Hello there fellow AF sufferers, Is there anyone who can share their experience of
recovery from Ablation. I have just had my first in Oxford, with all well after an overnight stay, but I was just wondering what to expect during the next few weeks, who better to ask than peeps who have had the experience?
Cheers
Best advice is to be kind to yourself. You need to learn how to pace yourself. Your heart has taken a battering and you have to recover from the effects of the anaesthetic. All that takes up to 6 months recovery time.
You may have blips of AF. I have found that having Flecainide as a pill-in-the-pocket gives me enormous confidence. I have it with me at all times.
Very best wishes.
Hi walke,I would just say take it very easily for at least 2 weeks,you will no doubt have one or two little funny beats in the chest but that is normal and it will take 3 to 4 months for things to settle before you can judge how you really feel.Good luck hope everything turns out ok Graham.
The most important thing to understand is that it isn't an instant thing. I was very upset when I had some strange rhythms post ablation because nobody had explained back then that this was normal. I had expected to be dancing out of the hospital with no drugs to take and feeling top of the world and it wasn't like that. This was long before AF A was formed and this forum to help so it really knocked me down. By the time I had my third successful ablation in 2008 there was so much more info available and I knew that it takes at least three to six months for the heart to form the scar tissue which stops the rogue impulses. Take things easy and pace yourself. Don't listen to people,who tell you they went back to work after three days. Your body will guide you if you let it and of course if you had GA the effects of that will take a long time to go. You may experience visual disturbances like silent migraine which is normal post ablation but will pass quite quickly. You may suffer temporary memory lapses. I used to kill kettles for a while. Eventually if all goes well you should be able to stop all drugs (except maybe warfarin) and then you can really start to move on.
Above all rest. My arrhythmia nurse told me "do nothing for the first week and not a lot more for the second and then gradually ease into things."
Good advice.
Bob
Thank you that is very useful info - especially regarding the visual disturbances as I had a couple of incidents just after op. I know that we are all different so will have very different experiences but it always good to hear from those who have been through it. Recovery can be a very lonely place.
cheers
I had 24/7 AF and my ablation worked straight away, no drugs needed except anti-coags. My recovery was very quick, took it easy for a week or two, no lifting etc and limited walking because of the groin wound. I had a funny, tight'ish feeling in my chest for a week or fortnight, can't remember but not long. After that 2 weeks I was back to normal, i.e. back how I was before I had AF and I couldn't feel my heart at all which was weird and very nice.
It kept me clear of AF for 8+ years.
Koll
I am five weeks post ablation and I am really struggling with my recovery, do not seem to able to get past stage of just basically sitting on my deriere.
I have discomfort chest, abdomen and back, along with still being wheezy and really cold pretty much all the time.
Played golf Sunday gone and that went well, but since yesterday afternoon whilst at work things have gone downhill again, which seems to have been the pattern last three weeks, good couple of days followed by feeling lousy.
Been in touch with EP and GP and as of yet no indication as to what is holding me back.
Getting pretty down now, long haul holiday soon which I was told I would be fine for when my ablation was done, but I ain't so sure now.
Am I just one of the unlucky ones regarding recovery, because my actual ablation went well.
Today was probably also my worst for my heart being irregular since ablation.
I have tried walks to build my self up slowly as advised, but TBH I feel my AF has only stayed at bay purely due to lack of exercise and no alcohol along with strict diet.
I am 6 weeks post ablation and feeling good. I felt fragile for the first 2 weeks ,was tired, had ocular migraine and the bruising on my thigh was more painful than I had expected but then I started to improve and by end of the third week I was back to walking the dogs twice a day. I am on reduced medication and have not had any A.F. although in the first week I had a couple of nights when my heart rate was 100 but regular. Hopefully my medication will be reduced again after my 3 month check up.
I would say just go with the flow and let your body tell you what to do. Also use your arhythmia nurse if you feel worried. Mine was fantastic. All the best.x
Hello, I'm three and half weeks post my second Ablation. Apart from a migraine and a couple of ectopic beats I have felt good, I didn't even get the large bruises this time unlike before. I'm still on my daily dosage of bisoporol, Flecainide and warfarin but am due to see my EP in about three weeks where I hope he'll review my medication. I had two weeks off work and have taken things pretty easy up to now.
