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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
How much longer?
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
How much longer?
by Lurockada@altavista.com, Nov 04, 1999 12:00AM
I'm 32 and have A-Fib. I've been on a number of meds and can't seem to get a hold of the problem.
Toporol 240mg, Cardizem 240, Tiazac 360, Cardizem 300.
About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I started on Betapace 80mg 2x daily. I had no symptoms for 3 days until they decreased the meds to 40mg 2x daily (to see if heart rate would increase) at the hospital. I had an episode that lasted a good half hour. I was increased to 80 mg 2x daily again. For the past week I've been having 2-5 episodes of a-fib with rapid heart rate (180 bpm and bp of 160/105) that last about 10-45 min. per episode. During the episodes, I'm in and out from sinus to a-fib. Two days ago, I was put on Digoxin .25 2x daily for 2 days in addition to the betapace. I'm still having the same problems.
My questions are:
a)How many other meds are there before a pacemaker is considered.
b)Would a pacemaker resolve the episodes I'm having.
c)If not a pacemaker, how succesful is the laser treatment.
The A-fib began about 6 years ago.
Toporol 240mg, Cardizem 240, Tiazac 360, Cardizem 300.
About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I started on Betapace 80mg 2x daily. I had no symptoms for 3 days until they decreased the meds to 40mg 2x daily (to see if heart rate would increase) at the hospital. I had an episode that lasted a good half hour. I was increased to 80 mg 2x daily again. For the past week I've been having 2-5 episodes of a-fib with rapid heart rate (180 bpm and bp of 160/105) that last about 10-45 min. per episode. During the episodes, I'm in and out from sinus to a-fib. Two days ago, I was put on Digoxin .25 2x daily for 2 days in addition to the betapace. I'm still having the same problems.
My questions are:
a)How many other meds are there before a pacemaker is considered.
b)Would a pacemaker resolve the episodes I'm having.
c)If not a pacemaker, how succesful is the laser treatment.
The A-fib began about 6 years ago.
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, MD, Nov 04, 1999 12:00AM
, Nov 04, 1999 12:00AM
I think you're still a ways away from a pacemaker. There are other medications that can be tried first and if these fail aablation or AV node modification can be attempted before a pacemaker. The pacemaker does not cure afib but rather leaves the atrium (upper chambers) in afib and regulates the rate of the lower chambers.
