This is my second posting. Please ignore my spelling skills. I am a 36yr old M. Have had palpations, skipped and extra beats for yrs. Every diagnosis, echocardiagram, blood, thyroid test is normal. Had a bout of Atriel Fibulation Tuesday night, went to the ER. Again, all tests came back normal. The finest Cardiologist in the area came to se me and let me go home after I was medicated out of the A-Fib with Rythmol. The conversion to normal sinus from a-fib took 16-18hrs. I am now taking Rythmol every 8 hrs along with the Atenonol I had been taking. The abnormal beats have returned, 1 1/2 days after walking out of the hospital with normal rythms. How long will this Rythmol take to start working??? I am at the end of my rope!!

I understand very well your frustration my friend. Some time back I was also diagnosed with AF and was put on sotatol HCI (Betapace AF).

The doctor probably would have missed the diagonsis had I been unable to convince him to push my cardio test to 85-90% of maximum.

The story is rather long and involved but I now no longer have Atrial fibrilation. I firmly believe that I am responsible for my own health. I use doctors as a resource and I value their opinions highly. However, I do not take their opinions as the final say.

Through other research I discovered for myself how to control, resolve, change, heal (or whatever term is appropriate)my condition.

What has worked for me may not work for you but I would encourage you to not give up. Keep looking and don't take one opinion as the final answer.

If I can be of any help or encouragement to you please let me know.

I am not a physician, don't pretend to be and don't wish to be.

Jim


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WELL CAN YOU AT LEAST SUGGEST WHAT THERAPY IS WORKING FOR YOU. HE CAN ALWAYS ASK HIS DOCTOR AND IT MAY WORK FOR HIM. WHAT MILIGRAM OF ATENOLOL ARE YOU TAKING???

Its been a few weeks. Can you fill us in on your progress. I have a-fib also and am anxious to talk to others who may have recurring bouts.

Dean, things have ben OK since my A-FIB was converted a little over three weeks now. I have good days and bad days. A good day is 0-100 palps, skips, extra's. A bad day is 3-10 palps per minute. I dont think I have been in A-FIB since the posting you responded to, 3 weeks ago. Maybe a run or two but nothing sustained. I can tell you this....overeating (pigging out) brings on my palps, no If's and's or but's. All in all though I have been feeling pretty good and will be seing the DOC in a couple of weeks. Thanks and good luck!!

worrywart, glad to hear things are going well. I went back to your other post to put your whole story together. I see that you've had a greater history of palpitations than I have. The past few years I've had very few and out of the blue I had a bout of A-fib that needed to be converted with cardizem. I had a bout 15 years ago when I was 30 that converted on its own at home. It was the first experience I had other than the occassional fluttering. Since it converted at home I only had a phone conversation with a nurse and never really learned what I had, I mentioned it to my doc at my next physical and I had an EKG to make sure everything was fine. Now 15 years later I ended up at the ER and really found out how serious this could be if not dealt with. Strangely my older brother had his first bout just a few weeks before mine. I'm really curious as to how this may affect my lifestyle if I begin to have these more frequently. I'm only on a light dose of a bp med to slow my heart a bit. I'll see my internist in a few weeks to decide if I need to stay on it. Curious you should mention pigging out because both of my episodes came after or with intense indigestion. Damn, I could go for that beer too. Thanks maybe we'll connect again.

[This message has been edited by Dean2020 (edited 08-10-2002).]

Yes Dean, keep an eye on these boards, if nothing else it reminds you that you are not alone. Best of luck!

My earlier post discussed my long search to deal with AF. I have been free form AF for four months now. What I believe to be _A_ major factor in resolving my issues is nutrition, particularly CoQ10 taken in 50mg twice per day.

I can't recommend that others try it but if you do let me know how things go for you.