All the best with your recovery.
I had my first ablation 4 months ago. Within the first few days I felt great as if I'd never had AF. Then I got a few incidences of a racing pulse but no irregularities. It almost feels like your heart is trying to go into AF but the ablation nips it in the bud and prevents AF. I was a little breathless for the first 2 weeks but that has settled now. I am back to swimming 2 miles a week with no ill effects. Best thing I ever did was having the ablation as I feel I have got my life back. I am so grateful for my EP suggesting it and performing it. I felt very safe in his hands.
my evening got worst from my post yesterday, back in AF big time from 01.30 this morning and still going, emotionally drianed this moment in time, but good luck to you other guys who seem to be on a god road to recovery.
Mick. Sorry to hear that - it must be awful. I know it was for me when I was in NSR (after cardioversion) and then went back into persistent AF (physical and mental anguish). Keep your chin up!!!
Really sorry that things are not yet going well. It's very discouraging when you still get AF after ablation, but do cling to positivity if you can and feel that even though it hasn't waved a magic wand, you have still made a step forward.
Mick as far as I can tell you are not on any rhythm tablets whereas I am still on quite a lot of flecanide. Because of this I suspect I won't know exactly how my heart is behaving till I start to come off the meds whereas you are getting the full effects.I hope your A.F. has subsided now. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.x
Hi Mick N. . I am 10 days post op and can genuinely say I feel worse than I did before the ablation. Frequent bouts of AF mostly short lived but a couple have taken hold and lasted overnight. General feeling of tension in the chest and stomach and not much appetite. In a word I feel pretty miserable. I haven't picked up any further posts from you so was wondering if things did get better. ( fingers crossed!)
Bob
Yes things got much better thanks, symptoms improved gradually overtime, whereby I ended up on zilch medication from a few weeks ago, that said at times I do get episodes of what are either just ectopics but the AN informed me back in May that it could be AF, that cannot be confirmed until the 7 day monitor has been fitted, that wont happen until the 31st July, gord knows why the wait is so long, was requested on May 08th.
I actually had a couple of iffy days this week, took some Bisoprolol 1.25mg as PIP daily and all setlled down again, I dont stay on the Bisoprolol once things settle down though.
TBH, do I think the ablation has worked 100%, no, and I will probably need another somewhere down the line, but as for being a success and glad I went for it, defo.
Even back drinking alcohol, which is great albeit (bar my hoilday) I do limit it to 3/4 bottles of beer in any one session, and that would only be max of twice a week.
So hang on in there mate, things will improve.
Hi Mick,
Thanks for the update. I'm pleased things have improved for you if not perfect. I have had some dark thoughts that I might end up worse after the op than before and maybe I was stupid to expect some instant cure. I decided on the ablation as I had my last holiday ruined by a week long AF bout so mustn't forget that. I was on some heavy meds but only a cardio version when I got home did the trick. At least the frequent bouts of AF I've had since the ablation seem to respond to the Flecainide I am on so must remain hopeful. I just want time to pass quickly! Thanks again for the encouragement.
PS beer has been off the menu for months now and boy do I miss it!
Just tried to reply, but not sure if it got posted. After your bad experience a few weeks into your ablation, I am just wondering if things had improved now 3 months have gone by. I am 10 days post op and suffering many of the same symptoms as you, and feeling miserable about it!
Finally went back into NSR around 3pm, approx 14hrs.
Certainly never felt like a step forward, see how we go from here on in cos I ain't had a lot of luck with this ablation what with the added side effects.
Appreciate all the support though guys, I need it cos I ain't no good at this shit, bit to much self pitying going on but that's me.😫haha
We are (I think) entitled to feel slightly sorry for ourselves when we have such silly hearts that won't behave. What's so hard about maintaining a life-long regular beat? Why the sudden wild foolishness which then (for some of us) goes away for no apparent reason? Though at present, I'm just about on speaking terms with my heart. It could be worse than it is.
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