Afib Ablation

[bambi57]

hello im 3 months in after an ablation my question is i have a fast heart rate 80 to 90 all the time its not that so much its just for no reason my heart starts to beat very slow and i dont feel well when it happens has anyone else experienced this prob.

[BobD Volunteer]

Raised heart rate like that is quite normal after ablation. Mine took six moths to return to mid sixties after my last one. How slow is slow by the way? If much below 60 then I would speak to the EP team about it.

[bambi57 in reply to BobD]

hi Bob when i took my blood pressure while it was happening my heart rate was 45 stayed like that for a couple of minutes then went back to a fast beat again

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bambi57]

BP machines are notoriously inaccurate. Do discuss with your medical team.

[Alan_G in reply to BobD]

I find that a rather alarming statement. I know people, myself included, who were advised to buy BP machines by our GPs so that we could monitor out own BP. As minor variations in the readings can be quite meaningful, to be suddenly informed they are inaccurate is worrying to hear and makes me wonder why they are sold then.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Alan_G]

Sorry --to clarify Alan--- BP machines as a method of checking heart rate are inaccurate if you have AF. They may also not be that good if you are in AF at the time for BP. My £10 cheapo seems to be as good as any.

As an aside my doctor always found my BP higher in surgery than my home listings. We are both right handed therefore I take BP on my left arm but sit on her right in her room so she uses my right arm. By experimentation we have discovered that my BP is between 10% and 15% higher on my right than my left. This is apparently not that uncommon. A recent comparison gave 120/70 left and 145/85 right. You work it out! lol.

[Mrspat in reply to BobD]

The cardio clinic at the hospital I attend has a protocol to take all BP on the right arm. Every time, I have to explain to them that I had a procedure on my right arm 40 years ago which causes an inaccurate reading for BP and pulse. Doctors have told me always to get readings from the left arm but try telling that to a junior nurse or HCA who is more interested in following the protocol than listening to the patient.

[bambi57]

my BP is always higher at the Doctor's that's why i have my on machine . went to Doctor's yesterday and i am to be fitted with Holter for 24 hrs to see what is going on . No guessing as to whats causing the slow Heart Rate every so often so just have to wait and see