I'm 5 weeks post ablation and curious about what's happening to me. Prior to the procedure I'd been in PAF for 2 years with very mild symptoms but had been recommended the ablation by my cardiologist. It all went well and for the first couple of days I didn't have AF just a little tired. The next 3 weeks I had regular daily bouts of very strong AF lasting up to 12 hours making me feel quite ill but I put that down to the healing process I'd been told about. I then went 10 days free of episodes which I'd hoped meant things were settllng down but the last few days I've had more strong AF bouts making me feel ill and there doesn't seem to be any trigger for it as I'm usually resting when it starts. I'm due a follow up early March and wondering if the procedure could have made things worse I'm my case or that it simply hasn't worked. I've read differing reports of how long the healing takes, from one month to three months and don't want to worry unnecessarily at this stage. I've not felt such strong symptoms in the previous 2 years of living with PAF.
Your thoughts would be appreciated 😊
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Hammerboy
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I, m a bit ahead of you, 7 weeks now. First month 3 biggies, of over 10 hours, then a whole load more lasting less than one hour with most only a few minutes, then for last 4 weeks clear apart from a few skipped beats. So hang in there, and hopefully everything will be fine.
Hi Bob, I've read somewhere that the first month is a good indication of success or failure not the 3 months usually spoken of. Is that realistic ? It's the fact the AF is much worse that bothers me I guess
Consider this. The fact sheet was written BY patients FOR patients so in other words by people who KNOW what to expect. A lot of doctors were quite surprised when they read it as they learned quite a lot..
They sure are. My EP didn't believe that my migraines with aura after my ablation was caused by the ablation. As we know from the fact sheet and this community, that they are.
Everyone’s experience is unique and it is really hard to say at this stage.
Are you on any drugs to limit the AF?
Are you monitoring your episodes and have ECG traces? BP & HR?
My first ablation did make things a lot worse so I ended up in Acute Cardiac Care so it is possible to make things worse but I had other complications and my BP kept dropping below acceptable levels & I had syncope so I went for a 2nd about 12 weeks after the first - that worked! That is unusual however.
If I were you, I would be trying to contact my EP and if you have ECG traces send to them and see what they say and if you aren't taking drugs then maybe discuss about something to take as a PIP maybe to limit the AF?
My understanding is that the sooner the AF episodes are terminated after ablation the better which is why many of us take drugs for 6 months or so after ablation.
I was prescribed anticoagulants a year before the procedure due to age and mildly high blood pressure for which I take amlodipine. I feel well in between episodes other than digestion problems which are more discomfort than pain. I'm seeing my GP for a routine medication review tomorrow so I'll see what advice he gives
My wife, who's had 2 ablations, finds that increasing her beta blocker dose helps a lot when her heart gets grumpy. Normally she prefers to take a low-ish dose of bisoprolol (to avoid upsetting her tummy) but if she feels her heart is starting to play up, she'll up the dose for a day or two and that seems to restore things to normal. Not sure that it would work for you but it's something to think about.
So I had an ablation just over a year ago having suffered from increasingly frequent PAF. After the ablation I was symptom free for a month then bang, one hellish PAF episode. Ended up getting blue-lighted to A&E and spent a week in coronary care getting my heart stabilised. The EP reckoned it was my heart healing but the symptoms were so much worse than what I was used to. Since then, a whole year not one skipped beat. I would urge you to get in contact with your cardiologist just to be on the safe side - it’s only a telephone call right?
My tip for you, when sat resting don't forget to breathe. I think sometimes when resting we unwittingly breathe in a shallow way and the heart protests.
Hi, normally after Cryoablation procedure it will need to 3 to 6 months to recover fully, as the ablation ‘wound’ is in the wet condition it will take a bit of time to settle down. You will experiences awhile of AF or may be PAC or palpitation . I believe your Doctor will also prescribe some medicine for a month or so with follows up. Just not to worry, don’t over stress n it will be fine.
I remember reading a large scale clinical review - but have sadly lost the link - which measured arrhythmic events right up to two years after ablation. By that time, most people were free of problems, but at one year that wasn’t so. I got the feeling from it that an ablation was well worthwhile but that the heart took longer to heal than people generally thought (including their doctors, the reviewers commented).
I really do suspect you’ll be absolutely fine and feel better as the months pass. Your doctor might decide you need beta blockers over the healing period, perhaps? I was put back on them for a month or so after I had AF following my ablation for AFl.
9 months Post Ablation and its AF free, but first 6 month or so I had some runs, flutter etc, so hang in there, I did need go back on bisoprolol until its settled which helped I think.
I do have Bisoprolol available which was prescribed 2 years ago when I was first diagnosed with PAF. As the episodes were mild and pretty infrequent I didn't take them as I do have a low heart rate ( mid 50's)and I felt tired each time I tried them. My heart rate since ablation is now in the 60's so maybe BB are the short term answer
I’m also 5 weeks post RF ablation. Very similar to you in that I have had PAF for several years beforehand. Intermittent short episodes, converting to SR on its own, but felt quite ill during them. Because of my slow heart, also in 40s/50s, EP didn’t want me on any meds other than anticoagulant. He thought it best to go right to ablation. Felt pretty good up until 2:00am this morning! When heart went into AFlutter hard and fast, felt worse than ever. EP said flutter doesn’t convert as readily as afib, if at all, so I was sent to Emergency and had a cardioversion today to get back to SR.
EP says this arrhythmia not uncommon in first 3/4 months and he said to hang in there. I’m trying to keep my chin up, but it’s hard sometimes. It’s the worry that ablation made things will be worst not better. I keep thinking about his words of encouragement and that helps. I’m hoping things work out fine for you!
Thanks for sharing that, I've seen my GP today who admits he is lacking in knowledge of the after effects of this procedure and has written to the cardiologist for advice in my case. He has advised me to go back on the Bisoprolol 1.25mg on e a day to see if it helps meantime but did say it was not helpful that patients are discharged without enough understanding of what to expect after having the ablation. I would ask you if possible if you could explain a flutter as you experienced rather than AF. All my episodes are self resolving within either minutes or hours but are much more troublesome than pre procedure. My HR and BP are normal
All of my AF episodes, which lasted from 20 minutes to 6 hours, and which always started during sleep, made me feel awful in that the heart beating so fast made my chest throb and ache, I couldn’t do much, tired, had to just sit and wait, hoping it would convert. Stress and anxiety, of course, which I tried to alleviate by doing crossword puzzles to take my mind off how yucky I felt.
With the flutter, the symptoms were the same, only somehow much more intense. I suspected something different was going on. Do you have a Kardia device? Mine did not show Afib, only Unclassified, so that was also a clue. I paid, through the Kardia app, to have the Unclassified reading reviewed by an EP, which came back as AFlutter. Also, after my ablation, my EP sent me home with a transmission device that works with a landline telephone. I’m supposed to transmit an EKG every week, and also every time I have an episode of any kind or just don’t feel well. This definitely confirmed what was happening as “Atrial Flutter with Rapid Ventricular Response”. My impression from my EP is that because flutter typically doesn’t convert on its own readily, and the stress on the heart, that a cardioversion is preferred to stop it. I was in flutter for eight hours before the CV.
He still doesn’t want me on any meds other than anticoagulant because of my slow heart. Also, said that flecainide as PIP can actually make flutter worse, so that is not an option for stopping it.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you and let me know how you progress.
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