| Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here. |
|---|
So this couldn’t be more timely. My husband is going to be doing his first CF starting late in September. We visited his doctor after an uptick in his Afib and he told my husband not to be worried and not to let Afib ruin his journey. He said he won’t have a stroke because he takes a blood thinner. He said if his heart rate spikes to, say 130, take more Metroprolol. He actually said he could quadruple it (he only takes 12.5 mg now so not a huge amount). I would speak to your doctor. This is the reason we went to his. He also reminded us that we are in a modern country with a good health system. OH YES!! He also suggested a watch that takes your ECG. He got an Apple Watch and it tells him if his heart is in afib or normal sinus rhythm! He can even send results to his doctor if he wanted. My husband is 65 and he works out regularly. Go see your doctor. I think he will tell you to work up to it and go! Good luck!!
All the advice given so far has been good and helpful. Above all, make sure you have a primary care physician and cardiologist who are paying attention and know what you are hoping to set out to do.
That " repatriation of remains" has me in stitches! Beats being left out for the vultures
but then wouldn't that count as "giving back to the Camino"? 
with said in my caminos I have met folks with all sorts of health conditions and walking faster then I could 
You might consider looking into getting a Kardia mobile EKG device which will let you see if your rhythm is normal or there are signs of Afib. It's used with a mobile phone app that lets you send the EKG to your doctor by email for a their review, or for a fee, you can have Kardia arrange for a cardiologist to advise you based on the EKG you submit. It might take some of the worry out of Camino walking and warn you when it's time to seek medical advice while in Spain.
I was diagnosed with AFIB (and also SVT) last spring. No shortness of breath though. I am 74. MD put me on FLECAINIDE (100 mg/2x) in May and I haven’t had a single beat issue since. Depending upon your individual circumstance, it may or may not be appropriate for you. You might mention it to your doctor.
This forum is the wrong place to get advice on your personal medical condition. Please consult your doctor.
I am no physician or even play one on TV but the ONLY person you should be asking is your cardiologist. If you do not like his opinion then get another cardiologist opinion. One thing I learned after being a pharmaceutical representative is how little I know about medicine and how fascinating it is. I was an "expert" on the drug class and morbidity of whatever drug I was representing. I spent hours talking and working with Cardiologists, Endocrinologists, Rheumatologists and Gastroenterologists. One thing that they taught me and what made me, (in my humble opinion) a good rep was that no matter how exact morbidities, symptoms and lifestyles were similar each person is different and so many factors come into play to make a specific course of action to manage a chronic condition like yours. Honestly nothing good can come from talking to a fellow pilgrim about such a serious condition as yours that can be successfully treated by a dedicated, experienced and well trained specialist. Please speak to your doctor.
It is great that this course of treatment and drug regimen works for you. But this is exactly the reason that no one should be recommending a drug that works for them. Flecainide is a very potent drug that must be monitored closely and should only be given to patients with severe arrhythmias. In fact in some cases it can lead to a worsening of symptoms if not given to a really specific patient population. I bet there are at least 35 different drugs that are used for the 4 different classes of this disease state. There are also lots of other drugs that are used on and off label that would supplement this list. Thank goodness that you have a drug that has helped you. Someone with the same diagnosis as you may have a completely different reaction and outcome. This is not a headache or a cold. Please leave this to the medical professionals. The moderators should close this thread.
