I do hope you are all keeping well and safe. Just wanted to update you on my recovery journey and also need a bit of advice please.
I am now in week 11 following my second ablation ( had right atrium and also a re do of my left atrium this time- apparently had x 2 cardioversions during the procedure as well). Thankfully I have only had two short lived episodes of AF, both resolved after taking Flecainide as a PIP. My daily meds now being my anticoagulant-Edoxaban and Bisoprolol 1.25mg. HR and BP both seem to be doing well, at rest HR is reg 62-70 can go up to around 90 on exertion but never much higher. BP 105/70 -110/80 , so really pleased with all things. Then last week I had my AZ covid jab, initially all seemed well, then 24 hrs later felt awful. Shivering achey joints, etc, took paracetamol and plenty of fluids. These symptoms passed after a couple of days, but I have been left with terrible fatigue! Also now when I do my daily walks ( slow paced, on the flat maximum 45 mins), I am getting breathless.
Now I’m trying very hard NOT to read too much into all this, perhaps it’s just coincidence. I am only at week 11, and my heart is still healing, so perhaps my reaction to the jab has in some way ‘aggravated’ my recovery. I suppose I just feel a bit disappointed that I was going along really well and now I seem to have taken a backward step. Would really appreciate what you kind folk think?
Thank you so much for reading my post, I do appreciate all your kindness and support. You have all helped me so much in dealing with my AF diagnosis and ongoing ‘treatments’. My confidence has taken a bit of a blow with all this now, and not helping matters, have had some episodes of anxiety, borderline panic attack the other day when out on my walk. This is something very new to me and I need to control it, so again your help and guidance I would really appreciate, thank you.
Shirley
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Ochg
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Oh you poor thing, Shirley. No wonder you are anxious, anyone would be and saying to yourself"don't worry" doesn't help much does it.I went into Afib after the AZ jab and the EP has put me on the waiting list for a second ablation. I know we've sort of mirrored each others journeys, haven't we. But, I'm finding it hard not to wake up at night ( why does it always happen at night?!) panicking that I'll be in Afib and need ANOTHER cardioversion.
So basically, I'm not much help, but I am sending you many good wishes, J xxxxx
Hello J,Thank you for your support. I am so sorry to hear you are also suffering, fingers crossed you get your second ablation soon. I have also been waking up in the early hours in a panicky state, HR seems ok but I just can’t seem to turn off my racing mind!
Thank you again for your kindness, and sending you a virtual hug 🫂 as well.
My guess it that it may well stil lbe a reaction to the vaccine and nothing AF related. Many people seem to suffer for a while after the OxfordAZ vaccine, far more than the Pfizer we old gits had.
Hello Bob,Thank you so very much for your reply. Fingers crossed 🤞 I will start to feel better soon. Will let you know how things pan out, thank you again for being there.
So sorry to hear that you're having this worry Shirley. Did you have the AZ vaccine, that one appears to have caused more side effects. I had the same flu symptoms the day after having mine and a headache that gradually died away over a few days, I've also been very aware of a change in my heart beat. I don't check it these days as doing so causes me anxiety, just go by how I feel and I have to say that I feel quite well at the moment.
There's just no way of knowing whether the way you are feeling was caused by the jab or not.
After an ablation you can get odd periods when you don't feel so good, but they can suddenly disappear. I'd often get days of feeling really well and then suddenly it would be all change and I'd be overwhelmed with tiredness.
Hope you're soon back to feeling well again, let us know please.
Hello Jean,Thank you so much for your kind reply. It has given me tremendous reassurance, hopefully now I can relax a bit more and get my positivity back .
I will let you know how things progress, thank you again for your support.
Hi, I’m 64. I had an ablation for SVT about a year ago. All good since and no meds needed. Anyway, I had the AZ jab recently and felt terrible for a few days, aching joints, tired etc. After about 5 days I started to improve and I was ok after a week. I tended to think well I’ve had the jab, nothing I can do now but sit it out. Also it shows that my body is preparing to fight covid if I get it.
I just had my 4th ablation 100+ days ago. I never had anything like you described that far out from my ablations. Even at age 67 today .... I don't feel any lingering fatigue. I believe it's vaccine related.
