Hi Folks,
I am a long-time COPD patient, having endured this condition for 25 years. Recently, my heart has also become a significant concern. I was cautioned that this is often the trajectory for individuals with chronic COPD; the heart tends to falter over time. I began experiencing severe exacerbations, which were ultimately attributed to atrial fibrillation and an erratic heart rate fluctuating between 40 and 250 BPM. This prompted a visit to the emergency room, where I was hospitalized for four days as the medical team endeavored to stabilize my condition. I was prescribed a cardiac medication and advised to consult an electrophysiologist, who subsequently recommended an additional pharmaceutical intervention. Unfortunately, I have encountered a dilemma: the heart medication interacts adversely with my COPD treatment, resulting in labored breathing throughout the day.
My inquiry is directed toward anyone else who shares the dual experience of COPD and atrial fibrillation—how are you managing your treatment? Specifically, I am grappling with the incompatibility between Symbicort and MULTAQ, as I currently take Spiriva and Symbicort.
Thus, I am in search of an alternative COPD medication that would be compatible with MULTAQ. I tried my pharmacist, and they recommended DULERA, after trying that, I discovered it has the same meds as Symbcort. And as you would guess, I had the same results as I did with Symbicort.
I reached out to my physician several days ago, but their non- responsiveness to my messages has been rather disappointing ..
I would be immensely grateful if anyone enduring this dual struggle of heart and lungs could kindly share their experiences.
Jack.