Today I'm feeling a bit:
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation - part two
So I went to my cardiology appointment today.
The appointment letter didn't say WHERE in the hospital to go, so I went to the area I'd gone for the last appointment.
That's not where I was supposed to go. So they sent me to the next place.
Who sent me on around the corner. Who finally told me to sit in a --seeming to me-- crazy spot, to wait on the cardiologist.
Finally I saw the doctor, an associate of the original cardiologist I saw initially. He was a great guy, and immediately put me at ease.
We discussed what I knew about paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and then set about discussing how to approach it. The doctor suggested medication, as I knew he would based on the research I've been doing, so it was no surprise to me. He gave me two choices, one, the "pill in the pocket" method of carrying the drug with me, and taking a tablet when I feel an episode of palpitations coming on, or, going ahead and keeping the medicine in my system by taking it twice a day. Ultimately we decided that twice daily would be the best way to start, seeing as we need to find out if I can in fact take the medication easily and without side effects, and if the prescribed dosage is the correct dosage for me.
The doctor suggested flecainide, a class IC anti-arrhythmic. Flecainide is a sodium channel blocker. VERY BASICALLY, a sodium channel blocker is a drug that interacts with the integral membrane proteins and ion channels of a cell's plasma membrane. So, again, very basically, flecainide is an anti-arrythmic drug used to suppress fast heartbeats by effecting the electrical components of the heart. Until 2004, so sayeth the E.M., 3M had the trademark on flecainide which they produced under the brand name of Tambocor. The doctor suggested this drug instead of a beta blocker because of my asthma, seeing as beta blockers can effect a person's asthma, and as he said, "It will be easier to treat the heart problem, instead of the heart problem AND asthma." I couldn't agree with him more.
So after several questions about flecainide, I felt satisfied with the doctor's answers, and he wrote out a prescription for a low dose daily aspirin, and the flecainide, 50 mg, twice daily. Of course now that I've been home and researching it, I see a few places where it mentions that the first few times you take this drug, you should be in a hospital setting in case any side effects present themselves, or you have any sort of reaction. I'm going to call the doctor's secretary tomorrow, and find out more about this.
The whole appointment went quickly, and I think that's partly due to the fact that I had a basic overall idea of PAF, and its treatment, and was able to ask a lot of specific questions, whereas if I hadn't done any research, I'd have had to ask the doctor more general questions. He DID ask me a bunch of things, too, to make sure I understood what he was trying to tell me as well. I really liked the doctor, and I feel like we worked well together on my health. Overall, I'm pretty alright with trying this drug, especially if it will take the palpitation episodes down to possibly none. The only reluctance I have is having to take something that affects the way my heart beats, and not knowing before I take the first tablet if I will respond positively or negatively to the medication. Hence, the call to the doctor's secretary in the morning BEFORE I go putting any sort of meds in my mouth.
If this practically removes the palpitation episodes, I'll be all about it! Wow, who knew that after today's visit, the ball would start rolling so quickly?! I have to go back in 3 months to see the cardiologist again --unless of course I have problems with the meds, and I have to get in touch with the doctor before then-- and I'm scheduled to have a "jelly scan" next February which I take to be a sonogram on my heart.
We'll see how this all turns out. I'm pretty confident about today's events, and like I said, if I handle the tablet well and without side effects, and it stops me having further heart palpitations (it can't "cure" the palpitations, or why I have them, but merely cut down/stop my having them) then I'll happily swallow my little pill every morning and evening.
Keep your fingers crossed for me, I'll let you know how it goes.
