AFibbers Database: Paula in Massachusetts

Name	Paula in Massachusetts
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Age	52
Diagnosed condition	Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation/Atrial Flutter 2001/Now more persistent 2006
Years with condition	Noticed symptoms in early 20's diagnosed at 47
Frequency of episodes	Early 20's to 47 occasionally, 2001-1, 2002-0, 2003-9, 2004-4, 2005-5, 2006-5 so far
Duration of episodes	Early 20's to 47 few minutes to few hours self convert, 47 to 49 five to ten hours need help converting on occasion
Event preceding first AF	Around time my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer/Niece diagnosed with Hodgkin's
General health	I am overweight (yo yo dieting all my life), I just recently had an embolism to my right eye (eye damage), brain tumor left frontal (meningioma), asthma, kidney stones, mitral valve prolapse
Current state	I was Paroxysmal afib/flutter but since I allow chemical conversions in the hospital Im considered persistent afib now. I seem to be having afib every 4-8 weeks. Winter months and the holidays every 4 weeks and summer every 8 or more.
Triggers	MSG, Caffeine, chocolate, fatigue, postural (bending over too fast, sitting in a recliner to fast (at times), getting up or laying down too fast, I avoid additives + preservatives as I will get PVC"S if I have too many leads me into afib,aerobic exercise, flu or sickness puts me in a fragile state and Afib usually follows,(dehydration or fatigue) , soy products (I get lots of PVC's after consuming), alcohol, emotional or work-related stress,Physical overexertion like shoveling snow or lifting heavy stuff, pushing,lying on the left side,Aspartame (NutraSweet),too much sugar, It is clear that the triggers for afib are many and varied and highly specific to each individual except for excessive emotional and physical stress which is pretty well universal.
Preventions	I pace myself and rest often. I try to avoid all known triggers. I make sure I take my medication on time. I take a daily nap. If I am feeling fragile I take that as a warning to go easy and not do much that day.
Current medications/side effects	Sotalol 80 mg x 2 a day 3-11-04 120 mg x 2 a day 12-04-04 160mg x 2 a day 4-30-05 Warfarin 4-11-04 5mg daily Diltiazem 30mgs Take one tablet when in afib 12-01-05 I have been on Sotalol for two years now. Warfarin for the same amount of time. The Sotalol is keeping me in NSR more than any drug I have tried up to this point. I am having an afib attack every 4-8 weeks now. Summer time I will go longer but winter months I work hard to make the 4 weeks as I think the cold contributes to the attacks. When I first started the Sotalol I felt tired but now four months into the drug I'm getting back to normal. I still have my fragile days often but I'm not kicking into afb on them like I use too. I'm finding there are certain things you cannot eat with Sotalol and Warfarin. I watch my Vitamin K intake and I have had some reactions to fruits example Mango. I just read that papain interacts with Warfarin (enzyme papain in Mango). But other than that its a learn as you go and if it doesn't feel right question it so you can fix it. After two to three breakthroughs my doctor changed the dose on the Sotalol. It is holding me in rhythm anywhere from two weeks to eight months so far. I also take 1 - 30mgs of Diltiazem when I pop into afib. This seems to keep my rate down so I don't have to go to the hospital every time I go into afib.
Past medications/side effects	Nov 2001 Cardizem Cd 120mg to 180 mg, Adult aspirin. No side effects that I noticed Jan 2003 Lopressor 50mg x 2 no side effects, Adult Aspirin. Oct 2003 Toprol XL 50 mg x 2 to 100mg x 2, Adult Aspirin. I was tired on the Toprol XL, I was always cold and my fingers would turn blue in the cold weather and I started to pace myself and do things at a slower pace because my get up and go was not there now. March 2004 Sotalol 80mg x 2 a day, December 2004 Sotalol 120 x 2 a day April 2005 Sotalol 160 x 2 a day I still get the finger and toes turning blue in the cold weather or if im chilled. I started off being tired but I adjusted well and tolerate this well. My hair is falling out with Sotalol but a Normal Sinus Rhythm out weighs my hair. Aspirin, I started out with one baby aspirin a day. After a few trips to the ER room and chemical conversions they told me to take 1 Adult aspirin a day. I was taking the uncoated baby aspirin at first and if I cut myself I could see a longer time till clotting. After a few months on the Adult aspirin that was coated I noticed if I cut myself I was clotting faster now. I don't know if the coating had anything to do with this? I also noticed too late and I passed a clot to my eye. Im not sure if our bodies build up a tolerance to Aspirin or if the coating has anything to do with what happened to me? April 2004 Warfarin (Coumadin) taken off Adult Aspirin December 2005 I also take 30mgs Diltiazem when in afib
History of surgery	Biopsy on breast negative, Two operations for my ovaries one removed, Gallbladder removed.
Future plans	I'm not sure yet. We are all individuals and progress differently.
Personal comments	Sotalol is the first drug I have taking that I can actually feel a calm heart. My whole life I have never had the feeling of calm. I always felt a fast unsettled rate and thought that was normal. I now have a more persistent afib in the past three years and IM still trying to find the right drug to keep me in normal sinus rhythm. I don't think there is any one drug that will actually do that but they can assist us in a better quality of life. It has been over two years now and I am going in and out of afib anywhere from 4 weeks to 8 months between each episode. I will be in afib from 2 hours to 11 hours. I noticed since I started to take the different drugs to control my afib I have lost my get up and go. I now have to take it one day at a time. I can't push myself to exhaustion without feeling the consequence's now. I take it one day at a time and on the days I feel fragile I hang around the house and take a nap. I find if I have a normal feeling day and over do it this will set me back for a few days being fragile again. I have learned that less is better for me and I try to accept and live that way at least for now.
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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