Pace and ablatee

[Alphakiwi]

Hi from New Zealand.

Im 78 yrs of age and was diagnosed with Atrial flutter and subsequent DC Cardioversion. This left me very tired and lasted about 4 months. I persevered with my love of club cycling but found i could not regain former strength and form. Ok i dont mind giving up the competitive spirit now but i do want to excersise for health.

I was able to do that until about a year ago i fell off top of a ladder resulting in a continuous heart rate of 105 for 3 days and nights till igot to my doc who had it under control with heavy dose of digoxin. I continued on a lower dose for a whole then was put on various other drugs which only made me more ill and even flat lining in an ambulance.

Now im drug intolerant and excersise intolerant. Echo showed i have sevetely enlarged left atrium which means i cant have ablation. Apparently the electrics go in reverse so only thing left for me is pace and ablate. It seems i have afib and aflutter. Im on waiting list .About 6 weeks ago the a fib went which is big relief but i still have the flutter which causes pounding in chest

Lots of tired spells. Unable to excersise long, unable to sleep well. Short breath periods.

I have had short petiods of reprieve from the afib before but this is the longest.

Im hoping to find life better after the pace and ablate . I never know when the rat will be back in my chest.

Thanks for listening and has anyone here had similar expetience to me and found satisfactory conclusion.

Colin

[Diver2]

I’m 71. Former athlete. Have had a fib and 2 different flutters and sick sinus syncope. I too was treated with high doses of digoxin til age 66. Then reduced til currently on .125 per day. Found most benefit from adding Marconi Union’s weightless. I play it all night and a few hours during the day. It was written to bring people to a 60 bpm. It works great for me.... (I can be thrown into Afib or Flutter by a few strong beats of different songs. ). By all indications I should be in chronic Afib since I have had all this for 17 years.... I have Flutter , Afib, off and on. The 3 . ablations I have had only worked for a few hours. I am on my second pacemaker .... which only kicks in when my heart stops while it is trying to kick itself back into sinus rhythm .

Check out Dr John Mandrola. He is a competitive bicyclist.., On his off time. His real job =. US Electrophysiologist..., Has a blog on Afib ..... I think he’s written a book or two....

He was my personal doctor when all this started and he’s very good at explaining all the ins and outs of Afib... and encourages exercise and how to keep from having exercise bring on Afib episodes.

Good Luck !