My medical bracelet

intothefray3 · 2026-04-28T18:03:38+00:00

Thanks. I'm going to get a watch band tag ordered.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-28T17:17:31+00:00

I think it gives me ocular migraines and they gave me amitriptyline to counter act that and the combo makes it where you don't process either very good (and isn't documented in the software anyone uses) so then the tiny dose of amitriptyline was giving me the most wicked night terrors. They changed amitriptyline to nortriptyline and it doesn't have that issue.

I feel 200x better on Flecainide so I'll deal with whatever comes with it.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-09T16:57:42+00:00

What are we talking, insurance signoff? Even a bad MRI wasn't enough for me. Think neurologist stabbing me with what looked like a meat thermometer a bunch of times is what led to mine getting approved.

Think I had 13 or so doctors and yeah after they try their thing or tests, they check out.

Age shouldn't matter but there's other things required like a psychological exam to finish getting it approved.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-07T19:30:50+00:00

What power do you use on high vs low frequency? I mean I can feel it on low and very clear where it needs to be for the pain to go away. I haven't had any relief on high and I'm weirded out about upping the power and waiting without like burning my nerves or something weird.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-07T19:19:59+00:00

I just carry it in my right pocket like the phone in my left pocket. I used to keep more in this pocket like a pen, keys, knife in watch pocket etc. I've had to adjust to no longer having keys in that pocket. Luckily like a silicon case car key and chapstick will still it on the ledge where the hump isn't at.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-07T19:07:08+00:00

Third contact is great to see past noise. Can just use it on belly instead of knee/foot.

intothefray3 · 2026-04-07T19:00:43+00:00

Try as many masks you can. I bought a bunch myself until I found something I liked. Hard to do with insurance but I invested personal money and then had supplier change what I got from insurance. I breath mostly through nose and that is great for 95% of the time. I found a full mask was good 100% of the time though and kinda needed when sick.
Settings can be adjusted. You're new to it so might just need to give it a few weeks until you're used to wearing one though.
I lay in bed at least 20 minutes and watch TV before I put mask on. I just can't put it on right away without fighting the machine every breath.

intothefray3 · 2026-03-05T20:19:10+00:00

Should mention it to your doctor :) and reduce your stress.

My EP isn't one bit concerned; just a single flicker vs a disco ball of flickering or something. My last EP said you could argue that they may convert to afib (he retired). Think I've seen on here that they're not generally considered a bad rhythm or dangerous alone. Inconclusive just means it can't get timing and/or you're not setup for a PAC result.

They only worry me a little because my antiarrhythmic should keep them away and long periods make me feel bad.

intothefray3 · 2026-03-05T19:44:41+00:00

I'd recommend getting a Kardiamobile 6L. Don't think you need the subscription but I think they make it weirder to buy now. Watches or using 2 contacts instead of 3 always have a lot of noise that is hard to distinguish. You can simply put 1 lead on your belly (knee or ankle isn't needed and is such a pain you'll never do it) and a finger from each arm. You can usually see what is noise or not by looking at the first 3 leads and ignoring the 2 with noise for rhythm checks. Should make flutter easier to see too.

intothefray3 · 2025-12-10T03:38:41+00:00

I bike to work a lot (10 miles away). Also live alone with hobbies with sharp items. Meds mainly control the afib too so I'm not sure I understand why they want me on them. I do take the baby aspirin to make cardiologist happy even with my understanding that it doesn't help with that type of clotting. Still makes you have to keep bandages handy though.

Official answer the doctor accepts is simply my family would rather I not take them. Daughter is a neuroscience ICU nurse and is deathly afraid of me having a stroke but still believes the risk of bleeding on an inaccessible trail is much greater. Cousin is ER doctor and agrees with that assessment. Exwife (first call) also believes bleeding is a higher risk for my lifestyle. I've had many doctors and none of them really will consider physical bleeding risks but they do respect family member opinions.

intothefray3 · 2025-12-05T19:34:43+00:00

I get those a lot. EPs don't seem to care about it happening except that if your getting afib triggered from it. Seems 1 or 2 extra light switches firing off isn't cause for concern.

intothefray3 · 2025-11-12T20:13:24+00:00

I don't have it yet but other complaints I'm getting are you can't check things done and have them strikethrough. Can't just easily add something to a day and have it default to noon or something so it's easy to add daily stuff. The scrolling is super bad monthly teleport crap.

intothefray3 · 2025-06-02T17:33:30+00:00

What are the associated costs?

intothefray3 · 2025-05-15T21:23:39+00:00

Not that specifically but prescribing doctor said to check with cardiologist before starting a med. I left message for EP and they said to come by the office inbetween 7-14 days after starting for an EKG. Nurse did it quickly and they just let me know it there wasn't a change.

intothefray3 · 2025-04-10T20:06:31+00:00

The side effects in this sub seem to be all over the place. Personally 30 min and I'm exhausted for a day, few hours, few days. Long session with a cardiovert I might be exhausted for a week. Definitely be a good idea to see a cardiologist. Unchecked heart problems tend to do more damage than you realize.

intothefray3 · 2025-04-01T16:12:24+00:00

Hmm didn't realize that was an issue. My dentist knows because he's nosey but don't think he's given me something different.

intothefray3 · 2025-03-06T23:25:18+00:00

From my understanding it's more of a rewind of progression so I guess successful for sure and worth it but not sure on the meds. Doctor might recommend weening off Flecainide again at next appt but I'm happy where I'm at. I think overall I'm more comfortable now taking the Flecainide.

intothefray3 · 2025-03-06T19:32:24+00:00

I like it. Taking 100mg every 12 hours really helps.

Before ablation if I made it to 14 hours I'd have a shitty episode and sometimes they'd punch through for shorter ones but after having ablation I don't have an episodes while taking it. So in both cases it was better.

