Okay, so this may seem funny, so if you have to laugh go right ahead. There's a lot that we are not told when having an ablation. On my second ablation, when I was awoke from GA - under about 4.5 hours, I overheard the nurse say to the recovery nurse that I had had SEVEN cardioversions. The third ablation I had had SIX cardioversions. So, in an eighteen month period, I had had three ablations and close to nineteen cardioversions. Now I understand why I have serious migraines and colorful auras for days on end. Between ablations, I also had a cardioversion - on an outpatient basis but it had to be a massive one because within four hours I had a bad migraine that lasted four days and that was only one cardioversion. I hate cardioversions but must be the only treatment in the arsenal for ablations. Anyway, after my third ablation, on the day that I went home, I was dressing myself and I could not pull up my pants! The pain in my upper arms was alarming but I thought it would get better. NOT! Today, three months later, I still have upper arm weakness and pain. The right arm is worse than the left and only certain movements cause me to yell ouch, like pulling the sheets up or trying to scratch my back or bending my arms and raising them at the same time. You know that they out the hospital staff places a big patch on the right side of your body for the cardioversions. That's why, upon awakening, you feel sunburned and for the next week you are applying aloe vera or coconut oil on the square burn on your chest. So anybody, any body experience this specific malady? And if yes, what have you been doing to alleviate the pain and get your strength back? I have googled these symptoms for days and find nothing. Am I the only one with this weird and singular curse? I'm in NSR, finally, but now have upper arms weakness! Crazy!
Upper Arm Weakness and PAIN - Atrial Fibrillati...
Upper Arm Weakness and PAIN
Physio? Like a physical Therapist? Thank you for the informative reply.
In the US. Maybe you don't know this but a physiotherapist is quite different from a physical therapist. I know because I have been seeing a physical therapist for the past couple of months and I have had NO change in my condition. I'm looking up Physiotherapist in my area and the search bar is stating that physio and physical therapist are identical. Maybe a physiologist...?
They are the same profession.
In every other country they are called physiotherapists. But in the USA they called physical therapists.
It might be worth your while to try out a few different physical therapists. When my SI joint went out I tried two different physical therapists who didn’t help much, but then I found one who specializes in my injury who helped immensely. Physical therapy takes time to start working unfortunately
I have never heard of this before and doubt that this is a reuslt of the DCCV unless, (big unless) it results from the physical contortions your body does during the shock phase. Having once had to mimic a DCCV whilst making a film about AF I can attest to how physical it must be. Perhaps a trapped nerve somewhere in your neck I would guess? Not sure if you have Bowen Practitioners in US but I have more luck with these than physiotherapists.
I would also suggest that you speak to the Arrhythmia Nurse where you had the procedure or if not available write to the EP's secretary.
My Arrhythmia nurse is an idiot and punitive. If I asked that question, she would look at me as if I'm crazy. No thanks. I'd rather read the community replies here. More constructive. There are Bowen Practioners here but closest one is 1000 miles. Thanks for the tip.
Second that with arythmia nurse, a joke!
Frozen shoulder?
I've had two. Some of my symptoms overlapped with yours. Very unpleasant.
Would only wish this on my worst enemy 😁
It's possible but I can move the shoulder quite easily. Seems that it is nerve based.
I also have upper arm weakness that comes and goes. It was very bad on the right side the night I first had to call the ambulance, so much so that they actually took an xray of my arm/shoulder to see if there was a problem. Now I just have it once in a while here and there out of the blue, right side only, and it doesn't last very long. Very strange, nobody knows what it could possibly be. I had 4 cardiac arrests in the ER, but I had this weakness before I went in. I have a pacemaker/ICD now, but have never had ablation.
Thank you.
I have had 5 ablations and 22 DC cardioversions spread out over 5 years. At their worse, the DC cardioversions were only 6-8 weeks apart.
And I often got a stiff, sore, painful aching right arm for a few days afterwards. It was worse on the occasions I needed 3 shocks for NSR. But not as bad where I only needed 1 shock.
Mine feels like I'm constantly spraining the injury. Thanks for your input.
Are you taking statins as that happens to me it started when I was on statins but now I’ve come off of them it has improved a lot statins can cause problems like you have described
No statins.
Find a local Bowen Technique therapist, it’s amazing at helping the body unwind and rebalance, also helping reduce pain levels in most cases. It’s gentle and non intrusive with profound effects (in my opinion). I am a Bowen therapist but I am not posting this to generate business.
Not in my area.
That is a shame x
Having read some of the replies to your question, I would like to add my two pence worth.
I am a physio (physical therapist) who also suffered terrible mid thoracic spine pain post my two first ablations. All caused by being on the very narrow, very hard table for 5-6 hours during the procedure. After a 1.0 am CAT scan they discovered I had an unhealed fracture of one of my thoracic vertebra caused by a nasty fall on ice some 8 years earlier. The position I was placed in during my procedure irritated the resultant herniated disc.
