100% Eletrical Heart block with A Flutter

[jsanta]

I’m a 69-year-old man who’s been suffering with a flutter and a fib for the last eight years I’ve had four ablations many cardioversions my last ablation was with one of the top doctors in Austin none of them worked and I’m still in a flutter.

I am 100% heart block which was caused by Covid even though vaccinated I am 100% pacemaker dependent. I just had my seventh cardioversion last week to snap me out of a flutter.

My symptoms are at my resting rate which is between 75 and 85. I feel perfect but once I walk 100 yards I am totally out of breath. My doctor does not think that the a flutter is causing the out of breath because of my complete heart block should not be symptomatic of that. He said it’s like I had an AB ablation.

He feels there’s underlying conditions so he sent me for a sleep apnea test and even though I don’t snore I found out I have severe sleep apnea. Maybe that’s causing the out of breath. They’ll probably put me on a CPAC in the next month. Personally I still think it’s a flutter any comments or thoughts.

One note I was on Tykosyn for a couple years and that worked fine I stayed in perfect rhythm.but after Covid and the pacemaker they took me off because I had a high QT number that was borderline dangerous. I am currently taking Solatol.

Any thoughts or ideas about what is causing the out of breath? That would be appreciated.

[jsanta]

Not sure if this posted reposting

[DawnTX in reply to jsanta]

You sound like me. I had a vein of Marshall done the end of April plus some other spots. Before and after I had trouble breathing. I too had Covid I had it in March yes I was vaccinated. I had pericarditis it was treated for that. I’ve only had one good month since my procedure. At my follow up I was in NSR yet I had been barely able to make it from the parking garage to the doctors office. I still have the crushing feeling in my chest and get nauseous more than I feel palpitations. I had just had the month break when my medication for pericarditis ended and I wonder if that is part of the problem. I’ve had an echo cardiogram etc. full blood panel and Friday cardioversion. My heart rate was down to 105 from 145 but now 115 to 125 again My doctor is in Houston at DeBakey Cardiology at Houston Methodist and he is actually the pioneer of the procedure I had. I know how frustrated you are we both seem to have one thing in common and that was having Covid.

[jsanta in reply to DawnTX]

Thanks Dawn. Never Heard of Van of Marshall procedure. I’m in Texas as well I’m frustrated because my doctor doesn’t think the A flutter is causing my out of out of breath. Pacemakers working perfect but I’m in a flutter. When I’m at rest I have no issues at all. I just don’t wanna be a couch potato the rest of my life.

[DawnTX in reply to jsanta]

I understand completely that’s all I want quality of life back. If you look up vein of Marshall you will actually see my doctor from Houston Methodist. His name is Dr Miguel Valderrabano. It is DeBakey cardiology part of Houston Methodist. I cannot say enough good about him. At this point I have them baffled I think. I was due to have a procedure Friday. I’m pretty sure it has to be rescheduled. Instead of a rapid test they want the one that takes a couple of days. It shows that Covid is on the rise I think We went everywhere today trying to find a place to do it and it proved impossible to get done by Friday. I went to urgent care they said 3 to 5 days which is ridiculous it’s a 1 to 2 day. I finally got an appointment at CVS but their site had been down. Now it will be too late for their also even though turnaround might be quicker. I am so frustrated. From what people here have told me a cardioversion can make you feel really good. FYI I had flutter as well as permanent and the procedure did stop the flutter. My doctor is the pioneer if I did not tell you of the procedure. It is only a couple of years old they have been working on it a long time. Keep in touch nice to find someone else from Texas

[jsanta in reply to DawnTX]

Dawn What procedure are you supposed to have tomorrow? A cardioversion? I just had one and it didn’t work. My guy was Dr. Natali and Austin he is the A fib guru. Now I have a flatter. Like you I just wanna get better..

Please let me know how you do..

