I have been prescribed and current taking Diltiazem. I have seen a cardiologist had EKG and all he did was tell me to continue the med. When I asked him if I will have future attacks he said because of my age it is likely.
Is there a treatment that will prevent these attacks from happening again because everything I read indicates strokes follow these attacks? I am not on any blood thinners unless the Diltiazem is one.
Although I said not to tolerate Verapamil, a doctor gave me another calcium blocker, Diltiazem, when I had atrial fibrillation. When I came home, I had to decrease the daily dose to half and then stop using it totally. Diltiazem made me weak (possibly low BP or pulse) and the rhythm became very variable. Doctors should be careful when prescribing calcium channel blockers.
By the way, my pulse pressure (in sinus rhythm) can vary between 14 and 130. What does this mean? Is this normal?
My otherwise healthy 86 yo. mom was diagnised with Atrial Fibrillation and was admitted to the hospital for seven days. She is otherwise very healthy and was only on Hyzaar for blood pressure prior.
She was told her heart was strong and showed minimal damage, chest Xray proved negative, stress test was passed with exceptional results, but was kept hospitalized until her heart rate stopped spiking. She is now on 5.0 mill.
I am 28 years old and otherwise a healthy individual. Last April I woke up one day with what I believe to have been atrial fibrillation, but by the time the EMT's arrived, I had converted. The doctor's at the hospital told me not to sweat it. I then had about two more episodes of atrial fibrillation after binge drinking the night before, but converted on my own. I did not think there was much of a problem until about a month and a half ago when I started to get PVC's every night.
I was put on Verapamil at first and ended up in ER with chest pain, SOB and general weakness. Now I can take Diltiazem (similar but different) with no trouble.
Two medications seem like a lot of drugs to control some atrial tachy. Can you be more specific as to what type of atrial tach you have: PSVT, a-flutter, a-fib? How fast and how long do the episodes last?
Happy to hear that the ablation worked for you. Do you know what the SVT was? (e.g., Atrial Flutter, Atrial Fibrillation, single focus atrial tachycardia?
Be careful taking diltiazem (lisinopril). I was on it for medium high blood pressure for 5 years and finally stopped taking it because it had caused deep depression, not to feelings of suicide though. It seemed to build up, so be on the lookout for feelings of not caring and hopelessness. Now I'm on Verapamil and am doing OK except for the ankle swelling. Tried another CB'er (Cartia XT or Cardizem) and had the same edema effect.
I remained in the hospital for two days. They treated me first with Diltiazem and then gave me Flecainide which stopped the afib within 45 minutes. They kept me for monitoring, and then discharged me.
I am now taking 120mg Diltiazem once a day, and Flecainide 50mg twice a day along with an aspirin.
I was told by the cardiologist, that I will have to take this medication for the rest of my life. I am a 61 year old male 5'6" 145 lbs.
I went back into Atrial Fib sometime this winter. I seem to become lethargic, tired, and depressed. The first time I went to the doctor he said he was sure I was fine, 3 months later I returned and told him I was not getting better, something was wrong, sure enough he listens to my heart and orders a EKG, I'm in Atril Fib once again. This time seeing a different cardiologist.
I am one year older than you, so I do not stand a a proof of living into 80 years, but I can say I have suffered from atrial fibrillation and other heart problems for about 15 years and following my medical advice has helped sustain my life that long.
It may also be causing atrial fibrillation later, so if there is a cause (like high blood pressure, overweight, sleep apnea, pulmonary diseases, etc), you must get it treated by your doctor.
Is your blood pressure normal when you don't have the tachycardia?
As far as I know, treatment is: 1) To treat the underlying condition, if it exists, and 2) if this will not stop the tachycardia from happening, the spot causing the tachycardia may be ablated.
I have been in atrial fibrillation for about a year .I have been asking to come off these pills for that long and the doctors ignore my wishes.
