Re: Quirky

[Guest guest]

This morning in full-fledged AF on the way to the hospital to be admitted

for administration of Flecainide according to a new treatment plan, I

converted to nsr. So today will not be the day for the new meds. Instead I

was able to keep my previously-scheduled appointment for an echocardiogram

and to be fitted for a 48hr Holter monitor. Now that I am wearing the

monitor, my heart is beating with military precision. I even stopped on the

way home for a grande (decaf) cafe mocha (yes, with chocolate!) -- really

living on the edge today! So this episode of AF only lasted for 2 hours, the

shortest episode I have ever had. The only thing I did differently was to

NOT take a beta blocker at the onset of AF; instead, as per the new plan, I

took an extra 60mg of Cardizem (diltiazem) -- that is, extra to my regular

daily dose of 240mg. I feel fine! Now I am wondering if all along (for

years!) the beta blocker was indeed making the AF worse (a normal episode

would be 10-12 hours). But this condition is so idiosyncratic, I may never

know the answer.

I've been thinking, ever since someone posted about going into AF while

watching TV, and Vicky getting better (I hope!) after the amalgams were

removed, more about environmental causes. Many of us who suffer from AF are

in good physical condition with nothing [else] wrong with our hearts. I

thought it again this morning when I went " in " -- yesterday I drove for 4

hours on one of the busiest freeways in the US. Traffic was thicker than a

swarm of bees and I know I was breathing auto emissions the entire time.

This is the third time I have had an episode that started within 12 hours

after a long and intense drive. Has this occurred to anyone else?

Best to all,

Sandy

STARTED Flecainide Acetatefor

>

>>From a week i started this drugs with success , my AF episodes

>are a bit less frequent an more short in time , i feel better

> my appetite has increased a lot.

> Do you know , the long time effects of this drug ?

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/27/00 10:58:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,

vientos@... writes:

> The only thing I did differently was to

>

Sandy,

I assume you are aware that beta blockers are not good for vagal AF,

according to Dr. Coumel, who has written the lead articles on this condition.

Thus, it is not surprising to me that abstaining from taking your beta

blocker had a positive effect.

Wishing you the best of luck the next time you go into an episode and have a

chance to check out Flecainide -- it worked for me. Flecainine -- again

according to Coumel -- is supposed to be generally good for people with vagal

AF.

Victor

[Guest guest]

Victor, I am now aware (thanks to this group!) that beta blockers are bad

for vagal AF. Apparently, however, my cardiologist did *not* know this, and

I am quite convinced that the beta blockers she prescribed, and which I took

for years, made things worse for me. I had never even heard of " vagal "

before AFIBsupport, but became aware from reading the postings and seeing

Vicky's site that I, indeed, had vagal AF. I sought out a new cardiologist,

and guess what! He spent an hour an a half with me, listening to everything

I had to say, and examined me, and diagnosed me with " vagally mediated PAF. "

I never even made the suggestion of it (just like when I take my car in for

repairs, I never tell the mechanic what I think is wrong). So it was quite

a good feeling for me to hear it from a medical person. Where can I find

Dr. Coumel's articles? Thanks. Sandy

Re: Quirky

>

>In a message dated 12/27/00 10:58:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,

>vientos@... writes:

>

>

>> The only thing I did differently was to

>>

>

>Sandy,

>I assume you are aware that beta blockers are not good for vagal AF,

>according to Dr. Coumel, who has written the lead articles on this

condition.

> Thus, it is not surprising to me that abstaining from taking your beta

>blocker had a positive effect.

>

>Wishing you the best of luck the next time you go into an episode and have

a

>chance to check out Flecainide -- it worked for me. Flecainine -- again

>according to Coumel -- is supposed to be generally good for people with

vagal

>AF.

>Victor

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

P. Raichel writes

>But this condition is so idiosyncratic, I may never

>know the answer.

I still think this from time to time, but just because the AF is not

100% predictable doesn't mean you can't find some logic to it - keep

trying!

> and Vicky getting better (I hope!) after the amalgams were

>removed,

Still not too bad, thanks - I have had a few attacks since (and am now

~10 days into a 30-day detox) but the attacks have recently started

becoming very short (a few hours at most :-))) - touch wood) - I can

now stop them with a few Deflatine (=Tums?) - and it is definitely

*wind* that causes it. I do think this is a change from before having

the amalgams out, and though I have changed the diet regime somewhat, I

think it is hopefully having the amalgams out that has let me change the

regime - I have tried most of these things before but without success -

why success now?? And I am *feeling* 10 times better than before. Even

the attacks don't feel as bad.

--

Best of health to all

Vicky

[Guest guest]

P. Raichel writes

>I had never even heard of " vagal "

>before AFIBsupport, but became aware from reading the postings and seeing

>Vicky's site that I, indeed, had vagal AF. I sought out a new cardiologist,

>and guess what! He spent an hour an a half with me, listening to everything

>I had to say, and examined me, and diagnosed me with " vagally mediated PAF. "

Boy does this make me feel good to know someone may have been helped - I

also have to re-credit JerryD who is still out there somewhere

(lurking?) who first brought my attention to vagal AF. Jerry had done a

lot of legwork and had even contacted the great Dr C. I saw a posting

from Jerry recently on one of the other sites where his AF had developed

into vagal-plus-adrenergic and he was having more trouble controlling

it. But was now looking at the mercury thing, too !

>Where can I find

>Dr. Coumel's articles? Thanks. Sandy

Sandy, most of his work is abstracted on Medline (see my site for a link

and suggested search term) but the most important articles are in

chapter-in-book form, which I had to get from, in the end, the British

Library. You may have to search University libraries etc. If you're

really stuck I can mail you a p/copy. Perhaps there's someone Stateside

on this list who could keep a copy to mail to the USA members or who

could scan one in - I don't have a scanner.

Note also that one of his " classic " papers - in Chapter 7 " Neural

Aspects of Atrial Fibrillation " , pp 109-125, of " Atrial Fibrillation -

Mechanisms and Management " R.H. Falk and P.J. Podrid, (1992) Raven Press

Ltd, only appears in the First Edition, which is now out of print. The

second edition which I saw in a University bookshop, had another chapter

substituted about neurally-mediated AF's and saying basically that they

didn't think Coumel was right. Boy was I angry!

I think Coumel has made his mark now, though. It is the younger medics

who are more accepting, in my experience.

--

Best of health to all

Vicky