Meds post ablation

[JoolzC]

Hello all. I had a cryo ablation in Aug 16 and have been symptom free since which is fantastic. My EP told me to stop taking flecanide and rivaoxaban after 3 months as am low risk, but he said for me to carry on with bisoprolol (but at Alf dose) as it was a good all round one to take. What are people's views on this as I don't think I need the bisoprolol?

[pottypete1]

The advice is so varied.

I have had numerous ablations and have never been told to stop the Flecainide.

However I have been told to stop Bisoprolol.

Thing is that Flecainide is for rhythm control and Bisoprolol is for rate control.

The hope is that your own EP knows your specific condition best and therefore unless you have a particular reason to distrust him you should do as you are instructed and discuss at your follow up appointment.

Pete

[Hidden]

As Pete says, it's far safer to follow the advice of your EP than listen to non-medically trained folk who do not know your medical status. In my case, I was told to stop the flecainide after 6 months but to continue with Diltiazem until we were confident that my blood pressure was under control. I assume you are under 65 as you would automatically score 1 on ChadsVasc. If not, I personally, would not stop taking an anticoagulant and I hate taking pills!!! Heart rate after an ablation can be high for several months and that may be the reason why you have been asked to continue with the Bisoporol......

[Solara]

I have been on bisoprolol for about six months now, but on 1.25. Am having too regular episodes still, so am having another monitor fitted on Thursday, to see if there is an alternative. At the moment I can live with it. Very thought of an ablation horrifies me as I know nothing about them and also I am in my eighties. My GP tells me that there is other drugs apart from bisoprolol that could suit me better.

[Japaholic]

I had my first ablation in 2015 aged 45, since then I have had a couple of episodes immediately after the procedure [which I hear is normal] and one 20 minute episode since. After my ablation I was told to continue with NOACs and a small dose of Bisoprolol. My E.P. said that the Bisoprolol will support my hearts function, that the ablation scars the heart tissue, which can increase heart rate, which can increase the chance of relapse. Hence the Bisoprolol maintenance dose. (2.5mg daily).

Before anyone says that’s tosh, I live in Japan and their way is quite different to what the British tend to report.

I am not a physician, but I have and do continue to study all things AF.

That said, with my regimen of drugs and the ablation, I have a life (which I didn’t before the ablation) which I can enjoy to the fullest. I can work, play with my kids, exercise as I like.

So yes, I am content to take 2.5mg of Bisoprolol every day and can easily live with it.

I can report if I don’t take it, which I have on a few occasions due to forgetting, I get more PAC episodes, which my E.P. says is my heart speeding up and skipping beats.

Again, reporting from Japan, on the Japanese way of dealing with AF, which for me has been reasonably successful so far.

[JoolzC]

Thanks Japaholic that’s really interesting. I didn’t realise that the heart can beat quicker and be scarred after the ablation... which is similar to what the other replies said. So I will continue with my 2.5 Bisop each day.

Thanks all 👍

[ijan]

Hello JoulzC

My EP left me with the option of coming off the very small 1.25 dose I had been taking pre ablation. I remained free of AF for 7 years and was advised to stop taking the bisoprolol by my GP.

A couple of months later My heart went into atrial flutter/AFib for 4 days. Fabulous GP on Scottish island did daily ECGs, tried different meds, and consulted my original EP, untill I flipped back in to sinus rythym. Could be a coincidence or maybe the very small dose of bisop was helping.

While I was very active on the bisoprolol I did notice that I felt younger and less tired once I stopped taking it.

Good luck!

Jan