However, if you tell a doctor that ... they'll probably deny there's a correlation. They just don't want to get involved with vaccine issues (although yours seems to be a mild reaction that will probably fade away with time).
I've dealt with Generalized Anxiety Disorder quite a bit. Your 'racing mind' is familiar, especially when trying to sleep. Check my other posts where I give advice for 'anxious' AFIB patients. Nothing good comes from worrying about treatment outcomes.
Learn to relax and calm your mind. Wishing you the best recovery possible from your ablation.
BTW .... I'm not getting vaccinated anytime soon. Personally, don't want anything else in the mix that might cloud my recovery . . . . .
Hi Shirley, good to hear from you, and hope that things settle down again. I’ve already posted that I had horrid flu symptoms for 24 hours and runs of AF post AZ jab, but ok after a couple of days.It’s been nearly 8 months since my second Ablation (to redo pulmonary veins) and I’ve had 2 major AF episodes, and numerous short runs of arrhythmia/ectopics. Seeing surgeon again in June to review!
I am certain this will be covid related rather than ablation related, almost certainly side effects but it might be worth getting a covid test?
Whilst annoying to think of, it is possible to get the virus at or just after your jab, and remember most people are not seriously ill with it, your tiredness etc Might be the bug itself?
I had the AZ jab 12 days ago and had zero side effects, but think that was luck, however it does mean at least 1 , 4 month ablatee like you didn’t have tough side effects.
As to waking up worrying , that has to be par for the course, as each day passes i get more reassured , but I still get a lot of ectopic beats ( 1-2 every minute often in bed in the morning ) and really wish I didn’t.
Hello Steve,Thank you for your advice and support. Sorry to hear you are still having ectopic beats, fingers crossed 🤞 they will lessen in time. As you say worrying is par of the course!
Take care and keep safe, thank again for your guidance I really do appreciate.
I had an ablation for flutter last October and had my A.Z. jab on Thursday. I had the headache, muscle aches and shivering within 15 hours of the jab. My resting heart rate was raised (90’s), but Paracetamol helped and I am more or less back to normal now. (I am 53). I understand it is just the body’s immune system doing it’s thing!! Hope you feel better soon.
Hi ochra, I’m due the AZ next week, I do seem to have some normal chums that have fekt rough after it too, so maybe it’s just the jab and not the AFib reaction. I do remember quite clearly though that I went thru a phase after my ablation I think it was after three months, I felt so breathless and tired when I got out of the car to start my circular wAlk in morzine., I’d say to my husband I don’t think I can do this today.....and if I did do the walk I felt like it was walking with leaded boots ..I put it in this forum in fact as I was worried.in fact I said it was like I had leaded boots on and I was breathless..... I had reassurance from here. I think what I learned was although I was three months in, I should reign in a bit, and no expect every day to be the same..... I’m not sure why I suddenly felt like I’d hit a marathon brick wall maybe I was over doing it. I think right up to a year I’d still have odd days like that.
I can understand your worry though as it’s all a bit of the unknown isn’t it and I do understand you feeling panicky as I find I slip into panicky feelings now much more now which I put down to my age.
Hello Sue,Thank you so much for your kind reply. Perhaps I am expecting to much too soon, and the jab has put me back a little way. I feel a bit better today, not quite so panicky. I’ve not been out for my walk either the weather is a wee bit too windy, it really dose take my breath away!
Poor you! I had the same chills fever fatigue etc for 2 days after the AZ. But I had fatigue after both ablations over the following months. It's not necessarily the jab. Even so having watched my son have Covid I know the virus would be worse.
We anxious people are all "over-thinkers" and suspicious of many things, monitoring everything. But I had treatment to overcome my anxiety and that helped me more than anything.
8 sessions with a wonderful psychologist taught me a lot about myself and my habits of thought, and how to practice self-hypnosis. It's so calming. Others swear by meditation. Breathing deeply plays a big part. Being breathless can be a sign of shallow over-breathing - at least It was with me.
Meantime I agree with what Jean says. We have good days and not so good days.
When I think back to my Nan at 70 and compare my own life I realise I am doing well!
Hope you feel better soon and get your energy back❤
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Five days post second ablation
Second Ablation confirmed !
