cardioversion

[Drof]

Hi everyone, I will in the next couple of months going for cardioversion as I along with a few other things am suffering from persistent atrial fibrillation. Can anybody give me any good vibes on this process because everything I read or am told is not very promising , as the long term success is very low. I also know someone who has tried it three times and now has decided to just live with it as it’s not worth the hassle were his words. I am still at working age 64 and have to try as I cannot afford to retire my job, although when you have a heart problem in a manual environment you are treated like a leper and are a bit of a liability to the employer.

[Anon2023]

hi. I had atrial flutter and had a cardioversion in February. I’ve not had atrial flutter since so it definitely worked for me. The process was painless as I had it under general anaesthetic and didn’t feel a thing. The only slight issue was some skin irritation afterwards which was a bit like sunburn. The hospital gave me some cream for it and in a couple of days it was gone. If they can do it under a general anaesthetic for you then you won’t remember any of the procedure. Good luck, you’ll be fine.

[Drof in reply to Anon2023]

thanks for them words it’s refreshing to know a lot of other people are and have been in similar situations. God bless.

[Anon2023 in reply to Drof]

hi, sorry, I should have said I had the cardioversion in February last year which means that I’ve been back in sinus rhythm for 16 months now.

[beardy_chris]

I know it won't feel like it but a cardioversion is a very minor procedure. I have described it as 'spending an hour or more signing forms while they try to scare you, falling asleep for a moment or two, and waking up feeling great. They then spend another hour or two giving you something to eat and working out what they are going to do with you'!

It may last for minutes, days, months or years but it's worth a try and tells the cardiologists something about the state of your heart and what further treatments might be effective or not. It is the first easy step on the journey to treatment. Go for it!

[Drof in reply to beardy_chris]

thanks for the reply Chris. A think it’s just the fact that am on a bit of a downer and have been since diagnosis, and feel everything is not going well. The constant banging of heart out of sync drives me mad. Even though the heart rate is in control.

[beardy_chris in reply to Drof]

In that case, it is even more important to have the cardioversion as soon as possible!

Also, if you are on Beta Blockers (e.g. Bisoprolol), they do the job but they can lead to depression - your 'downer' may be as a result of the drugs you are on.