How Much Walking?

[Guest]

Paul,

Rain is simply quoting more from the Ray Stevens' song, "The Streak". LOL...and, it kinda fits into a discussion we had in the chat room many Sunday afternoons ago.... Ya might say it is an "inside joke" .

HTH...

 

[bvdr]

Paul, I am so pleased with your progress and you too have become an inspiration! I'm sorry about your bouts of Atrial Fib- I've had problems with that myself.

Steve, How many of us are still left in the waiting room? It sort of feels like there are enough empty chairs that we can really stretch out!

Does anyone know how many are on each side of the mountain?
Betty

 

[Georgia]

Another comment on altitude from flatlander

Another comment on altitude from flatlander

I went to CU (Boulder, although back when I was there it was the only CU). I remember thinking that once I was acclimatized to the altitude that Chicago would be nothing - I could run a mile.

Went home for the first time my freshman year at Christmas - arrived at Gate whatever-Z at O'Hare - at DIA you get a train; at O'Hare - in those days - no moving sidewalks - you just walked and walked and walked. And I couldn't believe it - it was really humid and I couldn't breathe at all!!!

 

[hensylee]

Paul - keep your eye on the amiodarone. My brother was on it for a long, long time and it was very bad for him. Lasting effects. It also has a long half-life. It's certainly a controversial drug. Look it up on the net for yourself.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Paul -

The cardiologist who recommended Amiodarone to me told me it is a very powerful anti-arrhythmiatic drug, conceding that it does have lots of (dangerous) side effects if taken in high doses for too long but not so serious for short term lower dose use. Check it out on one of the drug websites.

Since I had had a few incidents of PVC / PAC after my Bypass surgery a few years ago which subsided completely after a few weeks, I opted to take the more conservative route with low dose Toprol XL (25 - 50 mg) which I tolerate quite well and worked just fine for me.

Bottom Line: As others have indicated here on VR.com, Amiodarone should be considered as a LAST RESORT drug and definitely not a first choice. IMHO, that's like using a 3 lb hammer to drive a finishing nail. I didn't care for the "one size fits all" approach !

'AL'

 

[Johnny Stephens]

You're sounding great!

You're sounding great!

Hey, Paul! If you can handle the walking, and are listening to your body for any warning signs, more power to you! It really did me good today to read how well you're doing.

Comment on the Amiodarone; as the others have mentioned it does bear extremely close watching, and if at all possible get off of it quickly. I had episodes of a-fib in the hospital, and only amiodarone would calm it down. I only had to take it for a month and was really glad to stop it.

Keep up the splendid recovery!

 

[Rain]

Pillar Pual... ya never listened to ?The Streak??!

Pillar Pual... ya never listened to ?The Streak??!

Ann, what were the ?lasting effects? to your brother?! Jeez... that stuff sounds vicious!

 

[Granbonny]

Mother Hen is Back

Mother Hen is Back

It was interesting reading all the MALE valvers responding to Paul's walking 3 miles a day after 3 weeks....Being the pumphead that I am I seem to have forgotten..that we women..also walked 3 miles a day..not outside but inside..caring for family, cleaning, washing, ironing, cooking..picking up after other people All joking aside...I'm happy for you, Paul, that you feel like walking all that much..You are lucky that you haven't had any shoulder..back pain......I, too, used a cane when I ventured outside in the yard.. It was 3 weeks before I saw my Cardiologist and surgeon..That is when they took me off all my meds from hospital..and about that time..I quit my pain meds..they can really make you woozy.. About time for Bear season here in North Ga. Anyone care for Bear steaks. Bonnie

 

[Nancy]

I have some chipmunks living under my deck. What can you make with those little guys? And a pond full of frogs. Frog legs, butter and garlic. M-M-M

Nah- I couldn't bear to think about you cooking them. They are so cute, frogs included.

 

[hensylee]

Rain, my brother now has Parkinson's disease and is in assisted living. He was given amiodarone prior to having cardioversion. The only thing is, he slipped through the cracks and they never gave him the cardioversion! He was on this med for a yr and 4 mos. My nurse cousin and I kept telling the dr SOMETHING was wrong and he just said, when he gets better, we will look into his medicines!!! Well, DUH.............. When my brother begain having Parkinson symptoms, we even said so to the doctor (amiodarone can cause these side effects) and he ignored it. Finally after passing out all over town in stores, at home, etc., brother ended up yet again in local ER and the doctor here in town sent him to Pensacola instead of the hospital where he had been going to ER. A neurologist found the problem, took him off the medicine - and while in that hospital they did the cardioversion, by the way. Don't know if the amiodarone caused all of this Parkinson's or not, but it sure seemed to push it along and he is more or less helpless and must be taken care of by others. He is a lifelong bachelor, had a lovely bachelor pad home in deep woods, was enjoying his retirement and independence............

 

[Rain]

Scary stuff...

Scary stuff...

Wow... Ann, I am so sorry to hear about your brother.

