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Worried after ablation
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What is that you are particularly worried about Phylis2005 ? Lots of people here have had ablations and I'm sure they will be able to offer support. (I haven't had an ablation myself)
I had the ablation a week and a half ago. I went back to work yesterday. I am 74 in an office of thirty year olds and I love my job but I keep getting a little short of breath and nauseous!
As I said, I've never had an ablation so can't offer anything from my own experience but it does seem to me that - going by what other people here who have had an ablation have said - returning to work after only 10 days is not giving yourself sufficient time to recover properly from the procedure particularly in view of the fact that you are 74 and the body doesn't 'bounce back' quite as quickly as it once did.
[Like me, I'm sure that in your head you're only 25 and working with 30-somethings no doubt helps you to stay young at heart]
Thank you, CaroleF. I really appreciate knowing that someone out there has heard my concern!
With any luck someone who knows what they're talking about will reply before too long! It's late here in the UK (I'm a night owl) but I'm sure you'll get helpful replies in the morning. This is such a great community of supportive people who understand how scary and lonely things can be at times.
Have you thought of contacting the person who did your ablation to report what you are experiencing? They should be able to offer reassurance and advice too.
It gets better or did for me I was anxious and head lots of activity in heart but it settled down. What meds are you on? That could also be issue.
Xarelto, 81mg aspirin, ramipril and cardizem
Xarelto always made me feel horrible hated that drug. Aspririn can cause stomach upset. Not sure about other drugs, but somebody on here will know.
More common:
Blurred vision
confusion
dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
sweating
unusual tiredness or weakness
Less common:
Arm, back, or jaw pain
chest pain or discomfort
chest tightness or heaviness
chills
cloudy urine
cold sweats
decrease in urine output or decrease in urine-concentrating ability
fainting
fast or irregular heartbeat
nausea
shortness of breath
From my personal point of view after I had my ablations I needed quite a few weeks to allow recovery to start to work. It may be that you have returned to work too soon and your heart is telling you to give it a bit more time to recover. I am also 74 and having had 3 ablations in 2015 it knocked me for 6! Of course we are all different but don't be too hard on yourself.
Best wishes for your recovery
Carole
Really appreciate that you reached out to me. I am hard of myself normally so I guess I have to calm down a bit!!
Hi Phylis, it's now morning in Yorkshire and it's a glorious day - partly due to the weather but mainly because, like you, I'm AF free. I had my first and (so far!) only ablation almost two years ago. What you are feeling is perfectly normal in the weeks following the procedure but.... it will pass. Then, hopefully it's onwards and upwards, free forever of the horrible condition that gives this forum its name. Good luck.
I have had 6 ablations (I am the exception not the rule) and understand that you will be very aware of your heart at this stage after your ablation.
It is very common to have lots of different feelings in the first few weeks after the procedure.
The nausea is most probably caused by ectopic beats (missed and/or extra heart beats).
Give it time, you should really be still taking it easy, it can take some time to settle.
Pete
I am amazed that you are already back at work. Good for you.
I had my ablation at 67 and was fit for nothing in the first few weeks following. Even the smallest amount of activity left me so tired. Your heart will take months for the scarring to heal and thus prevent those nasty rogue impulses from doing their worst. You may have many peculiar sensations during this time which are all normal - thumps and bumps, indigestion and migraine to name but a few.
Take it easy now and your heart won't complain as much - remember it has taken a real bashing.
Best wishes and I hope all goes well, I am sure it will
Angela
Hi Phylis. I've had three ablations and agree with what others on this forum have said. I've felt differently after each of mine, the first two were under sedation only and the third a general anaesthetic and I recovered far better after that one. After my first I went back to work after 3 weeks (still didn't feel right) and with the second I felt ill for about two months. After my third, despite it taking around 5 hours, I felt fine almost immediately and had hardly any bruising in my groin.
How we feel afterwards probably depends on whether both sides of the heart were ablated and how much was needed, how easily the catheter was inserted, who did the procedure and how efficient our bodies are at healing afterwards. How you are feeling right now sounds quite normal, but you may have gone back to work a little too early. Could you perhaps take another week or two off?
If, as time passes, you feel that you are not getting any better I would contact your consultants secretary and ask her if she has the telephone number of an AF nurse you can talk to.
Hope you are soon feeling a lot better.
Jean
Thank you, Jean. I guess when they said you can resume your normal activities, I took that to mean I could go back to work! Your input is very helpful!!
Before I had my first ablation I read up online how other people were back cycling and climbing mountains within a few days of their ablation. These were things that I loved to do, so it came as a shock to me to experience the reality of weeks of feeling so drained! Since joining this forum a few years ago I've come to realise that feeling full of life and energy afterwards is for the lucky few and not for most people.
Hope you soon feel better.
Jean
Hi Phyllis I have had 2 ablations and both left me with symptoms the worst of which gradually disappeared after 3-4 weeks. Breathless is normal, as is some irregular heart beats for the 12 week 'blanking' period whilst scar tissue forms.
I would suggest that the nausea is from the TOE which left me with a sore throat and a dry cough for weeks, but I was told I did have a problem with oesophagus spasms.
I went back to work after 10 days, but only part-time and as I was self employed I could work from home and choose my timing. If I had to work in an office I wouldn't have attempted to return for at least 2-3 weeks.
It is a brilliant procedure but doctors don't tell you the after effects and tend to minimize how fatigued you will feel for quite some time. It was about 6-8 months before I could truly say I was symptom free.
Did you had any conplications during the ep study and ablation? Is it considered a routine procedure? Inam going to have too so I a little bit worried about the risk factors.
Hi Meliboo - it is considered a fairly routine procedure these days but recent advice says do your research and go to a Centre of Excellence where they will have up to date and very well trained EPs who will have done thousands of ablations rather than a cardiologist who may do half a dozen a year and for whom it may not be quite so routine.
The technology has moved so quickly that you really want someone who trained and qualified fairly recently rather than an 'old' hand - in my opinion. Look to major regional centers rather than local hospitals.
Search the AFA website for information and advice. Serious commplications are rare - I had a few fairly minor ones which were easily and quickly resolved - after all you couldn't be in a better place than a Cath lab if anything goes wrong with your heart!
It really is quite amazing what can be done - mine were both under local anaesthsia and sedation so no GA to recover from, which for older people can take a while and impede recovery.
I experienced very little pain, took about 4 parade in total the day after and as Bob often says easier than having a tooth extraction.
Best wishes CD
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Just because you do not have a giant zip up your front does not mean that your heart and body hasn't had a serious, beating. Many might say you are quite mad to go back to work so soon. I was told do nothing for the first week and not a lot more for the second and then ease back into life slowly.
Seriously it takes at least three if not six months for the heart to heal, the scar tissue to form and the AF to be fully stopped and there will be some blips along the way. Please take it easy and slow down and listen to your body. It knows best.
Doctors seldom tell you how to recover and never tell you what to expect.
Bob
Hi Phylis,
Very boring but I can only repeat the excellent advice already given. I had an ablation a year last November. The procedure went fine but I felt generally knocked about for several weeks and had to take things very easily. I was told I could come off heart rate control tablets the following March and followed this advice but irregular heart rhythms reappeared almost immediately. My doctor advised me to go back on Sotalol while further tests were conducted. These suggested everything was ok so in May 2016 I again came off Sotalol and since then have been symptom free. Please take things at a slower pace, be patient and I'm sure things will improve. I wish you every success.