Waiting for a date for ablation, but had 2nd CV 2 weeks ago and feeling good again

[Sean_C]

This is my first post, but I have been avidly reading posts from the other members and find the message overwhelmingly positive and supportive, so thank you all.

I have been a runner, cyclist, martial artist, you name it really, and have been very active for most of my adult life, which, according to Dr Gallagher (St Peters) is a common cause of AF. Also my Dad had AF and had a major stroke about 20 years ago, at 55yrs, and was never really the same again. I am 54 and determined not to go through the same thing.

My persistent AF started, I think, during the Birmingham Half Marathon, in October 2016. I finished the run but felt dreadful and had no strength in the last few miles. I still didn't know I was in AF and carried on running, but couldn't understand why my time per km was a minute and a half slower than normal, and I was really struggling. Luckily I had booked a medical check by one of these private medical companies, Bluecrest, and they called me two days later (their usual turnaround time is 21 days for the report, but they clearly felt this was important for me to know) and told me to go see my GP straight away. He did an ECG and confirmed the AF. I eventually got in to see the Arrythmia folks at St Peters (Chertsey) who did yet another ECG and an Echo which revealed that my Ejection Fraction was only about 37%. I guess that explains feeling flat in runs. I was put on Warfarin (later changed to Rivaroxaban), Bisprolol and Ramipril and carried on struggling through my runs.

I finally had a CV in September last year, and after a week or so started feeling like the 6million dollar man. I could run at the same pace as before, and was really enjoying it, to the extent that I refused an ablation when it was recommended. I always disliked the whole idea of the burning/freezing of a heart chamber.

Perhaps inevitably, the AF came back in January this year, I suspect because of a particularly hard training session around the time I had been drinking more alcohol than normal. Suddenly I wished I'd had the ablation bcause I had to start all over again. This time I agreed to have the ablation, but it's been 3 months now and I still haven't been given a date. In the interim they scheduled me for CV number two, which I had about 3 weeks ago, and again I am feeling good and running comfortably. This time however I am wearing a HRM for every session, be it running or cycling, and if my heart rate gets to 152 (about 75% of my max) my watch beeps at me and I back off. I have also cut way down on the beer and wine, and hopefully this will prolong my being in sinus until the ablation.

This has become something of an epic so I'll sign off by saying thank you to all of you posting of your experiences... it really is great to read about others going through the same things, it's very hard to explain the effects of AF to folks who've vener experienced it.

regards

[Hidden]

Thanks for that interesting tale, Sean. Yes, our hearts can turn tetchy if we ask them to put up with too much in certain directions and the good thing about AF is that it does encourage us into ways of healthy living.

You might dislike the idea of burning or freezing but consider also what too much AF will be doing in the long run, enlarging the atrium and rendering what once made you proud of your fitness into an increasingly flopsy parody of its former self.

Surely the time to say actually I'm fine, thanks, is when you have reached the top of the ablation list and are invited to attend? It is really helpful when AF steps in and makes you absolutely certain you want to escape from its clutches rather than letting you feel lulled into a sense of security which is most probably going to be shattered.

[Sean_C in reply to Hidden]

Hi and thank you. You have very elegantly described my dilemma. Last time I refused the ablation and a month later my AF was back. Doh! Then I waited nearly 4 months for the CV and still don;t have a date for the ablation. My wife and the docs all think I should do the ablation, and having read many mixed stories on this forum, thankfully the majority seem to be positive reports of how the ablation has improved lives.

Thank you for raising those excellent points.

[Hidden in reply to Sean_C]

I don't care to think where I would be had I not opted for ablation. Permanent AF would, I think, have set in long ago. My only regret is letting things slide whilst taking flecainide. Although I have occasional AF, I currently don't take anything except an anticoagulant and medication for blood pressure control.

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Sean and welcome to our world. Many of us here have AF due to genetic factors rather than self induced like yours but it really is a mongrel condition. Obviously if I said stop running you would baulk at the idea so I won't but many people do find that reviewing their life choices enables them to reduced their AF burden. Those who are obese and reduced their BMI to less than 25 as well as those who over exercise , those who stop abusing alcohol, those who reduced life stress etc all seem to benefit.

My AF which was diagnose some 14 years ago needed three ablations to sort out but I have been AF free these last ten years although I do watch what I eat and drink these days. In my case I suspect that the stress of holding down a full time job as well as running a busy and successful motor racing team was the root cause. Result? I took early retirement from the full time job! lol.

[Aprilbday in reply to BobD]

Bob that was a great decision!! And sounds like so much more fun.

Question for you: since you haven’t had AF for 14 years do you still take anticoagulants?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Aprilbday]

Yes indeed. but it is actually ten years. .It was 14 since I was diagnosed. I do still occasionally have other less troublesome arrhythmias and like the way my brain is working thanks so really do not want to risk a stroke. There is actually little evidence to suggest that successful ablation removes stroke risk and since I am generally better than 85% in range with my INR consider warfarin to be my second best friend. (OH is first of course).

