Just thought I'd share my story for some info for people of a similar age to me experiencing afib as it can be difficult to find much info from younger sufferers.
I'm 35 years old and I had my first Radio frequency ablation for paroxsysmal afib on Wednesday after a good number of years knowing there was something wrong but never being in afib when I was with the doctor it always self terminated/stopped by itself.
Episodes were very rare (maybe once or twice a year) until this year when it became much more frequent.
Reluctantly phoned the doctor again for probably the 4th or 5th time over the years for the same problem (i felt like a hypochondriac after being given the all clear so many times before and being told I'm young and fit and not to worry) after seeing the consultant i purchased an alivecor kardia ecg device on his advice and was able to record a number of episodes within the first week and email them to him for diagnosis.
For background I train in endurance sports approx 10-15 hours per week and consider myself very fit and active, I experienced symptomatic afib (dizziness, shortness of breath, and horrible irregular palpitations) that always self terminated within about 30 mins or so. I had daily "false starts" every few hours mostly at rest, that felt like it was about to start and then would go away only to happen again a few hours later. Some months I'd have no afib episodes and others id have a few maybe 5. Sometimes running at low heart rates was a trigger other times it was at rest.
I'm only 2 days post ablation so too early to know how it went but so far so good. Consultant is happy with how it went (PVI ablation). I was under general anesthesia for the procedure and they used both groins to get access. There is minimal discomfort from the puncture sites and my throat is a little rough, kind of achy chest but I'm really pleased Ive had it done. I was worried about the procedure but I had nothing to worry about it was absolutely fine and would have no problem going back If i need to get a second one. The worst part was the general anesthesia after effects.
My resting heart rate has jumped up by 20 something bpm from 32 to 56 but this is normal apparently an settles in time. Heart has felt a little racing when I lie down to sleep so that will take a bit of getting used to. Had a few false starts but they are quickly reducing in frequency this is also normal apparently. I expect the heart needs time to heal the scars and will be a little funny until it does.
Overall i feel great, maybe even better than before already, but that might just be in my head! I'll have to give it some time and see .
I will update in a few weeks with info on how things are going, and how the return to training is progressing. 🤞 best of luck everyone I hope your all doing well. ❤
Thank you for posting. I'm sure that many who are still deliberating over ablation will find it very helpful. Pleased that you are feeling so well now.As you probably know, those who participate in endurance sports are very often victims of AF. Have you been advised to reduce your activities a bit ?
I agree that the worst part of GA is the after effects. I had GA for my 3rd over 8years ago and sedation for my 4th RF ablation ( 5+ hours long !) 4 weeks ago . I prefer sedation. I felt really well ,albeit exhausted, straight after.
You are so young to have all this. Look forward to hear how you progress.
Best wishes
J
Ps....I was first diagnosed at age 48, now heading towards 77.....Still a bit of life left in me
Hi Jalia, Thanks for the well wishes. Its good to hear from someone with multiple ablations, nice to know they can be performed multiple times safely. I hope you have success with your most recent procedure...
Yes the consultant has tried to steer me away from high level endurance training and suggested sticking to shorter distance racing and training if I must...he said that the risk for more dangerous ventricular arrhythmias also becomes much higher with high level endurance training...but also said that hes not saying that's what is going to happen but just something to be aware of...... I feel very torn by the advice as on one hand training is such a big part of my life and I'm still quite young to leave it behind but on the other I have to be realistic about the risks. Time will tell I suppose and all I can do I proceed with caution and listen to my body....I'm happy to take it slowly at the moment anyway.
You will know I'm sure that it is very likely your life style (endurance athlete) which has caused the AF so be very careful with your life choices in the future.
