Regarding afib

SatoriFound · Oct 29, 2024

When is it an issue post surgery? If anti-coagulants are already being taken along with the other post surgical medications?

My husband got a new Galaxy Gear 7 Ultra watch and as soon as he did the ECG function it stated, Atrial Fibrillation- Irregular heart rhythm detected, talk to your doctor about this result.

It's definitely irregular, and P waves seem to be absent, among other things, from my quick google class on how to ascertain atrial fibrillation from an ECG. LOL I don't want to be THAT annoying patient's wife, but I want my husband to be alive for hopefully the next 40+ years too. I did send a quick email to the Congenital Heart doc, and am hoping that is the correct one to send it to, but I sent his blood pressure to the email address the office gave me and I didn't hear anything back, so am not even sure it is going to the right place. There are follow-up appointments set with the Interventional Cardiologist- working with the surgeon, the Electro Cardiologist AND the Congenital Cardiologist for November. I just want to make sure I know when it is actually a problem.

He's taking-
Amiodarone 200 mg
aspirin 81 mg
colchicine .6 mg
ferrous sulfate 325 mg
losartan 25 mg
metoprolol succinate XL 75 mg 2X
warfarin 5 mg
atorvastatin 20mg
tamsulosin .4 mg
and a muscle relaxant and pain reliever as needed.

3mm · Oct 29, 2024

SatoriFound said:
When is it an issue post surgery?

It depends... For example, when I went into Afib during my cardiac rehab class I felt a bit fatigued, but I could still exercise at a slower rate. So the nurse told me to continue exercising at a comfortable pace. After a while the Afib ended. The nurse reported the event to my cardiologist and we made an appointment for followup with an electrophysiologist.

I will go to the ER (Emergency Room) if I have an Afib that doesn't stop and/or is interfering with daily activities.

SatoriFound · Oct 29, 2024

3mm said:
It depends... For example, when I went into Afib during my cardiac rehab class I felt a bit fatigued, but I could still exercise at a slower rate. So the nurse told me to continue exercising at a comfortable pace. After a while the Afib ended. The nurse reported the event to my cardiologist and we made an appointment for followup with an electrophysiologist.

I will go to the ER (Emergency Room) if I have an Afib that doesn't stop and/or is interfering with daily activities.

He didn't really know he was in afib until he took his readings, so I guess that is a sign he is OK? Although.... He did say he didn't feel well. He is attributing it to being stressed about setting up the watch, and it cutting close to our son's bath time which for some reason he didn't want to be 5 minutes late.... I have to DRAG info out of him. HOW do you not feel well. If he says his chest hurts, is it sharp pain (since the flyer said to look for SHARP pain). And then I have to ask a series of questions.... *sigh*

He should have a holter monitor so we can see if is it intermittent afib, or if he is just in it constantly.....

Lisa from LJ · Oct 29, 2024

I don't know how this watch works, but remember that an EKG has 12 leads and each one shows something different. I'm assuming the watch only shows one. Also, the EKG will probably be abnormal after valve replacement because the valve isn't opening and closing the same as the native valve was designed to. In addition to PACs, my EKG has abnormal QRS complex. I also get short bouts of tachycardia, don't recall if they called it afib or vfib. It's been a long time since I discussed it with a doctor, but was told it's normal with a mechanical valve and as long as it doesn't continue for more than 10 minutes, it's okay. So far, so good.

SatoriFound · Oct 30, 2024

Lisa from LJ said:
I don't know how this watch works, but remember that an EKG has 12 leads and each one shows something different. I'm assuming the watch only shows one. Also, the EKG will probably be abnormal after valve replacement because the valve isn't opening and closing the same as the native valve was designed to. In addition to PACs, my EKG has abnormal QRS complex. I also get short bouts of tachycardia, don't recall if they called it afib or vfib. It's been a long time since I discussed it with a doctor, but was told it's normal with a mechanical valve and as long as it doesn't continue for more than 10 minutes, it's okay. So far, so good.

We have the Kardia Mobile coming, we ordered it Monday. It says it is a 6 lead.

dornole · Oct 30, 2024

Not feeling. Afib doesn’t make it benign. But yeah being anticoagualted is a huge safety benefit. I think the Kardia will be a big benefit for you guys.

SatoriFound · Oct 30, 2024

dornole said:
Not feeling. Afib doesn’t make it benign. But yeah being anticoagualted is a huge safety benefit. I think the Kardia will be a big benefit for you guys.

Which makes it hard. Everything says go to the hospital for this, this or that. LOL

We will figure it out. He got a really good night of sleep and we are going to go out, pick up a prescription and go to the gym and walk around the track. (We are in Texas and the gym is air conditioned, so better than walking around the block).

ncw3642 · Oct 30, 2024

SatoriFound said:
Which makes it hard. Everything says go to the hospital for this, this or that. LOL We will figure it out. He got a really good night of sleep and we are going to go out, pick up a prescription and go to the gym and walk around the track. (We are in Texas and the gym is air conditioned, so better than walking around the block).

