Awaiting investigation and possible ablation for Flutter.

[ijan]

After several active, delightfully symptom free, months my heart went into flutter (125 BPM) six days ago. I'd been under a fair bit of time pressure, caring for my partner, fighting off an upper respiritary tract infection, and oganising support for my sister who was in an induced coma in ICU. Although busy, I didn't feel particularly stressed and all of the issues had resolved when the flutter started at 3.00am.

My EP has been fantastic and I'm scheduled for investigation, with ablation or cardio version depending on what the investigation shows. Hopefully the flutter will be simple and just require a touch up.

I suspect that doing too much, too soon, set off flutter a couple of weeks after my last ablation (which stayed away for 7 months after cardioversion) and am determined to be more careful this time. Difficult when roles within a relationship have evolved to the piont where one person does most things..........any thoughts/suggestions gratefully recieved.

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jan

I'm sure with all that you had to cope with you were stressed, especially regarding your sister. We just bury it away and carry on and fool ourselves that life is normal. It's quite often that our hearts kick off after we've survived stressful situations and then relax.

I believe that flutter is a lot easier to ablate than AF, so whether you have an ablation or a cardioversion, I wish you a successful outcome.

Jean

PS. Don't do anything that requires effort for as long as you can after a heart procedure. I once walked up a steep hill the day after a cardioversion and my heart immediately went back into AF. Phew, was I annoyed at my stupidity!!

[ijan in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean,

So easy to flip out, and such a mystery to flip back in!

I'm due for a knee replacement three weeks after the proceedure. If I take your advice and avoid effort for a few weeks I'll be forced to rest after the knee replacment which should give my heart longer to recover.

[jedimasterlincoln]

Only to add that even though you don't "feel" stressed it is a funny old thing and your body will still do all the things it does for self protection survival and function without you noticing. Some of these things can of course affect the heart.

Flutter was easier to ablate as in my case it came from the right atrium, with some scar tissue there and identified relatively easily. Obviously on that side there is a risk to the phrenic nerve but I've got away with it twice.

Good luck in things progressing both with your health and home life.

[ijan in reply to jedimasterlincoln]

Thank you- of course I know you are right. My last ablation was for both flutter and Afib. I didn't rest up properly and had to be cardioverted after tipping into six weeks of flutter before the scars had properly formed. Who knows, perhaps a little connected route formed, and remains, from that episode. If that's the case my EP will do a touch up; if it looks more complicated I'll be cardioverted in the hope of staving off a more complex ablation.

Fingers crossed; and many hanks for your support and good wishes.

On the plus side I've felt really well since the cardiversion and was enjoying an active and full life.