TomF Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 So I went in for a regular yearly checkup with my doc yesterday. She took one look at my EKG and called an ambulance>gurney>emergency room. I didn't have a heart attack but I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation. I'm OK. Apparently I've had it for some time and it can be corrected, but wow that was interesting. I've had no symptoms that I was aware of. So of course they want me to quit smoking cigars, just as my storage capacity reached it's limit and my stash is plentiful. So I guess I'll have to cut down, which has an upside; the cigars I have will last, and age, longer. But quit altogether??? Oy! What's a mother to do? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cep Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Sorry man,that really sucks. I still don't see how cigars can be such a health hazard. But then again, Castro had to quit smoking at some point didn't he? (but why??) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Forget Castro, just look at George Burns. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john007 Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 That sucks, on the bright side they found it early and you should be fine. There are worse things then cutting back on cigars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubatabaco Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 1 hour ago, Cep said: Sorry man,that really sucks. I still don't see how cigars can be such a health hazard. But then again, Castro had to quit smoking at some point didn't he? (but why??) The WHO asked him to quit in 1997 (I think) to help lead a healthier lifestyle in Cuba. I'm sure he smoked a few behind doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newkarian Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 A few occasional cigars shouldnt hurt with an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Every healthcare professional is now mandated to tell patients to quit tobacco products. It is part of insurance reimbursement at least in thr united states. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubatabaco Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 1 hour ago, TomF said: So I went in for a regular yearly checkup with my doc yesterday. She took one look at my EKG and called an ambulance>gurney>emergency room. I didn't have a heart attack but I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation. I'm OK. Apparently I've had it for some time and it can be corrected, but wow that was interesting. I've had no symptoms that I was aware of. So of course they want me to quit smoking cigars, just as my storage capacity reached it's limit and my stash is plentiful. So I guess I'll have to cut down, which has an upside; the cigars I have will last, and age, longer. But quit altogether??? Oy! What's a mother to do? Tom, I'm glad to hear that everything is ok. How many cigars are you smoking a day? Week? I had an episode about 2 years ago and was diagnosed with SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia). I want to say that my heart rate got up to 230+ beats per minute. If my heart didn't explode, it was sure close...lol. I battled it for about 2 hours, and after feeling like I had run a marathon, I went to the doctor, where they injected me with something to slow my heart rate immediately. It felt like someone pulled the E-Brake on my heart and sat on my chest. For precautionary measure, they sent me to the ER. I think the funniest question they asked me was "Do you use cocaine"? I laughed and said "No, just cigars". Eventually I was assigned a cardiologist (who chatted with me about craft beer - my second love) and passed my stress test with flying colors. I'm hoping it was just a freak thing, but certainly know how scary it can be. I still go back once a year for a check up. All has been well. With that said, no one told me to stop smoking cigars. I will always be advocate for people not to smoke, but if they do, I can't see where cigars are that bad. They only time anyone has said something to me was my dentist. He asked me to cut back because the roof of my mouth was brownish in color. This was when I was smoking 5 a day working at a local B&M. Take care of yourself and may be cut back for the meantime. I'm sure everything will work out ok! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethernut Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 So sorry to hear mate! Hang in there! A little moderation I'm sure wouldn't hurt you at all. Take care! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Mate, take care of yourself! Glad it was not more serious. In '08 I had a heart attack. I was blessed actually that day, I could have been plowing up daisies but made the right calls and did the right thing (by accident surely) and I am none the worse for wear today. I am no doctor so I won't pretend to be one. Was it cigar smoking that got me here, I doubt it, heart disease runs in my family? I won't stop smoking cigars... not unless the Cubans stop making the ones I want, or you lefties (read with a little humor) make it illegal. There are lots of people that have arrhythmia. This is why we have doctors and specialists. Get yourself a good cardiologist and see him/her regularly. They may want to put you on some form of blood thinner or platelet modifier. I take Plavix (for example). This means that you will have to deal with blood clotting (or lack thereof issues when having surgeries etc). Me, I just got my gall bladder removed and I had to get off my meds (Plavis and aspirin) to get the surgeon to do his job without me bleeding out... You just deal with it! Having some issue with your heart today is not the end of the world. I developed an arrhythmia after my heart attack and had what is referred to as an SVT and Ablation. A few hours in the cath lab and some genius fixed it! Yeah, you might have to modify some behavior and take some pills. Sometimes life is about compromise. I am not going to take this down the 'tobacco kills' road or argument again on your own health thread... You need to make up your mind on that alone, for your own good and well being. Me, I just try to keep smoking modestly and make sure it is not a 'habit.' All my heart doctors know that I smoke cigars. I am not going to hide it from them! None of them badger me to quit. I wouldn't even if they did... But that is just me! To your continued good health mate. An arrhythmia is not the end... It may very well have nothing at all to do with smoking a cigar. The fact that you can relax with a cigar and not have to resort