One month post ablation, still fatigu... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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One month post ablation, still fatigued. EP nurses say it's not cardiac related so time to talk to someone else.

Makaveli818 profile image
21 Replies

I'm tired of calling my doctors office and telling them I still feel fatigued and can't work full duty. I have a physical job and when I say fatigued I don't mean sleepy, I mean I feel weak, get tired fast and sometimes feel out of breath. The nurse keeps insisting its non cardiac related even after I said hey one day I walked up stairs with some grocery bags got some chest pain(felt like I got punched in the chest) and felt winded. So they told me to talk to my pcp. You bet I am, maybe he will listen and actually look into why I'm still feeling like this and give me some answers rather then just brushing me off. Not to mention the ep office ordered a echocardiogram for me. So why order that then if it's not really a concern. I'm so tired of this. Just wanna get better and not deal with any doctors. You pretty much have to be dying for them to take you seriously.

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21 Replies
Mike11 profile image
Mike11

Sorry you feel bad but one month post ablation I was ecstatic I could walk a couple of miles without having to rest for several hours after. Your heart is still healing and the ecg will probably confirm this.

Hi, sorry to hear things are not going well for you. Have you considered your medication. Beta blockers made me extremely tired especially when trying to exert myself. Drugs that were fine before ablation had more side effects after.

porridgequeen profile image
porridgequeen

One month post ablation is still very early days. The healing process can take three to six months and perhaps even longer. Ablation gives your heart a real battering and yours seems to be telling you that you are not yet ready for this level of physical work.

I hope you find a medic who understands this and helps.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

Sometimes you just need to listen to your body, rather than your nurses or doctors - as said in your previous post and answers.

If you are pushing yourself too much, too quickly you risk undoing all the good work of the ablation and causing further problems for your heart. I know because that is what I did and needed a second ablation.

Many posters on this forum have had similar difficulty returning to work, even with phased returns and part-time duties. Chest pain is a big red light warning to stop and do lighter duties. If you are in the U.K. your employer has a duty to assist you and you can be ask for an occupational health assessment.

Biggles22 profile image
Biggles22

If you've been fatigued for some time, you will,probably have lost a lot of fitness and thus it may take months of training to build this up again.

Mazza23 profile image
Mazza23

It's been 6months since my cryoblation still get tired if I over do it I don't think I would be able to work full time yet good job I am retired listen to your body take care

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

This nurse really doesn't know her job in my opinion. One month is nothing in the greater picture of recovery. Remember we re all different and whilst a few people may be dancing the light fantastic in a week or two many take months to get back to fitness. Listen to your body and don't be too impatient but any chest pain needs investigation. DON'T IGNORE IT!

teach2learn profile image
teach2learn

I'm guessing you are still on heart rate medications for awhile post ablation. Mine kept me on flecainide for a month and it made me tired. The best part about successful ablation was going off meds and feeling almost (after months) normal again. As others have said, give that poor heart a rest for awhile longer.

Carolewick profile image
Carolewick

Please dont be so hard on youself. Your poor heart has had a lot of intervention so its going to take at least 3 months for it totally recover. Thats what I found happened with me. I know we are all different but having an ablation is a big event and it takes time to recover. Best wishes

Carole Milner

Jamila123 profile image
Jamila123

I wish you a quick recovery 🌺

Listen to your body please good advise from Cdreamer

Your body is telling you to slow down and give it time everyone is different with different healing times and symptoms

But our bodies are amazing it knows what it wants so listen to it please

In fact most of us here have got here purely because we pushed our bodies to far and did not listen to the early warning signs

Enjoy the journey of healing get plenty of rest not work sleep to heal eat healthy to heal .