Thanks so much for that, I’m a long distance runner and was diagnosed with paroxysmal AFib in April this year after a nasty episode which put me in hospital for 2 days. I’m 49 but looking back believe I’ve had the condition for quite a few years but just ignored it, putting it down to palpitations, I’m on the waiting list for an ablation but under sedation and I’m hoping that will work although maybe my racing days are behind me now 😆
Good luck with getting it sorted 🙌🏻 after having it , in my opinion, the procedure is nothing to worry about (even though of course you will still worry , it's the heart after all 😂 I was very worried) it really is minimally uncomfortable in my experience. Mild sore throat and mild tenderness in the groin. The general anaesthesia effects were worse (unable to urinate after, needed a urinary catheter and had a drop in oxygen levels and dizziness and nausea) but apparently sedation is better and you cant remember much anyway so I'm sure you'll be fine! 🤞
If your used to tracking hr and heart rate variability on a sports watch you will find it very strange after the procedure compared to before. My Garmin doesnt know what is happening to me in the past few days. It tracks HRV to determine stress levels and sleep quality and body battery levels and at the moment everything has gone into the red and stayed there. I've found it interesting and have read that ablation affects hrv for about a month before returning to normal so I'll be keeping an eye on those metrics to help get an insight into how things are healing up , along with the alivecor kardia ecg device for detecting afib. Very handy to have if you havent got it already, I keep mine on the back of my phone so I have it close by all the time.
Best of luck with the procedure and I hope you have a great result. I will be keeping an eye out to see how your recovery goes and If you decide to return to running let us know how it goes for you. Check out a south african guy called Richard Murray he's an Olympic triathlete who had an ablation for afib in June and Hope's to continue competing. He should be a great source of info for those who are seeking info about a return to training. Best of luck ✌
Thanks for the info, I will definitely look him up. I just wish they would hurry up and do it so I can start the recovery, for me waiting is the worst bit. I was originally told I would have the ablation in September but I can’t see that happening as I haven’t heard anything, I expect they are extremely busy at the moment!
As you probably know, the bad throat will be from the TOE procedure that accompanies the ablation. It take a while for that to go away. To add to what BobD says, don't neglect the advice to take it easy for much longer than the medics tell you. You might feel great, but the heart takes a long time to heal properly, and over burdening it now will delay your recovery or result in a less successful fix.
Yes They told me about the imaging device they used in my throat being the cause of the discomfort (not unlike bad heartburn that worsens with deep breathing). Thank you for the advice I do appreciate it and im following all the advice given to me from the consultant at the moment. I have no intentions of rushing my recovery and have set aside the next few months to make a slow and steady return to normality, with the next few weeks just getting out to walk the dog. I have no idea how that will look but im very hopeful to return to training and normality once the heart has had time to heal. 😁❤
Resting heart rate Is between 25 and 30 bpm above normal, now at around 60bpm and rises quickly to around 100 when walking. Pre ablation I would have had to be running to get above 100bpm so it's clear the heart is not itself at the moment. Have read that it settles in time though 🤞
Your story sounds remarkably similar to mine and we are exactly the same age as well. Only difference being I had my ablation 2 weeks ago and my procedure wasn’t radio frequency it was the freezing method of which the bloody name escapes me at the minute 🙄 they also had to use both my groins as couldn’t get all probes down one.
I’d be very interested to hear how your recovery and return to training goes and good luck 👍
Ah that's cool , so great to have someone so similar to compare notes 🙌🏻
Hope your feeling good and things are going as they should! You might have seen in the comments above but check out Richard Murray a south African triathlete who's had the same procedure for afib he should have some useful info for you . He has a you tube channel and also there is an Olympic swimmer that is in a documentary called "head above water" who also has afib.
Hi. Good to know you are feeling well, all things considered. Interested as to why they did a 2 pronged approach. I'm 4 months post ablation and had to have a cardioversion on Friday as naughty AF had reared its head again. Hopefully, back on track now. As the fact sheet explains, rest, rest and rest.......oooh and rest some more. A difficult decision for you to make about your training but it depends on what you think of in terms of the balance of quality of life. Good luck.
Thanks Ducky, I think it was probably just a case of access why they used both groins, no difference in the procedure maybe they couldnt fit all the catheters in one? I didnt really ask as I knew it was a possibility they might need both but I never asked why.
Yeah I'm taking it very easy for the moment im in no rush. I want to return to training successfully and give the heart time to heal and at the moment with my resting heart rate still so high compared to pre ablation (68 this morning versus 32 pre ablation) I have no inclination to push things. Even returning to work next week is a little daunting at the moment because of the rapid elevation of hr when walking or climbing stairs. So I'll be a lot happier when I see that start to settle. 🤞
That must be quite a blow after 4 months but i suppose we have to accept that is the reality of ablation and while I hope it's a once off for you and things proceed af free, if not, I hope that your in a position to have a repeat procedure if necessary and that fixes any missed tissue from the initial procedure. Best of luck and keep us posted ✌
I'm not looking at it as a fail, as yet, as the 3 month blanking period doesn't seem to have clearly defined boundaries. My pulse rate used to be around low to mid 50s (pulse of an athlete, body not so 😁) and about 3 weeks post ablation, my pulse had gone up into top end of 80s. It started to steadily drop a few weeks ago and has dropped a little more since Friday so I'm around 68/70 now. I had so much bruising with one entry point, I wouldnt be keen to have 2. I'd been walking like John Wayne 😁. Hope your recovery goes well and swiftly.
