| Name | Lance |
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| Location | Walnut Creek, CA |
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| Age | 49 |
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| Diagnosed condition | lone-persistent A-FIB (asymptomatic) |
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| Years with condition | showed up on EKG last year |
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| Frequency of episodes | persistent |
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| Duration of episodes | NA |
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| Event preceding first AF | unknown as I have been asymptomatic |
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| General health | good, drink occasionally. since diagnosis I have lost 50+pounds on a diet plan |
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| Current state | "cured" |
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| Triggers | unknown
I did use to drink at least 2-3 liters of diet coke a day for almost 15 years. |
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| Preventions | unknown |
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| Current medications/side effects | will be on Coumadin (~50mg) for a few more weeks. no side effects. Have been on this drug for almost 8 months now |
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| Past medications/side effects | Rythmol (lead to a bout of atrial flutter - very scary event as my wife was gone and I was taken care of my daughter, the bout lasted most of the day - heart rate at 130+ BPM)
Amiodarone (200mg) took for about 6weeks post ablation
Attenalol (30mg)
Toprol (50mg) (reduced heart rate may have caused my depression) |
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| History of surgery | spinal menogitis(sp?) as child
three electrocardio versions (one of the three was post ablation)
PVAI surgery by Dr. Nibley, Mt Diablo Medical Center in March of 2007 |
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| Future plans | complete drug treatment in a few weeks. then start aspirin and hope the ablation sticks. |
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| Personal comments | A little history
My job requires a full medical every other year. Starting about 10 years ago the technicians began to noticed that I had premature atrial contractions (PACs) in my EKG.
At my last physical one year ago they diagnosed A-Fib from the EKG. I went through a stress test and they noted my exercise intolerance.
I went to a cardiologist and he recommended an electro cardioversion. I went through two, I was in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) for about 4-5 days and then back to A-Fib. We tried Rythmol,,,that did not work at all. He put me on Warfarin to protect against stroke. He told me that the medical data said that at my age I could take aspirin and just live with A-Fib since I was asymptomatic.
I would have done so, except I learned that persistent A-Fib will remodel your heart such that you could have valvular problems,an enlarged heart in the future and A-Fib could become chronic.
Even though asymptomatic I opted to try the Pulminary Vein Ablation Procedure (PVAI). I had the work done in March 07 as well as the electrophysical study. Post surgery I was put on Amiodarone, Toprol and Warafin. About a week after surgery I was again in A-Fib so I underwent one final electro-cardioversion. Since then I have been in NSR. I elimenated the Amiodarone and recently the Toprol. I do still have ocassional bouts of skipped (ectopic?/PACs) beats but I always go back to NSR.
Emotionally this has been tough. I am keenly aware of every skipped beat now. Sometimes at work I feel like I am in a fog. It has effected my life adversely. I am somewhat optimistic now as I have been in NSR for close to three months. |
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| Check list |  acebutolol |  amiodarone (cordarone,pacerone) | anisindione (miradon) | | atenolol (tenormin) | aspirin | azimilide | | bepridil | betaxolol | bisoprolol (monocor,emconcor) | | bretylium | bucindolol | carvedilol | | cibenzoline | dicumarol | digitoxin | | digoxin (lanoxin) | diltiazem (cardizem) | diphenylhydantoin | | disopyramide (norpace) | dofetilide (tikosyn) | dronedarone | | encainide | esmolol (brevibloc) | ersentilide | | flecainide (tambocor) | gallopamil | ibutilide (corvert) | | lidocaine | mibefradil | metoprolol (lopressor,toprol xl) | | mexiletine | moricizine | nadolol | | phenytoin | procainamide | propafanone (rythmol) | | propranolol (inderal) | quinapril (accupril) | quinidine (quinaglute) | | sotalol (betapace) | tedisamil | timolol | | tocainide | trandolapril (mavik) | valsartan (diovan) | | verapamil (calan,isoptin) | warfarin (coumadin) | asthma | | diabetes | GERD/acid reflux | hypertension | | hypotension | hyperthyroidism | hypothyroidism | | adrenergic | vagal | familial | | idiopathic/lone | paroxysmal | permanent/chronic | | atrial flutter | cardiomyopathy | CHF | | PAC | PVC | SVT | | syncope | bradycardia | tachycardia | | heart block | myocardial infarction | rheumatic heart diease | | sick sinus syndrome | stroke | WPW | | electrical cardioversion | defibrillator | pacemaker | | ablation | bypass | maze | | Male | Female | |
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