Af for 24 hrs 3 months post ablation

[Lenlec]

Hi all. Had what I thought was a successful ablation 3 months ago but after a few beers

The other night I’m still in Af very disappointed tbh only had 3 or 4 pints max

Does this mean the ablation didn’t work ?

Cheers and happy Xmas

[jeanjeannie50]

Sorry to hear this, but it looks like you've found your trigger for AF. Could be either the alcohol or sulphites in the drinks you had.

Hope you soon go back into sinus rhythm. Are you at a high heart rate?

Jean

[Lenlec in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Between 80 and 100 bpm took 100 mg flecanide as soon as it started and 100 mg this morning

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Lenlec]

You're still in a normal range then, despite the ups and downs of the rate. If you feel ok I'd just carry on as best you can and ignore it. No, it doesn't mean that your ablation hasn't worked. Just a little warning - I had to smile at your words only 3 or 4 pints. Annoyingly, I guess this is how your heart will be if you drink that amount again.

Let us know how you get on today please. Hope you're soon back into sinus rhythm.

Jean

[Lenlec in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Back to normal rhythm now 66 bpm. Bit fed up though as now I’ll probably need a 2nd ablation

[Phylenejo in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Gluten??

[Hidden]

Can I suggest you re-read the replies to your previous post “End of blanking period”. The blanking period is a guide to what to expect during the recovery period and is not set in stone, it will be different for everyone….you may still have a way to go, so follow Jean’s advice, and re read the factsheet and try to relax. If your AF does not revert, contact your Arrhythmia Nurse or your EP’s secretary and make them aware….

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

[BobD Volunteer]

Sorry to say this but what do you expect? Life style is far more important than anything else where AF is concerned. Maybe in a year or so you could try the odd pint but let your body heal first.

[Buffafly]

Anybody ever told you not to poke a snake with a stick? It probably means that your ablation hasn’t worked well enough to allow you to drink enough beers that you can’t remember how many 🍻?

[Lenlec in reply to Buffafly]

Your probably right Buffafly. Still fed up and disappointed though.

[Buffafly in reply to Lenlec]

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[Elli86]

Hi lenlec.

I went into af at 3 months post ablation as well. I don’t believe it means it’s a failure. A month and a half later and I’m now completely off all medication and haven’t had any af since.

Easy to say but don’t despair. Chances are it worked perfectly fine. 100% agree with the others who’ve mentioned it though. I won’t be touching alcohol again for as long as I live. It may not even be a trigger for me but what is the point? Don’t need it and don’t want it so why take the risk. I’d rather be healthy and get to do the real important things in life like spending time with my kids/mrs/family. Booze can do one as far as I’m concerned along with anything else that may potentially be a trigger.

I’m gonna give my ablation the chance to be as successful as possible and as bob said it is as important if not more important to make the necessary lifestyle changes as it is to have the ablation in the first place.

Don’t despair honestly chances are you will be fine. Good luck and lay off the booze 🥃 🍺 🍻 👍

[rosyG]

Agree with Bob here. If you’ve been ill enough to risk ablation it seems strange that you drink alcohol 12 weeks later- perhaps you didn’t know that alcohol triggers AF.

[Hidden]

Firstly, early days. Secondly- that is quite a lot of alcohol! I’m afraid you may need to give it up. Recent study of alcohol as trigger seemed to show it didn’t matter what kind of alcohol, although folk have convictions it was only wine or only non organic or or or but the amount of it. Let your heart heal and good luck. I do find abstinence a challenge!

[Bellaowl]

I went into unexpected Af a yr after ablation. It was due to IBS causing my potassium to drop significantly. I was put on a Hartmann drip - multi minerals - at hosp and felt much better and came home after rest. Perhaps your beers depleted minerals, perhaps eat bananas before a beer binge.

🦉

[Bellaowl]

But why have a beer binge in the first place? You have to be kinder to your body now. You may enjoy the odd single half pint craft Beer more/ once a month. 🦉

[CDreamer]

I realise that you are disappointed but it seems to me that you are more disappointed that you can’t drink beer without experiencing AF - yet. Obviously it’s your choice but it looks like beer with AF or no beer and no AF.

[Guitar335]

I love a drink. I badly miss a Friday evening few pints. I’m sad not to have a few glasses of champagne on xmas day. I used to drink vodka at music festivals like water ……but it is my AF trigger

And it certainly sounds like yours too…and u clearly know that 😎

I’ve become an expert in alcohol free beers and my head and thinking is clearer now than ever.

On the rare occasion I have a pint or glass of alcoholic wine I know I’m playing with fire. …fact

I’ve decided though I hate AF more than I love alcohol so it’s the one or usually none for me

[Lenlec]

Thanks all. Yes I think I need to grow up and face facts. My worry is now the Af has found a pathway it will always find a pathway even after ablation?