Now I am in the UK and I tell a two different pharmacies my problem. I think metropolol and diltiazem should not be combined they are contraindicated and make me feel awful. I had no afib symptoms before these pills. They make me feel worse than I ever felt in my life.
Since I live in Iowa (low of -24 degrees the other day), it was a side effects that really bothered me. Now I am on 240 mg of Diltiazem and no side effects but it is not controlling the rapid pulse rate very well. My husband, who has A-fib, saw a mention on one of the discussion boards he reads of Beta Blockers lowering the levels of Melatonin in some patients and causing sleep disturbances.
Thank you for response. Omega 3 worked wonderfully for me, even with my occasional Atrial fibrillation. One must, however, get a good brand from a real health food store and take 1 grm 3x's per day - my arrhythmia doctor recommended this. She also said selenium, magnesium, COQ10, calcium, aloe vera soft gels. I use what Dr. Oz recommends - Nordic Naturals - they have a bit of lemon so you don't get that awful after taste of fish oil.
Thank you for the reply. When I made a connection between my atrial fibrillation episodes and NSAID's, I asked my cardiologist about it. She was skeptical, to say the least.
I find it interesting that studies have overwhelmingly proven this correlation in Great Britain and Denmark, yet no similar studies have apparently been funded in the U.S. Could Big Pharma be suppressing this information in the interest of sales of NSAID's?
I have a long history of occassional palpitations (PACs), which have become more frequent and occur most days in recent months, also with occasional episodes of atrial fibrillation. My EKG is normal. My recent annual echo shows, for the first time, a finding of mild to moderate anteroseptal and mild mid-anterior hypokinesis. EF is 72%, other measures are within normal, except mild LAE (4.1 cm) and mild MR, TR, PR regurgitation.
Thanks for the information. EKG did show atrial fibrillation each time. Echo and stress tests were normal. Cholesterol is well within normal ranges. I do snore and sometimes wake myself up, but I usually sleep fairly well. I get up at least once in the night to use the bathroom. With these uncomfortable epidsodes of pounding/racing heart, I have hightened anxiety and almost hesitant to go to bed, which is of course making me more tired.
I had four episodes already this year even I took medicine Diltiazem (180 mg) everyday. The good thing is I can terminate it by taking extra Diltiazem (250 mg) and lay down for 30 mins.
My doctor told me my problem is left ventricular fascicular tachycardia, which is an uncommon tachycardia. My tachycardia is very sensitive to Diltiazem (calcium channel blocker). The doctor tried Adenosine, but it never works. If they inject Diltiazem, my tachycardia would terminate immediately.
Speaking of HR, what is the reason that you see an electrophysiologist? Atrial fibrillation? and are you feeling poorly when your heart rate is 40s?
I would say that if your HR needed to be a little faster than 40s, then adjust metoprolol or diltiazem as your had done, but then increase the enalapril and/or telmisartan to treat the blood pressure.
My daughter, age 49, has been diagnosed with Paroxysmal AF after heart tests and wearing an event monitor, for symptoms of palpatations and minor chest tightness that would come and go at any time of day. She has been under particular stress in the past six months while back in college, but is active and involved in life! Her cardiologist prescribed coumadin therapy. As an RN, I am aware of the distressing dangers and constant monitoring of patients on this drug.
Are you saying you experience these HR excursions while maintaining a fixed level of physical activity? For example, all measured while at rest.
It would also help to know if these excursions are ongoing, constant or intermittent.
Are you now taking medications for heart rhythm problems?
If at rest, the 41 may be too low, and 100+ is too high, and should be checked.
Is there any way of distinguishing between ventricular and atrial fibrillation from the symptoms? The holter does not catch the arrhythmia due to sporadic episodes.
You ask if PACs (and PAC couplets) may initiate atrial fibrillation or SVT. As atrial fibrillation and SVT both are caused by atrial ectopic activity, the answer is yes, atrial fibrillation and SVT starts with a PAC. However, almost every person alive have PACs, meaning that most people with PACs will never have atrial fibrillation.
Recommended