The point I am trying to make is that you went through the equivalent of many spinal manipulations during your cardio versions and it is entirely reasonable that you have some trapped nerves in the your neck and the pain is referring or radiating down your arm.
A rough rule of thumb is that when a cervical vertebrae is trapping a nerve root, your worse pain will travel way down your arm, but as the pain settles it will get closer and closer to your neck. And your forearms, hands will become pain free.
If this is your pain pattern, I strongly suggest you find a specialist physio who deals with spinal problems.
Well thank you for that information. You may be onto something because when I sleep, I cannot sleep on my right side. After about five minutes, my neck starts aching to the point that I have to turn on my back.
Excellent advice!
I too am suffering this and seeing a physio at the moment. I have have these problems since my 2nd ablation where I had to be cardioverted a few times when finished. Since then have had another ablation and still suffering from this upper arm pain. I too have always thought it had something to do with the cardioversions. Started with a frozen left shoulder which eventually a lot better after physio. The physio doesn’t cure but helps keep it moving. I now have upper arm pain in both arms but more on right now. Sometimes I can’t sleep with an aching pain going right down the arm like the neuralgia you sometimes get down a leg. I have my last physio session in a couple of weeks and if it’s not any better will be referred back to my GP. I sympathise as it can be very debilitating and hinders doing certain things. Good luck, if you find the answer let me know!
Regards
🐝
Thank you so much for validating, what I think is a serious development in cardioversion land. I think that sensitive people fall prey to these kinds of things and just have to work it out. NSR is a lot better than Afib regardless of the upper arm pain. I think much time has to pass to have healing. On March 5, I had a struggle pulling up my pants because that requires the muscles in the upper arms but today have much less of a pain when pulling them up. Take care and thank you.
You are incorrect my friend. Cardioversion are performed within ablations to get the heart back into NSR so that the EP can continue with his work. My three ablations lasted well over 5 hours each. By the way, it was a massive cardioversion to me-not you. The cardioversions within an ablation may be different than the ones given on an outpatient basis. Do you live in the US? US and Europe are different in their training and procedures.
I second that!
It was you who said a month ago that there is no such thing as ectopic. I replied that when I performed a search on google, multiple pages appeared on Ectopic beats. I'm not sure why you feel the need to correct or to disagree with what I experienced but I would appreciate it if you don't respond to my posts anymore.
Sounds like it may be bursitis ??Go to your primary and have him evaluate it. May have nothing to do with ablation or cardioversion!!I get bursitis and it comes on acutely and is very painful and limits your movements. In time it could pass but my ortho dr gave me a shot of cortisone in the shoulder which in time resolved it. Took inflamation down
Can't take cortisone or prednisone. Thanks for the tip.
I was told by Dr I could receive localized cortisone injection Just can't take pill form which would have a systemic effect on me.
Problem is that the pain is below the shoulder not centered in the shoulder. And, also, both arms are affected. I have never had this kind of pain before and I am old enough to have suffered with bursitis in the past, and yet have not. Appreciate your input.
I would just say that if you disagree with someones post, then its best to continue the discussion and argue the point so that onlookers can form a judgement as to what the procedures entail. It might even bring in another poster with new facts/anecdotes. Saying that anyone who disagrees with you should stop posting, isn't going to elicit the further information that we all need...
However, this board to me is one that supports anti-stress. This person decided to tell me that there's no such thing as a massive cardioversion. He also told the entire community there's no such thing as Ectopic beat that is described here. What?! Do I need this type of person replying to me. Don't think so. There are plenty of others here that can have quite informative replies. I don't need his disinformation tactics.
Might I suggest that you simply refute his assertions with facts; with data... That would then help the onlookers to decide what is correct... Example: I read all sorts of contrary opinion such as whether beta blockers prevent an event, or simply help the heart to rest after stress. I will decide this by asking the EP when I see him in July.. Allowing people to make statements which are then carefully refuted, will help people who read those same 'facts' somewhere else and have acquired a misconception..
I understand your point, from your first reply to me. People need reliable information and I think that my posts are pretty much reliable regardless of whom I might be replying to. In fact, I did reply correctly but then I added the second reply which caught your attention. I just don’t have patience with those persons who would rather disrupt rather than provide decent commentary.
What IS a ' massive cardioversion' ? I've never heard of one described as such ! ( Maybe one which required a high number of joules ?)
Massive hug, massive speed, massive roar, massive beauty, massive sundown - just literary that's all.
No arm pain, but small amounts of magnesium has done wonders for migraines...
Before magnesium, melatonin has put a dent in those headaches too.
Here We Go Again
Arm pain when in AF?
AV Node Ablation with pacemaker
My Different Outlook on Ablations