Did your surgeon's office give you a number to call when you both got home? When I had my one bout of A-Fib (that only lasted 3-5 mins) post-surgery, I called that number and asked for their advice.

FOR ME they said to not go to ER so long as

A-Fib was short lived
HR during A-Fib episode was <150 BPM (mine was 120-130)
I was not overly short of breath/lightheaded and had no other symptoms such as chest pain etc.

The deciding factor for you to get extra help is if they think they need to cardiovert- in which case an ER trip would be warranted or if they suspect it is something more serious. Usually surgeons offices keep you on as a patient for ~3-months post-surgery so you can call/get advice and care through their office. They will know the chart best/what they recommend!

But if they don't want to cardiovert, there really isn't a point because the most they would do in the ER would be put you on a blood thinner..... which it sounds like he already is on.

Just my experiences.

SatoriFound · Oct 30, 2024

ncw3642 said:
Did your surgeon's office give you a number to call when you both got home? When I had my one bout of A-Fib (that only lasted 3-5 mins) post-surgery, I called that number and asked for their advice.

FOR ME they said to not go to ER so long as

A-Fib was short lived

HR during A-Fib episode was <150 BPM (mine was 120-130)

I was not overly short of breath/lightheaded and had no other symptoms such as chest pain etc.

The deciding factor for you to get extra help is if they think they need to cardiovert- in which case an ER trip would be warranted or if they suspect it is something more serious. Usually surgeons offices keep you on as a patient for ~3-months post-surgery so you can call/get advice and care through their office. They will know the chart best/what they recommend!

But if they don't want to cardiovert, there really isn't a point because the most they would do in the ER would be put you on a blood thinner..... which it sounds like he already is on.

Just my experiences.

I got a packet with a bunch of doctors in it, etc. Maybe we will call the doctors office later today. We should be getting the Kardia later today, and he can run that, since it is a 6 lead and it should be a better representation of what is going on. If that also shows afib we will call the doctor they told us yesterday would be the primary contact. Adult Congenitial Cardiologist. He says every time he runs the ecg on the watch it shows afib. So yeah, it seems to be constant.

Beach77 · Oct 30, 2024

That also happened to me having an Afib on my first day home. I called the doctor's office and the cardiac nurse said I was on Metoprolol and Amiodarone for 30 days just for that. They reminded me my heart is still healing from surgery. Now If I have a SVT, I'll use my Samsung ECK and then keep a chart of the day/length and anything else. Also, I keep a copy of the record too. On my yearly visit, I'll give it to the doctor. I was told if they last longer than 60 mins to go to ER. I don't have them very often. The first year my thyroid meds were off and took about 3 months to get those into range, then my SVTs stopped.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

Beach77 said:
That also happened to me having an Afib on my first day home. I called the doctor's office and the cardiac nurse said I was on Metoprolol and Amiodarone for 30 days just for that. They reminded me my heart is still healing from surgery. Now If I have a SVT, I'll use my Samsung ECK and then keep a chart of the day/length and anything else. Also, I keep a copy of the record too. On my yearly visit, I'll give it to the doctor. I was told if they last longer than 60 mins to go to ER. I don't have them very often. The first year my thyroid meds were off and took about 3 months to get those into range, then my SVTs stopped.

Well shoot. Hubby thinks his is constant. One of the doctors I messaged me said we should be getting a wearable monitor in the mail in the next couple of days. I don't know why they wouldn't just give it to us at the hospital, but it is what it is. The Kardia Mobile device arrived yesterday, but hubby said he just didn't have the energy to try it out. *sigh* This morning he is sleeping, but I need to go wake him up because his appointment for inr check is in 45 minutes.

danielwoz · Oct 31, 2024

I agree with the general sentiment here, many people live with constant AFib episodes, assuming no other significant symptoms its probably not imminently serious. Is the Amiodarone long term dosage or a temporary prescription?

Amiodarone normally is prescribed to help with Afib, so maybe (in a non-urgent way) book a follow up with the prescribing doctor about the symptoms and if the Amiodarone dosage is correct.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

danielwoz said:
I agree with the general sentiment here, many people live with constant AFib episodes, assuming no other significant symptoms its probably not imminently serious. Is the Amiodarone long term dosage or a temporary prescription?

Amiodarone normally is prescribed to help with Afib, so maybe (in a non-urgent way) book a follow up with the prescribing doctor about the symptoms and if the Amiodarone dosage is correct.

