questions on atrial fibrillation

[Pamz]

Since my son suffered cardiac sudden death, I've listened to his doctor and have had ekg's.  Last year's showed a double blip (atrial flutter??), the 2nd attempt a single blip and the 3rd nothing.  Today, I went in for my annual physical and, like last year, I asked for an ekg.  My blood pressure was 117/60 and my bpm was 58.  I'm 5' tall and weigh around 120.  My full checkup and blood work up is absolutely excellent.  She did the ekg twice and then informed me that I was in an extreme bout of atrial fibrillation.  Don't know where that's coming from.  I've never been diagnosed with that.  She put me on coumadin warfarin 2mg for 1 week (insisting that I start today) and then checking my blood next week to reset the dosage and then said to call my son's cardiologist immediately.  She said it appeared that I've had this for some time because the vetricle seems to be adapting (that's how I took what she said).  I remember back when I was my son's age, I had allergic reactions to antihistimines, aspirins and my allergy shots that put me in the hospital because my heart was racing so fast that I couldn't catch my breath.  I haven't had that happen for 25 years and  I don't take antihistimines, aspirins or allergy shots now - I feel absolutely fine.  Of course, I'm wondering if this is the same as my son since he's been experiencing A-fib since November.  Also, I do know that my brother did take a sudafed tablet the morning he died although my son did not have any type of medicine before he had his episode.  

I don't like the idea of coumadin - I'd prefer anything other than that.  I tried it once before about 10 years ago trying to get blood to my feet because they are so cold in the winter that they crack and break out in blisters.  It made me so light headed and breathless I just couldn't get over it and just quit taking it and never went back.

I can't get in to my son's cardiologist until next week.  Can I exercise or jog?  They allow my son to but he's taking metoporol, aspirin and has a pacemaker/defibrillator.

Anything anyone can tell me about this would be great.

[Pamz]

Well, the cardiologist said to throw out the Afib (makes me happy cause I knew I didn't feel it) because he thought it was machine clutter.  He did another ekg and an echo because I do have a murmer, the most distinct being on the av.  He also put me on an event monitor for 30 days because I do have little bouts of dizzy spells, very, very short ones, every couple of days and he thinks it's from my heart rate being too low.  I'm back in the 50's & low 60's while being active and while sitting in his office, it was down in the low 40's.  Said I'd probably be looking at a pacemaker in the next 10 years.  

[PikaPika88]

Do you have LQTS?  I saw Dr wrote in the "Interventional Cardiology" forum, said low heart rate related to LQTS or LQTS related to low heart rate (one or the other).  I also get a lot of light headed.  First I thought was caused by medication.  I stopped all for 2 months.  It still has light headed and lightling kind lost of balance.  When I had my holter monitor that day, I was very dizzy and light headed.  The QTc came out 675.  The cardiologist still wrote the letter to my GP and said "normal"!  The other day, I was sitting at the GP waiting room and I had kind of foggy.  BP was low 93/53 sitting, when standing it was normal.  I already have a 2 leads pacemaker (This is my number 4).  I can't see how the pacer helps?  May be it is having the prevent faint system only.  Please let us know what your cardiologist said.  Take care.

[Pamz]

Normally, I jog a couple of miles and my heart rate never tops 105 and it ranges 45-58 while resting or just doing normal activies.  The dr returned my call yesterday morning and said I was experiencing tachycardia because my bpm is running 80-110 now resting & she said no more coumadin until after I see the cardiologist on Thursday.  Today, didn't take any and I'm down to 70 resting and still feeling a little wierd but not as bad.  Before I got out of bed this morning, I was down to 40 so looking more normal.  When I first hit 0 it made me wonder if I just had a missing connection but I have noticed it a couple of different times.  When I was pregnant, I always had a murmer and skipped beats, so that's probably what that was.  I've never had a high heart rate so I'm attributing it to the coumadin and, if I would keep taking it, I'm assuming it'd be the same as if I'd taken a decongestant, hospital time.    

[PikaPika88]

I know everyone when exercise or climb up stairs, heart rate will increase.  It'll drop slowly when you're in resting.  If it won't drop back to normal for a period of set time then it is the real trouble.  Even I got the pacemaker, my heart rate will go over 100 while walking.  Dr said it is normal to be like that and that's what they set it to.  Well, after exercise (at stress test), when I was resting on the bed, my heart keeps stopping.  Around four - seven beats then it stopped once.  The pacemaker kicks, beats come back then it stopped again after few beats......  It keeps doing like that.  My cardio told me, "Those gaps in the EKG showed your heart stopped.  It is normal!"  When he said, "normal" I really shock!   How come my heart stops beating and he said "normal"?  Now according to what you posted (dropped to 97 and then 0), I believe he said "it is normal".  Everyone does that.  Please check with your cardiologist, let me know what he said because I don't believe "it is normal"!  Take care.

[Pamz]

I called the dr today & left a msg for them to call me back.  I'm now a little shaky feeling and really in a fog, even a little light headed.  I can't take this stuff so I asked for them to call me in he morning to get me something else.  I was perfectly fine before taking the medicine.  I'm seeing my son's cardiologist on Thursday.  

My husband picked me up a heart monitor today, it's really strange.  My heart rates running between 45 and 60 when moving around, staying 45-50 while sitting here.  I went up to the 2nd floor and it went from 48 to 196, dropped to 97 and then 0 and back to 65 in a matter of minutes.  So, did that twice, it went over 200 the 2nd time.  And, just now while sitting here, it jumped up to 200 and then back to 52.  IThere's nothing to setso I don't think I have anything wrong but maybe.  I guess, I've really only checked my resting rate before, even after exercising, it'd be at least 10 or 15 minutes.  Oh, well, won't jog until after the cardiologist.

[PikaPika88]

Plavix is very good.  It is for people who allergic to aspirin.  It also for people who can't tolerate to Warfarin.  It don't need to test blood regulary because it won't affect the platelets.  That's the Neurologist told me.

[Pamz]

Yes, my son was revived - I actually have posted on him and you commented about how he was prescribed metoporol - his defibrillator keeps shocking him so they put him on it to take a few hours before jogging.

As of yet, don't know if I'm only in afib sometimes or all the time - I don't really feel anything any different than before.  I now wonder if what I associated with as an allergic reaction actually wasn' t an allergic reaction but more like what my son and brother suffered from, don't really know.  If it is, maybe now my son will get a diagnosis of what caused his scd.  I'm only on 2mg of coumadin and I'm experiencing a bit of a brain fog but not too bad.  I think the last time I took it, I started out at 10mg and this Dr said she's gonna work me up to a higher level.

[Jerry_NJ]

I take it your son was revived, I hope so... seems your note speaks of him in the presence tense.

I have never read or experienced any of the problems you associate with Coumadin (Warfarin).  However, if you have only occasional AFib and have no other clot risk factors you may be able to get sufficient clot protection from a simple low dose aspirin...but you seem to say you are allergic to aspirin.

The main concern with AFib (given there are no other complications) is clot  formation and it resulting of a serious stroke.   I believe this risk is low, but the cost is high, so most to take anticoagulant medication ... you may have had a reaction to something other than the coumadin last time you took it.