You could write journals daily of how your feeling it might help you

Lots of meditation And calmness for your body

Please be kind to your self💕

Reading your blog sends me back to a time a month or so before my first attack of afib

You sound stressed anxious hyper and pushing your body beyond its capability

Just these things alone can trigger afib and stress on heart so please sit back relax look at apps on calm and midfulness

I know its important to work and money

But belive me you must put yourself first

The doctors dont take in holistic approaches so if they dont help think and help yourself in the mean time

I am sure you will get better 🌺

Noidea63 profile image
Noidea63

I do feel for you it took me a good 9 months before I felt vaguely able to be out and about. Please see a medic as pain in the chest should be investigated. Hope you feel better soon, but you should rest as it's the only way you can get full recovery.

sooty757 profile image
sooty757

i was tiered for nearly 3 months,been really stressed with the NHS,treatment of my partner,and then had two days hard exercise, over a week, now bad in a/fib

take it easy.as they all keep saying, time

Makaveli818 profile image
Makaveli818

Thanks all and no I'm not on any medication. Possibly could be a side effect after? I took metoprolol for about 2 1/2 months. I don't push myself too much soon as I feel my body is done I leave work. The problem is my doctor has a note that says I can work full duty and since they don't think its cardiac related they won't give me one, therefore my hr says I need a note saying I can only work so much, and how long I'm gonna take to come back full duty. I'm leaving early anyway, I told my supervisor my health is worth more then my job. I am sure my pcp will help me with that matter and give me a note that says to at least start light duty as I will stress out I didn't feel like this until I had this procedure and no I live in the U.S. So we don't have a lot of rights in the work place to protect when it comes to illnesses other then FMLA which I already used. I will see my pcp tomorrow, I'm sure he will help me.

rosie321 profile image
rosie321

Hi, i had my ablation 5 weeks ago. I am still extremely tired with very little energy. I feel like staying at home as much as i can and so, in between working, that is what i am doing. I am hoping that by the time i see my EP on 21st April i have more energy. I think the thing to do is to listen to your body and rest when you need to. Take care.

Makaveli818 profile image
Makaveli818 in reply torosie321

I hope so and I hope they don't try to tell you it's not cardiac related like they did with me and give you an explanation as to why you still feel tired, I am doing the same, soon as I feel my body is done I go home. I just hope they don't try to lay me off or fire me because my ep says I can do it all. Trying to get a docs note from my pcp to say otherwise. You take care as well. Best wishes.

Makaveli818 profile image
Makaveli818 in reply torosie321

Hey let me know what your so says when you back.

rosie321 profile image
rosie321

I am surprised your Ep says you can do it all....maybe direct him to this site to read the threads!

Makaveli818 profile image
Makaveli818 in reply torosie321

Yes I dont know why they think I can work full time, full duty. They dont feel what we feel. So they don't understand.

giitus profile image
giitus

You need to discuss it with your EP. This symptoms can indicate damage to phrenic nerve. In most cases it should resolve in up to a year. But please insist on investigation.

Makaveli818 profile image
Makaveli818

My pcp is gonna check for sleep apnea, get some blood tests, even check my hormones. Still haven't heard back about the echo and the monitor. But EKG came back normal and my pcp got me to reduce my hours and put me on light duty at least.

Puddychops profile image
Puddychops

I can relate to much of what you are telling us.

I have recently had cryoablation and 7 weeks on still have discomfort in my chest.

I also feel abnormally tired after a 20 minute walk to the point where I coukdn't do it again for 3 days. The fatigue is lifting slowly.

I was 8 months with long arrhythmias every day so muscle function was truly atrophied but little walks seem to have imroved that

I do know that my Ace inhibitor, Perindpril makes me feel sloth like but 11 years ago I took Metroprolol for 5 months and put on 5 stones. I just couldn't function at all.

Nurses will tell you betablockers don't do that.

My Professor told me they can!!!! I KNOW they can!!!!

Some people are very sensitive to betablockers and others don't notice a difference

Arrhythmia nurses and paramedics drive me mad. They really don't know all that much. I once had a shouting match in an ambulance with a know it all paramedic who told me I should be taking my beta blockers . ( I raised a formal complaint about his behaviour) I am no longer allowed to take betablockers they know what they know but they don't have expertise.

My EPs always listen to what I say and take me seriously

This morning I saw the EP for a check up and he said that the chest discomfort was normal after ablation. My ECG was good.

Seeing him in 6 months

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