[Elli86 in reply to Lenlec]

As I said lenlec it happened to me around same time and I’m now med free and haven’t had any more af for coming up for 8 weeks. Try to forget about it and crack on. All will be fine 👍

[Ppiman]

Depending how long after you drank the beer, I guess it's likely that the volume of liquid in a few beers would have quite severely bloated your stomach and pushed it high against the diaphragm, especially if you were sitting down and had eaten anything on top; this could easily bring the diaphragm into contact with the base of your heart. I have read that this can cause irritation sufficient to set of ectopic beats and, in those prone to it, these can lead to AF.

I would think this might be what happened, and, with luck, it was because the ablation area in the left aorta is still "healing" (i.e. you are still in the so-called "blanking period"). I read a study where many people after their ablation had events like this in the first year but were free from AF 12 -24 months later. Hopefully, this will apply to you.

I think this kind of direct physical irritation is more likely than some kind of allergy to what is in the beer itself, but that might also be possible, I suppose.

Steve

[Elli86 in reply to Ppiman]

Interesting viewpoint steve. Could very well be the case that the volume of liquid a person takes on board when downing pints could have the effect you describe 100% but this is only 1 aspect though.

There’s no getting away from it that alcohol is a toxin though and your body does not want it in you and tries it’s best to rid it as quickly as possible. This requires a hell of a lot of energy to do so. Also alcohol is known to severely dehydrate you, hence the headache the morning after once the “pleasant” effect of the alcohol has worn off and can no longer drown it out.

Your body will do anything it can to get rid of alcohol as soon as possible and use tons of energy in doing so, while dehydrated. Sounds like a sure fire trigger for me. Even if it doesn’t do it immediately and therefore people won’t connect the two, over time of continually doing this there is absolutely no doubt that it won’t be having a positive effect on your body or subsequently your af.

Not trying to preach and each to their own just stating that there’s no doubt drinking is not good for you. Don’t get me wrong I have had countless times getting absolutely leathered every weekend (and many work and even occasionally schooldays 🤦‍♂️) music festivals, parties, nights out etc and (sometimes) had a great time but have come to realise that you really don’t need the booze to do it and it makes literally zero difference to the outcome of the night.

I do find it a shame personally that culture has groomed us into thinking that we need a beer in order to have a good time but you really don’t. I find it hilarious sitting round a table while everyone’s downing booze and making absolute tits of themselves 🤣 it’s the highlight of my night. Very interesting to see just how quickly the effects of alcohol change behaviour as well. You don’t realise when drinking but you recognise it straight away when observing as a sober bistander and it’s hilarious.

Not against booze just stating what I believe to be facts and obviously everyone entitled to do whatever the hell they want with their life and enjoy it while you can, you only live once. But in my view alcohol is a known toxin (poison) that we regularly drink by the bucketload 🤣 for me when it’s said like that it sounds crazy but what do I know.

Bottoms up 😁👍🥃🍺🍻

[Ppiman in reply to Elli86]

I hadn’t thought of the alcohol or “dehydration” effects - good point. I wish I could find references to the work I mentioned but I can’t.

Yes, it’s looking like good old ethanol isn’t so safe. I still enjoy my glass of Bordeaux with a meal! Sainsbury’s have a stunning special of a 2017 red Graves at present - a beautiful wine.

Steve

[Elli86 in reply to Ppiman]

Sod it send me a box over and let’s get leathered 🤣🤣 you’ve twisted my arm 😁👍

[Electricblue1 in reply to Elli86]

To true, I gave up the booze and I find it so much fun being the sober one and observing all the drinkers making fools of themselves.

[Elli86 in reply to Electricblue1]

😂 like I say best bit of my night! I find it fascinating! Peoples lips get very loose when drunk as well and they don’t realise that they won’t, but you will , remember everything in the morning 🤣

Taking the piss out of friends drunken ramblings the night before never gets old either! I’ve had a couple go sober purely based on what I’ve told them the following day 🤣 problem is people don’t realise how they were as there’s no one sober there to tell them.

[Electricblue1 in reply to Elli86]

😂 oh that’s what I hated , when I was told what I had got up to on the booze , that’s what I don’t miss . It’s only now I’m sober that I can look back and cringe.

