| Name | Barbara |
|---|
| Location | Scotland |
|---|
| Age | 59 |
|---|
| Diagnosed condition | Paroxysmal AF and atrial flutter |
|---|
| Years with condition | 2-3 years |
|---|
| Frequency of episodes | Variable: 2-3 times a week to daily |
|---|
| Duration of episodes | Variable: 1 hour - 3 days |
|---|
| Event preceding first AF | Stress at work - bullying |
|---|
| General health | Good: non-smoker, minimal alcohol, fit and active |
|---|
| Current state | Cured, I hope! |
|---|
| Triggers | Stress, excitement, anxiety, caffeine, alcohol, very cold drinks and some cold semi-solid food eg yoghurt, swimming, particularly front crawl, climbing hills/stairs, lying on my left side. |
|---|
| Preventions | Avoiding the above! Otherwise none. |
|---|
| Current medications/side effects | Sotalol - initially swollen ankles, headaches, blurred vision.
Simvastatin
Warfarin |
|---|
| Past medications/side effects | Aspirin
Bisoprolol
Atenolol
Verapamil - swollen ankles
Flecainide
Digoxin
Propafenone
Diltiazem (Tildem Retard) - swollen ankles
GTN spray
|
|---|
| History of surgery | Attempted ablation in July 2007. Developed tamponade, procedure aborted, drain inserted. In CCU for 36 hours. Developed pericarditis. In hospital for a week. In persistent AF for about 7 weeks. Reverted to sinus spontaneously. Paroxysmal AF returned.
2nd ablation in January 2008. Straightforward (took about 6 hours). Some episodes of AF since but far fewer and becoming less frequent and shorter. Looking promising. |
|---|
| Future plans | To enjoy having my life back! |
|---|
| Personal comments | It was a difficult decision to have the ablation first time round and even more so the second but I had been in hospital 7 times before the first and 4 more times before the second (11 in total in 18 months). My quality of life was very poor which helped me make the decision. |
|---|
| 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 | |
|
|---|
