DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Has anyone ever had a shock for your heart?

My dad was recently put in the hospital for breathing problems. His breathing was getting quite bad lately and he thought quitting smoking would cure it. But after a week of not smoking he was still getting out of breath for the littlest things.

So my stepmom and myself talked him into going to the er and not waiting for his doctors appointment. They told him that the top part of his heart was not working properly and they would have to give him a shock this tuesday. He's in the hospital as we speak on iv's and oxygen and taking medicine to calm his breathing and heartbeat down. Which was at 175bpm when he got to hospital yesterday.

My question is has anyone on here ever have this done or know of anyone that has(shock treatment to the heart). Im very scared for my dad. I just want him to get better and get on with his life. He's 59 and has only 4 months to retirement. Has taught me everything about the browns and football and i love him dearly.

What are the doctors saying about the procedure? Is it routine? Is it just an attempt to see if it fixes the problem then move onto to something else?

At this point I would be grateful that he went in when he did and didn't wait any longer. Trust in the doctors. Ask them questions. Try to understand better what's going on.

Most importantly be there for your dad and keep a positive outlook.

If I'm not mistaken, it's what my uncle had done shortly after a surgery because a chamber of his heart wasn't pumping properly. It was a relatively quick procedure,done under a local anesthisia.

It's just stimulating a muscle (the heart) into action. The heart relies upon electrical impulses to beat, so the procedure can act as "jump start", put crudely.

Also, remember that a pacemaker is just a device that shocks the heart to keep it beating properly. This is a procedure to get 1 chamber (most likely) back to its proper rhythm.

They did also not allow my uncle any caffeine whatsoever for the remainder of his stay. I don't know if that's related or not.

Thats the way i kinda understood it too, Ytown. I dont think its nothing too serious, even though anything with the heart is not a joking matter. Im just glad he went in when he did because he said he was getting out of breath over the summer and it was just progressing for the worse.

He is trying to stay optimistic and joyful though even at this difficult time. He even stated today while we were watching the jets patriots game at his hospital bed that it wouldnt be the best of time for the browns in the playoffs, because his heart might not be able to take it..

Im just very concerned. I've really never been through this and im worried for him because i see hes worried too, but he tries not to show it.. It definetly is a wake up for him and me. I use to take alot of things in life for granted. Now im realizing more and more to cherish everything you have in life and live life to the fullest..

I hope that everything works out well for your father and that he's back to normal in no time flat.

Thanks Ytown..

I once had an electrical 'correction' made to adjust an un-rythmic beat. This was during a stress test, so it's not exactly the same kind of extensive procedure. My point is, you sometimes just have to trust that medical personnel are doing the right thing. I know it is a tough situation, but it sounds like you hardly have any option(s) here.

Hang in there.

one of the problems with smoking is that it kills off the little fibers in your lungs that filter out crap. when you stop smoking for a day or two, those fibers grow back, and you start to cough and actually feel so much worse because they start the process of cleaning out all that crap you put into your lungs the entire time you were smoking.

I had it done about 2 years ago for an irregular heart beat. It was an outpatient procedure.
They had to put me under though so I would not feel the shock. When I woke up I had 2 burn marks where the pads were.

As others have already stated, it just sounds like an arrhythmia, a simple shock is kinda like hitting reset - it gets that chamber back in-step with the others so that the heart no longer needs to work so hard.
The high heart rate is almost certainly a result of the other chambers fighting the one that is out of step.

Cardioversion uses an external defibrillator to return your heart to a normal rhythm.

First you are given a sedative. Then a doctor places paddles or patches either on your chest or on your chest and back. They send an electric current to your heart. This resets your heart rhythm. The rhythm is more likely to return to normal and stay there if you also take antiarrhythmic medicines before and after this treatment.

Taking medicines alone—without cardioversion—is another way to get back your normal heart rhythm. But they don't work as well as cardioversion. And they can have serious side effects.

What are the risks of cardioversion?

Having a stroke is the most serious risk. Cardioversion may dislodge a blood clot in your heart. This can cause a stroke. But you can lower this risk quite a bit by taking certain steps:

* If your atrial fibrillation has lasted for more than 48 hours, your doctor may have you take anticoagulants, or blood thinners, several weeks ahead of time.
* Your doctor may use a test called echocardiogram to see if you have a clot in your heart. If you don't, you won't have to take a blood thinner first.
* Your doctor may have you take a blood thinner for a few weeks after the treatment.

Cardioversion also has other risks:

* You can get a small area of burn on your skin where the paddles are placed.
* Antiarrhythmic medicines used before and after this treatment may cause a deadly irregular heartbeat. The cardioversion itself may also cause this.
* You could have a reaction to the sedative given to you before the procedure. But harmful reactions are rare.
* The procedure may not work. You may need more cardioversion or other treatment.

linkity schminkity

My dad got out of the hospital today and is doing alot better. They shocked his heart tuesday but it didnt work. Hes taking meds now and they got his heart beat down to regular. There gonna try to shock it again in a month to get it back into rythm. Thanks guys for your responses and support, it helped me alot through these hectic 6 days..