Confused about the aflutter

[SK031252]

Hi. I really find this forum helpful. I had my first bout of afib in 2008. I had my first ablation then also. Still afib off and on. Short episodes. Then I would go along time with out. Had a bad episode during sleep in 2012 that resulted in a tia. Just was out of it for the 6 hours I was in afib. When the afib went away I was lucid. No residuals. After 5 years afib came back and only got worse. The first ep that did the procedure was in Vanderbilt Heart hospital in TN. He was no longer there. He had told me he wouldn’t do the procedure on me again. Don’t really know why. Found a dr with my cardiologist grou that did the procedure. First one in March of 17 and again in May of 18. Thought if was a success but now I have been in aflutter since aug non stop. They took me off the arythmia meds and increased the Toprol to control the rate. My rate is from 65 bpm -100 fluttering around. If I get around much it gets up to 128-137 and who knows how high but reduces quickly to 100 and usually less resting. Sometimes I get all of a sudden hit with extreme fatigue. Going back for apt in Feb. Pace and ablate is still being considered. Just don’t understand why I am in perm flutter. Sorry for being so long. Any feedback I would love. Thank you. Sandy

[BobD Volunteer]

Flutter and AF are completely differnt animals Sandy. Flutter stems from the right atrium and is a regular fast beat which shows as a saw tooth line on the ECG (EKG for you colonials lol) . If you do have flutter (there are other fast arrhythmias) then is should be easily ablated as acess to the right atrium is far easir than the left which requires a transeptal puncture with allied risks.

Perssonally I would avoid Pace and ablate for as long as possible as it will not stop AF, but merely remove the worst of the symptoms and is rather final. Good luck and do discuss with your medical team verty carefully.

[SK031252 in reply to BobD]

What ever I have he didn’t sound very optimistic about another ablation. He states he did several while he was in there last time. They induced as much as possible and my atrium is enlarged. He said he would try but....I don’t know where to go from here. I guess I have to put my self in God’s hands. I have been dealing with tachycardia since my twenty’s. Then plagued with pvcs or whatever for years after my 40s. Showed slight mvp with regurgitation then afib. Thank you so much for your input

[Hidden]

Both early and late atrial flutter are fairly common complications of ablation for atrial fibrillation, particularly with the more aggressive interventions being done 5+ years back. Flutter in this situation often arises from the left atrium and can be difficult to manage with further ablation. This is my situation and so far a beta blocker is keeping a lid on it.

[SK031252 in reply to Hidden]

Sounds like mine also. The ablation I had in 2017 I had some atrial flutter and was put in the hospital on Amiorderone and diltiazem for three days and went home in afib. Then since not much changed, afib, aflutter and terrible etoptics. Back for the last ablation this past May. And I told you the rest. I don’t think afib if any. Just atrial flutter. Sometime I think I would rather be in afib or flutter if not many symptoms than in and out. I don’t know. I just may be Like this for ever. Thank you

[cuore in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. You are one of the few to state that there can be flutter in the LEFT ATRIUM also. The right atrium does NOT have a monopoly on flutter. I, too, have flutter in the left atrium. Yes, left atrium flutter is much more difficult with a greatly less success rate.

[SK031252]

Thank you so much for this info. I go back to the ep in Feb. I will ask him about this. I didn’t know there were different flutter. I just know I was to it was aflutter. Like atrial fib just atrial flutter. if this is what you’re talking about I hope they can do this for me. Thank you so much