Cardiac Arrythmia

[28holly]

I am hoping someone may be able to give me some advice and support on coping with this condition. It began very suddenly on waking 15 years ago with a heartrate of 360bpm.This was eventually stabilised at the hospital and I was put on Amiodarone tablets.Unfortunately this medication clashed with an undetected over active thyroid.That was treated with radio-active iodine and amiodarone was replaced with propafenone,which I am still taking.Thankfully I have not had another tachycardia (touch wood!)but I do still get bouts of an irregular h/beat which is very frightening as it happens totally out of the blue. I am still an outpatient at the hospital for both heart and thyroid checks,am on the same medication etc but would love to hear of anyone else who may have this unpredictable condition and how they cope with it.

[charity2]

Hello. I also have had trouble with arrhythmia. It started more than 20 years ago with very rapid tachycardia for a few seconds. It went away for a few years then happened again briefly. Since it was so infrequent and went away completely I just ignored it. About 4 years ago I fell down which precipitated a very rapid and dangerous a-fib. I foolishly waited for it to go away again and didn't seek medical treatment for 3 months. When I finally went to the doctor I was hospitalized where they did an echo, angiogram and cardioversion. I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (presumably tachycardia induced) and started on Amiodarone. I did very well on Amio for more than 2 years when it failed. This last year I had several cardioversions, an ablation, and started taking Tikosyn. I have been in normal sinus rhythm since I started on Tikosyn about a month ago (with the exception of a 4 hour bout of a-fib a few days ago). It is very difficult to live with arrhythmia but I have learned to push it in the background and not to panic when it happens.

Charity

[28holly]

Thank you for your reply Charity2. I hope you are recovered from your recent "bout". I find it hard to cope with and could easily become recluse like but realise I would actually be sitting waiting for it to happen which is ridiculous! This condition appears to be publicised more in the USA than it is here but I have been told it is quite common and is like a short circuit in the heart. Its the unpredictability of the irregular h/beat that gets me down especially as I'm usually feeling well at the time it happens. Have you been offered a pacemaker? I asked about it at one my hospital appointments and was told they were usually fitted for a slow h/rate so basically no was the answer! I don't fully understand the medical terms you have had but they sound quite severe and I would imagine if a pacemaker was going to work it would have been offered. I would be interested in your views on this.

[28holly]

Hi - it was good to hear from charity2 but just wondered if anyone else out there had any advice? Have done a posting on an English health site but had no response so any contact would be welcome?!?
Thanks