Expeimental drugs and surgury

Has anybody here been enrolled in experimental drug trials or had experimental surgery. How do you get into these programs?

My doctor ran out of drugs to try for Atrial Fibulation and the drugs I am using make me sick to my stomach and too tired to walk.

For experimental surgery I noticed Stanford University had a trial where they were using a cryogenic method of Ablation surgery. That trial is complete so the aren't taking new patients.

Is there a good website where I can find medical trials in my area

3 Comments

trials

by Smart Redd - 2009-07-01 08:07:08

My cardio tends to get into the 'third step' of many trials. He asked me to participate in a CHF experimental procedure.

I read EVERY bit of information regarding the procedure. Considered there to be no risk with participation as the procedure was to take some of my blood, oxygenate it and return it to me. Whether I was in the trial or the control, there was nothing in the CHF test that could harm me - no possible adverse reactions to test meds or invasive experiments. So. . . . I said okay.

Bad move! Not mentioned was the injection of Novocain used to make everyone think they were getting the reinforced blood. What WAS mentioned, but overlooked on my health chart, was my allergy to Novocain!

While it was not something I could prove a cause-effect relationship to, it took me just short of two years to get over the many physical problems that resulted.

As I had retired just 7 days prior to getting the injection, it was a pretty crummy start to retirement. While I'm feeling back to normal, I am still not at the level of physical conditioning that I had achieved just prior to retirement. Phooey!

Anyway. . . ask your doctor or your cardio clinic.

Red



Surgery

by stacey28 - 2009-07-01 10:07:00

I just had surgery a month ago to correct my Atrial Fibrillation. They do it through open-heart surgery and what they do is a criss-cross maze across the left and right atrium which will make the electrical signal in the heart follow that path the maze has made. So far I've had a real big reduction in my Atrial Fibrillation. I was in the hospital for five days after the surgery and had no problems with the surgery. In fact 2 weeks after the surgery I went to see my Electro-Physiologist and my Atrial Fibrillation espsiodes had been 0.1 percent of the time. I go to see him on Monday if everything looks good I would be able to come off the Coumadin.
I hope that this information helps you.

Stacey

A/Fib Drugs

by Dyffryn - 2009-07-02 11:07:19

I have been suffering with a/fib for five years and as you are aware the symptoms are very distressing. I had my second PM fitted 12 months ago (the first one I had for three years). The PM's never helped me much, but on seeing my GP he prescribed Isoprolol - 5mg morning, noon and night. That was 2months ago and my episodes of a/fib have virtually abated. (My cardiologist had prescribed me just 2.5mg a day!). I don't know if you have already tried Isoprolol, but it has worked wonders for me.

David

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

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