OK. I had my latest check-up with my cardiologist about my PVC's. Here is the Game Plan!
1 - No Ablation. Dr. Worley wants to try a few more med changes. The ablation does have some risk, so the meds will be the safer plan for now. He said if the ablation is on the left side of the heart, we would have a slight chance of a stroke. This side of the heart feeds the brain and the chance may be 1 in 100, that a stroke may occur. So, will will not take those odds right now.
2 - Stop using the Imdur. This drug did not change a thing. Here is where the doctor listened to the patient. I suggested trying to lower my beta blocker, Toprol. So, the decision was made to go from 50 mg per day to 25 mg. We will try that a couple weeks.
3 - Next, if we have no change,, move the Toprol back to 50 mg and add more Potassium to my daily intake - twice a day take 20 meg.
The results of the second 24 hour heart monitor were very interesting! The first time I had the monitor I had 1621 PVC's that day. I also exercised that day & got the heart rate up to 100. This time, I had the heart monitor I only had 168 PVC's! I did not exercise and had my heart rate up to 84!
So, I think the Albright experiment is working - with exercise 1621 PVC's, without exercise 168! THAT IS 10 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF PVC'S WHILE EXERCISING!!
The theory is as I exercise, my heart is not getting enough oxygen. So, the experiment continues. I will start the new med routine on Wednesday - Oct 12th.
Read your blog. It seems like things went OK. Good you an talk to your doctor. I have googled PVC ablation, but can not really understand what they do the heart in the process. What do they do the heart?
ReplyDeleteThis is what the ablation is:
ReplyDeleteWhen you have cardiac arrhythmia or dysrhythmia, this means you have an abnormal heart rhythm. Catheter heart is one way to treat this type of heart condition. A cardiologist inserts a thin flexible tube called a catheter into the patient’s heart. Then a special machine will deliver energy via the catheter to the areas of the heart muscles causing the irregular or abnormal rhythm. Essentially, the energy will disconnect the abnormal rhythm’s pathways.
There are instances when catheter heart ablation is used in order to cut off the electrical pathway connecting the ventricles (lower chambers) and the atria (upper chambers) of the heart. The type of catheter heart ablation a cardiologist would perform greatly depends on the kind of arrhythmia the patient has.