I?m wondering if this is common to take amiodarone after getting you out of a-fib? And are there alternatives? I thought that once they got you out of a-fib... most people stay out?

My heart is in a-fib all the time.. my cardio and the surgeon both told me that because it had been that way for such a long time it wouldn?t go back. But they said don?t worry about it... it?s not a life threatening thing. Only that at some point in my future there may be a pace maker. I take lanoxin to control the a-fib. It helps a LOT... I can really tell when I miss a dose. So I wonder why people can?t take lanoxin? I have no side effects and my cardio plans on keeping me on it for life. It must not be a powerful enough drug? But why not at least try it first?

 

[Nancy]

A friend of the family in who lives in a foreign country was put on (cordarone) amiodarone, and was not supervised for several years. It was for her afib. She ended up with lung fibrosis and it is permanent and along with her heart problems is causing her a ton of medical problems. Her SATs are in the low 80s most of the time. She was then put on cortisone to try to help with the fibrosis, and that caused its own set of problems. She also has some eye conditions from the amiodarone.

It's got to be taken with great caution. But it is being used more and more frequently right after surgery.

Joe is in long term afib also, Rain. He takes lanoxin also, but those levels have to be checked from time to time too. They can get too high and cause problems. Not much that can be done for his afib either.

 

[JimL]

I too had the amiodarone treatment for a little a-fib. That was prescribed by my FORMER cardiologist.

The PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) specifies all the side effects of amio, side effects which occur in as many as a fourth of those who take it. As far as being a LAST RESORT drug, the PDR specifies that it is to be used to prevent death, not the way it is handed out like candy by cardiologists.

Lanoxin is much safer. Magnesium is safer still.

 

[Granbonny]

Question

Question

What is a-fib? What are the symptoms when you are having a-fib? Does your heart just start beating fast ..enough that you would notice? Bonnie

 

[Les]

Bonnie,
afib : Atrial Fibrillation. It is when the top chambers of the heart are basically quivering like jello on a plate while the bottom chambers are trying to pump normally. When I had my most severe case, I thought I was having a heart attack. It lasted two weeks but was converted with medication.You can feel it...it's like the heart is beating fast, very rapid irregular contractions of the heart muscle. Milder cases, you can live with but of course, clotting is a concern because a lot of the blood is just staying in the upper chambers and not leaving as it should. I still go into mild bouts of a-fib when running...thankfully they are short in duration and I can just slow way down and get it under control.
______________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[Granbonny]

Thank you, Les

Thank you, Les

Never had that to happen before ....but close, when I look at your cute picture Bonnie

 

[hensylee]

According to Dr Rich in about.com, amiodarone should be used as a last resort. There are many other meds to be used first. When they put my brother on it, it was in preparation for cardioversion to correct the a-fib - the dr office just forgot to do the cardioversion - DUH. Took brother back to him once after the cardioversion - by this time, the dr had the reports about the cordarone (amiodarone). He told us it was poison to my brother so I said "You are saying that every day for a year and 4 months my brother has been taking a dose of poison EVERY DAY?" He said yes............

Amiodarone certainly has its place in medicine as several in this site will tell you. But it must be used guardedly and certain testing must be done on a regular basis to assure the patient's safety.

If your lanoxin is working, Rain, stick with it. Don't go messin around. Medicines can hurt you, so when you find one that works, keep it.

Nancy, there is a member in about.com who has the very same conditions you speak of - lung damage that is irreversible. She had a wonderful career in teaching something medical (she sounds and writes like a professor) but she has been disabled for a long time, now. Took her forever to find out what caused it. You should hear HER talk about amiodarone.

 

[pillarpaul]

Amiodarone Update

Amiodarone Update

Thanks to all for posting on the amiodarone. I held off responding because I wanted to talk to may cardiologist about it.

I went to the American Heart Association website (excellent info) and found two studies that called amiodarone the drug of last resort. About five others were listed ahead of it and two below it for safety (I've never heard of the other two - not anything anyone here says they take). Anyways, my cardiologist said that was true - if you have a normal heart. For a heart in "damaged condition" (meaning so soon post-op) amiodarone is more effective. He also said the vast majority of negative side effects come after six months and I won't be on it that long. In fact, today my dosage was cut in half and will be again next week, when I go to a maintenance dosage. Do I believe him? I don't know to be honest. Indeed, nothing I read talked about post-op a-fib so I'm not sure. Think I'll just be aware of anything out of the ordinary that I feel (esp with my lungs).

Again, thank you all for sharing that info.

Paul

 

[Nancy]

I forgot to mention, but I think someone else did, amiodarone has a very, very, very long half life. Somewhere around 4-6 months, before it clears the system.

I guess, if your doctor is watching everything very closely and it's a short term deal and it works for the afib, things will probably work out.

Just make sure YOU know how you are feeling and stay on top of it too.

 

[hensylee]

Paul - my cousin was put on it short time and I warned her what to watch out for and she has not had a problem. You already know the side effects and what to watch out for so just be on the alert. Lots in here have been on it short term and did just fine. Just remember - short term - short term - short term.................