At Age 13, Treatment for Acne Reveals Need for a Cardiologist! A-Fib Hits Early

Warren D.

By Warren Darakanada, Los Angeles, CA, August 2017

“As I write about my A-Fib, I am 23 and just starting my adult life as a financial and economic consultant. But my cardiac story actually starts about ten years ago.

At age 13, I got a severe acne breakout that brought me to the doctor’s office. While waiting to see the doctor, a nurse decided to take my vitals and blood pressure. While the diastolic pressure was normal, the systolic was above 140 mmHg. Without a doubt, I needed to see a cardiologist.

Further investigation revealed that I also had an elevated cholesterol level. Luckily, my blood glucose level was normal. I went through a series of tests to rule out causes of secondary hypertension. Luckily or unluckily, nothing was found.

Since I was a low-risk patient who could benefit from lifestyle modification, and given my age, I was not prescribed any medication or procedure.

At Age 18, A Shock to be Diagnosed with A-Fib!

Over the next years, I had several EKGs, but it was not until a routine cardiologist visit when I was 18 that I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. I think I had A-Fib for some time prior to my diagnosis, but had no idea my heart beat was irregular.

I was in shock! I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to think or feel. The attending cardiologist called in medical residents and fellows to show them that “this is what atrial fibrillation sounds like” through the stethoscope.

Referred to an electrophysiologist, I was put on a beta-blocker and warfarin. Given my young age and the perpetual nature of atrial fibrillation, I knew I was headed toward a cardiac ablation.

[For someone as young as Warren, it’s unthinkable to leave him taking dangerous A-Fib drugs for a lifetime (60 or 70 years). In addition, a catheter ablation was his most reasonable option with a high success rate in young people like Warren.]

Suffers Most from Mental and Psychological Effects

While I had few A-Fib symptoms, what I found hard to endure and most debilitating was the mental and psychological effects. I would ask myself:

‘Why is this happening to me and not anybody else?
Why can’t I go back to college and enjoy my freshman year with my friends?
Given all these circumstances, is my life worth living?’

These questions may sound stupid to a mature person in good mental condition. But that wasn’t me. Remember, I was only 18 years old and just starting college, and college students are prone to depression for various reasons. (See Seven Ways to Cope with the Fear and Anxiety of A-Fib)

My solution: Instead of staying home and pondering about these life problems, I decided to keep myself busy with activities, online classes, and occasional meet-ups with friends.

In hindsight, that helped tremendously.

My Catheter Ablation

It was roughly 3 months between my diagnosis and my ablation in March 2013. So, I only “knowingly” lived with A-Fib for a few months before my ablation.

The day of my RF catheter ablation came just as any other day. I had been admitted the night before. Except for not eating after 9 pm, I did nothing to prepare myself for it. I think the procedure lasted about 1 1/2 hours. I stayed in the hospital overnight.

As a child, I had had many surgeries, so hospitalization was not a big deal. (To keep this short, I’ll skip my childhood medical history.)

Post Ablation

After the procedure, I was almost always in sinus rhythm. But my atrial fibrillation would come back intermittently. Most episodes were really short with the frequency decreasing over time. [This is common during the three-month ‘blanking period’ following an ablation.]

However, because my heart rate was not well controlled and because of the risks of recurrences, I was put on diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker.

Because of my hypertension and high cholesterol (added risk factors of atrial fibrillation), I am also on Cozaar and a statin.

Now A-Fib-Free 

Since I started diltiazem, I’ve not had an episode…except one time after being under general anesthesia. The cardiologist believes that was a side effect of propofol [used to help you relax before and during general anesthesia for surgery].

It would be great if I could live without my various medications, but taking them, honestly, is not a big deal.

Lessons Learned

Emotionally Stronger and Healthier: I feel the entire A-Fib/ablation process has made me an emotionally stronger person. I also started to work out and take care of my own health more. (But that’s also a function of becoming more mature with age rather than the ablation alone.)

In the process, I have learned to enjoy and appreciate life in the way most people my age could never do.

Atrial Fibrillation―It Comes in a Package: By that I mean, cardiovascular disorders often come “packaged” together, often congenitally and genetically.

I’m trying to suggest that people with A-Fib/arrhythmia often have other cardiovascular risk factors. For instance, I have hypertension and high cholesterol and a family history thereof.

Moreover, cardiovascular diseases are also risk factors of diseases for other organs, such as the kidneys and liver.

My advice for younger patients diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation:

Exercise: I would suggest that young adults work out more, at least 3 times a week for one hour each time.

Seek Help for Mental Health: For those suffering from A-Fib, make sure that you have a good attitude. Seek counseling if you have mental conditions from A-Fib.

Evaluate & Reduce Other Risk Factors:  Young A-Fib patients should also see general cardiologists to evaluate A-Fib related risk factors.

When young people get A-Fib, they could be living with it for possibly more than 50 years. Take actions to reduce your risk factors and take care of your body.

Positive Attitude Trumps All: I’m dealing with my ‘package’ of conditions. While getting rid of my ‘package’ once and for all might not be an option for me, I can choose to live with a positive attitude.

I welcome your emails.”

Warren Darakananda
warrenddara(at)gmail.com

Editor’s Comments:

We are most grateful to Warren for his frank discussion of how A-Fib affected him psychologically and emotionally. He was only 18 years old when diagnosed with A-Fib and just starting college. He’s learned the hard way how to develop a “positive attitude.”

Psychological Distress:  For Warren, the psychological effects were hard to endure, much more so than his physical symptoms.

Recent research indicates that “psychological distress” worsens A-Fib symptoms’ severity. For many patients the anxiety, fear, worry and depression can become debilitating.

To learn how to deal with the psychological aspect, see my article, Seven Ways to Cope with the Fear and Anxiety of A-Fib.

A-Fib Support Volunteers: I’m pleased to welcome Warren to our group of A-Fib Support Volunteers. He hopes to be a resource for those patients closer to his age. (He’s one of our youngest volunteers.)

We are blessed to have many generous people who have volunteered to help others get through their A-Fib ordeal. Most A-Fib Support Volunteers are not medical personnel. They come from widely different backgrounds. But you can be sure they care about you and understand what you are going through. Visit our A-Fib Support Volunteers page to learn more.

Learn about sharing your A-Fib story. 

Return to: Personal A-Fib Stories

If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Tuesday, July 28, 2020

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