| Name | David Ben Ya'akov - Previously David Ruffino |
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| Location | Crawfordsville, Oregon |
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| Age | 59 |
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| Diagnosed condition | Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation |
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| Years with condition | 28 |
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| Frequency of episodes | They have been abated |
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| Duration of episodes | In the past from 10 seconds to 60 hours |
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| Event preceding first AF | Gall Bladder Removal |
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| General health | Asthmatic, colon cancer survivor. |
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| Current state | I feel that the condition is stable with maybe 1 short episode every 4 to 5 years |
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| Triggers | Low potassium levels often brought it on. I lose potassium somehow. Often when I am low on Potassium I will have PVC's upon which I take an extra KCL tablet for a couple of days and the PVC's stop and there is no A-Fib.
I also know that in the past, when I was a soda fanatic it would irritate my stomach which would lead to episodes. Since my colon cancer surgery last year, my stomach is no longer irritated easily (food processes faster) and I can sleep with food in my stomach. |
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| Preventions | Going to sleep on an empty stomach helps a lot.
Staying away from Motrin helps. Aleve works for me but Motrin seems to set it off. Also staying away from anticholinergic drugs helps.
Keeping my potassium up toward the higher normal value seems to do the trick. There are times when I need to take an extra one when my body is telling me that my level is low (PVC's and leg cramps).
I have a high-stress job. I am a psych nurse. The doctor has prescribed Valium which I take every night. It helps to take the edge off allowing me to get a good night's sleep and it also helps when I do have that rare event of A-Fib |
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| Current medications/side effects | Taking Sotalol 120mg twice daily. Have to have an EKG once a year because of this medication since it can cause the heart node to slow down. So far (after 18 years on the med) it has not. Someone mentioned that Beta Blockers might exacerbate the A-Fib but it is the only drug that works for me, and quite effectively although it is associated with potassium depletion.
The doc gave me a script for diazepam which helps to calm me down on bad stress days.
I take Protonix every night before bedtime to keep the stomach acid down. |
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| Past medications/side effects | Tambocor - No effect
Atenolol - No Effect
Quinaglute - Produced muscle weakness and I came off of it.
Digoxin - No Effect
Verapamil - No Effect
Anticholinergic Drugs - Cause A-Fib in my case. |
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| History of surgery | I had my gallbladder removed in 1991. A month later the A-Fib started. Never had it before that surgery.
Since then I've had my ear repaired with a stapedectomy, my strabismus repaired and a trigger thumb repair. No ill effects from anesthesia.
In May of 2017, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had a colectomy where they removed my ascending colon and hooked everything back up. I had noticed that since that surgery I digest my meals a lot faster so there is no stomach upset like there was before thus less PVC's and such.
An umbilical hernia repair October 2017 with no ill effects.
January 2018 I had surgery for bowel obstruction. I had a 60-hour A-Fib episode before the surgery but I attribute that to all of the excess fluids in my system and a short-term enlargement of my atrium which caused electrical disturbances. Converted to a normal rhythm during surgery and have been A-Fib free ever since. |
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| Future plans | I plan to live a long and happy life. My wife is very supportive and we both live to create a stress free environment at home. I know that this thing won't kill me and I know that God Almighty has an appointed day to die for all of us. I feel that his plans for that day are afar off. |
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| Personal comments | I know that when this thing happens to people it freaks them out. I was told that if the condition persists past two days then cardioversion should be considered and warfarin started. When I had my long episodes long ago I waited one day and went to the ER to be converted.
I really feel that in some of the folks who read this, especially if you feel that retain water or have edema in your legs, you should ask your doctor about getting on a diuretic. Also, ask for one potassium chloride a day; can't hurt you. |
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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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