Ectopic beats 18 months after Atrial Flutter ablation

[Ausboy]

Hi, hope you are all well. I have found a lot of great advice and reassurance from this group and have been thankful for all the information. My question is: I had a catheter ablation for Atrial Flutter in September 2019 and was given the all clear the first three months after the procedure. I was taking Sotalol (and still am). Since the procedure I go well for a while, but then have short runs of what feels like ectopic beats? My doctor says that this is normal and that because they revert back into normal rhythm he isn’t concerned and keeps saying I should be either. Does anyone else have these still at 18 months after an ablation? Thankyou 😀

[BobD Volunteer]

Ectopics are a common side effect of ablation usually stopped with the slow deep breathing exercise. Use diaphragm notes not shoulders . slow breathing down to less than 6 per minute for five minutes .

[Ausboy in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob, I was getting doubtful as I become paranoid since initially being diagnosed. lol. I presume they ectopics as that’s what they feel like. I explained them to my doctor and he just said the same thing as you. I will try the breathing next time I get them. Thanks again 😀

[pottypete1]

Yes ectopics unfortunately do raise their ugly head from time to time but are mostly benign.

I understand how disconcerting it can be it is now nearly 4 years since my last ablation and I still do occasionally get them.

Try to relax about it and use slow breathing exercises maybe with the use of meditation, there are numerous on YouTube and I have found them very useful.

Pete

[Ausboy]

Thank you for the advice, I will take this on board. Take care 😊

[Sfhmgusa]

Hi thereMy ablation was 6.5 months ago and I recently wore a 48 hr monitor as part of the 6 month check up. This quantified the ectopic beats I have at just under 1% ( or one every 2 minutes) they are all pvc’s and my EP is totally unconcerned .

They are often in little clusters with sometimes an hour or so where I can’t gel them at all, and they are only barely noticeable even though I’m still very heart aware most of the time

I’m sure it is normal hope this helps to reassure

Steve

[Ausboy]

Thanks for the feedback Steve, much appreciated.

[The_Lord_is_with_Us]

10 years ago, I had an AFIB ablation. Afterwards for 6 months I had continuous ectopic beats. that drove me crazy. Felt like arrhythmia to me. However, they hooked me to 2 week Holter monitor and said nothing to worry about ..... benign ..... ignore them. Surprised me .... it was so bad. Almost like AFIB.

I didn't like that answer, so did some research. Back then, no doctor told me about magnesium. I ordered a triple mag formula and took 400mg twice a day.

After a week the ectopics faded away. Heart rhythm normal. VERY happy. So much for doctor's advice to live with it.

It might not work for everyone, but give it a try. I hope it works for you.

[Ausboy in reply to The_Lord_is_with_Us]

Thanks so much for that, I will definitely give it a try. Much appreciated 😊

[Ppiman]

Do you still have any symptoms? I also had the same op for persistent atrial flutter in Leicester in June 2019, when I was 66. It was a success, but I did suffer one extended, debilitating and frightening bout of fibrillation in the following weeks. Like you, I also still get ectopic beats pretty much each day and (from a recent 2-week Zio study) also have short runs of 10-15 seconds of "fibrillation-like" activity (which my Apple watch never catches or shows). Ectopic beats arising near to the pulmonary veins are thought to spark off fibrillation, I gather. I also have some left-branch bundle block, which has improved since the flutter ablation.

In terms of general health, despite a stress MRI in 2019 and a recent echo-cardiogram, and having been given assurance that my heart is healthy, I have never recovered my stamina since the days of the flutter and still get chest discomfort and tiredness. I'm currently having checks to see if it isn't gastric related, but I don't hold out much hope of finding a cause.

Steve

[Ausboy in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve, I seem to get runs of them every few months and have been dieting quite a bit over the past six months which I think has also caused lack of energy ect as I am also a type 2 diabetic. Been a hell of a ride really and some days I get quite down. I’m nearly 50 years old and have family history in both diabetes and arrhythmia’s so suppose in some ways I was never going to prolong these diagnoses. I was back boxing training young people and also working full time and it only seems to get me down every few months when I get a little run down and have a day or night of an hour or more of these ectopic beats. I hope things keep going well for you and your energy levels ect come back to normal. Take care

[KMRobbo]

I have them three years four months after my right atria A flutter ablation, but I cannot say they are owing to the ablation, and suspect not. I had an Afib cryoablation a month before the flutter ablation ( only developed flutter eight days after the afib ablation, promoted by the flecainide I was taking for the afib).Furthermore the ectopics only really became noticeable several months after the ablation.

Finally every one has ectopics, less heart sensitive people don't normally notice them.

I just do my best to ignore the the dammed things. My EP was not concerned at my 12 month ablation follow up and they do not appear to have caused me any harm. They dont stop me doing anything.

Not medically trained but my theory is if you worry too much about them, and you get stressed over them it makes them worse as you get into a " flight or fight" situation , adrenaline is released and that makes them worse.

I know it's not easy as I had a bit of an infection of sorts from last Wednesday, and I got the ectopics probably the worst I have had them. At one point I thought I had gone into afib, and was having difficulty not stessing but decided it was just ectopics and they have receded as the bug has gone.

Best wishes

[Ausboy in reply to KMRobbo]

Thank you for the feedback. I hope everything continues to go well for you. It’s definitely annoying when these things happen but I know deep down many of us deal with many different things through out our life. Take care 😀