AFibbers Database: Tony Rairden

Name	Tony Rairden
Location	Santa Barbara, CA
Age	62 (in 2006)
Diagnosed condition	Was Permanent AFib w/ Rapid Ventricular Response for 3 mos. ; angiogram also found mild atherosclerosis and ruptured plaque in the LAD, but nothing warranting angioplasty or a stent.
Years with condition	Probably paroxysmal for years, disregarded. Eventually blasted (adrenergically, that is...) myself into permanent.
Frequency of episodes	Prior to permanent, went from a couple a month to perhaps one a day over probably 10 years, but wasn't diagnosed-- Thought what I felt (probably multiple PVCs & AFib) was under-used heart complaining - no big deal...
Duration of episodes	Don't really know
Event preceding first AF	I'm an adrenaline junkie (former carrier-based Naval Aviator) and former endurance athlete (marathoner 17-20 years ago)...
General health	Generally healthy non-smoker, overweight (was 40 lbs., now 20), not getting enough exercise,
Current state	Cured, after initial and touch-up PVI ablations by Dr. Andrea Natale @ Cleveland Clinic
Triggers	Extreme adrenergic situations
Preventions	Yoga? I believe it helped quite a bit...
Current medications/side effects	ASA (aspirin) 81mg QD - no known side effects for me Lipitor 20mg QD - Beginning to question muscle fatigue and general fatigue side effects - May go off to evaluate...
Past medications/side effects	Warfarin 5mg QD - no known side effects for me other than slower clotting (not really a side effect...) of cuts and more ready bleeding of scratches (cat-type...) - got off it end of June '06. Sotalol 160mg QD - Was on 120mg after initial visit to Natale and having had rate control (Toprol XL) effective at rate control but limiting lifestyle; broke through 120, local cardiologist put me up to 160mg QD. Lisinopril (ACE Inhibitor) 10mg QD - Persistent, frequent dry cough. REALLY irritating. Replaced with Cozaar (ARB). Toprol XL 100mg BID - Was effective bringing RVR rate down from 120-140 to 80s, but felt somewhat lethargic. DC Cardioversion from that base failed, so Dr. Natale switched me (outpatient) to sotalol 120mg BID as an antiarrhythmic. Imdur 30mg QD - Dropped because BP was running low. No other known side effects for me. Digoxin 0.25mg QD - Dropped after conversion at slow pulse rate. Pulse (avg.) only came up about 3-4 points. No known side effects for me. Cozaar 20mg QD - no known side effects, except that my blood pressure was generally on the low (108/80, e.g., sometimes with systolic in upper 90s...) side. Pre-AFib (the permanent variety, that is...), my BP was typically 125/80. Dropped post-PVI when BP was lower than necessary.
History of surgery	PVI Ablation w/ Natale @ Cleveland Clinic March 1, 2005. Had some break-through AFib while weaning off Sotalol. Touch-up PVIA November 17, 2005. Both procedures went smoothly, with no side or aftereffects. Angiogram in June 2004. Hernioraphy in '91.
Future plans	Had final 48-hour Holter in June 2006, after which I got off Coumadin and am down to just Lipitor and aspirin as cardiac-related meds. Activities at that point were, and continue to be, unrestricted.
Personal comments	I was doing yoga (essentially Anusara style...) 4-5 times a week, and I believe that had as much to do with my pre-ablation relatively stable NSR state as my meds. It also helped me moderate my (previously highly adrenergic) responses to frustrating or challenging situations. I am taking a lot of anti-oxidant supplements (SOD, CoQ-10, Vit. C, Vit. E, fish oil) after my research indicated that doing so might slow or even reverse some of the electrical remodeling going on while in AFib/RVR.
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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