Amiodorone & Kardiomobil questions

[Shiney1959]

Good morning all, can I say it is such a relief to be able to speak to who are in the same boat.

I am due to have an ablation in the next few weeks. I have been on amiodorone since January. Very keen to get off it. For a while now I get upper back ache. Also have dizzy spells time to time, but have never fainted. I am on my 3rd water infection in the last few works. Generally feel grotty. Doctors think the backache is muscular, but I'm not so sure. I now have a fatty liver. Has anyone else felt like this?

Can I ask a stupid question? After last cardioversion they confirmed that also go into atrial flutter. Does anyone know if it records atrial flutter?

Love reading all your posts, it helps me so much

Take care all

Sheena xx

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Sheena and welcome. Not sure the Kardia will say much other than AF or possible AF. As far as your coming ablation is concerned I suggest you read these two fact sheets as they may help you understand what may happen.

If flutter has been diagnosed then the EP may well deal with this (which occurs in the right atrium,) as the catheter arrives there from the groin before passing through the septum to deal with AF in the left atrium.

Ask us any questions you may have.

[Shiney1959 in reply to BobD]

Many thanks for your advice Bob, still so much to learn

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Shiney1959]

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

Sorry forgot to list them.

[Hidden]

I have one of the earlier Kardia’s and it has recorded Tachycardia which is, I believe, is a type of Atrial Flutter…..

[Shiney1959 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Flapjack, really appreciated

[momist in reply to Hidden]

Me too. I've been calling it tachycardia, as that's the description the Kardia gives, but I'll bet it actually atrial flutter. Only really prevalent since my ablation, but it has not appeared for several weeks now and I'm hoping it was just during the healing process.

[baba in reply to momist]

You can be tachycardic in Sinus rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation Atrial Flutter etc it just means fast heart rate. Generally over 100 beats per minute(in adults).

To see examples of different ECG traces see Kardia arrhythmia library:

alivecor.com/education/arrh...

[baba]

Hi 19591959,

The Kardia will record whatever is happening at the time you do the recording.

The instant/automated analysis (first 30 seconds of recording only), is however not designed to report Atrial Flutter. But the information is there if you show the ECG to your doctors.

Tachycardia is just a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute.

[Shiney1959 in reply to baba]

Hi Baba, I've had a couple of AF readings & I've had 'sinus rhythm with superaventricular ectopy' on a few occasions. Heart rate doesn't seem to go over 59 to 70, probably due to the amiodorone. Thank you for your advice

[TAstar in reply to Shiney1959]

Hi, we're looking at buying a kardia mobile, which model do you recommend? TIA

[Shiney1959 in reply to TAstar]

Good morning, I've got the AliveCor KardiaMobile 6L. Very easy to use

[splashrollandplod in reply to Shiney1959]

6 Lead is best I think.

[momist in reply to TAstar]

TAstar The choice crucially depends on the quality of your phone or tablet, if on Android. The earlier two lead Kardia uses high frequency audio to communicate and this gets filtered out with high end expensive phones, so they might not work. The later more expensive 6 lead uses Bluetooth and should work with nearly any Android phone. Of course, it can also be used the same way as the two lead, you don't _have_ to contort yourself to get the extra connection(s).

[splashrollandplod in reply to baba]

Yes Kardia reports Tachycardia if HR > 100. I have/had (fingers crossed) exercise induced atrial fibrillation and so saw this classification many times after exercise and it is quite normal in that circumstance, indeed my HR is about 103 with a brisk walk (so ‘Tachycardic’).I am no expert but I believe atrial flutter appears as a saw tooth type trace on the ecg - I believe most easily seen on Lead II, maybe it’s multiple mini P waves whereas AF is chaotic beats and missing/chaotic P waves.

Best not to let your imagination run away with self diagnosis of ecg’s, let the doctors do that analysis and focus on how you feel. And if Kardia ecg’s make you anxious then they can be counter productive. I do about 12 a week but never conclude too much nor fret about them. They the can be useful to capture the moment for the doctors but also I avoid sending too many to them - just three in 2 years. Good luck y’all, wishing you all some good sinus rhythm.

[baba in reply to splashrollandplod]

I don’t know where you got the idea from that I am either self diagnosing or getting anxious about Kardia readings.

I was only trying to be helpful to 19591959.

[splashrollandplod in reply to baba]

Oh no sorry I wasn’t suggesting that - or didn’t mean to anyway - I just know it’s a danger.

[Ppiman]

Hi there. When I had atrial flutter in 2019 I had back troubles, frequently, and a great deal of gastric discomfort, too. This year I'm having much the same, with tachycardia and now afib. I think the area just below and under the left rib is where there's something going on related to the arrhythmia, and this often travels into the back. Slight dizziness and a near-fainting feeling were common, too. I think all this will resolve on the months after your ablation and, with luck, this will be the last of it for you. A fatty liver is a long-term condition and I doubt it has any bearing on your arrhythmia at all, nor would it cause any symptoms. Often a scan picks this up along with small gall stones and cysts, all generally harmless. Reducing weight or alcohol intake might get rid of the fatty liver, but I'm not sure. What did your doctor say about it?

If you have the newer Kardia 6L and pay the £10.00 for a month's Kardiacare, you will get several more arrhythmias reported by the device - but not atrial flutter. I've decided to do this and I'm very pleased with the result. Atrial flutter apparently needs a 12-lead ECG of the kind you get at your GP's or in hospital. I suspect if you sent off a trace to Kardia for further evaluation, however, they might identify something. You can tell if you have flutter from the step-wise way the heart rate varies, e.g. 150 > 100 > 75 > 50, etc. I was going to be given amiodarone but it wasn't needed in the end as digoxin helped until my ablation in 2019.

Steve

[Shiney1959 in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve, I really appreciate your reply. It makes me feel so much better knowing I'm not on my own with this condition & being able to talk about it. The doctor mentioned the alcohol & diet. I haven't had a drink for 18 months & try to eat a healthy diet. The weight doesn't drop off like it used to lol. I think I'm getting a bit obsessed with the amiodorone & its toxicity though. Roll on the ablation. Thanks again Steve

[Ppiman in reply to Shiney1959]

Reading online about people’s experiences with medications is pretty much guaranteed to scare anyone. If those writers would count to ten before they write things then we’d all be better off. Quite often, they’re reacting to the moment without reflecting on the whole. Amiodarone is prescribed widely and it works. Doctors know well what it is like and what the risks are; and they will surely take care of you!

Keep us up to date with things. I’m sure you’ll be fine, truly.

Steve

[Shiney1959 in reply to Ppiman]

I will Steve. Thanks agan