| Name | Karen |
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| Location | Northants |
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| Age | 41 |
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| Diagnosed condition | Paroxysmal AF |
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| Years with condition | 6 |
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| Frequency of episodes | No major episodes any more. Last one in Sept 07 |
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| Event preceding first AF | Hysterectomy |
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| General health | non-smoker, little alcohol |
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| Current state | medication managed |
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| Triggers | Lack of sleep
Odd movements
Fizzy drinks
Stress |
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| Preventions | None |
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| Current medications/side effects | 50mg flecainide twice daily - halo vision effects
4mg candesartan daily
7mg warfarin daily - get very cold and sweats
1.25 mg bisoporol twice daily - lightheadedness and low blood pressure |
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| Past medications/side effects | Propafanone - severe breathing difficulties - ended up back in hospital
Amiodarone - sensitive to sun and vision problems
Digoxin
Sotolol - severe breathing problems
Dipridamole - flushing
Aspirin - stomach problems
heparin
verapamil
valsartan
Many more but I forget the names |
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| History of surgery | Hysterectomy in 2002 - tachycardia afterwards (150 beats recorded during operation)
5 or 6 cardioversions - never worked for longer than a few hours between 2002 & 2005
2003 - Atrial flutter ablation. Paroxysmal af afterwards
2005 - virus that affected my heart - organs shut down and on life support - dialysis for kidneys until function came back ( 3 and half months in hospital)- left with 60% heart function
Heart biopsy but did not establish cause of virus
2006 - Pulmonary vein isolation
2007 - cardioversion on relapse
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| Future plans | Hope to either maintain a reasonable equilibrium using medication with the odd cardioversion on any relapse or if things worsen to have another Pulmonary vein isolation or other ablation as necesary |
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| Personal comments | Finding the right specialist is key to beating this condition.
I had many problems with heart medication and it was difficult to find medication that worked and I tolerated. Due to my being so severely ill at one point they had to give me both flecainide and amioderone together which despite the side effects worked to cardiovert me. Unfortunately when my heart flips into AF it is between 170 & 220 beats a minute and needs to be acted on quickly as my heart function is now compromised. I will be on medication for life now. |
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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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