| Name | Matt |
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| Location | Rochester, NY |
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| Age | 32 |
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| Diagnosed condition | atrial fibrillation |
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| Years with condition | 11 |
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| Frequency of episodes | 3-4 times per year |
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| Duration of episodes | 30 seconds - 15 hours |
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| Event preceding first AF | stress/smoking/heavy drinking |
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| General health | good health, light drinker |
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| Current state | controlled by meds - no episode in 3 years |
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| Triggers | dehydration
stress
caffeine
smoking/chewing tobacco
heavy meals triggers racing heart
|
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| Preventions | betacpace AF
exercise
light meals
no caffeine
no nicotine |
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| Current medications/side effects | betacpace AF, 120 mg twice a day: main side effect is slow resting heart rate (pulse drops to 30's while sleeping and is in 60's at rest during the day)
Aspirin, 1 adult tablet per day |
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| Past medications/side effects | quinidine: did not control AF
metoprolol: did not control AF, also tired continuously
verapamil: did not control AF
flecainide: made AF symptoms worse |
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| History of surgery | had electrophysiology study done in 2000. They were able to induce atrial fibrillation and had to do a cardioversion twice to revert to sinus rythm. However, the only ablation option for treatment was ablation in the pulmonary veins, which at the time (and still is I guess) was very experimental. |
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| Future plans | Meeting with doctor next month to discuss lowering my betapace dosage. Otherwise I am very happy with Betapace. None of the other drugs helped much. I haven't had an episode in 3 years. I fought taking medication for years and now I am kind of afraid to stop or change dosage.
Keep exercising. I have been running and it has helped. I weigh 25 pounds less than I did for my first episode. |
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| Personal comments | I hope this information helps someone else out there. It is a frustrating and frightening condition. |
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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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