After my a-fib diagnosis four years ago and subsequent treatment with dofetilide, my relapses requiring cardioversion have gone from two years to six months, to five, to three then one. I have identified most of my triggers but it is clear things are deteriorating in spite of my best efforts. My EP says it may be time for my first ablation. Unfortunately, the local facility performing ablations is unavailable for three months. Hence my interest in alternative locations/treatment. I contacted the Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute for a consultation with Dr. Natale's group. My investigation into the ..read more

PracticeUpdate: [prac.co ..read more

Interesting article on AFIB risk [www.mdedge.com ..read more

[www.heartrhythmjournal.com ..read more

I am 77 years old and weigh 103 lbs and have a horrible chest cold. 2nd day. I have been drinking hot water and steaming my face to break up the mucus. It has been working somewhat. I hate to take over the counter meds and was concerned that Mucinex might raise my heart rate. Do you think that it would be safe for me to take? It is the 12 hour extended release Mucinex pills that contain guaifenesin 1200 mg. Really don't want to raise my heart rate unnecessarily. Had a successful cardiac ablation in 2017 with Natale. Don't want to jinx anything ..read more

[www.practiceupdate.com] I wondered about this and if anyone who has oral conditions such as TMJ and also grinding of their teeth is related since they mentioned wearing a mandibular device. The study failed in making a difference: Both the MAD and CPAP improved daytime sleepiness, with the between-group difference similar (P = 0.384). There were no between-group differences in cardiovascular biomarkers. CONCLUSION MAD is non-inferior to CPAP for reducing 24-hour mean arterial BP in participants with hypertension and increased cardiovascular risk ..read more

In addition to AFIB I also have problems with my back, hip, and suffer from some sciatic pain. We had planned a minor procedure, but my insurance decided it hasn't been proven to work enough for them to cover it. I used to take Motrin and an extra strength Tylenol to take the edge off the pain enough to allow me to get to sleep. As with many here, Motrin is not recommended while taking anticoagulants. Tylenol itself is not enough to do the job by itself. Doctors here are not open to prescribing pain medications, since opioid crisis. Which is fine, I would prefer to stay away from them if possi ..read more

Hi everyone, I have a history of paroxysmal a fib. I also have asthma. Recently do to formulary change on my WellCare part D plan I’ve had to change my asthma inhalers . On a normal basis I have used Flovent HFA without any issues but the manufacturer is no longer making it. So am trying to see if I can find one that won’t trigger my a fib. For thoses of you that are asthmatics have you had any issues with using inhalers for instance like Breo, Trelegy, and Advair the ones that are LABA or like Spiriva Respimat or Incruse Ellipta LAMA inhalers triggering your a fib. Any suggestions greatly app ..read more

Interesting article regarding use of this drug Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, originally developed for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, have shown efficacy in improving cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure (both in heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction), with and without diabetes. Additional evidence has been accumulating on the favorable effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in other cardiovascular pathologies. [link.springer.com ..read more

Anyone out there have success with Ivabradine? My EP wanted me to try an even higher dose of Sotolol (80 twice a day) and I said no. We are trying Ivabradine next and maybe a homemade concoction of low dose Bisoprolol. I am so tired. I worked three 12 hour shifts and felt so sick. My heart was beating crazy, I felt so dizzy and tired. Didn't sleep at all last night... Hoping the Ivabradine at least slows things down a bit ..read more