I have noted with interest occurrences of migraine aura amongst our group immediately following radiofrequency ablation. I had 5 episodes of a transient nature the next day, a couple more the first week then at intervals every couple of weeks, and finally a break of 2 months. Its now nearly 6 months since the ablation. I believe there is a theory it's a result of the transseptal puncture during the ablation procedure. However I thought the latter should be healed by now, so was dismayed at its return recently. Did anyone else experience the same time pattern and will it disappear eventually? I must add that i rarely have an accompanying headache, but have occasional headache without aura. Look forward to hearing from members. I understand the condition is also known as scintillating scotoma with zig zag flashing shapes which prevent you from pursuing any activity such as reading, driving etc. I just sit still and wait for it to pass and it generally does within 30 minutes.
Migraine aura post ablation - Atrial Fibrillati...
Migraine aura post ablation
My auras continued for a long time but I used to get them occasionally before the ablation so maybe that is why they were worse?
Thanks Buffalo, only spotted your post now. As I mentioned below they are new since ablation so am pursuing the link to ablation procedure first. Hope I won't be kept on medication because.of them. That's my main concern, was hoping they would dissapear as has been suggested in some of the literature on the subject.
Sorry Buffafly re spelling , predictive text problem!
I’m not medically trained, but wonder if you be suffering from migraine which is unrelated to AF. There is a tendency for us to relate health issues to AF, sometimes forgetting that there is every chance they are unrelated. Just a thought....hope it settles soon
While it can be normal to get some headaches in the immediate post ablation period I would not think there is a strong link between the migraines now 6 most later and your ablation or AF. Scintillating scotoma can be very frustrating to deal with and I would make an appointment with a neurologist to get the migraines evaluated at this point. It's definitely making an impact on your life and there could well be a medication or treatment to put an end to these episodes. Be well!
I didn't have migraine or the aura prior to ablation and it came in immediately afterthe ablation so I still think it may be linked. The suggestion re neurologist crossed my mind but chose not to act on it yet as i had only one episode in November and only one recently, so am inclined to link it to the transeptal opening, and am hoping someone who has more or less proved this to be the case would reply to the post. Thanks for both contributions so far.
I had just one incidence of aura, tbe day after. Nothing in the three months since.
I still have auras and it's been over a year but I to had them before
I had migraines before my cryoablation. They were characterised by curved, flashing zigzag patterns followed by headaches of varying intensity. I still get these periodically.
The migraines I got post ablation were flashing but comprising of strange coloured shapes with no headaches as such. These lasted about 2 months and got less frequent.
Definitely two different processes in my humble opinion.
I had migraines before my cryoablation. They were characterised by curved, flashing zigzag patterns followed by headaches of varying intensity. I still get these periodically.
The migraines I got post ablation were flashing but comprising of strange coloured shapes with no headaches as such. These lasted about 2 months and got less frequent.
Definitely two different processes in my humble opinion.
I have had three ablations over two years, the last one being January 2015. I had never had an aura migraine before but they were fairly frequent after my ablations and continued into late 2016. They were more annoying than disabling, just having to sit and wait for it to pass, usually about 15 to 30 minutes. I've not taken any heart meds since my first ablation, only had Flecanide as a PIP and I am to young for anticoagulant. Hopefully they have gone away for good now.
Since diagnosis (after a TIA with 'flashing lights' in both eyes), I have had zig-zag flashes just once (no ablation). I went immediately to A & E, fearing another TIA, who did tests and then told me that 'people who get migraines shouldn't spend hours in front of computer screens'. I pointed out that I'd never had a migraine before! I did drink plenty of water at the time, and it had gone in half an hour. . .
A & E clearly didn't consider it serious. So I took the lesson: sit calmly and drink plenty of water in case dehydration is contributing to it, and only go to A & E if it persists beyond about 30 mins . . . Hope this story may help in some way!
I had cryoablation four months ago and experienced severe visual disturbances a few hours afterwards, so much so that I was checked by medics for stroke. I was clear of stroke but went on to have daily migraine aura without headache for a couple of weeks. Have been fine ever since (and no AF either!). Hope yours clears up soon.
I had my first ablation yesterday and had a horrible migraine aura last night- couldn’t see much at all. Luckily that and the headache seem to be gone today.
Thank you for bringing this up. I had a few episodes of kaleidoscope aura prior to my ablation, and 2 episodes post ablation. All academic research points to a tia or stroke, which has terrified me.
Reading your post, I realise I am not alone in these symptoms, and that they seem to be quite common post ablation.
I am seeing my gp next week, so will discuss then
I'm very confused because I have always had these "auras" which are usually gone after a couple of Paracetamol. Should I mention them to the HF nurse?
Hi Paddygal,
I notice you have replied to a post issued by me over a year ago. Firstly, I am very pleased that the auras have miraculously disappeared. They ceased abruptly when I stopped the anticoagulant and all medication, as the ablation was a success. I continued on the anticoagulant some time after the other meds, and once I stopped Apixaban the frequent mild headaches which I experienced separately from the auras also stopped. I may be the first person to make this claim , but I strongly suspect that the anticoagulant may be the cause. There is also a theory about transseptal puncture, so I may never know the real source of this phenomenon, but dress the idea of having to go back on anticoagulants. I read recently that thromboembolic events accompany auras, so I may have to reconsider anticoagulation, but am optimistic that I can buy some more time as have never felt so well! If its any consolation, the possibilty of stroke was never mentioned, I guess anyone who suffers A Fib is more susceptible to stroke at any rate. I noted you intend to speak to your GP. In my experience general practitioners know little about the side effects of AFib, a cardiologist or better still an electrophysiologist would ensure a satisfactory outcome. Best of luck with that and don't worry. I would be interested to read the article relating to stroke and auras if you could post the source. Thanks!
Afib and migraine aura without headache
Migraine aura after ablation. Why?
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