Back In It Again!!

[paulh1]

Well, it has been confirmed I'm back in AFIB again after having an ablation a year and a half ago.. EP says I have 4 options. 1) Amiodrone 2) Tikosyn,3) another ablation,4 Just live with it. Been reading about Amiodrone nad have come to the conclusion it may work for others but I don't like the side effects associated with it. I have been on Tikosyn before and it worked for awhile and gradually stopped being effective. I told my EP this . He mentioned that my heart is different due to the ablation. Don't like the idea of having to go in the hospital for 3 days to start this. The other option is I just live with it. I 'm leaning toward the later option. Unless it really starts to get worse and it changes my quality of life I think I can live with it. Any thoughts???

[azriverrat]

How is the heart different due to the ablation ? I am up to number 5 currently. See if this one works.

[smn100]

I live with mine as didn't want Amiodorone been 7 years now and doesn't stop me doing much. I use the gym I swim I work. The only thing I'm not good at is walking up hills but I get there in the end.

[Pixieplus5 in reply to smn100]

This is so encouraging to here.

[Jonathan_C]

As for azriverrat I would like to know how the heart has changed. I had an ablation in January. I went into afib soon after. I have been cardioverted twice since, the last in April and have been on 200mg slow release flecainide (one capsule a day) since. I have a check up tomorrow and one of the questions i want to ask is whether my afib has changed and what the chances are that 100mg of the same flecainide will keep me in NSR. I will be happy to live like that for the foreseeable future. (Sorry if this comes across as a thread hijack, but perhaps an option for you is flecainide?)

[Barb1]

My heart changed in the fact that firstly it was no.longer enlarged and then the heart failure also improved. Why can you not have another ablation?

[Rellim296]

I feel there's quite a lot to be said for putting up with AF if it doesn't interfere with one's life too much. I've been offered daily flecainide or a fourth ablation and have not gone for either. I don't find the AF I get is too intrusive. I know it does my heart no good though the damage might only be slight. I'm getting no side effects from the medication I don't take.

[Andyt36 in reply to Rellim296]

Rellim are you in permanent AF or does it go back into Sinus by itself?

[Rellim296 in reply to Andyt36]

It has always gone back to sinus spontaneously. It can take a few hours sometimes or just over a day. The AF is more vigorous to start with and then subsides gradually and can turn into tachycardia - i.e. fastish but not irregular. I have flecainide as a pill in the pocket but have only used it once so far this year. I'm getting a bout of AF about every 12 days or so but I don't find it upsets my life much.

[paulh1]

My EP says once they go into the heart and do the scarring it changes the heart. I am assuming it is the electrical configuration. There is nothing keeping me from having another ablation. I did have some complications during recovery when they tried to take the straws out of my legs but the procedure itself went smoothly(from what they tell me ). My AFIB is activated by intensive exercise(Biking, swimming,etc.). I wore a heart monitor for two weeks. Went bike riding and according to the report had AFIB during my ride and didn't even know it. WIll look into Flecinade as someone suggested. I'm just a little bummed out right now. Trying to make a good decision on which path to follow. Thanks for all the suggestions

[azriverrat in reply to paulh1]

" My EP says once they go into the heart and do the scarring it changes the heart. I am assuming it is the electrical configuration. "

Why in my case i got an atypical flutter after afib ablation. An experienced EP works around it. I had afib gone now, fighting the flutter. A touchup ablation is not oncommon.

May be difficult occasionally but then just need a more experienced EP.

[cbsrbpm]

I am in the same situation except have been offered pace and ablate but am not really happy to be pacemaker dependent, so I am trying to live with it. Not easy as I am really symptomatic and this hot weather doesn't help but you do seem to get used to it and gradually over time the anxiety lessens too. If you are not symptomatic I too would go with the living with it option, good luck.

Brenda🐝

[paulh1 in reply to cbsrbpm]

Brenda, he made the same suggestion to me that he could regulate it with a pacemaker. I told him when I bike ,sometimes going up a hill I'll hit 170bpm. He said they could adjust the pacemaker to allow for that. RIGHT!!!! I'm thinking ,if you adjust for that what happens when I'm sitting at home by the computer and my heart hits 165 or more. The pacemaker would think I'm working out and do nothing???. Will use pacemaker as a really last resort.

[Hidden in reply to paulh1]

My pacemaker keeps me ticking at sixty and another setting allows me to go to 125 if breathing rate increases this and pills allow me to exercise six days a week . Couldn't do post open heart surgery and cox maze nor before when in AF. Incidentally pacemaker doesn't cite AF

[Pixieplus5 in reply to cbsrbpm]

I'm just like you very symptomatic and it is getting worse the older I get, very life changing for me and I to have anxiety about my condition but all the meds as well, was on warfarin had a bleed now I'm on Eliquis. I'm 56 years old and living fearful all the time.

[Pixieplus5]

I to have been advised to just live with it, we have been getting a good rate control with long acting dilt and matoparal ,and on Eliquis praying I can have a good quality of life now. I pray for you as well good luck to you.

[cbsrbpm in reply to Pixieplus5]

Glad they have your rate under control, that is the important thing. Unfortunately mine is slow then fast, can't seem to get on an even keel. I am taking slow release diltiazem, Apixaban, furosemide, losartan and omeprozole so quite a lot of drugs. As high rate does not usually go over 120 my EP seemed happy to leave me to try and cope with it, so work in progress. I wish you well and hope you can overcome the anxiety which is not helpful at all.

[Pixieplus5 in reply to cbsrbpm]

Thank you so much for your reply, I'm not sure how well I'd be doing if I didn't have a fabulous cardiac team. I pray you will do well also.