[Sean_C in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob, thank you. I have also committed to being more disciplined regarding eating and drinking, something that is helped immensely by continuing to run or cycle. Great choice to give up the job and keep the motor racing . What form of racing team do you manage? A motor sport fan myself.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Sean_C]

Ran Alfa in BTCC 79 to 88. Now have two sons . one rallies one drifts so we have seven cars on site here excluding any visiting comp cars. Two Skylines plus Fiesta Rally car plus four dailies. I'm retired more now but still build race engines and spent yesterday on the dyno with a Coventry Climax from a Lotus X1. Another arriving soon after overheating at Donnington last weekend. Great to be popular and never bored.

[Hidden]

An interesting post Sean and you are in good hands, Dr Gallagher has a good reputation and he spoke at our recent support group meeting in Epsom Hospital. As Rellim says, we need to listen to our body. Although I understand to a degree, why people are reluctant to slow down or stop doing what they enjoy, it is a bit surprising that some are prepared to risk their long term health by continuing to do the things that likely caused the AF in the first place. However, that’s a personal view which others may not share. CV’s will not cure AF, neither will an ablation. We receive a considerable number of posts from “extreme” sports folk who have gone through the ablation procedure saying how quickly they plan to return to the very activity which probably made them unwell in the first place. Most are younger than your good self, but unfortunately, we hear often that the condition has returned. Sorry to pontificate, but we are here to help. Hope you remain in sinus and that your ablation is successful.......

[Sean_C in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Flapjack (cool name ) .. I know it probably sounds stupid and irresponsible to continue doing the things that, as you say, likely caused the problem in the first place, and as you can imagine, I hear it all the time, especially from my Mum who would like me to just sit on the sofa and have tea and bacon sarnies.

I find it hard to explain but after having (mainly) run and cycled for nearly 30 years it becomes a fixture (some would say addiction) in your life and I get cranky and stressed if I go too long without a 'fix'. As I say though, I have now made significant changes to my methods, for instance, not having the Strava voice in my ear telling me my time splits at every kilometre and trying to keep up to my target pace irrespective of how I'm feeling.

[Polski]

You will probably enjoy reading 'The Haywire Heart' by Dr John Mandrola. He is an EP, a cyclist, and has had issues with AF, so writes with considerable understanding, especially about exercise and AF. It should tell you all you need to know about AF and - exercising!

See the next post for details of his website!!!

[Sean_C in reply to Polski]

Thank you. I have ordered the book. As I am an Amazon Prime customer it will arrive tomorrow

[johnMiosh]

Hi Sean, you remind me of me. I am a cycling obsessive with many years of excessive exercise, but I am also partial to a pint.

I developed PAF in 2014, but it was not diagnosed until it became persistent in Feb 2016. i was prescribed Bisoprolol and Rivaroxaban, which controlled the racing heart, but which also made the symptoms relating to breathlessness and energy levels much worse. A CV helped considerably, but only lasted 2 weeks. I had two ablations last year, which seems to have brought me almost back to normal (apart from the occasional blip). I curtailed the exercise significantly to avoid compromising the treatment and I have an appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow for my 6 month post op review.

I can also recommend Mandrola's the Haywire Heart and a couple of blogs.

afibrunner.com/

afibandcycling.wordpress.com/ (This one is me) edited, original link did not work.

[Sean_C in reply to johnMiosh]

Thanks John, yes we do sound very alike in outlook and approach

I have already been reading the afibrunner (you can imagine what my Google search was) but will subscribe and read yours with interest. I have also ordered the book.

All the best for post-op review, I hope you hear nothing but good news. Please let us know.

[Sean_C in reply to johnMiosh]

Hi John, your blog doesn't come up when I click the link. The wordp[ress site opens and the frame is there with the Wordpress logo, but there is no content section. I tried it with both Firefox and Edge.

[johnMiosh in reply to Sean_C]

afibandcycling.wordpress.com

This one should work. I originally copied from my edit page

[Sean_C in reply to johnMiosh]

Yes it does. Thanks. Will read today.

[Sean_C]

Thank you for all your comments, and particularly the recommendations for the Haywire Heart. I had never heard of it, but having just read the synopsis on Amazon (I wish I had read the book 20 years ago, before deciding to do the Iron Man) and have ordered it.

I have made significant changes to my approach to exercise since this 2nd CV and do nothing without my HRM. I have also cut way down on the alcohol. Two drink max now.

I know it's a case of locking the door after the horse has bolted, but hopefully I can prevent further damage. It may sound daft to some of you, but after discussing it seperately with Drs Gallagher and Chen, they are happy for me to continue with sport because of the other benefits, just be sensible and no more sprinting for the finish line with a HR of 207. Time to grow up (finally) and rein in the competitve instincts.