Ruskin 10

[ruskin10]

Hi it's been a difficult 12 months with health issues, for the past 6 months I'm having ectopics/pauses longer than usual/extra beats/slow hear rate. My EP at LHCH has seen me twice I've had heart monitor, Holter and he knows I'm struggling with my day to day life. I'm still having targeted cancer treatment which oncologist and EP say AF shouldn't be affected by. I never know from day to day. The worst of my cancer treatment is behind me but the heart rhythm is almost as bad. Has any of you been down this road with the AF not necessarily with the cancer treatment to. I'd be so glad if it's treatable. They've talked about pacemaker but it wouldn't necessarily stop the ectopics/pauses.Pat

[SamAdmin Administrator Arrhythmia Alliance AF Association]

Good afternoon ruskin10

Thank you for your post on the Atrial Fibrillation support forum, we understand your concerns with dealing with cancer and whether to have a pacemaker fitted, hopefully someone in the forum can discuss more about the pacemaker.

You maybe interested to download our booklet all about devices including pacemakers.

api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

Kind regards

SamAdmin

Booklet

[bantam12]

A pacemaker should be set so you don’t get the pauses, mine is set to 60bpm and if it senses lower rate or a long pause it kicks in.

[ruskin10 in reply to bantam12]

Thankyou so much, that's something I didnt know or haven't been told. Pat

[Buffafly]

If your ectopics are PVCs rather than PACs that is another good reason to accept the pacemaker.

[ruskin10 in reply to Buffafly]

Thankyou, I have no idea, I've never in 12 years with AF been told any details like that. Getting in touch with EP or secretary is SO difficult. I don't have a nurse in LHCH I can chat to either.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to ruskin10]

Hi

But research should be taken to see what is causing the pauses.

Mine stopped instantly in stopping Metoprolol.

And that is why a 24hr H/Monitor is best. Pinpoint the 'thing' that is causing it.

How long are the pauses? Mine were 2 seconds each time.

But a Pace Maker won't stop the high h/rate?

I was light headed with 51bpm Day but 60s was much better. By reducing my new med from 180mg to 120mg I recovered!

cheri JOY 75. (NZ)

My breast cancer was 0 Cancer when after 3 ops a carcinoma was found in one of my milk ducts. I reckon the chap aged 12 with cerebral palsy thumped my breast at aged16 caused it. I already had had a fibrous lump removed up at the surface, sam breast.

[babs1234]

could I ask what C treatment your on? I’m taking letrazole as a preventative for recurrence which I think is the cause of my AFib

[ruskin10 in reply to babs1234]

It's breast cancer, 3rd time, I was on letrozole but it was stopped thinking that could be part of the problem, not made any difference. I'm also on Herceptin & Zolendronic acid for my bones, but oncology & LHCH say they shouldn't affect AF. Best wishes.

[Ppiman]

Some people draw a shorter straw than others. My calling you a hero won't change the straw, but I would award you a medal for getting through what you have so far. One day in the none too distant future, you'll be able to look back and, with a warm smile, maybe say to yourself, well, yes - I suppose I was a bit of a hero!

💪

Steve

[ruskin10 in reply to Ppiman]

Oh my....that's blessed me so much this morning, you're so kind to send that message. Good start to the day whatever goes on with all this. Take care

[Ppiman in reply to ruskin10]

And the sun is shining, too! If you like poetry at all, I find these lines always give me courage and strength:

…

Come, my friends.

’Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;

It may be that we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Though much is taken, much abides; and though

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are—

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

.

from Ulysses, by Alfred Lord Tennyson

.

Steve

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

It would be interesting to know what meds you are on.

Metropolol is banned H/Rate was 186bpm Day. I couldn't exert myself and pauses at night on my normal low h/rate avg of 47bpm.

Bisoprolol not much better with h/rate 156 but no pauses.

Enter CCB Diltiazem. Controlled heart within 2 hours of its first introduction. I settled with low dose 120mg AM and control is 60s Day.

Bisoprolol 2.5mg kept on PM to control BP.

Although persistent AF I don't experience Flutters, palpations or pain. Abnormal size has slung back into normal size! The difference to my 2 ECHOs. early 2021 and October 2024.

Yes, Heart Monitoring is the best line to see what your med is doing to you and your heart.

