Constant eptopics after ablation

[greg35]

Hi I hope someone can give me some advice, had an ablation Feb this year was stopped as I was in so much discomfort even with sedation, had another ablation under a general last week I have had eptopics since I was 19 but last April they came back with a vengence and wouldnt go away. I am seeing an EP now but my cardiologist was not recommending ablation and I decided I could not live like this any longer couldnt climb stairs or walk any distance with out pain and getting out of breath. Since my ablation for a few days had ectopics but knew the score it may take a few weeks to settle, but for last 3 days eptopics now every 4th beat even while lying down Im now feeling weak and dizzy had the aura migranes also I am on 240 Verapamil but making no difference! Can anyone give me advice spoke to my EP but doesnt seem concerned he said it will take time I feel depressed and think I may end up with a stroke or heart attack.

[BobD Volunteer]

Very unlikely greg35. I was told by a leading EP that ectopics were a good sign in that it shows the heart was trying to go into AF but failing.

Since you only had the ablation last week it is far too early to worry about the future. It may take three to six months for everything to settle down and the heart to fully heal. Listen to your body and rest. Make sure that you stay well hydrated and eat little and often rather than any large meals. Practise the slow deep breathing exercises we talk about so much. Breath from your diaphragm not your shoulders and slow it right down to less than six breaths a minute for at least five minutes, Works a treat for lots of us. Above all stop worrying. In six months if it were not better then is the time but not now.

Bob

love the décor by the way.

[greg35 in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob thankyou for your speedy reply I am really anxious and appreciate the feedback I know this is early days but I feel things are heading in the wrong direction as before ablation when I lay down the eptopics mostly went away! Just ordered an Alivecor so I can keep my EP posted I just need to stop obsessing! I am new to this site I and posted last week but obviously was lost in cyberspace! IT skills may need updating! glad I finally got through as I feel I have a friend in the wee hours of the morning when its impossible to sleep and thoughts are often negative! Just would love to get back to work and some kind of normality to my life. Many thanks, Ingrid.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to greg35]

No Problem Ingrid. Since we are in England your night is our morning. I always check in first thing before I start my day so quite useful for those in other time zones.

Stay well

Bob

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Ingrid, please don't start feeling stressed at this early stage as it's far too soon to be worrying that your ablation hasn't worked. Like Bob says you need to wait 3-6 months for your heart to heal for you to really feel the benefit. In the first few months you can have all sorts of strange heartbeats.

With regards to feeling weak and dizzy, well the weakness is normal at this stage but if your dizziness is anything other than minor, then I would have a word with your GP to reassure yourself that all is well. You are not going to feel full of life and energy right now and need to rest or it will make you feel unwell.

When I was waiting for my first ablation I searched online for others experiences of how I would feel afterwards and from what I read thought I was going to be back to my normal self almost immediately. I have a vague recollection of asking my consultant how long it would be before I could climb mountains and he said a few days. A few people can do things like that soon after an ablation, but the majority of us have to wait for weeks or months.

Wishing you well.

Jean

[greg35 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean I know I am impatient and I think as I have been housebound for all most 1 year I just expected to bounce back with all my old vigor and determination, but my heart thinks otherwise! Just have to wait until my heart recovers and settle my racing mind! Glad these posts keep me from having panic attacks when Im feeling low.

Many thanks

Ingrid

[Hidden]

I had my ablation 5 weeks ago , everything felt fine for the first 9 days, then out of nowhere I had ectopics all the time every day for a week. Then it stopped just as quickly as it started.

I get the occasional run now and again, but only for a few seconds and between 0 and 3 times a day.

I hope yours go away soon

[greg35 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Mike thanks for the reply I think I may try and come off the Verapamil maybe that is adding to the problem, I just obsess over what brought them on something I ate, drank, too much exertion whatever, and of course no real answers! Thank goodness I can post on this site as I think I have exhausted my friends and family's sympathy! I supposed I will just have to bite the bullet for a few more weeks, still waiting for my Alivecor to arrive my consultant advised me to get one as I wilm be able to update him on my progress. Mike was your ablation for ectopics most people on this site have AF which I dont have.

Many thanks

Ingrid

[Hidden in reply to greg35]

My ablation was for Afib and Aflutter but the EP did say he saw ectopics coming from the bottom chambers but he didn't do anything about them.

Mine came on on the Sunday afternoon , sitting in the garden with friends, no stress, no food or drink to trigger them. THey just started.

I'm on Bisoprolol for at least the next 2 months until I have my review. I hate it, it makes me tired and lethargic and breathless and.......

But I'm being a good boy and will take them at least over the blanking period, I'm going to give myself the best chance of success I can

[Nanfranz]

Ingrid -- I'm new here and appreciate all the input from so many. Yours jumped out at me because you also mention having aura migraines, in addition to the ectopics. Are you saying that the migraine auras are connected in some way to afib? My paroxysmal afib seems to becoming more persistent and at the same time I've been getting almost daily migraine auras (of the ocular variety -- zigzag lines and lights obscuring most of vision, sometimes followed by a mild headache (but nothing like the severe migraine pain I got when younger, and which stopped about 20 years ago). Until I read your post I hadn't made a connection between the ocular things and the afib, but now I'm wondering.

[greg35 in reply to Nanfranz]

Hi Nan yes I ended up going to GP I have had the aura migraine every day, since my ablation, yesterday went to bed with curtains drawn as light seems to make it worse I googled it and apparently this is norma after an ablationl! but I have only ever had 4 episodes in my life last one was 8 years ago! I also read that with these type of headaches you can have a 20%raised chance of stroke/heart attack so GP suggested staying on aspirin for life! Did you have an ablation? because they go through the septum it can cause this, which happened to me a couple of hours after the ablation. I have had it almost daily for 9 days, I dont have AF but have thousands of ectopics which I have been told will get better! I would google and also see your GP just to put your mind at rest, I felt worried at this new development and I am sure you feel likewise, hope you feel better soon.

Regards

Ingrid

[Nanfranz]

Hi again, Ingrid. Thanks so much for your very prompt reply! That's very interesting about the cause of your migraine auras! I haven't had an ablation yet, but having spent the past year on Flecainide and Metoprolol for the afib, plus xarelto for blood thinning, I'm tired of feeling "blugh" from side effects all the time and have been wondering if ablation would correct the arrhymia and allow me to get off the meds. Will see my cardiologist next month and have been planning to ask him about ablation. I guess I've been naive in thinking that ablation would enable me to get off the meds. Having read many of these helpful postings on HealthUnlocked I now realize that it's not that simple. It's wonderful to find this website! Thanks for your kind wishes. I send the same to you!

[greg35 in reply to Nanfranz]

Hi Nan I dont know much about Afib but most people on this site recommend seeing an Electrophyisiologist as they deal with the electrics of the heart I had seen a cardiologist for 30 plus years and only when encouraged by sites like this to see an EP did I get further investigations,

. and some kind of a solution to the problem, I am still recovering so have to be patient with my ever skipping heart! Hope you keep well.

Regards

Ingrid