AFibbers Database: Sue

Name	Sue
Location	Kent UK
Age	54
Diagnosed condition	Atrial Fibrillation
Years with condition	8
Frequency of episodes	Many years with almost none with meds. More now.
Duration of episodes	seconds to days
Event preceding first AF	Illness/Death of Mother
General health	non smoker, tea total (in last few months) bit overweight but was cycling and swimming until recently.
Current state	Condition worse in last few months. Drugs gradually increased but effectiveness waning. Quite ill now. Off work.
Triggers	Alcohol, eating late, stress, digestive problems but don't know if this is result or cause, strenuous activity, tiredness.Vivid dreams. Seems fairly random sometimes. The worst is in bed at night. When I lie down,heart beats so hard it vibrates whole body. I cannot get to sleep, which makes it worse too.
Preventions	The holding your nose and breathing out thingy very effective sometimes. Rest. Meditation. Having a laugh. Anything that can get your mind off the bloody thing. I think listening to your own heartbeat makes it worse. Avoiding alcohol. I used to smoke marijuana and that made it much worse. Trying to lose weight with some success. magnesium, potassium, cardioace, coenzyme Q10,
Current medications/side effects	Flecainide Sotalol. Doctors weren't struck on me taking both but they put me on Flecainide alone at first and although heart was regular, it was hard and fast which stopped me sleeping. So GP put me back on Sotalol as well. Worked well for 8 years then became shop steward. Mistake. Symptoms back with a vengeance. Increased meds but taking more and more with lessening effect. Side effects not too bad. Tiredness but worth it to be free of AF. Aspirin.
Past medications/side effects	None
History of surgery	None
Future plans	Investigating Ablation. Appointment with Cardiologist next week.
Personal comments	This complaint has not been taken seriously by GP's. When I lived in London, my GP told me it was "my age" I was 46 at the time. He took notice though when I walked into his surgery a month later with a sitting heartbeat of 140. I think things are a bit better now. I was treated at Harefield up until recently and they were very good. When I first git it the registrar told me stright that it gets worse. I hated him for it at the time but am grateful in retrospect.I changed my life. Moved to the seaside, gave up my high stress job, focussed on things I wanted to do. Because of these things I can try and see a positive side to having it. I would not be living here by the lovely coast if I had not developed it. I would still be a work rat in London.
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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