And of course Pradaxa 110mg x twice.

Oh and I take thyroxine Synthroid as I had a Ca Thyroidectomy Feb 2020. Itcaused the AF which caused the stroke - 3 diagnoses Ischaemic Stroke - Embolic type (clot),AF Rapid & Persistent and Thyroid Papillary Cancer. They call it incidental discovery. I had a Carotid Arteries Scan which the scanner exclaimed she would check my thyroid. I'm never forget "You have a shadow on your thyroid, I had better have my boss in to look".

Things happen! The latter of 2019 was not a great year,

Early 2019 I had turned 70 and treasured my time discovering Russia on a 12day Russian Boat Cruise up and along the waterways touring inland places. St Petersburg a wonder not to miss out on. Sadly no visiting Russia until.....

Destruction, killings and power all mixed up is a sore sight and the people who go through it.

Today was Matariki Day. Its a special holiday to mark each year to the signing of the Maori Treaty of Waitangi. The men singing was beautiful at the dawn celebrations with food of lobster and oysters plus. Even our PM was enjoying the kai.

It all leads to a discussion that it's great to be alive! Remembering those who went before us.

cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)

My Thyroid was removed along with 12 lymph nodesanda diasection. I was called back in Feb after Neck Scan and I've had a CT scan and PET/CT SCAN with infusion from Australia. Recalled for MRI of Pituitary Gland OK. A further PET/CT Scan has been ordered for November for the 3 areas still not clearly defined. But thyro-globin has reduced from 1.7 before the PET to 1.1 and now .99 after PET.

I have no chemo or radiation. I declined the RAI treatment after op and suppression.

Although AF is separate from the cancer I feel that they are connected in care. A heart condition does affect what procedures are better. I was set to have a Nuclear RA Iodine scan and I was in for pre scan treatment of no thyroxine for 21 days and on a low iodine diet.

I had to question this as I have no cardiac specialist in my triage team. I asked for one to be included.

Suddenly the scan was changed to a PET/CT Scan done 2 hours away instead of 4 hours away. It uses an infusion of Nuclear Iodine Tracers and later a contrast dye.

I'm sure that between my last passport photo done same place in 2019 and this latest one I am browner.

Someone asked me if I had been sunbathing! No I said.

Prayers go out to you in your treatment. Dotake care

[Dollcollector]

I was having pauses of 8 to 10 seconds and was blacking out. I had a pacemaker implanted set at 60 b.p.m. l no longer have pauses , blackouts or my pulse going too slow. It doesn't do anything to make the ectopics less. I have thousands a day, l was told. It doesn't stop my episodes of a.fib or the tachycardia. ; but it has reduced the amount of episodes l get. It is definitely worth getting a pacemaker.

[WildIris]

First off, you sound like a champ, with your attitude and all you've been through.

I also used to have very frequent ectopics, a number that seemed impossible in my isolated state, no online forums back then. An ablation helped with them, but did not completely stop them, and it did progress to afib. I hope you can get that ablation at some point.

The idea that one person could have separate health problems seems nuts to me. All your body systems and moods interact with each other, period. Your courage is a helpful factor in all of it.

My story is, I had so many different problems and was so anxious, I couldn't get my head clear. I just rebelled.

I'd always been interested in nutrition, studied it in school in fact, so the first thing I did with the energy of the rebellion was give up sugar and all sweeteners. It was really hard the first couple of days but my rebellion against feeling awful all the time carried me through, then it started getting easier as my very real addiction to sugar subsided. No sugar or sweeteners turns out to be most processed foods, so I went with that, since kidney failure was one of my many problems, and the only treatment for kidney failure is plant-based diet.

And exercise- started slowly, not exactly impressive now, but 40 minutes most days. Over a couple of years, I became all vegan and really love food and look forward to meals. All of my health problems are memories just now, though I'm old and certainly not immortal. For now, I see my GP for an annual, that's it.

[ruskin10]

Wow I admire your persistence and determination, I'm afraid I'm not in that zone just now, but I am a firm believer in not giving in or giving up. Having AF for over 10 years with all its complications and. medications is draining..... then along comes my 3rd diagnosis of BC and I still don't know if it's coincidence that my difficulties with AF have got progressively worse with what I posted in my first post or is it the treatment. No medics seem to know but it's tough.Thankyou for your reply