What has your experience with arrhythmia been like?

My cousin did, he had to get shocked back into a proper cycle and hasn’t had problems in over two years now.

@KNOWITALL so he wasn’t fitted with a pacemaker?

@ZEPHYRA Nope, just heart stopped and re-started into a normal rhythm. Worked!

I have both a missed beat and sometimes an extra or early beat.

The missed beat feels like my heart stops for a brief moment and my body basically freezes for a moment, I can’t breath in or out. I only feel it when I’m at rest. Right before I fall asleep is when I’m most aware of it. It acts up more when my resting heart rate is very slow or very fast. I hate it. Basically, my heart gets slower and slower between beats until one is missed, and then it resets. It’s called Wenckebach. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-degree_atrioventricular_block

Please excuse the following run-on sentence.

For 12 years I went through pure hell dealing with atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, rapid PAC’s, the many drugs that do more harm than good and the multiple cardioversions, catheter ablation/mini-maze procedures, many ED visits and hospital stays and crappy cardiologists.

My heart has remained in NSR now for over 5 years since the mini-maze operation.

I felt sick and miserable when my heart was in a-fib but that was not the worst part. I was constantly terrified of having a stroke even while on anticoagulantion therapy.

^^When I was taking lisonopril for BP I felt like I had a flutter. I never had it diagnosed as a-fib, I don’t know if it was actually my heart. I had other bad side affects with that drug and enanpril so I didn’t take it long.

I only mention it in case you are on that drug and it might be helpful.

I’m not taking any medications at all and haven’t for the last 5 years.

The only drug that could keep my heart beating normally was Amiodarone. My cardiologist called it “the atomic bomb of cardiac drugs” because of the collateral damage it does to the thyroid, liver, eyes, lungs and skin. Tried several milder drugs that were ineffective. Over time (3 years) the effectiveness of Amiodarone decreased to the point where it could no longer keep my heart in NSR leaving my heart in a-fib.

Radio frequency catheter ablation worked well for 21/2 years then suddenly a-fib returned. Seattle cardiologists wanted to ablate (destroy) my heart’s AV and SA nodes (my heart’s pace makers) and give me an artificial pace maker and keep me in a-fib and on anticoagulation drugs for life. I told them that a heart expert in Indianapolis has a 70% success rate with his mini-maze operation. I was told that it was too good to be true. I did it anyway.

That was over 5 years ago and my heart continues to beat normally without the use of any medications whatsoever.

It was weird. It felt like when you are walking in step and suddenly have a mis-step and you haven’t any control over it. When your heart starts to beat differently, the first thing that strikes you is why and what’s wrong.

Thankfully it wasn’t serious. I got into taking up regular exercises and that seemed to straighten out the missed beats.

I wrote this last July on the 5th anniversary after a mini-maze operation restored my heart to normal rhythm. After all that time the absolute desperation I felt back then is still with me.

My Hail May:

5 years ago today
I stood on the 1 yard line
Back to the goal
Seconds remained to play

2 Seattle cardiologists concluded
Victory chances were none
A heart expert in Indianapolis
Designed an end run

5 points behind
Beaten up severely
Do or die time
Charged up sincerely

Relaxed and positive
Again, again, again
Can still do it
Can still win

Ready to fight
Never give up
Never concede
Over and over and over
Believe, believe, believe

Under a cloud of hovering gloom
Through a thick freezing fog
An invisible goal
Bid to me through the bog

Field covered
With ice and snow
In control, in control
In control

All was set
The ball was snapped
My linemen struggled forcefully
Against a wall of fear, anger, bitterness,
And negativity

Time stood still
I drew back
Frozen hands
Launched the ovoid
It sailed high and long
Into the milky void

Suddenly I was down
Hit hard from all sides
Blacked out
Woke in CCU the next day
The message of victory
Sent to Fay

Overwhelming
Tears of joy so rare
Doors suddenly flew open
A rush of fresh air
So pure and sweet
Ran back out into the world
Born again
To live
And compete

^^I wonder if that could have helped a friend of mine? Thank goodness it worked for you.

After about 6 months of being stuck in persistent a-fib, my 2 Seattle cardiologists told me that I had to live with a-fib and they were going to manage it. But I wasn’t ready to live my life in such a crippled and vulnerable state. I search the internet for a cardiologist that had the skills and the desire to help me. Thank God I found Dr. Randall K. Wolf.

:)