I have read the article on Recovering from an ablation’. had my ablation 3 weeks ago and it seems to go ok. I have been breathless at times but then went into AF for 3 days last week. Now back in sinus rhythm and seeing my EP tomorrow. I’m not on any medication at the moment to stop AF. I do get very anxious.
What could my consultant offer me as a pill in the pocket? I’ve had Flecainide in the past but it didn’t suit me, it caused a long QT on my ECG on a very high dose. Bisoprolol makes me so tired. What have others taken?
We always read that AF is so common nowadays but I don’t know anybody else that has it. That’s why I find this forum so helpful. I feel so lonely at times especially when in AF.
Anybody have any suggestions?
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maria68
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Many people are kept on drugs for some time after ablation to help maintain NSR and those seem to be Flecainide or Amiodarone, both toxic drugs - Amiodarone more so.
There are rate control alternatives to Bisoprolol which have much less affects for rate control but you will have an opportunity to discuss all alternatives with your cardiologist.
Hi, I had an ablation for flutter 4 weeks ago and have had occasional ectopics and one run of fast heartrate when I bent over - this frightened me as I thought the ablation had failed. The nurse at Barts and lots of lovely people on this forum have explained that the 3 month post ablation blanking period , is a healing time. The scars on your heart are still forming. If you imagine someone building a dam to hold water back, while the wall is still being built, the water might still get through in places. The rogue electrical pathways can also push through while your heart is healing.
Did the run of Afib that you had consist of elevated heartrate?
If you have been taken off all drugs (except anti-couagulants) as I have, there is also the possibility of taking these again to regulate the heart while it is recovering.
Thank you for your reply, it’s a difficult time following an ablation. I have been offered Flecainide (100mg) and Bisoprolol (2.5) as a Pill in the pocket.I did have an elevated heart rate during the spell of AF,
How high is your dose. I'm on 1.25mg daily seems to keep it in check although being in permanent AF I know it's only making the condition. Consultant won't ablate till I'm 65
My consultant said ablation is carried out to reduce or hopefully remove stroke risk and clotting which is why they use the Chad's score to determine it. my pop is still alive and has been in permanent AFib for over 40 yrs with no offer of ablation
He is fine, he went on blood thinners 2 years ago (not warfarin) but that was only because he hit 85+, don't believe all the scare stories, our condition (AF) is not considered serious enough to get us on the essential list for the covid vaccine, so in some ways it puts my mind at ease
I definitely agree with baba -- you need a different consultant. ( I keep seeing the word consultant-- does that mean EP?) Once you get to the persistent stage and have been in it for a few months, you will not need just one ablation, but several. The "modern" ablation was first performed in 1994. The procedure didn't go world-wide until a few years later. That means that by the time the ablations got going, your father's heart will have been too remodelled to have an ablation. Do you know how long you have been persistent?
The word "permanent" is applied when the operator and you agree that no more can be done. If you are persistent, what does your turning 65 have to do with it?
Not sure I understand you reply ?. Being in permanent af means that my heart rate is constantly out of rhythm and Bisoprolol controls this, something can be done to try and correct it and that is to have an ablation, however, with NHS budgets I do not yet fit the essential criteria under the ChAdsvac scoring system, this system is used by all cardiac specialists to determine risk and need, as I am under 65 and otherwise healthy and apart from less exercise than I would like to do it does not harm my daily life.
The CHA2DS2-VASc scoring system is a calculation to determine your stroke risk. There are many sites with this calculator; baba gave you one. Here is another:
It is a scoring system highly used in determining to go on anti-coagulant drugs for the purposes of slowing blood clotting to prevent stroke. Generally, when your score is zero, you are not placed on anti-coagulation, above that yes. It i not a system used to determine the qualification to have an ablation. Many on this site have a score of zero, like yourself, and have had ablations.
Bisoprolol is a beta blocker. For AF, it is prescribed to try and keep the heart rate below 100 bpm. To address heart rhythm, then heart rhythm drugs would have to be prescribed.
I hope the above helps in understanding my reply, or please ask the question again.
Thank you for that. I have read items from the heart centre before and understand that they are only opinions from non health professionals. I prefer to take the advice from cardiac specialists and note that the chadsvac chart you sent over states no ablation therapy required.
I am by no means a medical practitioner, nor was I trying to promote that you should get an ablation. That sort of decision is entirely your own.
I found the site that baba posted for you superior to mine because Dr. Gregory Lip answered some important questions. Neither sites addressed ablation therapy.
My EP believes it's better to take meds continuously so that the AF doesn't happen rather than being off meds and having a PIP when it does happen. I'm on a low dose of sotalol (20mg) and will be forever. A higher dose gave me an asthma type cough but the lower dose is fine. I can take a double dose if I go into AF but haven't needed to. Seems to be working well so far....
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