indigestion post ablation

[songbird74]

I finally had my ablation last week and was amazed how easy it all was. Just 2.5 hours under a general anaesthetic and apparently I went into AF as the EP entered the heart and stopped as he ablated the last area. So far no AF just an elevated heart rate which is probably because I am off the beta blockers. Just one thing bothering me - when I drink or eat I get a feeling around the bra strap area as if there is an obstruction and it is uncomfortable to get past it and I am getting more wind coming up than usual. It is not mega sore and if it weren't for reading about the dire consequences of a fistulla in the oesophagus I would ignore it. The booklet I got from the EP suggests this should settle within 7 days and it is only 5 so far but doesn't seem to be improving. Is this a normal side effect and how long does it take to settle down?

[jeanjeannie50]

Hmm, don't think I've heard of anyone with those symptoms. I think you should wait the seven days and then give your AF nurse a call and see what is advised. If you feel you're getting worse rather than better then call immediately. Why worry in silence, these doctors and nurses are there for our use and we and they sometimes forget that.

Best wishes

Jean

[songbird74 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

yes you are right - i guess i just don't want to bother them unnecessarily.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to songbird74]

quite possibly inflammation from the intubation especially if you had TOE?

[rosyG]

do ask your doctor/nurse if worried- just a guess here, you will stimulate the vagus nerve when eating and drinking and that also affects the heart so may just be irritating it???.....

[Hidden]

I was put on protein pump inhibitors for 3 months following my ablation as a precaution as there can be gastric issues , were you not given anything?

[songbird74 in reply to Hidden]

No although I was told I could take Gaviscon if uncomfortable but that makes no difference. Perhaps I need to ring up and check. Thanks for your comment.

[fnurd]

I was put on a protein pump inhibitors for a few weeks post ablation as a precaution. I don't know if you had a TOE (Transoesophageal Echocardiogram), if so that can make the tubes a bit sore for a few days.

[tinhouse]

I was put on Prilosec 40 mg for three months afterwards also because they said they can get pretty close to the esophagus when they do the ablation and it can become irritated. I think that is a pretty normal occurrence.

[millie-becca-187]

I got indigestion and chronic heartburn about 3 weeks after 2nd ablation, wasn't given a PPI post ablation as some people are. Anyway to cut a long story short I was referred by my GP for an endoscopy. I was found to have a sliding hernia in my osophegus and an ulcer which was caused by the hernia. Put on PPI (omeprazole) for 2 months and had to go back for another endoscopy. This showed the ulcer had healed but I'll always have the hernia. I was told that I'll be taking the PPI for the rest of my life, if not my symptoms will return. The hernia was diagnosed post ablation. Not sure if this was the cause though or just coincidental.

[songbird74 in reply to millie-becca-187]

thanks - sounds nasty and of course you will never know if it was caused or coincidence. I have now been to the GP and he has given me Omeprazole so we shall see..

[C66t in reply to millie-becca-187]

Hi Millie-Becca, I was put on 80mg nexium post ablation and still had pain when I took a deep breath (10 days later) it turned out I had inflamation of my heart and lung and the cardiologist put me on strong anti inflam meds which sorted it. This has made me q how the ep put it down to acid reflux, and Im v anxious re 2nd ablation by the same ep. I question everything now that cardiologist says. Best of luck

[songbird74 in reply to C66t]

thanks for this. Mine definitley seems to be related to the oesophagus as I only get the pain when I eat or drink. Have now had a scan which shows it is OK so just a matter of time I think. Everyone seems to react differently so good luck with 2nd ablation - looks like I may be heading that way too as my heart has started racing again.

[Sam72-]

Hi songbird74 , yes I had my ablation August last year and strait after I could not swallow a lot of food as soon as it hit my tummy it hurt and I could only imagine what a gastric band must feel like , I was bringing up terrible wind and stuck to soups and not very filling foods the first week then moved on to mash potatoes but only ate very small portions. It took around 3 weeks for mine to settle down and I never suffered with indigestion but did afterwards. I drank boiled water and still do every day and I drink a lot of water throughout the day , I wasn’t given Anything after my procedure for my tummy Just told to take gav that I hate the taste of 😬🤢 . It did get easier after week 3 but if you have any concerns don’t hesitate to call your nurse and get some feedback from them. Good luck and I hope you have a great outcome from your procedure .

Best wishes

Sam 💖

[songbird74 in reply to Sam72-]

Thanks so much for this

It makes me feel much better to know that I am not imagining it- sounds like yours was worse than mine as I am still managing to eat but it is just uncomfortable

I have had a cat scan and the œsophagus is not leaking so I will persevere now and hope after 3 eeeks all is well

[Sam72- in reply to songbird74]

Aww that’s good news about you 👍🏼 I had a bit done on the day as they found 2 other things that wasn’t picked up before the procedure 😬 so I ended up having both a freeze and burn, probably why I was so sore . But good luck and hopefully your recovery is good and you have a great outcome ❤️