Scared to death!!!

[pepsi911]

I am on Flexinide/Digonixon/aspirin/metrpolo/paradoxil and i feel awful most of the time heartburn and upset stomach my anxiety is through the roof i was told i had afib then went back and told i had flutter cather ablation was sujjested and schuldued i was sooooo scared it got cancelled i also have had high blood presure my whole life but it seems to have come down alot in the past month however not sure what to do taking alot of meds had my heart schocked already and the afib came back going back to doctor tomorrow am soo afraid my treatment seems to be sooo extreme compared to alot of people with afib does anyone else take as much meds as me??? and has anyone had the cather abalation done?? please respond asap terrified i am 60 years old and want to live alot longer....

[Jerry_NJ]

You didn't mention what dose levels you are taking, but it is typical that beta blockers will produce some troubling side-effects.  I have some to my 50 mg of Metoprolol.  Those medications should also lower your blood pressure, seems they have if I read your post correctly.

Given, from what I read, that you can not hold a normal sinus rhythm following an electrocardioversion and taking Flecinide an ablation may be the next best step.  I don't fully understand why your scheduled ablation was cancelled, was it due to your fear of the procedure?  

Electrocardioversions worked well for me when I was your age, I could get about 1.5 years of normal sinus rhythm, I took propafenone (not flecinide) following these procedures.  Flecinide is stronger than what I took I believe.  I can no longer hold NSR, so no more electrocardioversions for me, and my doctor says no ablation either, my AFib symptoms are too mild, so my experience says an ablation isn't prescribed unless the patient is suffering badly from their AFib, it sounds like you are.

All surgical procedures have risks.  Check out the experience and results of any doctor you are considering if you decide on an ablation.  If you get a well experienced (not sure what the metric here is, but when I picked a surgeon for my open heart surgery I selected on who does the valve surgery I needed several times a week.   He also did bypass surgery, and from what I recall in was in doing scheduled heart surgery several days a week.  

I think surgery scares most of us, but it may be your best path forward.  

[RICHARD566]

Pepsi

Your heartburn and upset stomach may be from the drugs.  If it were me,  I would slow down the process and do some research.  I would get copies of the ecg and everything else.  Are you seeing a cardiologist for this?  There is another website called StopAfib. I think you should check it out. The people there have a lot of experience with Afib.  

Do not panic.  

****

[mlb16]

I had a ablation done in Feb 10 for Afib at Vanderbilt in Nashville. I would have it done again if i had too. As a matter of fact i have atrial flutter and going to have another ablation done in April.

[pepsi911]

I am taking 100mg Flelaxide 2 times daily digoxin .125 once aday Pradexa 150 mg 2 times a day Metoprolol 50mg 2 times a day aspirin 325mg once aday it seems like alot to me and for the last 2 days chest been burning and upset stomach now today my bloodpressure was highest it has been i 2 weeeks and pulse very low has been in the 90s now today 60s am so scared don't know what to do I am 30 and never was told had this before the blation was canceled because i was terrified to death don't know what to do have no one to turn too don't want to die!!!!!!

[pepsi911]

I am trying soo hard to be panic but i am terrified to death have had high blood pressure my whole life but never told i had afib until i went to dr for the flu...i will check out the site you mentioned..thank you...

[pepsi911]

I am sooo confused when I went into the hospital was told i had afib then when i went back he said i had flutter sooo that is why i am sooo scared not sure what to do now after 2 weeks of my blood pressure being in the good to great rande all of the sudden today very high and pulse very slow where it used to be high scared just don't know what to do on alot of meds...terrified.....

[achillea]

1.  Tonight, type the questions you have posted here, print them, take them with you to your doctor's appointment tomorrow, and **ask him about EACH one **, writing down the answers he gives.  I tell you to do this because when we are scared, we lose our brains and not only forget to ask what we need to ask--but also forget the answers!  It happens to everyone who is in a panic.  And panic, by the way, will raise your blood pressure.

2.  Tomorrow, you must tell the doctor about your terror and ask him for help, either through medications to help calm you and/or referral to a counselor.  It is important to talk about fears, because doctors cannot read our minds.

  

[DeltaDawn23]

Try to stay calm -- I know it can be hard.  Afib can be managed. It doesn't mean you're going to die.   I have had it since 2003.  I stayed out of Afib for 7 years on just the beta blocker, Atenolol.  I take 25 mg. tablets divided in 1/4's throughout the day, a system worked out by my family doctor.  Sometimes the beta blocker will knock your bp down too much.  I keep track of my heart rate and blood pressure and if they get too low, I delay the next dose.  I also take Xanax as needed for the anxiety.  I am needing less as time goes on.  I am now on Norpace XR (an anti-arrythmic) and Warfarin, plus a baby asprin.  achillea is right, you need to get answers to your questions -- you deserve that.  It is my understanding that usually an ablation is not ordered until you have failed at least two different anti-arrythmic drugs.  Even then, it depends on how bad your symptoms are, and what your choice is.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Unless you are the floor of the Emergency Room, you have time for a second opinion."  Hang in there, keep the faith.  You can do this.  Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

[DeltaDawn23]

Forgot to say, tell the doctor about your heartburn.  I take Prevacid and it keeps my heart from being so irritable.  Might be worth checking out.

[pepsi911]

thank you sooo much and prayer is always good and helpful....

[pepsi911]

i did tell him and he was understanding thanks for the advice fear is a horrible thing...