topic Re: Cardioversion in Wellness

Cardioversion

chrystaltree — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:20:09 GMT

This morning, I had my cardioversion procedure that is meant to restore my heart beat to a normal rhythm. I have Afib and my heart was beating too fast, much too fast. Funny,working in Healthcare, I've known all about cardioversion for years. But knowing and being subjected to it is a whole different thing. They put you under a light sedation and then shock your heart to restore normal rhythm. It worked and they only had to do it once. From administering sedation to being woken up, took 5 minutes. It took longer for me to put on a johnny and for them to place the electrodes and iv for sedation than it took for them to do the procedure. There were 4 patients getting it done, one gentleman was having it done for the 18th time in 10 years. He has a deformed heart so his Afib always returns. I am glad it's over, we'll see what happens moving forward.

Re: Cardioversion

On It — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:28:06 GMT

Good news! Thank you for sharing. I hope this was a one and done procedure. I hope everything will be easier after returning to a normal heart beat.

Re: Cardioversion

Nonametoday — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:40:32 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
This morning, I had my cardioversion procedure that is meant to restore my heart beat to a normal rhythm. I have Afib and my heart was beating too fast, much too fast. Funny,working in Healthcare, I've known all about cardioversion for years. But knowing and being subjected to it is a whole different thing. They put you under a light sedation and then shock your heart to restore normal rhythm. It worked and they only had to do it once. From administering sedation to being woken up, took 5 minutes. It took longer for me to put on a johnny and for them to place the electrodes and iv for sedation than it took for them to do the procedure. There were 4 patients getting it done, one gentleman was having it done for the 18th time in 10 years. He has a deformed heart so his Afib always returns. I am glad it's over, we'll see what happens moving forward.

@chrystaltree

Pray it continues to work properly. My husband has had 3 atenolol challenges, 4 cardioversions, 2 ablations, 1 maze procedure, 2 pacemakers, 4 stents and a quadruple bypass and 3 of the cardioversions never worked and neither did any of the other, which gave him pericarditis and the last cardioversion has kept him in rhythm almost 3 years, where all the other failed within 3-6 months. I will put you on prayer list that you are as successful as my husband was the last cardiovesion.

Re: Cardioversion

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 19:26:40 GMT

@chrystaltree Glad it worked for you!!

My husband has had it 2x...it did not work and we were so hoping it would work for him....eloquis is so expensive.

Re: Cardioversion

mac116 — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 19:35:17 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

I am the same boat...2 cardioversions that were not long lasting. I agree about Eliquis being SO expensive. When I feel bad about the cost, my husband reminds me to be grateful that there's something that helps to control Afib and its challenges. Warfarin was not a good fit for me in the long term. I bruised so easily and frequently while taking it. I looked like a battered woman.

Re: Cardioversion

BlueFinch — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:07:30 GMT

Excellent news. Hope the fix sticks for you. I think it's harder being a patient when we have worked in healthcare.

Re: Cardioversion

bobby5 — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:19:30 GMT

@chrystaltree

Just curious about something. You said your heart would beat very fast. How long would it do that? All the time...or periods of time?

Re: Cardioversion

CelticCrafter — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 21:57:17 GMT

The last time my m-i-l had it done, they thought it worked.

By the time they did an EKG before releasing her it was back.

Re: Cardioversion

jlkz — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 22:13:13 GMT

Late June I had to call 911 at 5:30 AM for DH who it turned out had mistakenly taken double his three heart meds the night before.

They released him at lunchtime but noticed " A-Flutter " not Afib when they downloaded the data from his pacemaker-defibrillator. The Afib has been gone 2.5 years but the flutter is new. He was scheduled for a cardioversion " paddle " later on. This time it worked angot rid of the flutter so the heart rhythm was normal.

The cardiologist said it works 50% of the time. We were glad it worked this time for him.

Re: Cardioversion

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 22:57:41 GMT

Your husband is right BUT it it still expensive, ha! Brusing is bad, and I think it gets worse the longer you take it.

Re: Cardioversion

chrystaltree — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 23:53:53 GMT

@bobby5 wrote:
@chrystaltree

Just curious about something. You said your heart would beat very fast. How long would it do that? All the time...or periods of time?

All the time! And I didn't know it until I wore a heart monitor for two weeks.

Re: Cardioversion

bobby5 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:08:13 GMT

@chrystaltree

Oh wow, so you actually didn't feel it beating fast. Well I'm glad you got it taken care of. I wish you the best!

Re: Cardioversion

hyacinth003 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 06:46:12 GMT

Sure hope it works for you. I worked in CCU and saw it done several times. Most of the ones I saw were urgent, not scheduled.

Since I am also a patient now, I can relate to the feeling on the "other side."

My Dad lived with it without symptoms for many years. His biggest challenge was the warfarin, and his numbers weren't changed much. It did complicate things when he had diverticular bleeding toward the end of his life! But both times, it stopped on its own.

Best to you,

Hyacinth

Re: Cardioversion

Nonametoday — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 16:33:18 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@chrystaltree Glad it worked for you!!
My husband has had it 2x...it did not work and we were so hoping it would work for him....eloquis is so expensive.

@chrystaltree

Talk to your cardiologist about getting the medicine for you from a detail rep. We have insurance that pays for ours but we have friends who don't and their cardiologist has been so nice to help them with that.

Re: Cardioversion

CatsyCline — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 17:07:06 GMT

My Mother is 92, has AFIB. Had cardioversion 4 yrs ago, had first episode in 2017 after hip replacement.

March 2022 was rushed to Hospital from her Cardio office visit, resistant AFB eposide, spent 10 days there and Rehab two weeks.

She's in AFIB all the time . She takes Amiodorone, Digoxin and Eliquis and for HBP Toprol.

She's doing fairly well again but may need another Cardioversion soon. She is a very very high-strung person who keeps her emotions bottled up.

Re: Cardioversion

chrystaltree — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 17:21:37 GMT

@Nonametoday wrote:
@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@chrystaltree Glad it worked for you!!
My husband has had it 2x...it did not work and we were so hoping it would work for him....eloquis is so expensive.
@chrystaltree
Talk to your cardiologist about getting the medicine for you from a detail rep. We have insurance that pays for ours but we have friends who don't and their cardiologist has been so nice to help them with that.

Now that I'm retired, I'm covered on hubby's insurance plan. He is still working, I'm 63 and not eligible for Medicare. Eliquis is expensive but his insurer pays a little more than half. We're ok with that. However I'm taking Trulicity to help with weight loss. I'm not diabetic. That one is costs me $250 a month after insurance pays. Hoping to lose 20lbs by 11/15 but whether I do or not, I'm stopping the Trulicity. I've already lost 10 in a month and I always planned to stop it after 3 months due to the expense.