😂 john wayne!I had no problems with both sides being used and pain was prob a 1 on the pain scale with very light yellow bruise on the right side. So I'd have no problem with a repeat using both side again, surgeon was obviously very gentle!
Good positivity and your right to not put it down as a fail the blanking period seems to vary wildly with individuals, I hope it just a hiccup for you 🤞
Thanks for the heart rate Info I'm a little unnerverd by it to be honest. Mine sits anywhere between 60 and 85 at rest and climbs rapidly to over 100 when I move around so for someone who barely made it above 60 when walking it's a strange feeling so I'll be monitoring how that affects me.. no other side effects from the high hr that I've noticed so I might be anxious for nothing other than it's different for me.... but then who knows different might end up being better 😁 take care❤
Good to hear the story of a fellow sportsman struck by AFib, I'm a long term racing cyclist mainly but do some running too, I'm 57 yrs old, i noticed HR spikes on my HRM and got it checked out...at rest ecg was ok, it was on a stress ecg at cardiology at Royal Stoke Hospital that my AF was picked up, I was given bisoprolol beta blockers 2.5 mg which made me feel crap on my bike and didn't really stop the AF...they couldn't up the Beta blockers because of my low resting HR, so gave me Flecanide to take alongside, still not stopping it....
They have mentioned ablation and asked me what I thought...I am considering it as it would be nice to get off the tablets and feel a bit more normal on my bike and running.
Thanks for posting, its sort of putting my mind at ease a bit about having it done, I hope you will keep updating as you return to training and let us know how the recovery goes.
There are 2 World Tour pro cyclists recently having had ablations and got back to top level racing within a couple of months....Zdenek Stybar and Elia Viviani
Hi Sam,Thanks for the suggested reading about those cyclists I'm always interested in that kind of info.
Same as you That's how I clocked my afib for certain in the end , I had a chest strap hr monitor on for a easy run @130bpm when all of a sudden it shot up to 240bpm along with that feeling I have felt occaisionally over the years of a twitching/fluttering heart. So I knew for sure then it was a problem with my heart and it became alot more regular than it had been after that....
Same as you my consultant didnt think he could give me suitable medication because of my low hr and also a long pr interval 340m/s (first degree heart block) the time it takes for the signal to travel from top to bottom is longer than normal when In normal sinus rythm. I didnt want to take medication anyway due to the limiting effects on exercise, so ablation was the best option.
I take elequis (blood thinner) but no other medication.
My heart rate is really high for what im used to post procedure now @68bpm vs 32bpm before and it rises to 115/125 when walking and rises very quickly. That used to be an easy run heart rate..... I've heard it's common after ablation but i have to admit it has me a little unnerved at the moment. I'm trying to just let the healing process do its thing and trust that it will return to a normal rate for me in time.
I sympathise with you regards your love for sport it's such a huge part of my life too. I like you will explore all the possibilities and avenues with regards returning to training before I ever consider hanging up my boots. I will do it with caution but I'm very confident in my particular case and with the type that I had and hopefully with this being a successful ablation its is certainly possible I will be back training and racing in the near future albeit with a greater awareness of my body and recovery. I Dont drink but I'm sure there are many people who will return to enjoying a bottle of wine or a few beers with afib against popular advice, or enjoy a few coffees or a cigar etc ......its a decision you need to make yourself and knowledge is power so the more we share our individual experiences the more knowledge available to all. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do and I'll update with info when I'm ready to begin to introduce some training. Take care ✌
Good to hear your op went well. I haven't heard of the 2 groin entry points before. I'm almost 4 weeks after my ablation and taking things very slowly. I'm a keen competitive cyclist and do a bit of running and open water swimming. I am planning recovering for the rest of the year. I had sedation and op was just over 1 hr.
