Not only is “silent” afib possible, it is quite common. Studies suggest that as many as 40% of patients are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation on routine examination or during an evaluation for some other issue.
Palpitations are a common symptom and can be due to multiple causes, including abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to distinguish the cause from symptoms alone. If these symptoms occur sporadically, you would need to wear a monitor called an event monitor to record your heartbeat during a time when you are experiences symptoms.
This is possible, especially when there was some inciting factor such as pneumonia, an overactive thyroid, or excessive alcohol intake. However, in most individuals, AF returns at some point, though the time course can be highly variable. We also know that patients commonly have recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillation that they are completely unaware of. In fact, it’s been estimated that patients feel only a fraction of their AF episodes, especially if they are receiving medications that may slow down the heart rate. Long-term monitoring would need to be performed in order to discover such asymptomatic episodes
Your doctor is absolutely correct. While it may be disconcerting to not have your blood thinning level checked while taking Pradaxa, monitoring your blood is in fact unnecessary and not routinely performed. In clinical studies, the degree of blood thinning was consistent based on the dose of the drug. This is one of the advantages of this new medication.
Atrial fibrillation in young women of childbearing age is uncommon but special care does need to be taken in terms of what medications can be safely used if needed. My best advice is for you to see a cardiologist that specializes in this area.
You should alert your dentist that you are on Coumadin. Some dental procedures can be performed while still on coumadin, but many times the dentist will want you to stop the Coumadin for a few days prior to your procedure to reduce the risk of bleeding.
Weight gain can occur as a side effect of some beta blockers, especially ones such as atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL). The average weight gain is about 4 pounds. Newer beta blockers, such as carvedilol (Coreg), don't typically cause weight gain as a side effect.
While it is possible that any medication can cause almost any side effect, hair loss is not a common complaint in patients taking Coumadin. If you are experiences side effects from Coumadin or even if you’re not, you may want to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of other available options with your physician.
The Reveal monitor is a small electronic device implanted underneath the skin which will enable your doctors to monitor your heart rhythm for several years, even from home. The major adverse events from this device are bleeding at the time of the implant and possible infection. Bleeding is usually minimal. Infection occurs in about 1% of implants. In general, the device is well tolerated and poses minimal risk.
Yes it can. People can have sympathetic(stress hormones) or para sympathetic(relaxation hormones ) triggers for A fib.
-Stress will release adrenaline and increase the heart rate if you are already in A fib and therefore may make symptoms worse .
- However, in some people more common triggers for A fib are when you may be sleeping and or relaxing (so called para sympathetic triggers)
Dr. Andrea Natale
Dr. Andrea Natale is a board certified electrophysiology expert and practices at executive medical director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Dr. Natale also is the Senior Medical Director at Pacific Atrial Fib and Arrhythmia Center in San Francisco. He visits MetroHealth in Cleveland, and Akron General, Ohio. He has pioneered a new circumferential ultrasound vein-ablation system to correct atrial fibrillation and performed the procedure on the world's first five patients. For further details Please visit :Link
Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy
Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD, F.A.C.C, FHRS. is a board certified electrophysiology expert and practices at Mid-America Cardiology and The University of Kansas Hospital Clinics in Kansas City, KS, USA. He has several distinctions in clinical and research career to his credit and serves as an associate editor for Journal of Atrial Fibrillation.For further details Please visit :Link
Dr. Dhanunjay Lakkireddy, MD, F.A.C.C, FHRS, The Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute (KCHRI), KS, USA.
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