Had and ablation for atrial fibrillation and flutter end of October (39 years). All seemed fine, and after a week of AF in rest and some blurry vision for 2 weeks, all seemed fine. Went back to walking after a couple of days and cycling on my race bike after 2 weeks. Gradually increased intensity to almost normal and no problems at all. Also got some more energy, despite being diagnosed with sleep apnea (for which I will get a mandibular advancement device).
Last week suddenly my heart rate got up to 130-140 at about every activity I did, from walking to walking the stairs, to just doing household chores. In rest it also increased from about 55 to 70. Didn't have symptoms this bad before the ablation. Had a call with my cardiologist and got an ECG and need to register heart rate in the FibriCheck for a week, 3x a day and when symptomatic. Out of 22 registrations so far, only 3 were normal. The others varied from tachycardia to bradycardia, frequent extrasystoles, atrial flutter and bigemini episode. I have a call again to discuss next week.
I'm glad that I get monitored so quickly again. Was wondering if anyone else has experienced such sudden deterioration after an ablation and any experience with the FibriCheck app.
Thanks,
Tom
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Thomas2222
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Hi, I’m 8 weeks post ablation and in that 8weeks I’ve had about twelve episodes of either high heart rate or AFIB , I’m currently battling another that so far has gone on for 32 hours.I’ve been told it’s normal as the heart is healing and can take up to 3 months maybe longer.
Hello. I am also 8 weeks out. You will have all kinds of flips etc. Are you taking any medicine to slow your heart? I take metoprolol and it helps to calm my heart. I also take ativan low dose to help me stay calm. After I eat my heart wants to act up too. Don't over tax yourself even if people tell you to do so. Listen to your body. Everyone here understands and has helped me greatly.
Hi, yes I’m on bisoprolol, flecainide and edoxoban . Was told yesterday by AFIB nurse that the cardiologist could not get to the left atrium properly in the ablation so it could be that I might need another one done.
Tom. I hate to say it but I think you’ve been doing too much, far too much.Your heart will take at least 3 months to heal after an ablation and I suggest waiting at least that long before resuming exercise at any decent level. Fitness can be recovered once the heart is fully healed.
I would suggest stopping any vigorous exercise and then wait to see if your symptoms improve.
You can then slowly re-introduce more vigorous stuff once your heart is fully recovered.
There is a fact sheet hereabouts on ablation recovery that’s well worth reading. I’ll see if I can find a link.
Good luck in your recovery. Sometimes the fastest way to get to where you want is to stop and rest. 👍
Too soon! Too soon to be doing so much exercise. Despite what the surgeons may tell you, the experienced patients on this forum will say three months minimum of resting up and being very, very careful. My ablation was at the end of June this year, and I had lots of troubles with my heart between 8 and 12 weeks afterwards, but I've been OK since. Yes, prior to 8 weeks I was feeling good and even climbed some small hills, but I really shouldn't have been doing that. Take care.
Tom, I'm there with you. 10 weeks post PVI Cryo-Ablation for Afib. I'm a 53 y.o. cyclist and a weightlifter. I just knew I'd be back on the horse after a few weeks. I walked almost a mile the first day, was up to 3.5 miles in the first couple weeks, albeit slowly. I introduced very light brief lifting and extremely slow Zwifting (indoor cycling) as I felt able. I had 1 episode of AF at day 5 and a big flurry of ectopics for the first 4 weeks that have resolved nicely. I have already had my first follow-up and everything is right on course and I'm even off all meds. I didn't want to believe that it would take 6 or even 3 months to get back to some level of intense exercise, but that's exactly how it has turned out. I can walk very briskly. I can hike up severe grades ( I live in mountainous terrain).
But, I experience significant fatigue and it can come on alarmingly fast, usually at the 30 minute mark and without warning. I often end up seeking out a park bench to check HR and recoup my strength. My HR stays in sinus but runs much higher than I'm used to, though it is ever so slowly creeping down. I've had three tachy episodes during exercise....when the HR just starts to climb for no discernible reason and keeps going and doesn't look like it's going to stop. Each time, as I watch the monitor creep from 105 to 140 bpm (after I've taken my foot off the gas) I realize I have to stop and check things out. Always sinus and always creeps slowly back down to 'normal'. Normal for me seems to be high 80's during day and down to 68 before bed, then 58 for a low during sleep. Whereas, I was squarely in the mid 50's previously for most of the day, but that was influenced by beta-blockers.
