civilized ku # 511 ~ shocking
Monday, May 24, 2010 at 02:37PM 
Heart meds ~ Harp Lager & Tequila • click to embiggenBy scrupulously sticking to my heart meds regimen - Digoxin, Warfarin - aka Coumadin (aka rat poison), and Metoprolol supplemented with double jiggers of very expensive sippin' tequila washed down with Harp Lager - my heart rate is slowly but steadily dropping, albeit still quite irregular.
So, this AM it was off to the hospital for a Transesophageal Echocrardiogram (TEE) and an Electrical Cardioversion. The TEE - swallow a tube with a hires camera that checks for clots in the heart - is done prior to an EC. If all is clear, then the EC is performed - an electric shock stops and then restarts the heart, hopefully with a normal heart rhythm restored. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If it doesn't work after 3-4 shocks, they try it again at another time.
I did not make it to the EC procedure because the doctor detected the possibility of a clot which immediately brings the procedure to a stop. So, it's another 3 weeks of heart meds and try again.
Fortunately, the meds regimen has my heart at a place where a full round of golf is doable. I got 18 in yesterday with no problem.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: Mary Dennis wrote: "What's with the tequila and lager? Doesn't sound compatible with the heart meds regimen to me--unless there's new science I haven't read about. Be careful Mark."
Featured Comment: Dennis Allshouse wrote: "I hope your personal medicinal regime isn't screwing up the prescription regime."
my response: Thanks for the concern but not to worry - my alcohol consumption is on the very moderate side of things - like last Saturday when, over 4 hours at a barbeque, I had 2 beers and 1 tequila (sipped) with a big meal.
But, that said, I was rather stunned to learn that alcohol consumption was of very little concern to the staff at the cardiologist office. Their primary concern was knowing how much a patient drinks so that they can factor that in to reading blood test results relative to your blood clotting threshold. They stated that even if a patient is a binge drinker, as long as they know when they binge drink they can keep the blood clotting threshold where they want it to be.
I was told that when it comes to getting the right Warfarin (coumadin) dosage - which gets your blood into the desired clotting range (much thinner blood than normal) - they adjust the med to your lifestyle and they don't try to adjust your lifestyle to the meds.
In any event, I don't drink enough alcohol to effect my blood clotting level or the meds that regulate it one way or another.
Reader Comments (3)
My best to you Mark we need you here man, take care
What's with the tequila and lager? Doesn't sound compatible with the heart meds regimen to me--unless there's new science I haven't read about. Be careful Mark.
Interesting information Mark. Sounds like the doctor/patient relationship is very critical to accurate and effective treatment.