I had my 1st ablation tuesday morning, and just done my alivecor ecg on my phone as have been all the time watching and its always been in nsr since. Just done a reading at 7.30 tonight was ok the just done 5 ecg's on alivecor and its now saying AF detected!!!! Im really worried now! I dont want to go through all this again!!!
Back in AF 3 days after ablation!!! - Atrial Fibrillati...
Back in AF 3 days after ablation!!!
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Steve2810
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SRMGrandmaVolunteer
Take a nice deep breath. Sometimes it happens. I went into AF about 48 hours after my ablation due to a potassium imbalance and it took 2 cardioversions over 10 days to get my heart settled and meds on board. Your heart has just been burned or frozen and is not happy. It has a lot of healing to do and AF often happens during the first 3-6 month in the blanking period as it heals. Let your EP know, and don't let yourself think disastrous thoughts. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you recover.
I feel like i wanna cry my eyes out! Im only 36 and i feel ive been through all this for nothing, im so down 
. It wont go back i know it
Bless you. This is so close to the ablation it is almost certain to be your heart having a duck fit about all the messing about it has had. However I do feel for you and would probably want t cry myself. Have you got an arrhythmia nurse to contact? He or she would be able to put your mind at rest or relay your worries to the E.P.
Mine said to expect A.F. to happen especially in the first 3 weeks but to ring her if it went on for a long time as they might want to shock out back into N.S.R. I hope you feel a little better soon.x
Hi Steve. I had my ablation 2 weeks ago. I had Af episode day after then 6 days free of it but since then I have had it every single day! (it has reverted to sinus on it's own inbetween) This never happened before, it used to be only every couple of months. I know exactly how you feel. I want to cry too and am wishing I hadn't had it done. However, I have been in touch with EP and he's not in the least concerned. Said it will take at least 2/3 months to settle down and for the scars to form. I had known this already but didn't expect to have AF every day. Let's hope we both have better days to come.
Judie.
Yes i hope were both going to be ok, i know how u feel im so upset
I have tried to call but they only work 8 till 4 monday to friday, i need to speak to someone to put my mind at rest, im all brused down bellow and cant walk properly and chest hurts and now im getting flutters and pulpitations ill keep trying alivecor ecg and moniter it and just hope it goes back to nsr on its own but i doubt it knowing my luck, sorry to go on but i was feeling so happy before and then this happens, ill have to wait till monday as theres nobody to call now its late and weekend here
When you're overstressed on one side of the brain, it helps to do something involving the other side. E.g., if you're tired from studying math (left brain), take a walk or listen to music (right brain). Conversely, if you're emotionally upset, do something that uses the left brain, like reading or organizing something.
You don't need to talk to someone to put your mind at rest. You need to watch what's happening and trust that the EP folks know what they're talking about. Since you're right-brain-stressed, sit yourself down with pen and paper and make a chart that shows the date, the time of day, and whatever symptoms you're noticing, like heart rate, blood pressure, level of stress, and maybe even what your toileting looks like. Make an entry any time there's a significant change in any of the symptoms, especially if it seems to be in response to something you've done.
You will soon have a record of your experience that you can review. Look for patterns, especially one that shows that you're still alive despite your best attempts to scare yourself to death.
I'm not kidding. I have an autoimmune disorder brought on by flecainide that I took after my second ablation last May. My formerly active life has been completely upended (I'm only 66!) - no more wilderness trips, no more road cycling, no more dating, can't even keep up the maintenance on my house. I've been struggling against depression for six months. I have no heart issues, but some very serious potential mental health issues. I've kept a detailed journal and it helps me see that I'm actually surviving. Recording data daily, and often hourly, keeps me grounded. As an observer I see not only my physical experience but also my emotional and spiritual experience.
I've found repeatedly that worrying is a form of insanity. Worry and anxiety change nothing, yet we expect something different to happen (the definition of insanity). Stay in the moment. Remind yourself that you're still alive. Breathe. Breathe again. Repeat.
Now go take a walk and clear your mind. And before you go to sleep tonight - and every night in the future - name three things you're grateful for.
BobDVolunteer
It is far too early to start worrying about failure. I am sure that they will have told you that it takes at least three months for the heart to heal and settle down. Try to stop obsessing about it and checking constantly as this really will not help.
If you are worried do ring the arrhythmia nurse where you had the ablation done but she will tell you the same I am sure.
I was like you when I had my first ablation in 2006 and fondly thought I would be tripping the light fantastic and fully cured the next day. Didn't happen and had a few bad days but then that was before we had the support of AF Association and all the information currently available. Understanding the process helps stop the panic so do try to be positive.
You talk about not wanting to go through "all this " again. What all this? I had three ablations before mine was sorted. Once you have had one the rest are a breeze but it really is far too early to be thinking about that just yet.
Rest and let yourself heal properly.
Bob
I've had 1 ablation for SVT, they were happening everyday and lasted 15/20 min, just sitting here and boom by heart rate would go crazy. Had to go to the ER 4 times while on Vacation when this just came out of now where. I will never have another ablation, I was awake because they need to converse with you and I felt every zap and also went into AFib which I'd never had before..this went on for 3 hrs and then laying flat and still for 6 hrs..no thanks. I'm doing fine on my meds now for 9 months.