[DawnTX in reply to jsanta]

Hi honey if you look up Miguel Valderrabano You will see that he is the pioneer of the vein of Marshall as well as many other things at Houston Methodist DeBakey Cardiology. I happen to find him because someone he had trained is now working from my doctor in Florida. He is a wonderful man he talks to you not at you he is incredible it is the stupid medical assistant I am having problems with. Because of her my procedure for cardioversion is off for tomorrow at this point I am ready to find another doctor closer to home I travel two hours to go to him. Long story but this girl is just plain stupid I can’t even be nice at this point. I needed a special Covid test and bloodwork for tomorrow. She did not send the order for the bloodwork she had to resend it and now by the time she sent that it’s too late for a turnaround. I let her know early early Tuesday morning as of today if she still had not read the message which is on the Hospital app which we are supposed to use. She even asked me where I sent it to which proves she never looked at it. My cousin who is my transportation to Houston because I will be under general anesthesia, he is leaving for Idaho on the 11th and will be gone until the end of the month to help his mom who is terminal as she is moving to his sisters u No way is he changing in plans for me or this stupid person at the hospital. If you knew me you would know it takes a lot to get me riled up. I worked law enforcement and was always proud of my personality for that. To get me feeling the way I am even right now you have to be pretty bad. I had found a way to get the blood test and Covid test when I called to tell her she was still not listening when she asked where it needed to go to I repeated as I had in writing and on the phone St LUKES . Suddenly someone else said no it’s not St LUKES it’s not the hospital it has to be a lab The person did not identify themselves I’m guessing it’s her supervisor which wonderful I don’t care if she’s the Director of the Hospital I did not like her tone nor was she professional.

With her tone I said whatever and I hung up. I sent a message to the medical assistant telling her I would rather die than deal with her again and whoever picked up her phone and did not identify themselves. I had more to say as you can imagine I did not attack her personally I told her she’s very nice but she doesn’t seem to care about the patient meaning me. My cousin has a procedure on Wednesday of his own he is getting epidurals for his hips and yet he was working to find a way that we could both go Wednesday morning with someone driving us both to different areas No now nothing is possible. My only options for Tuesday and Wednesday now it isn’t until October. I also mentioned in my message that I wondered why I am supposed to do her work. She could’ve called the hospital and straightened everything out all I know is what they told me.

I’m sorry yours did not work I know it’s hit or miss. Honestly I feel there’s something else going on either more inflammation with pericarditis or something similar. Right now my chest is so tight but I know it’s from stress my heart rate is still 115 which is low it’s been running 125 to 145.

Sorry to unload on you it’s nice to know I have someone in Texas that understands because it’s so different in the UK. What good is having a top doctor when he has staff like I am dealing with?

Please take care of yourself I hope they figure out what’s going on with you. If anything improves on my end I’ll let you know. I just stopped medication for the pericarditis and three days later is when my heart rate was at 1:45 etc. I just feel like the pericarditis was not gone yet. What do I know I’m just the dummy

[jsanta in reply to DawnTX]

Hey Dawn,

Slow down… Take a breath..If you have to wait till October so be it. Things happen for a reason. Can’t worry about things you can’t change. Some people don’t care.

I totally understand how it feels when heart is racing. Since the pacemaker I have had no issue with high heart rate. But I know what it’s like to check BPM every 15 minutes. Or going to bed and praying your heart just fixes itself while your asleep and you wake up normal.

Things will be OK.. hang in their.

Keep me posted…

[DawnTX in reply to jsanta]

Thank you honey. I only take it a couple of times a day because you can make yourself crazy I know that. It stays consistent now at about 115 although went back to the 120s the other day. I don’t care if she cares about me but she is blocking me from reaching my doctor and whatever lie she told possibly her manager, she is making me look like the bad guy. I have taken screenshots of all the correspondence to her. They owe me a call and apology and more I want to talk to my doctor. I personally think I might have some type of a bug or inflammation that is causing all of this. Yes I keep hoping it will correct itself but this is been going on since the end of June. If you tell her somethings simple she can’t even get that right when she repeats it back. I don’t want to lose my doctor but I am going to start seeing what options might be closer to home. The two hour travel I considered worth it because of him. Now I don’t know. He only gets which she chooses to give him for information. My EP and cardiologist in Florida head an open door for me. I never abused it but I knew they had my back. I am going to see my GP this upcoming week hopefully maybe he can do some thing as a doctor and talk to mine