Bev

[bev2015]

Hi all, this is my first time on this site.

I have been having eptopics for years now and must say I am finding them very difficult to manage.

I have had two previous abblations at kings college Hospital in London .

The first attempt was whilst I was awake after 3 hours I could no longer take the pain, I went back 4 months later and had ablation done under generalan aesthetic , unfortunately after 5 hours of attempts this also failed. Two weeks later I developed chronic neausea where by I was constantly retching,it wasn't until a year later I was informed that I had inflammation of the gut.

I am feeling really desparate at present as I suffer with vestibular imbalance and feel really unwell most of the time, has anyone else had a similar experience . my cardiologist has advised me to go for 3 rd ablation under gen anaesthetic but I'm really unsure

[jennydog]

Hi Bev, welcome to the site. I'm replying so that you know that your post was received. Others will give you proper help later. This site is a great means of help, information and support. We all understand your worries.

In your position, and given your past experiences, you need to get the very best advice from an Electrophysiologist before deciding what to do.

Best wishes.

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Bev and welcome. To start with ectopics are not AF. Yes there can be very disturbing if they are with you on a regular basis but they are not the totally irregular and debilitating arrhythmia which AF is to most. All people have ectopics up to 200 a day but do not notice them for the most part. AF with attendant lack of energy, fatigue and often fainting spells is much more difficult to manage. Since you have had two ablations for AF? and still have these ectopics then since ectopics are not normally treated as a specific problem maybe another trip to the EP to discuss a third ablation might be the way forward. At the very least you can then discuss a treatment plan whatever form that takes.

Bob

[bev2015 in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob I have do have episodes when I do pass out and feel extremely tired and a on a number of occasions when paramedics have been called out and when they have put my heart to a monitor they believed I was going cardiac arrest and I was blue lighted down to Hammersmith hospital I am wondering if the menopause is responsible for some of my symptoms I am finding it rather confusing as other people are telling something different things

[jeanjeannie50]

Welcome to our forum Bev. You have come to the right place for advice as members here are so supportive.

When you say you have ectopics do you mean extra beats constantly over a long period of time e.g. hours of just and extra beat every so often? As Bob says it' s normal to get extra beats, even people without AF get these.

I'm sorry to hear that your two ablations didn't work. I have had two and they didn't work for me either. As others have said it's probably best to discuss with your EP all your options. Was the inflammation of your gut due to your ablation?

Best wishes

Jean

[bev2015 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi jean thanks for you reply yes I do get continuous ectopics I get very tired and suffer with lots of nauesea cardiologist has recommended third ablation but very wary as I suffered gut inflammation last time I am going through the menopause and suffer with vestibular imbalance and migraines and feeling pretty desperate to find a cure

[Hidden]

Hi Bev

I get continuous ectopics as well, and it is totally debilitating, at the rate I get them anyhow. I've had ablations for AF, which seems to have gone, but now on drugs for the ectopics and it's working well. My EP had to try me on 4 or 5 different drugs to get the right one. Just wondering if you've had this approach?

Hope you get a result.

Koll

[bev2015 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Kill, thanks for your reply, yes tried a few tablets inc Bisopralol 2.5 mg but they didn't work for me sadly my eptopics are very awkward to treat do it seems

[bev2015 in reply to bev2015]

So sorry about the predictive text koll, can I ask what symptoms you have with your eptopics ?, the reason I ask is most people say they are symptom free

[Hidden in reply to bev2015]

Without the drugs, my pulse is all over the place and hard to find. Instead of a steady pulse, it's bump, gap, couple of little bumps if anything, big bump, etc etc.

Koll

[bev2015 in reply to Hidden]

Oh bless you, I'm going to have to think about where to go from here

[MickN]

THink I might stop readilng posts on here, I am due my first ablation 17th Februay and all I am reading is either failed ablations or multiple attempts.

Would be nice to read some successful stories around 1 x ablation, I am so nervous anyway wondering if I have made the correct decision.

[bev2015 in reply to MickN]

Hey Mick, I think it depends on where about you have the problem, I have been told by the cardiologist mine is on a difficult place, give it a go, it may well work for you, here's wishing you all the very best !! X

[Rellim296 in reply to MickN]

I'm thrilled to bits with how my ablation last March has improved my life, Mick. I was on 300mgs of flecainide a day and now I don't take it at all. Huge improvement. Don't be put off! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Hidden in reply to MickN]

Mick, My ablation worked 100% and immediately. I came off all drugs there and then (except anticoags) and had zero AF.

But that was nearly 10 years ago. My 2nd ablation last year was to try and nip a tiny bit of AF that had returned in the bud. But the AF went away, so they didn't ablate, and the AF hasn't come back.

According to EP's, ablations are best to be considered as part of a programme that may need repeating.

What I have now is another problem.

Koll

[MickN in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou koll for the positive support.

I am positive about my ablation as I trust in my EP in that it is my best option for the future.

My main apprehension is post ablation in the holiday I have booked in the Caribbean in APril and that I will be recovered from my Ablation (17th feb) in time to fully enjoy all that is planned.

[Hidden in reply to MickN]

I think that people who have had succesful ablations, often have no need to use this forum. I do know of many succesful cases. However, not everybody succeeded on the first try.

[MickN]

Thanks for the positive, I am going for my ablation just nice to hear a success story.

I will be posting once I am done, all positive from here on in, got to get right for my hols in April

[Vony]

Hi Bev..i have had an ablation (unsuccessful) for SVTs which were driving my AF. I still have all of these arrythmias but like you, I get tons of ectopics and during admissions to hospital and being on telemetry, it showed i was in bigeminy a lot as well. I find ectopics and bigeminy equally as distressing as Af (and I get extremely fast AF every day with severe dizziness and shortness of breath). So if it consoles you in any way..i really empathise with you...sometimes in fact, i find it easier just to go into full blown AF than having that incessant gulpy and hollow feeling in my chest. Controversial as that may sound...when i go into full AF it is always followed by a few hours of a normal sinus rhythm which is just bliss...no missed beats, no runs of bigeminy..just normality maybe you were having long pauses when you were taken to hospital in emergency situation..i also had that before but did not need to be artificially paced as my heart kept on recovering itself but that lasted for several hours. I really wish you well..ultimately the only person who can advise you is your EP who has seen lots of what exactly is going on with your heart..i hope you get satisfactory answers and some relief. i have found the forum a great source of support to find others who have some of the same quirky and weird experiences i have with my heart and also the compassion and understanding on here. I hope it is helpful for you too.

[bev2015 in reply to Vony]

Thankyou for your reply vony it is nice to talk to people in the similar situation I wish you well not feeling to well again will talk soon

[Hidden]

You probably suffer from arrhythmias, not isolated ectopics or premature contractions (PVC’s or PAC’s) which do not require ablations. Ectopics do not make you faint, arrhythmias do. You said that you were told that you have inflamation of the gut. Do you mean the stomach? Yes, gastritis can cause belching and a nauseous feeling. This condition is not related to arrhythmias.