Crazy high heart rate

[Norman17]

I'm just over 1 month post-ablation. Everything was great for the first couple of weeks - sinus rhythm, normal RHR, felt fine. Since then, it's all gone to hell. I went back into a-fib, stayed there for about 10 days, spontaneously cardioverted last Friday, but since Monday morning I have been experiencing a wide variety of a-fib, sinus rhythm, extremely high RHR (I was over 130 bpm for 8 hours straight yesterday) and normal RHR. No rhyme or reason to any of it. Help! Is this normal? My doc says to "just ride it out."

[BobD Volunteer]

I would say get an ECG done to see what is happening. Have you spoken to your arrhythmia nurse?

[Norman17 in reply to BobD]

Yes, as noted above, I was told to just ride it out until my next ablation at the end of August.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Norman17]

Frankly three months between ablations is really not long enough in my view. Most people are still improving at six or nine months! Why no cardioversion if it is that high?

[Norman17 in reply to BobD]

I was supposed to be cardioverted last Friday, but spontaneously converted to SR the night before the procedure. I advised my doctor that I'm rapidly cycling in and out of a-fib (and have periods of sustained high HR), but he doesn't want to schedule another CV before the ablation unless I am unable to "tolerate" the a-fib.

[DawnTX in reply to Norman17]

😡 you should get more attention than that. I don’t like his reply to you, but that’s me.

[kitenski]

I had all sorts of strange happenings post ablation inc a long period of high hr 150bpm which my consultant said was probably flutter. I also had many afib episodes. Amazingly after coming off the flexainide almost bang on 3 months post ablation I’ve been in nsr ever since.

So I’m not medically traineed but as has often been said it takes time to fully heal.

[Ppiman]

I think this is the ablation and the electrical pathways “blanking”, as they say. I’m pretty sure from my experience last week that “breakthrough” arrhythmias are likely in the period following the ablation.

There are several long term studies on the recurrence of arrhythmia following ablation and they show that the first six months, and even year, aren’t typical of the longer term, when many people do, eventually, remain free of their original problem.

[cbsrbpm]

I was in sinus Tachycardia for a few months 120/130 HR after my third ablation and it converted spontaneously back to 60/70 and have been mainly in sinus rhythm since then. After all ablations I have have various blips bumps and rhythms and I agree with Bob that another ablation within 3 months seems very strange. Are you private or NHS if you don’t mind me asking.

[Kingslip]

Can take up six months before you will know the outcome. If erratic rates still remain then it won’t change.

[DawnTX]

It does take a while to heal, but I wish your doctor would show you a little bit more attention about it. I would say listen to Bob