Cardiac implant monitor

[M987]

Any experience or information on cardiac implant monitor?

I am considering getting one to verify I am always in normal rhythm after 3 months post ablation, in between Kardia checks, especially at night. I am 65.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[BobD Volunteer]

Why not just get on with your life? The idea of implanting something into your body when you already know what is going on and all other checks show you to be in NSR does not show faith in your own body IMHO. Enjoy every day to the full rather than focussing on your heart. In any event these are not things you can just buy.

[mjames1]

A less invasive solution would be something like the Zio Patch that you could wear externally for several weeks. There's also the Apple Watch and other such devices that will give you an aifb alert. Also, if you tend to go into rapid afib, a simple sports heart rate monitor (wrist or chest strap) with a high rate alarm might be all you need. You could then verify the high rate as afib with your Kardia. That said, I do agree with a previous poster that it may not be necessary, but then again can't read your mind or motivations. But sometimes, too much info is too much. And that comes from someone with two Kardias, an Apple Watch, a Polar Chest Strap and other stuff I will not list

Jim

[M987 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you for your thoughts and information. I didn’t know about the Zio patch but I looked it up and they have a free trial. Also I thought the Apple Watch only identified Afib if you touched the watch with the other hand or will it alert/identity independently?My motivation is I would like to know if I go into afib mostly to avoid taking ACs and be able to figure out if any triggers caused it. Otherwise I am asymptomatic and although I hope the ablation continues to be successful, I may not know.

[mjames1 in reply to M987]

It's a separate function on Apple Watch and will alert independently of the ecg function. Whether or not it will pick up say a one minute episode, not sure, but when I would be in afib for 12-36 hours I would periodically get notifications that I was in afib.

Some sort of simpler rate device might be easier to pick up shorter episodes, assuming that your afib is fast afib. Also I have read that very short afib episodes may not require ACs. I have also read the opposite.

Jim

[M987 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you Jim. Which Apple watches have that capability?

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to M987]

I have the SE and it does the A Fib alerts, but not the fancy ECGs. It alerted me to the fact that I had Atrial Fibrillation just this February.I went into it again, despite the dronedarone, on Thursday. This time I knew something was up though, and it just confirmed my suspicions. I don’t really notice palpitations and heart racing, but I am dizzy in the mornings due to low BP.

Still waiting on first visit to Cardiology Dept in July, and was told not to worry for now, (Easier said than done.) I think the dronedarone is still stopping the high rates going too high.

Now into the third day, but the highs are getting lower.

[M987 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

Thank you for your thoughts. Best wishes to get your afib and health better.

[mjames1]

I think the abnormal heart rate function will work on any Apple Watch Series 1 or later, but come to think of it the abnormal heart rate detection is only during ten minute periods sporadically during the day, so might be hit and miss catching a short event at night. So your best best for catching short spurts of abnormal rhythm directly would be the Zio Patch unless another device has come out with a continuous monitor function.

But if your afib is fast, you can monitor your afib indirectly via heart rate. There are several apps that work with the Apple Watch that might be useful in that regard. Keep in mind that the Apple Watch only checks for heart rate every ten minutes, so it could miss say a five minute episode within that window. The Cardiogram App (subscription service) is one such app. Another is "Heart Emergency SOS".

If every ten minutes isn't enough, then you will have to find something that will monitor heart rate continuously and also has a high heart rate alarm. I would check out the various sports watches for runners. There's also the Polar chest strap but last time I checked they didn't have any high heart rate alarms but maybe they've updated. At one point, I was using an Apple App with alarms that synced with my Polar Strap but I believe it was discontinued and stopped working a couple of years ago after an Apple Update. There very well could be another one around now but I haven't really researched it lately.

Jim

[M987 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you for the responses and good information!

[saulger]

Hello M987. Great replies above and can't really add much.Are your episodes so asymptomatic that you don't notice when they occur?

If that's the case and you suspect that you are having silent episodes, you might try the WellHue wearable ECG (24 hour period).

getwellue.com/products/hear...