My resting hr was 49 before op then jumped up to 60 at rest for the first wee while and like you 90/100 when moving around. The bruising on my leg is almost gone but leg still sore.
Take time to recover. It's really frustrating as it's quite slow but long time I'm hoping it will pay off. I felt really down about a week or so after my op but that has passed. I also got blinding headaches if I over done it but these seem to have stopped now.
I was also going to say there are 2 pro cyclists who had ops for AF - the difference with them is that they will be constantly monitored by team docs etc not like us who get a 3 or 6 month phone call appointment.
Take it slowly. I'll be interested to hear how you get on and when you return to training.
Thanks double deck,I'm a week tomorrow and I'm in no rush to get back yet. Any kind of training is not even on the menu at the moment . My resting heart rate is sat at around 68 now last few days and I'm still quite tired. Also having mild headaches the last couple days but really nothing too major. All in all as the few days progress it's taken a little more out of me thank I expected but still nothing worrisome. Mine was 4.5 hours and general anaesthesia. Been getting out for easy walks with the dog and back to work next Monday. Had a call from the nurse today and follow up with consultant in 5 or 6 weeks. Yeah had a little few moments of wondering had I done the right thing but then I remind myself that it would have continued to progress if it was left alone and remind myself that I was aware before I had it that it would take a.while to heal. Just trying to trust the process and take it easy. Wish you luck in your recovery and hopefully when all.is healed your back out tearing up the roads again with no extra revs 😁✌
**UPDATE**
Hi everyone,
10 days post pvi ablation for afib so I'm here to give a little update for anyone interested 😁.
I have felt a lot better over the last 2 days and feel the body starting to recover and settle.
I have taken it easy so far in the first 10 days. Groin has healed perfectly with very little bruising or pain at all, have a small pea sized painless lump at the insertion sites but this is normal. I was lucky with the lack of groin discomfort thankfully. My wrist was actually more uncomfortable where the anaesthetic needles were inserted and subsequent clamp when they were removed!
The achy feeling in my chest has subsided now also and i can comfortably breath deeply again expanding my chest to its maximum with no issues.
I have just been walking the kids to and from school this week and have been off work and I'm off next week too just for some extra rest as I was very tired up until now.
I have some mild ectopics but nothing like before where the heart would begin to go into afib multiple times a day but stop just short of going all out! I have no problem with these ectopics as they a few an far between compared to be before and I probably only notice them as I'm so aware of myself at the moment,in time I'm sure I wont even notice them they are that mild. Most importantly no episodes of afib or anything close.
I've been monitoring my stress score on my sports watch daily, it works on heart rate variability and it's designed to give an insight into how recovered the body is on a daily basis and I've found it really accurately corresponds to how I feel and It appears to give a good idea of how the heart is recovering. I've attached an image below of the stress scores recorded over the last 10 days or so for anybody interested. I think it will be useful in helping to gauge whether the heart/body is rested enough to go out and get some excersise in.
Last night I decided that now my groin is healed and I felt quite good I would go to the pool. Took it very slowly and swam a length and back and took a few minutes to let the heart rate settle before going again. Managed 450m in total with alot of chatting to a friend in between. I was quite anxious initially but felt much better after a while of just very chilled splashing about 😁 and to be honest it was great to be moving about again it done wonders for my head getting out and gave me a little more confidence in how things are progressing.
My resting heart rate is still high for me at 70bpm and rises quickly to over 100 with movement but I'm ok with that for a while and trust that it should settle in time I dont pay to much attention or worry anymore.
Anyway I hope this helps someone in making their decision. Its early days and I'm in no rush but I'm very happy with things at the moment. And I'm happy i chose to have an ablation for paroxsysmal afib early instead of waiting to see if it progressesed further before taking action. Will update again in a few weeks but so far so good ❤✌
Stress scores from before and after ablation.
So about an hour after writing this update. I went into atrial fibrillation for approx 3 mins when getting out of the shower. 👎 started when I bent over and felt a rush of blood in the chest/neck and when I stood up it was in full swing! Not gonna lie although I know it can happen with the first 3 months and still be a success and if I'm honest with you I'm pretty disheartened and had hoped for an uneventful recovery. Still hopeful it's a success and this is just a part of the healing process! 🤞
Hi Sam I'm going to post a little update later with some details about hiw things are going ...but big improvement since the start of week 3 thank God👍👍 things are looking positive at the moment
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