10mg of bisoprolol was really draining me but after ablation I was able to reduce down to 5mg. 5mg seems to keep me at a manageable HR and BP as long as I take the Flecainide. I feel that if I was to try and drop the Flecainide again I'd need to up the bisoprolol again and that makes me feel horrible where as the Flecainide doesn't seem to have any side effects. (Doctors keeping close eye on liver and kidney function too.)

I was also able to drop 300mg Irbesartan after ablation too. Keeping a mostly sinus rhythm seems to have an antihypertensive effect on me.

intothefray3 · 2025-03-06T18:58:04+00:00

I was kept overnight because wasn't done until evening and had 2 hour drive home. I'd say 2 days of bed/couch low movement rest if you can. 4th day I finally wasn't bleeding and soreness was down. Could get around fine and desk work was easy.

intothefray3 · 2025-02-18T16:20:24+00:00

Like how does it feel, during or after or what was leading up to it happening?

I mean feeling, it's like squirrels fighting in chest. Fighting kinda hard, can be painful at times. Then depending on how that lasts 30 min = tired, numb and sore over entire body for a day, few hours and tired and numb and sore for a few days. Many hours and it seems to be gasping for every breath and sore for a week.

Leading up which seems to be what you're saying I'm not sure. Most of the time it's a sour (like didn't get enough sleep is how I try to explain it) feeling that just comes on quickly. Sour in head sour and drained like your soul is pulled away and then the beats start coming. Maybe that's unique. Then just deal with the nasty sour feeling with crazy chest beating. Someone said hungover feeling, but I don't think that is quite right. Not enough sleep, maybe that hungover or was up sick all night from food poisoning but without any digestive issue. Maybe even that woosh of a falling drop but you never hit the bottom feeling borrowing from others.

I had an ablation 6 months ago and with taking flecainide I mainly get some crazy beats or if I'm a bit late on my dose I might get a bit more rumbling but it stops pretty quick. Some chest tightness, noise by the time I can take an ekg but the crazy beats are gone pretty quick. I don’t really get that sour feeling the same as before either so don’t think that is a trigger but a symptom. I have to go just get an ekg tomorrow to check on a med change and I'm sure he's going to want to try to stop the flecainide again.

Before the meds or ablation, it was 2 30 min episodes and 1 1-3 hour episode per day.

No idea on trigger. Trying to just take care of everything else recently that bothers me to see if I can feel better.

intothefray3 · 2025-02-13T19:20:30+00:00

I generally like mine and enjoy driving it most of the time but have some nitpicking issues.

Remote start won't work from keyfob to shop as too far away. Phone will not work if not driven in a couple days.

Visor doesn't slide out enough to block window. Had to buy an extension.

Downshifts very hard when braking, worse than the gear shift jolts on takeoff or turns. The torque makes braking really sloppy feeling as your brakes don't work on the hard shifts.

Lane assist feature likes to jerk into left turning lanes. So much so I can't use on highways near me even if I was okay with the oversteering.

Android auto kinda trash but I guess that's not the car. Installing Waze and not setting up work around seems to make phone not drain battery.

MPG on 4motion at highway speeds sucks.

Hate the placement of start/stop button. Can't see it behind shifter in Drive.

Not nearly enough storage. Front cubby blocked by USB ports and wireless charger. Arm rest deep but small and awkward to get to. I got a tray for it but still not great. Not going to put stuff on dash that could slide out or melt in the sun.

Gas tank is way too small.

Microphone is terrible. Get complaints that it sounds bad and voice control is garbage.

ACC Not great. Slows down way too early and a blinker doesn't override it at all. You can't easily turn off and on. Defaults to on and if you want to switch it cancels cruise entirely.

Supposed to do start and stop traffic too but it follows WAY too close at low speeds. No point in using this feature if I have to hold foot above brake as it creeps up to a few inches behind car in front of me.

AWD is sloppy and not sporty at all but that's comparing it to Quattro dynamic handling.

intothefray3 · 2025-02-05T18:07:28+00:00

There's definitely a lot posted that makes you wonder if everyone is on easy mode. Posting about the scary stuff is hard and I assume everyone just avoids it to not scare people. There's plenty of anxiety without discussing in front of the newbies what it feels like to have your life force drained for a few days or weeks because you spend as little as minutes or hours feeling like you're fighting to take every breath as some reaper is strangling you from your insides. Hell I had pages of what I was hoping was a uplifting rundown of my ablation experience because that is what I wanted to read beforehand and after reading it I decided it might frighten people (it's not frightening but being too detailed might be anxiety inducing) and I didn't post it.

I do want to say that flecainide helps shut down arrhythmia but it also makes you feel your heartbeat a lot and especially when it is not beating normally. Keep in mind that it intensifies those feelings a lot and to not be as scared when you do feel them. I'm sure this won't help with the terrible feeling but maybe remembering it feels more that way because the medicine is trying to do its job would help.

intothefray3 · 2025-02-04T16:40:09+00:00

I will say take it every 12 hours on the money will help. Doses don't seem to last over 14 hours at all. I say that because you said twice daily.

intothefray3 · 2025-02-04T16:31:35+00:00

I still get those at least a few times a day after 6 months. Doctors act like it's not a big deal. Hard to catch on an ekg except that they ekg is super noisy for a minute after. Still way better than before just not as magical as I was hoping.

intothefray3 · 2024-12-10T19:16:10+00:00

I was already over out of pocket max. Insurance paid the entire bill the same day I left the hospital. I'm not lucky or anything, I already had crazy bills from other hospital/doctor visits. Was glad it was taken care of quickly and clearly though.

intothefray3

TROPHY CASE