I am not sure if it is meant to be permanent or which of the three different doctors prescribed it. I will look into it. The bottle should show, but I all of them could have been prescribed by the discharging physician. We got the Kardia Mobile and will just keep monitoring it and collecting readings to show at his follow up appointment on the 18th. I did send a copy of the reading from today showing afib to the doctor's medical records email. If they don't call us I will consider it to not be a worry.

Now we are dealing with INR. That's gonna take awhile to get steady it seems. It jumped up to 4.5 from Monday's reading of 2.8, or 2.9 whichever it was. Too many numbers swirling around. Heartrate seems to be holding around 110 bpm.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

Beach77 said:
That also happened to me having an Afib on my first day home. I called the doctor's office and the cardiac nurse said I was on Metoprolol and Amiodarone for 30 days just for that. They reminded me my heart is still healing from surgery. Now If I have a SVT, I'll use my Samsung ECK and then keep a chart of the day/length and anything else. Also, I keep a copy of the record too. On my yearly visit, I'll give it to the doctor. I was told if they last longer than 60 mins to go to ER. I don't have them very often. The first year my thyroid meds were off and took about 3 months to get those into range, then my SVTs stopped.

Are you on anti-coagulants for your afib? My hubby can't really go to the hospital every time he has been in afib if it is constant. He is on Warfarin, so doesn't that mitigate the stroke risk?

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

dornole said:
Not feeling. Afib doesn’t make it benign. But yeah being anticoagualted is a huge safety benefit. I think the Kardia will be a big benefit for you guys.

Yeah, it shows afib too. BLAH. Every time he runs any of these monitors it shows afib. We haven't had a normal period at all.

danielwoz · Oct 31, 2024

SatoriFound said:
Now we are dealing with INR. That's gonna take awhile to get steady it seems. It jumped up to 4.5 from Monday's reading of 2.8, or 2.9 whichever it was. Too many numbers swirling around. Heartrate seems to be holding around 110 bpm.

Early on INR often fluctuates dramatrically, it is important to react to it however, 4.5 is probably fine but you wouldn't want to go higher. As my doctor said, I wouldn't get in a boxing ring over 4.0... Over 6.0 you should consider a padded cell..

Your INR has no relation to your heart rate. INR is one of two measures for how fast your blood clots/scabs and is important factor in determining if artificial valves are likely to cause clots that would cause stroke.

3mm · Oct 31, 2024

SatoriFound said:
We got the Kardia Mobile ... today showing afib ... Heartrate seems to be holding around 110 bpm.

Sometimes immediately after exercise I check my KardiaMobile 6L, and it says I am in Afib. Less than 5 minutes later I check again, and it says I am in "Normal Sinus Rythm". I think the change during those few minutes is my heart rate slowing down.

A heartrate of 110 bpm may be fooling the KardiaMobile.

SatoriFound said:
I did send a copy of the reading from today showing afib to the doctor's medical records email. If they don't call us I will consider it to not be a worry.

Busy people can miss some emails. Consider asking them if they saw the EKG.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

Lisa from LJ said:
I don't know how this watch works, but remember that an EKG has 12 leads and each one shows something different. I'm assuming the watch only shows one. Also, the EKG will probably be abnormal after valve replacement because the valve isn't opening and closing the same as the native valve was designed to. In addition to PACs, my EKG has abnormal QRS complex. I also get short bouts of tachycardia, don't recall if they called it afib or vfib. It's been a long time since I discussed it with a doctor, but was told it's normal with a mechanical valve and as long as it doesn't continue for more than 10 minutes, it's okay. So far, so good.

Hmmm... The 6 lead shows afib today. I did a quick online "tutorial" meaning I read about how to read afib on an ekg, and he is definitely lacking Pwaves. On another note, his INR went up to 4.5! They are doing a dosage dance.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

danielwoz said:
Early on INR often fluctuates dramatrically, it is important to react to it however, 4.5 is probably fine but you wouldn't want to go higher. As my doctor said, I wouldn't get in a boxing ring over 4.0... Over 6.0 you should consider a padded cell..

Your INR has no relation to your heart rate. INR is one of two measures for how fast your blood clots/scabs and is important factor in determining if artificial valves are likely to cause clots that would cause stroke.

I know they aren't related. LOL It was just something we found out today. I am not worried about it after Pellicle's post about bleeding events with the different numbers. It will eventually stabilize, and then the whole anti-coagulation thing should be relatively easy.

SatoriFound · Oct 31, 2024

3mm said:
Sometimes immediately after exercise I check my KardiaMobile 6L, and it says I am in Afib. Less than 5 minutes later I check again, and it says I am in "Normal Sinus Rythm". I think the change during those few minutes is my heart rate slowing down.

A heartrate of 110 bpm may be fooling the KardiaMobile.

Busy people can miss some emails. Consider asking them if they saw the EKG.

Gotcha!

Regarding afib

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