Had successful cardiac cryablation 10/16/17 after two years paroxymal A-fib and several months on Multaq which helped but left me feeling weak with poor exertion recovery. Doc told me to keep taking Multaq for two more months until follow up visit. Is this common? Drug has unpleasant side-effects and i'd like to discontinue, but only if it is safe and already found efficacious. What's your experience and how's it going. Alternatives successfully used?
Lee
Most EPs wish your heart to heal from a position of calm induced by the anti-arrhythmic drugs. Please don't stop taking them. It will take at least three if not six months for the heart to fully heal and you don't want it fighting to go back into AF as it does so. Surely this was explained?
Huh. He didn't explain it. Does not seem big on that although he did tell me that i could go back to the gym in a couple of weeks, knowing that i work out pretty intensely. If he had explained/justified it, i wouldn't be asking. Some sites are saying that with cryo, it's a lot quicker than that. What makes you think not. Can you point at any specific info. Thanks for your help and interest
If you read people's stories about their ablation on this site, including cryo ablation you will see Bob is correct- years of experience - and why risk your recovery for the sake of 8 more weeks meds?
Please read my original message again, carefully. I DID NOT say I was going to just impulsively stop Multaq. I AM NOT. Nothing i said even came close suggesting that i am. I was merely looking for information. Doctors sincerely and honestly differ about such stuff and i've already come across one, Wilbur Su, who's extensive UTube demonstration of an actual cryoablation ends with the comment that the patient was immediately taken off the the antiarrhythmic WITHOUT negative consequence. So apparently, there is some honest difference of medical opinion about which you are not aware. I'll continue to look. Please do not bother to reply. I won't be checking her again.
Whether cryo or RF the scars take time to form. Cryo is a lot easier and faster for the operator and if you are lucky enough to have four perfectly formed PVs of equal size then it can be a very successful process. It creates the scars with intense cold (liquid nitrous oxide) but those scars still need to establish in order to form a barrier to the rogue impulses. Try reading AF Association Ablation booklet available on the website.
You were asking for advice.....that's what we were giving. What you do is , of course, up to you.We all agree to differ on here so it's not necessary to answer in the way you did. I hope your recovery continues well.
Of course everyone's situation is very different. I found Multaq did nothing for me and only took it for a few months. Then I had an ablation and started taking Tikosyn and have not had any fibrillation since - almost a year.
I had my 2nd ablation in august and had my 3 month check up last week. I had weaned myself off one of my bisoprolol and reduced my fle ainide from 3 morning and night to 2 each time. Therefore I was surprised when he said he would like me to keep on the drugs. He admitted that there was divided opinion about this and if I preferred I could come off them and use flecainide as a pill in the pocket. However I have decided to keep on as I am. To have no AF is brilliant so why risk it. However I am ot experiencing any side effects
5 months post Cryoablation
multaq
Multaq
From Metoprolol to Multaq...
Post Cryoablation 