So, I find I am intolerant to exercise, at least at the levels I have been pushing. It seems there is the initial recovery, where the incision site heals, and the heart reduces inflammation, but there is a longer term recuperation that includes re-innervation and remodeling of the Autonomic Nervous System and it's connections with the ganglia complexes that were destroyed around the Pulmonary Veins. I'm convinced the swings I am experiencing are to be expected as the system recalibrate to stable and more appropriate HR swings. So, we might expect to see much improvement and then a seeming setback in the later weeks/months.
But I've also read that once you get over this second hill, that the recovery can be quite fast and marked. Or at least I'm hoping. So, I keep challenging as I am just wired to believe that I have to point my body in the direction I want it to go and acclimate, but I also am not afraid now to park on the sofa under a blanket and nap out mid day and skip anything other than a light 1.5 mile walk in the park. Good Luck, keep us updated, please.
Thanks for this reply. Just hoping everyday now my heart rate will somehow normalise, not being 130-140 every time I do something. But I know I will have to take it easy for a while now. Will postpone my plans to do a 150 km ride in the Ardens (visiting the La Chouffe brewery just before a 1 km climb average 10%, parts 20%) in May. Perhaps for 2023. My only "exercise" now is a 30-minute walk almost every morning. It is what it is. Will get a mandibular advancement device probably in a month or 2 and started to lose some weight (2 kg in the past 3 weeks), so hopefully I will regain some energy that way and not be too fatigued end of each day.
I hear and identify with the resignation in your words. That ride sounds really fun. Shame to miss it but it is what it is I suppose. So you know you are not the only one....I built out a complete home lifting gym when the pandemic first hit. I mean it has everything. Me and a friend really got after it for a year. I attempted a couple sessions since ablation but it just wasn't happening so I continue to wait.
I've actually only done one real bike ride since and that was okay but painfully slow (12-14 mph) and I was gassed halfway around a flat 12 mile loop that used to serve as my time trial training. I've scraped 140 bpm once on Zwift while cranking out 100-120 watts, so I try to go much slower, usually around 80-90 watts which puts me at about 120 bpm, but only after a long 20-30 minute warmup. If I attempt that from the start, I'm headed to 140 and beyond...:). Before procedure I could climb a 2 mile, 6% grade at a slower pace with sustained 180 watts and settled into 130-135bpm.
But the good news is I am afib and medication free and partially ectopic free, so I'll continue the trail walks,...at least those are fairly brisk, but I will get close to 120 bpm there too. Yesterday I took my Son and 3 of his friends skiing but I opted to sit this one out. Sometimes those boots aren't worth the hassle. However, our post X-mas break consists of a ski-cation so I will be testing those waters in what will be my 12th week since the procedure. Anyhow, just wanted you to know you aren't the only one. I'm convinced we will get there, just timing than I might have expected.
Good luck with your ski-cation. Hope all goes well!Right now, I would love to do rides at slow pace, but unfortunately, it does not seem there is anything between 60-75 bpm at rest and 130-140 when doing anything. Think I will just need to give it time. Perhaps with some meds in a month and a bit.
It is difficult to do nothing when you are used to exercise quite a bit. But is is what it is. For the La Chouffe Classic, I will join, but perhaps in the follow car or just joining the scenery and some good food and company. These rides are not just about the cycling itself, but it is a full weekend with friends, some exercise, some bbq and beers. Although probably the latter not for me at the moment
I had an ablation in April and had a month off work and took things very gently so your post ablation regime seems a bit much. An increased pulse rate is normal. Sadly, I'm looking at another ablation, possibly a hybrid one as the AF has returned.
I found my resting heart rate to be quite a bit higher (by 20 points) for the 16 months after my ablation, but had no irregular beats. Have thr occasional unexpectedly high rates during exercise (walking) or even for no reason at all, but three years out am dismissed from my surgeon and feeling very fortunate to have maintained normal rhythm.
