| Name | Bruce |
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| Location | Florida |
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| Age | 63 |
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| Diagnosed condition | Lone A.F. |
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| Years with condition | 5 |
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| Frequency of episodes | Every 7 to 30 days |
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| Duration of episodes | 10-22 hrs. |
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| General health | Good health, active biker, hiker, roller blader. Quit smoking in 1992. Played ice hockey until age 48 and trained to keep in shape. Find I am weak for a week after a bout and do not have full strength for one month. Have 1 drink per day. |
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| Current state | Am active biking, walking, etc but am frustrated with recurrences and the fact that I cannot properly build strength. Slight asthmatic condition. |
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| Triggers | Fatigue -- It may activate other triggers.
Alcohol -- Overdoing will trigger attack.
Stress -- Especially when relaxing after a stressful situation resolved.
Large Meals -- Attacks always after dinner.
Heat -- Seems to increase propensity to go into A.F.
A.F. Itself -- Longer I am out of A.F., the easier it is to stay out of A.F.
Too Full a Schedule -- Need to relax during day or I get stressed.
Spicy Foods / Cheese --
Refrigerated Dough Products, Red Wine, Golf, Ice Cream after Big Dinner.
|
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| Preventions | Exercising at first etopic beats on occasion has prevented a bout of A.F. but not always. Avoiding fatigue seems
to be a big help. |
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| Current medications/side effects | Have been on amiodarone since 1996. After loading, I was a 200 mg/day and reduced over next year to 300mg/wk.
No attacks in 1 1/2 years. Started attacks again in 1998. Attacks 1998 - 14, 1999 - 22, 2000 - 22. Increased
dosage to 100mg/day and was at this in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Recently increased dosage to 150 mg/day. Side
effects - slight thyroid reduction, dry eye (may be unrelated), slow heartbeat and reduced exercise tolerance, in-
creased cholesterol level went from 149 to 204. Retired in late 1998, but reduction in stress did not reduce
episodes. Have slight asthmatic condition that may be related to amiodarone but no lung problems yet. Tracking
it. Was converted to NSR twice in 1996 with ibutilide after 72 hour bouts prior to starting amiodarone. Now convert
on own. To convert, have night's sleep and if not converted by A.M., do heavy exercise while in A.F. (mow lawn,
etc.) Then lay down. Usually convert while laying down.
Take following currently - daily -- 1 protegra ( antioxidant combo), 1 400 mg vitamin E, 1 multi-vitamin, 150 mg
amiodarone, 83 mg aspirin. In past have taken 250mg magnesium, 12 1/2 mg levoxyl daily but neither seemed to help reduce
reduce episodes.
|
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| Past medications/side effects | Have been on amiodarone since onset. Have no heart disease or artery blockage so have considered going to
flecanide, propafanone and dofetilide, but physician says amiodarone is the best. However, I am getting frustrated
with recurrences. Have not had significant side effects yet! Ran into breathing test problems in august 2001. Decided tochange to tambacor plus digoxin for rate control. Am now on125mg/day tambacor and 0.125 mg digoxin have benn free of a.f. since convertingto tambacor eg. 2 m0nths . |
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| History of surgery | Had heart catheratization that found heart okay.
|
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| Future plans | Am hoping dronedarone is shown to be effective and free of amiodarone side effects. Hoping it's the Holy Grail
for me.
|
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| Personal comments | Recurrences are very frustrating and slow me down, but still have active life. Am determined to do all possible
to stay out of chronic A.F. if possible.
x |
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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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