Posted by Jack Clarke on January 27, 2004 at 11:09:55:
In Reply to: running out of time posted by Carolyn Collins on January 27, 2004 at 00:04:23:
Carolyn:
There is a bunch of good advice here so my input will almost a repeat of what has already been said. I will say that heartrate issues can be treated effectively with a pacemaker in relative safety. But once the AV node is ablated,the patient is dependent on the device for life. By all means, get another opinion! Has your husband ever been amiodarone? It has possible complications (mostly thyroid), but is is the most effective drug for AF. It will at least give him some relief while you investigate other options and medications. No hospital stay is required. You will see a host of opinions on this board regarding the use of amiodarone (cordorone)but as a short-term option, it can't be beat. Since it does interact with coumadin, your husband will need to have his INR checked on a routine basis. This is more positive than negative since he already has clot issues (amiodarone thins the blood like coumadin. Please let us know how all this plays out.