to a 5th of booze or a handful of Xanax may be more good than harm. I don't think anyone really knows for sure. But I have been there. And cigar smoking has not killed me (yet!). Best to you. -Ray 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager223 Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 5 hours ago, Cubatabaco said: The WHO asked him to quit in 1997 (I think) to help lead a healthier lifestyle in Cuba. I'm sure he smoked a few behind doors. When did Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend become health nazis? All the best with it Tom, my grandfather gave up cigars in the late 80's after he had a triple bypass at a fairly young age. Gave up cigars, lead a healthy lifestyle but a heart attack still got him in the end, so I don't think quitting the smokes really made much of a difference. If you do decide to quit, i'm in New York next month and willing to offer my services in smoking your stash for you - remove the temptation y'know 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Hey TomF, you aren't alone for sure! I had a similar thing happen in 2014 (and am still paying the ER bills!) and as Diana is well aware I was ominously warned by my doctor at the time that I needed to quit cigars. I changed my diet, started exercising and (regretfully) sold my entire collection. A year later I visited another doctor who told me I was in fantastic shape and although I have the arrithmia I would be okay having a cigar every now and again. So I pace myself, pick and choose the best opportunities to enjoy a stick or two and really enjoy them for what they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lant63 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 While I'm not a doctor, I am in school to be a PA(physician assistant) I can help you understand some of the pathophysiology behind why they are asking you to stop smoking cigars. Nicotine, causes an increase in heart rate which could in fact trigger your atrial fib. More importantly, nicotine is a vasoconstrictor which means we smoke a cigar your blood vessels everywhere on your body become smaller. Because you are asymptomatic in your exacerbation of AFib you don't know it is happening, or how long. If it is occurring for more than 48 hours you are at extreme risk of coagulation of blood in your ventricles because they cannot keep up with the contractions of the atria. Thus, when you smoke, and are in an extended bout of a fib you could throw an emboli which could occlude a vessel and even cause a stroke. I recommend you get on a anti clotting agent such as heparin if you truly want to continue to smoke cigars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Lant83, your education should serve you well and thank you for sharing. I edited my post because I didn't realize I had come across so non chalant about it but it is a serious thing and taking care of oneself is priority one and we can't do that without proper assistance from healthcare professionals and not just some schmo on a forum! that said I am still able to enjoy cigars and am damn thankful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I suffered from heart arrhythmia for 20 years. Mine was out of control. A hard night on the turps, lack of sleep, burning the candles at both ends etc would bring it on and for hours it would feel like I had run a 100m sprint. They are frightening. There are many causes, there are many treatments. Get yourself tested. See the best heart specialist you can. In my case, they found that I had extra SA nodes (called the pacemaker of the heart). When I partied...so did they. They just wouldn't want to work in unison. 5 years ago in day surgery they went in and burned one out. Never had a blip since. I sufferred unnecessarily for years. get yourself tested! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lant63 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I suffered from heart arrhythmia for 20 years. Mine was out of control. A hard night on the turps, lack of sleep, burning the candles at both ends etc would bring it on and for hours it would feel like I had run a 100m sprint. They are frightening. There are many causes, there are many treatments. Get yourself tested. See the best heart specialist you can. In my case, they found that I had extra SA nodes (called the pacemaker of the heart). When I partied...so did they. They just wouldn't want to work in unison. 5 years ago in day surgery they went in and burned one out. Never had a blip since. I sufferred unnecessarily for years. get yourself tested!Electrophysiologic ablations and pacemakers can work wonders from the literature I've read! One of the areas I want to work in possibly. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomF Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 OK, here's the deal. It seems that I've been in Afib for a long time without knowing it, probably brought on by sleep apnea, I am now on a beta blocker and a blood thinner for I don't know how long. I go in on Monday morning for a cardio-version. They will shock me and hopefully put my heart back into proper rhythm. If it's successful I will be fine. It's a fairly common thing evidently. Then I'll have to take a stress test and a sleep study and will probably wind up on a CPAP, which I dread, but I'll do it. I have a great cardiologist so I have every confidence. I have been smoking cigars daily, sometimes two or three a day, so I will need to cut that way back. I'm thinking one on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays to start. My cigar coffers are full so, sorry Prez, I may not be buying as much as I have been going forward...but we'll always have Paris.. I'll keep y'all posted... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 About 10 yrs ago I had an electrophysiology test to check my irregular heartbeat. One of the weirdest exams I have ever had. Didn't feel a thing when they made the incision near my groin, nor inserting the tubes.... until it got past my waist. It was a very unnerving sensation feeling and watching the tubes moving up through my torso on the monitors. I thought that was bad, until they started to tug the wires into place! Then the shocking began. After a few minutes of making my heart beat go nuts, I blacked out. Then woke up in excruciating pain! Legs cramped up so bad, 2 nurses were trying to straighten them out. I apparently kicked one of the male nurses in the head whilst I was out! All that drama to find out there's nothing wrong with the old ticker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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