Hey thomas I’m sorry for what your going through , I had the same thing happen to me after two ablations and now I’m going into my third in January. In the mean time I can’t live life like this so I was proscribed medication for rhythm control and as well as beta blockers and with the combination of both I’ve been living a semi normal life. Before the meds anything I do like climb up stairs or walk to the bathroom or just move around in bed my heart was racing and as well it would fluctuate between 120 and 135 it wouldn’t go higher and I did multiple ecg which confirms persistent atrial flutter.Anyways hope my post helps you
Thanks, exactly what I have. Just had a call with the cardiologist and she said it was too early to intervene. I will need to take it easy a bit and see if symptoms resolve. In January new monitoring and in February we will discuss what the status is and how to move on.It's just that I'm not doing any sports at the moment, outside a calm 30-min walk in the morning, and just getting more tired end of day.
Hi,Thanks for following up. Unfortunately, symptoms have not faded. Might have gotten slightly worse, since I also have these episodes of around 135 bpm when working or eating. From Tuesday onwards I will be monitoring again with FibriCheck and then in 2 weeks my cardiologist appointment. Meanwhile, I'm only working 50%, since I tend to get really tired in the afternoon with trouble concentrating while reading stuff.
How are you doing? Did you have your third ablation yet or is it still to come?
I’m sorry to hear that but am pretty much the same still on on the date for my third ablation . Have you done any holter monitors I think you should request that from your cardiologist so they can see how your heart is behaving so then can adjust your medication or add something to it. When I was in your shoes I did that and when they seen proof of how my heart was behaving they said you we need to increase dose and add another medication just temporary until ablation and honestly with the new medication it made a big difference I was able to do things I wasn’t able to due to shortness of breath
Didn't do any additional Holter yet. But the FibriCheck next week (and 4 weeks ago) also records flutter, tachycardia periods, extra systolic beats, bradycardia periods. Had a talk with my cardiologist 4 weeks ago, but because I was still in my 3-month post-ablation adaptation periode, they were not changing anything in my meds yet. So I'm only taking anti-coagulants, nothing more. Early Feb we will decide what's next.
You’ve done too much mate unfortunately I think that’s clear. Really annoys me that the docs do not tell people that they should be resting for weeks not days and even then exercise should be worked up REALLY slowly. Sounds like you’ve jumped back into it like nothings happened 😬 you’ve just had an operation on your heart and need to take it easy.
I know how it feels trust me I’m 35 and wanted to get back into exercise straight away myself but I knew I couldn’t. Almost 5 months later and I’m still just walking. I think I’ll know when it’s time to push again and right now is definitely not it. I’ve had to be content with walking for now. Worked up to 8/9/10 mile hikes which although not as good a workout as running/cycling is still a half decent workout if you incorporate hills etc and do a decent distance, is a decent workout for the legs as well but also is easy on the heart yet still works it out. I used to hate walking but I’ve grown to like it now. Hoping to build up slowly and start doing some real long hikes 20/25 miles. Maybe the el Camino at some point when I feel ready.
Hopefully once ready can jump back into more challenging exercise but I’m not going to rush it. Don’t want to mess up this ablation and then need another. I’ve had to get my head into something else for now. Learning a new language and walking is my thing nowadays and will be until I’m ready. You’ll be surprised how nice walking is when you do longer distances in the country and this is coming from someone who used to push myself to the limit daily doing kickboxing, couldn’t be anymore different 🤣 but I’ve been pleasantly surprised since I’ve started. Headphones in, podcast on, dog on lead and I’m away!
Sounds like you really need to take it easy mate. You really do not want to be back on the operating table again because you were too impatient. Atleast I wouldn’t anyway.
I know now that I should have taken it easier. It was for the cardiologist to state that I could do exercise as long as the wound in my groin area was healed. How deep I could go during exercise, my body would tell. The only limitation I was given was not too climb the Cauberg (one of the steeper "mountains" in the Netherlands). So I thought all was going well, wasn't pushing myself too hard, took it relatively easy, and then this. So for the past 2.5 weeks no change. Every exercise I do (walking at slow pace, climbing the stairs, sometimes just while eating), my heart rate goes up to 135-140. It does go down to 60-75 when doing really nothing and to maybe 50 at night. So really not sure what is best to do now? Not do any walks at all? I try to rest as much as possible. I have my second week of monitoring somewhere end of January and then in February we will discuss how to proceed. Have the feeling I will be put on some meds (currently only edoxaban).
Thanks a lot for sharing your story. It helps to now others are experiencing similar issues I do, although would be nicer if we all didn't
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