Blimey you had it tuff, especially being awake in your ablation!Crikey!I know how you felt though as i woke up in the last few minutes of mine, and it wasnt very nice and felt very strange, i moaned out and let them know i was awake though, i was just told to sit still, and after a few minutes after he was done i was taken back to the ward. If im advised to have another ablation ill probably have to trust them, and go for it, its so annoying being in AF all the time, so far my heart beats around another 20 bpm than how it used to but have to wait and see if it calms down as still early days after my op, im told. Glad your happy taking your meds and feel better in yourself. 
Panic will be making things worse. The heart loves a good old dose of adrenalin to give us even more palpitations, flutters, thumps and bumps! Steve my AF episode yesterday lasted 18 hours and still went back into sinus on its own! So don't despair of yours doing so.
I hope you can speak to someone soon. Meantime if you get really concerned there's always NHS 24 to phone for advice or A and E if desperate. Hope you feel better soon.
Judie.
I think ill just wait now till monday, im not normally a wimp it just panicked me after all ive been through, i will try and calm down. Think i was just shocked it came back, they probably wont do anything anyway if i spoke to someone. Thanks Judie
Hope that you feel better in the morning. X
I'm two weeks after my second ablation and I understand your fear and your upset and frustration totally!!
I was told I could have symptoms the same or worse than before up to six weeks after ablation so try and keep your spirits up.
It's a very long Lonley road I know and it's long long days constantly fearing it's not worked but try and relax keep your doc informed of any concerns call nhs24 if you have to to put your mind at ease.
keep a diary (I am doing this now I didn't for first) it helps when you go to docs. I'm recording heart rate and if it's irregular and blood pressure and what I've been doing just before reading ie moving or sitting, no war and peace and how I felt, also what time I'm taking meds. I'm not doing it at set times as I don't want to be OCD about it but want to see myself too how things are going and if I can see if it's settling or if it's just side effects from drugs etc etc. It helps to get it out my head.
It takes a long time for the heart to heal they say so try and take each day as it comes, rest lots and lots, don't push yourself or your heart too much.
I'm still sore tired and having runs and ectopics and I'm still very dizzy but looking at my diary I see I have a lot of spells where I am regular pulse and that makes me feel weird too, bear that in mind. I have taken my pulse cause I'm dizzy and feel ill thinking my hearts racing but in fact my heart rate is normal and regular!!
We're all here to help each other so know you're not going through this alone!
yes i know, its good to know im not alone, i wish you well devine
Steve.
Sorry to hear that but believe me it is not doom and gloom!! For one thing you have age on your side and at 36 you will heal better than those of us who have hit their 60s (and I know you are very unlucky to have AF so young). I was (still am) in persistent AF just like you. Our journeys have some similarities.
Look at your AF journey like an ordinary journey - if you don't walk out of the front door at home and then start the car you can never get anywhere!!! As we all know AF begets AF so in time you will have got worse if you had done nothing.
When in persistent AF the success rate first time is only around 30% to 40%. That means that two out of three go back into AF!! It is not uncommon at all for people to have two or three ablations. As you know Bob had three.
Some of my own journey (you may have seen some of it but apologies) will hopefully help you.
I had my ablation on a Monday and was back in NSR around 18:00. On the Thursday afternoon around 16:30 bang I was back in AF. Unfortunately it was the Easter Bank Holiday weekend so couldn't get hold of anyone for 4 days apart from speaking to the ward - they had given me the number for "out of hours" (it was a heart only ward).
When I saw my EP after my DCCV (cardioversion - only lasted 24 hours in NSR) he said that the only realistic option was an ablation. I asked him what he thought the chances of success would be in MY case (I said that I wanted an honest and open answer) and he said zero percent first time. IN any event when he said he would see me 6 weeks after the ablation rather than the normal 3 months I would have guessed that anyway. By seeing me at 6 weeks he said he was hoping that I might still be in NSR so that they could do an echo in NSR. It wasn't to be!!! When I emailed him my AliveCor reading after going back into AF he brought that appointment forward (not that it really made any difference) but before seeing me did a referral straight away to a heart valve specialist (my tricuspid valve has moderate to severe leakage). Waiting for my second ablation!!!
Hope this helps.
Yes peter it does help mate, thankyou
I had an ablation 5 years ago. Afterwards I was fine for 2 days then I had the worst AF/tachy I've ever had. That cleared up after a day but I still had other attacks which gradually decreased over 3 months. Then nothing (i.e. NSR rather than no heart beat!) and it's been the same since, touch wood!
It's pretty standard to get bad AF after an ablation as it takes a while for the heart to recover from a right battering.
Lets hope im the same then done ecg this morning and im still in af so just hope it flips back now then, i feel alot calmer now hearing everyone elses stories and good to know im not the only one who reverted back to af and is still possable for it to flip back in nsr.
Thanks Mark
Let's hope this is not the way it's going to be, Steve. In the next couple of months AF may just disappear. Do try to see the glass as half full. I find the AF I get post ablation is much slower than it used to be - big improvement.
Well my af used to be at mainly 70 odd bpm just done ecg again to see if it had gone and its now 107 bpm while resting, so af is a lot faster after this op but will just have to wait and see, if it gets unbareable ill go hospital, but i can handle it at mo
Its very early days. I was in AF for 6 days after my ablation. Your heart has suffered a trauma and will take some to recover/heal. Your EP should be able to reassure you about the healing process and what to expect. I was told around 3 months before I could expect to know if the ablation ( I had a PVI ) had been successful. So don't lose heart, as if everything goes well, your periods of AF/erratic beats etc will gradually subside and you will look back and wonder what all your worry was about as your life will have returned to normal.
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