Atrial flutter

[lambretta1968]

Tonight I feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts , a sad feeling. I had my cardioversion last week, it didn't work . I have heart failure, so they have put me on amiodarone then they will try another cardioversion in a few weeks . Separately I recieved a phone call today from the hospital, from a cardiac nurse to come in and discuss medication for everything. She didn't know I had the cardioversion and not about the change in medication. it's not a easy time 😪

[Jalia]

I understand how disappointed you must feel at the failure of your cardioversion. Try not to be too despondent. Taking Amiodarone should assist in getting your next cardioversion to work.

I hope you have a meaningful meeting with your cardiac nurse . She will have had time now to get all your notes together and hopefully will help to allay your fears and worries.

Best wishes

J

[lambretta1968 in reply to Jalia]

thank you jalia

[CDreamer]

My husband was in the similar position in 2018 - cardioversion failed and he was prescribed Amiodarone and three months later he converted to NSR. Apart from the odd episode, usually aligned with an infection, his ejection fraction is now normal and no longer classed as HF. Please don’t be despondent, it’s difficult yes but not hopeless.

[lambretta1968 in reply to CDreamer]

thank you

[secondtry]

Tough without question but keep looking for the positives and remember you are the most important in your medical team and stay on it!

[lambretta1968 in reply to secondtry]

I guess I have so many questions, so many things running around in my head thank you, hopefully after seeing cardiac nurse tomorrow I won't feel so sad

[DawnTX in reply to lambretta1968]

take a deep breath and just know there are other options. I was where you are now around Christmas of 22. I had had one cardioversion that worked for 3 1/2 weeks. It was amazing then just sitting there one night, a fib was back. my doctor set me up for another one the week of Christmas. They were going to do the cardioversion and then put me on Tikisyn sp? that meant I was going to be kept in a cardiac care unit and monitored 24 hours a day for at least five days due to the seriousness of that particular medication. At that point I was ready for anything because I didn’t think I would be around if I didn’t. Well, bottom line I woke up to be told it did not work and it took three shucks to bring me around. Everything else was canceled. I just cried. Then my EP suddenly appeared by my side and held my hand and patted it. he said I’ve got this. I’ve got you. You’re not going anywhere. I told you that before. We had run out of options and there was no pacemaker for me. Or was there? A few days later, we sat and talked. I had a list he gave me answers before I gave him questions, I knew it was the right thing to do with him here. I am almost a year and a half later. Never did I think I would ever feel this good again. my doctor thinks outside the box and created a pacemaker just for me. It has HIS pace bundling which is a new type of wiring. I guess it’s very complicated. I had learned quite a bit now I have relaxed and somewhat let things go. I have three lines one is not connected right now and I also have an app which monitors me 24 seven. They can take readings without me knowing usually they will notify me when it’s over and thank me if I am not feeling right I can send a transmission right from my phone , no matter where I am I had my annual and my doctor was over the moon with my numbers. He said people without heart problems would want them.

you mention you have heart failure as do I. If your doctor talks pacemaker run, don’t walk. I wish they had offered it so much sooner and I had had this doctor in the beginning. I had been in tachycardia almost from day, one of a fib. Actually atypical and atypical flutter. All four sections of my heart have problems. I also had VTach Usually known as the Widowmaker. I had not been told any of this previously. When my doctor was calling me unique and special, I used to think he was just teasing me. When they did procedure one of pace and ablate I met my future tech who is always with me during procedures and check ups, etc. she knows my heart almost as well as my EP. She had to make phone calls when we first met because she had not been filled in on what I had and she assured me, I was unique. I had an issue one day and my doctor brought me right in with my tech and an engineer on the phone. I have a Medtronics FYI by the way, I didn’t really have trouble. Evidently it takes a few months for things to settle and what I saw on my app I should not have lol but I am curious I want to know everything which is why my doctor taught me so much?

you sound similar to me, but we are all so different. I just want you to know about what I went through. I have no regrets other than it took so long I’m amazed at how good I feel and I have finally been cleared for back surgery after over two years because of my heart

oh wait one last thing since the pacemaker my heart failure has improved. My ejection rate had been in the 40s. It is now in the 70s that’s a good thing. I needed mine done fairly fast because at that point a lot of time had been wasted by another doctor, I didn’t start out with heart failure only a fib. Always ask questions my doctor in Florida where I had moved from had sent me to the other doctor so I thought he had to be a good one. I let my former doctor know. He doesn’t want to recommend that guy anymore and I told him why. think positive and don’t be afraid if you have faith in your doctor and he suggest pace and ablate listen to him don’t waste time if it’s only because you’re worried or nervous. by the way, I was in a wheelchair. I had gotten unable to walk because my circulation was so bad. I had no feeling below the knees and I was in constant pain. If I stood for a moment crashing chest pain made me want to die, brought tears immediately out of my eyes, I never felt anything like that in my life before. Best of luck you really strike Home reading about you then again maybe you’ll get lucky and the next one will work. Just remember most things are like Band-Aids. They are temporary and end up falling off it’s nothing you can do or did.

[lambretta1968 in reply to DawnTX]

thank you so much Dawn , means a lot

[Jajarunner]

Hug coming your way. If course you feel sad, sometimes it's all a bit much. People tell me how 'brave' I have been through 11 cardioversions and three failed ablations in three years and I think "if only you saw me at my lowest ..".🤗🤗

[lambretta1968 in reply to Jajarunner]

hug coming your way too , my wife seen me at my lowest last night. couldn't hold it together. I hope you are getting there now x

[Jajarunner in reply to lambretta1968]

Thank you. We bounce back, don't we. Sigh. Case of having to 😂😂

[Ducky2003]

My first cardioversion lasted 4 days ut subsequent ones have lasted a lot longer since being on Amiodarone. Prior to one in April I'd been in nsr for 2 years, so there is a good chance this will work for you. 😊

[lambretta1968 in reply to Ducky2003]

fingers crossed, thanks for sharing your experiences x

[Ppiman]

My friend has quite recently been diagnosed with both HF and COPD but with good treatment at Leicester Glenfield hospital and various medication changes, he is now transformed, being far happier and confident about life. What a change for him as he was brought very low and anxious. That will, I feel sure, be the same for you. The modern treatment of HF is very much better than in the past and does make online statistics and similar often quite out of date. Amiodarone also can get a bad press on this forum from a few people who have had very worrying experiences with it, but if you search for "amiodarone low dose safety" you will find a very reassuring study.

Steve

[lambretta1968]

thank you for support, it all definitely helps hearing other people's experiences

[Buffafly]

Nurses are usually the best! I hope you have a really positive meeting with the nurse 💞

[lambretta1968 in reply to Buffafly]

thank you hope so too x

[RussJun55]

Have your doctors discussed whether you're a candidate for an ablation? Compared to the procedure for A-fib, the procedure for AFL is relatively straightforward and has a high success rate,

[lambretta1968 in reply to RussJun55]

it has been spoken about , but nothing confirmed. will have to wait and see . my head and thoughts aren't helping