[M987 in reply to saulger]

Before the ablation I could not definitely determine if I was in Afib, had to use Kardia. Now I am in normal rhythm but suspect I would not know if Afib started again. Thank you for link to that wellue product which looked interesting except it says not available in USA where I live. Odd.

[saulger in reply to M987]

Are you sure? Amazon.com (USA) lists the product, but it is currently unavailable. Perhaps it will be resupplied, and is it worth while contacting WellHue?

amazon.com/Wellue-Monitor-A...

[M987 in reply to saulger]

I saw the notice on the link you sent me. Maybe not approved yet or in short supply. I will keep an eye on it

[saulger in reply to M987]

I use their other ECG monitor, the PulseBit EX, which is a great product.Maximum reading is 5 minutes with patches. It doesn't require a phone and it can print and save readings. The rechargeable battery lasts weeks and the display is clear and shows the ECG wave and HR. If the pulse is irregular or over-fast/slow it will display a warning but does not analyse the issue, unlike the ECG tracker that I posted to you earlier.

getwellue.com/pages/pulsebi...

[AussieHeart]

Wish I’d known about the Zio patch but 7 months ago I had local to insert loop monitor over my heart to work out why I was fainting…what type of arrhythmia etc to receive correct treatment. Still a journey to work out what BB provides quality of life due to side effects so I’m glad to be monitored for three years. I’m under 60 and had history of dizzy spells/low BP

[snak3eyes in reply to AussieHeart]

Have they ruled out POTS ?

[AussieHeart in reply to snak3eyes]

Interestingly you mention that as after two years of dizzy spells, seizure like fainting and dead drop passing out following wild heart swings / fast palpitations lasting hours I screamed at my cardiologist when he said nothing wrong here, echocardiogram unchanged! I demanded they find the cause as I couldn’t live like this anymore and asked was it POTs. It was like a lightbulb went off and they referred me to the EP. Voila … arrhythmia. I’m still being monitored so all they know is high HR and since taking BB I have had no major dizzy spells nor fainting episodes!!!!

[M987 in reply to AussieHeart]

Thank you for your reply. Do you feel the device? Do you have any reservations recommending it?

[AussieHeart in reply to M987]

I felt it (hurt wen pressed) for a while but now don’t even think about it. For me it represents peace of mind as you also get a mobile device to capture what is happening when away from home. The main device looks like a landline phone that sits on your night stand. I experienced a really bad month in March and was called in to see the EP because of it. We changed my BB from Bisoprosolol to Flecainide and my quality of life has improved substantially. This device is great if they don’t 100% know what’s wrong. Or if intermittent episodes. I was told I definitely had some type of arrhythmia and they gave me Sotalol which almost killed me. Then Bisoprosolol only a slight improvement until capturing the real issue which lead to Flecainide. If the less invasive patch can achieve the same outcome I’d have wanted that but I was only offered this procedure after an Emergency visit following a dead drop fainting spell.

[M987 in reply to AussieHeart]

Good information. Thank you. I was on flecanide for about 5 years and it worked great up until a podiatrist prescribed a 6 day prednisone treatment which put me in persistent afib and hence the ablation. I am still mad about it, but I keep mentioning it here as a warning to all. Good luck

[billyjimbob]

look into smart watches. Some of them can monitor heart rhythm. I just received mine yesterday and will set it up today. This is the one I ordered. "Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch with Tools for Heart Health, Stress Management & Skin Temperature Trends". It is reported to be able to identify afib. It's less invasive than any implants.

[M987 in reply to billyjimbob]

Thank you for your suggestion. Please let me/us know of your experience and how it works after you have tried it out.

[hayrisdnet]

Identify your purpose. I have a monitor but disappointed since it requires doctor to provide feedback. I am investigating other options since I am trying different protocols to reduce AFIB (different supplements)

[M987]

To identify if Afib returns and determine what triggers might cause. The nurse in my doctors office does notifications, as needed. If you find a method you like, please share it.