then they go with shock paddles (had this method more. Probably 7 times). I've had both. No big deal. Felt immensely better immediately after getting back into sinus. No pain. No nothing.
I never gotten one year out of any of them. At the end before my ablations ... the conversion would last mere days.
My one recommendation would be to consult with the best Electrophysiologist (EP) you can find. You want the best information and treatment possible. You won't get it from mediocre EP's (and believe me ... there are lots of them out there treating people).
Thank you! I agree about EP’s. May I ask why you did so many cardio inversions if they barely lasted? Also can you explain why si many ablations? I am happy you had the ablations and they were the most successful. I wish my husband had the option to get an ablation. Are you on any medications??
Praying that this will be your last ablation and that it will work and you’ll be free of a fib and meds. Bless you!!
At first, the CV's lasted a while ... plus I didn't know that much about AFIB. They told me not to go over 18 hours in AFIB because it is dangerous. So .... every time I reached near the limit, I went into emergency for immediate conversion (never put on any waiting list).
However, apparently I had aggressive AFIB. Within months it was coming back more frequently with regularity (sometimes 3 times a week). I had to make decisions soon!
I consulted a local EP. She said I had flutter, not AFIB. So, she did right atrium flutter ablation (under pill sedation) that lasted almost a year around 2010. Arrhythmia returned.
This time it was AFIB, so I got serious. My Cardiologist was rather negative about ablation ... the dangers and that it wouldn't last (remember this is 10 years ago).
So, I consulted with Dr. Steven Hao, a world-class EP in San Francisco. In FEB 2011, he did the AFIB ablation while under general anesthesia. It lasted around 9 months. I was dejected, but learned that EP's and arrhythmia nurses know it often takes 2 AFIB ablations for success.
Dr. Hao performed 2nd AFIB ablation in NOV 2011. It lasted almost 10 years ... up until AUG 2020 when my old nemesis returned . All that time on no meds and fairly normal.
Now, I was fairly anxious ... middle of C-19 and all ... and saddled with AFIB again. I knew what to do. I contacted one of the best EP's in the world, Dr. Natale in Thousand Oaks, California (he also is head of a 14 EP clinic in Austin, Texas).
Got the ablation on OCT 22. He ablated left atrium coronary sinus and left atrial appendage. He's one of the few in the world who will ablate the tissue-thin appendage area.
He said everywhere ablated from my older procedures was quiet. Since AFIB is a progressive disease ... all my ablated areas he did were new ones that popped up over the years (plus tech is better, so they can accurately find them better).
Procedure went well .... recovery on track. Flew there ... stayed a week .. then flew home without catching COVID. No comforting wife with me ... like the others.
Had televisit with his assistant last week. I will be going down for esophageal imaging of heart and his work. If the appendage is functional and not damaged AND I am free of erratic heart signals .... I could be one of the 30 to 40% of lucky ones who are sent home with NO MEDS and no further treatment needed.
However ... if the imaging shows more is needed, they may do minor ablation of Left Atrial Appendage and install a WATCHMAN Device in the appendage. These procedures will only take less than an hour (much briefer than the first ablation he performed). I will be able to stop Eliquis blood thinner after around 6 months. No meds needed.
When the recent AFIB hit ... I had tachycardia, too. So, they put me on Diltiazem and Flecainide. The F kicked in after 3 weeks and controlled the tachycardia, so I quit Diltiazem. I went on Eliquis a few weeks after F.
60 days after OCT ablation, I stopped F completely. However, I've still been on Eliquis (did not stop it for ablation). Blood thinner is my only med now. But, as I said, it will soon be stopped, too. The Watchman is for people who can't tolerate or who do not want lifelong blood thinners.
I'll be praying for you guys, too. Hoping your EP is the most knowledgeable and experienced in your particular issues ... and that a healing, stabilizing protocol is forthcoming.
BTW ... I have Mitral Valve murmur and regurgitation, too. It was discovered during echocardiogram prior to my first ablation. Cardiologist said it might progress and become a problem. However, in recent echo for this ablation, he said no changes in valve; therefore, it likely will be stable for life and no treatment needed.
Thank you so so much for the details and information about your journey. It sounds like something I may be going through myself. I pray that this last ablation you had is the answer to your issues. How were you able to find this EP? Never realized that more than one ablation was necessary? My mother had one of the first ablations in the country and I guess she was lucky. Went off all medication and her heart was fine. I guess I was basing my information on her situation. Never dreamt I would be in this complicated situation with my husband 30 yrs later. My mother had it done at University of Pennsylvania. We were referred to a specialist there in the middle of April.
It has been very comforting hearing what you’ve been through and your successful outcomes. Please keep in touch and I will keep you updated as well. If you think of anything else that I should know or ask the EP please let me know. I will research your Dr also. Again thank you!!
Bad luck - but it seems as if all will be well now . Let's hope so. Your doctors will know but I would ask if a cardiac stress MRI was carried out (or whether one could be done) as this is supposed to be the gold standard for heart imaging that reveals all that matters.
I suppose that the atrial fibrillation your husband was having might have led to his having untreated tachycardia over a prolonged period, something that he put up with and which temporarily weakened his heart or a mitral valve? This would have reduced the heart's output and could have led to the cardiac arrest but, again, the cardiologist is your source for such information. My friend has been in permanent afib for years and is a healthy 77 year old, except that he now does have a slight murmur on one valve; he is lucky not to have suffered from tachycardia related to his fibrillation.
It's also possible that your husband has other electrical conduction problems since fibrillation is often not present as what is called a "lone" condition, meaning it is related to other disturbances. There are various common kinds of so-called "heart block" issues, for example (this is a technical term that, like "heart failure" sounds far worse than it is). I have something called left bundle branch block, for example.
I do hope you find answers and that your husband's doctors are able to reassure you both. I suspect strongly that that will be the case.
Thank you so much for such a thorough and supportive answer. My husband has always had a murmur since I’ve known him. They did do a catheterization and found no blockages and they did do am MRI. They installed the defibrillator in him. But he is on medication and his a fib is not stopping. We see a specialist in a fib and amyloidosis on 4/16. They don’t think it’s amyloidosis but want to rule it out. I hope to hear from you again after I get more information.
May I ask what treatments and medication are working for you?? Is your a fib under control? Also your 77 year old friend, bless him, what are they doing to control his a fib??
I had persistent atrial flutter and tachycardia in 2019 which an ablation solved but with a bad single bout of fibrillation soon afterwards. I still get lots of palpitations and mild tachycardia which all seem related somehow to my gastric problems (IBS, hiatus hernia and reflux). All I take is rivaroxaban daily and bisoprolol if needed. I’m seeing a cardiologist later today to see what might be causing the tachycardia. I’m hoping it’s nothing important. These things are always so very stressful.
My lucky friend has suffered very few symptoms in all the time he’s had it, and needed no treatment except warfarin. He has always found walking up even a slight incline “lets him know” he’s got it, though, and, strangely, lifting things high above his head. He too has a hiatus hernia but without the reflux, and also feels there’s a causative link.
Hello Portugal-2, I am sorry to hear your husband has been unwell. If you would like any advice or information then please do not hesitate to contact the AFA direct. All our contact details are found on this Forum. Take care
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