Post ablation erratic heart rate

[KG70]

Hi,

I had a cryoblation almost 3 weeks ago which seems to have sorted my rhythm issues out nicely. No more constant PAC, PVC, SVT etc so I'm feeling so much better and actually getting a bit of sleep for the first time in months.

But, my resting HR is doing a very strange thing. I can be sitting watching TV and my resting HR will jump from 75 to 115 for no reason whatsoever. And it can stay there from 5 mins to 5 hours when I feel a strange 'clunk' and it drops back down again suddenly. It doesn't gradually go up or down, it's really sudden.

On the day of the ablation, the EP told me that my heart was in great shape so I should just stop my diltiazem 'cold turkey' which I did for a couple of days but I decided to resume it due to this strange rate issue. I've called and emailed the hospital to tell them about it and that I've gone back onto diltiazem but no one is getting back to me.

I can't find any posts describing this so just wanted to ask the question in case it rings any bells with anyone?

Thanks for reading!

[CDreamer]

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

Written by patients.

It takes time for your heart to settle so occasional fast HR is not uncommon. Took my HR 9 months to completely settle following ablation for AF - but as the procedure is the same I would imagine the consequences are also.

[KG70 in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you very much for that! It's very reassuring..... but 9 months????

[CDreamer in reply to KG70]

It’s very individual - it improved month by month but took that long to return to pre-ablation steadiness and resting HR. They don’t tell you that pre-ablation do they!

[KG70 in reply to CDreamer]

No they don't! I did read up a lot on factsheets and forums and thought I knew exactly what to expect. But I wasn't expecting this. And its left me wondering what I can and can't do. I had my post-ablation fitness building plan in place, and now I'm wondering whether gentle exercise will make it better or worse. An hour of gentle pottering around the garden made it absolutely furious yesterday!

[CDreamer in reply to KG70]

Go with what works for you. An hour is obviously too much yet - try 4 x 15 mins throughout the day instead. I found slow & gentle worked, gradually increasing intensity and duration. Listen to your body - you should be able exercise and talk. If you get breathless then pause until breathing is comfortable again.

I’m big into breath work at the moment - tremendous for healing, increasing lung function & increasing O2 says and increasing circulation in a really good way.

I recommend James Nestor’s book - Breath - it can change your life - for the better!

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Please do not hesitate to contact the Patient Services Team if you would like any advice [e-mail]

[Singwell]

You're 3 weeks in. Expect the unexpected although absolutely right to note it and flag it. As for the 3 months thing - I'm going through this right now - thought it'd all be stable by week 12 but it isn't. Had a run of AF the other day after weeks of NSR. Someone in that thread reported their ablation in Feb this year and had just had similar. If it doesn't last, if you don't feel awful with it I'd say probably worth hanging in. Be kind to yourself.

[KG70 in reply to Singwell]

Thank you for the good advice. I am reminding myself I'm only 3 weeks in, and I'm not freaking out about it yet. Just puzzled and mildly irritated 🙄I'm sorry to hear you're still going through this 3 months in. Is it getting less frequent? Mine is constant, day and night with more tachycardia than settled. I'm hoping the settled periods will start to extend and dominate rather than the balance I have at the moment. It's a mercy that I don't feel unwell at all, and if it wasn't for the drummer in my chest changing tempo suddenly I wouldn't know about it. It only feels intense after I eat a meal.As you're 3 months in are you due a follow-up? I'm sure they said I would have them at 3 and 6 months with the expectation of discharging me at 12, but I was a bit post-anesthetic dopey when they came and spoke to me. I'd be really interested to know what they say to you.

Also, are you still taking rate control medication? I'm wondering whether my Diltiazem is actually making things worse if it's making my BP low my HR could be increasing because of it. The only thing that makes me think that is I can sometimes stop a run of tachy by taking a big drink of water. It's how I switch it off during the night and gives me a lot of relief. Doesn't seem to work quite as well during the day, but sometimes works.

I may have another attempt at speaking to the arrhythmia nurse next week and will update the post with what is said.

Fingers crossed we both get calm hearts very soon! 🤞

[Singwell in reply to KG70]

The run of AF was the first I'd had for 9 weeks. I had a lot of first 2.5 then it all calmed down. I stayed on my meds as they weren't convinced the procedure would be successful long term - I was sedated only and apparently I wiggled, even though I definitely lost consciousness. So yes I'm still on my Diltiazem. It could be that that's causing your HR to yo-yo because in affordable to being a rate controller it also widens the veinous system. However, that's a layperson thinking aloud! I'd chase the Arrythmia Nurse by phone and email. Send them your readings...that should do the trick. Keep us posted.

[Ducky2003]

I didn't do much at all for 4 weeks post ablation, then went back to work (only part time) but wished I'd left it another couple of weeks so 3 weeks is still very early days and I would advise more rest. I'm about a week behind Singwell and still getting AF, pulse surges and the like but clinging on to the fact some folk have taken longer than the 3 months they tell you.

[seasicksurf]

I had similar activity after my ablation—however my HR would go down (below 50) for a bit and then return to the 70’s. This went on until about week 5 post ablation. Since then (3 weeks now) I’ve been steady with normal rhythm and pace. From what my doctor told me, this is just part of the healing and heart circuitry “remodeling.” Give your heart the time to heal—the body does amazing things on its own. All the best to you KG

[Rubyray]

I have never had an ablation. I have had a pacemaker for about 3 years. I was on flecainide and metoprolol during that time. I had several episodes of AFIB, uneven heart beat, high blood pressure. Plus I experienced excessive hair loss, and extreme constipation issues. In January 2021 I was taken off metoprolol and placed on diltiazem 200mg a day. The hair loss stopped, my heart acts normally every day. I also take a blood thinner and cholesterol pill and a blood pressure pill. Hope this helps.