[Elli86 in reply to Electricblue1]

🤣🤣 I’ve done my fair share of mega embarrassing things while slaughtered 🤦‍♂️ my mrs literally did not speak to me for a week after one particular concert we went too 🤦‍♂️ I was absolutely battered! Not a good look 🤣 another that springs to mind is the first time I discovered leffe on tap 😛 beautiful beer but goes down a little too well! Funny to think about now but never again thank you 👎

I stopped for health reasons but not behaving like a 5yr old is a good bonus 😂

[Buffafly in reply to Ppiman]

Some time ago I posted a link to an article listing all the downsides of alcohol. Some people thought it was preaching but it wasn’t intended as such, just useful info, some of which I hadn’t known before. There are many ways in which alcohol can trigger an AF event depending on sensitivities and you just added another one 😀

[Lilypocket in reply to Ppiman]

I totally agree. My episodes are nearly all related to just after eating and still sitting. It can be a light meal it makes no difference. As an experiment I didn't wear a bra ( obviously not for chaps lol) for a while at home and I've had 1 episode in three months instead of 2 or 3 a month. I have a BMI of 24 . I really believe restriction under the sternum is a factor or bloated tummy. Maybe Vagal?Take care

[Ppiman in reply to Lilypocket]

I mentioned vagal AF to the cardiologist I see but he said that that was a rather unusual thing even if widely believed to be common. He explained that if the vagus were irritated, the first effect would be bradycardia, not tachycardia - and there would be several other effects, too, as it’s such a large and diverse nerve.

So, I’ve come to think it’s the heart itself being physically pressed against. I saw that once actually happen when I had an X-ray and my left diaphragm was quite misshapen from the stomach pressing up underneath. Like you, an over-tight belt, or even leaning forwards pressing against a table, or bending over something, can bring on tachycardia. Most odd.

Steve

[Elli86 in reply to Ppiman]

I would say this is almost definitely true and something I suffer from when I’ve eaten too much. Nick shared a very good video on this from dr Sanjay Gupta that explains it brilliantly. Pretty sure he did a post a few weeks back if you want to watch it 👍

[Ppiman in reply to Elli86]

I'll search for that. Thanks. The number of people who write that their problems are set off by a meal must outweigh most other "triggers" I have seen. And I doubt the individual foods that are claimed by some to be triggers since ingesting foods is a slow thing, relatively, and what kind of mechanism would bring, onion, say, to spark of an arrhythmia? But - I can only speak of my own limited experience, for sure.

Steve

[Elli86 in reply to Ppiman]

That’s a tough one steve to be honest. I have suffered from inflammation for many years and am sure that this has been the main cause of my af personally. This I’m quite certain originates from my gut.

Certain foods can certainly upset certain individuals of that I’m convinced and therefore cause inflammation. My inflammation is widespread throughout my body, mainly concentrated in my joints but effects every part of my body once it kicks off. Therefore I have no doubt it also effects my heart as it’s in essence just another muscle.

The human body is so complicated it’s almost an impossible task to nail any one thing down to be a cause. Drs do have an incredible task on their hands. Everything is so intertwined in the body and one problem can have an incredible number of different causes.

Therefore I would be hard pressed to rule anything out due to the intricacy involved and also due to my total lack of experience and knowledge in the field.

[Lilypocket in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks for your reply. That's what happens in my case. Something a little tight, or when I lean over. I think since 2012 I've only had 2 episodes at night , nearly all have been in the afternoon or evening. I don't think it's related to food always but nearly always when I'm sitting or ,if I'm standing, leaning over. I have a small can of Heineken in the evening and it has never, yet, provoked an episode. I have cut out tea and coffee and take magnesium and vitamin C. But if I'm at home loose sports clothes do the trick. We should start a post because it would be very interesting to see who else gets PAfib for the same reasons. Take care.

[lankylad]

I had a very similar experience. I had my Catheter Ablation procedure this time last year for both AFib and Flutter, then went back into intermittent AF after three months, which lasted for about a week. I was assured by my cardiologist that this was quite normal and did not mean the procedure had been unsuccessful. Nine months later I'm coming up to my anniversary and haven't had another attack. I stopped taking Beta Blockers last September and am now only taking blood thinners. I'm nervous about stopping these, but am considering doing so on the 12 month anniversary of my last attack.

I was advised by my cardiologist to cut down my drinking, but was not advised to stop. I now never drink more than half a bottle of wine or two pints of 3.8% beer a night, but do this several times a week. I also stopped eating after 8pm as a racing heart in bed seemed to be a trigger for me.

Peter

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Hi there, unfortunately, it is not unknown to experience episodes after the procedure, it does not mean that it hasn't work. It's important to listen to your body, and make a note of any event, including your activity \ foods etc. If they continue, contact your doctor and present the information. Unfortunately, it is well known that alcohol is a stimulant that can contribute as a trigger to AF.

[TM93]

I had an ablation and struggled with Afib for almost 6 months before it finally stopped. Then I was Afib free for 4 years. Sadly it came back but not nearly as rough and I can manage it with medication. It takes time for the heart to heal. Hang in there.

[Snowgirl65]

As much as I was an avid wine-drinker before a-fib, I knew it was my trigger. I don't think your recent episode means your ablation didn't work, as it occurred at the end of the blanking period of 3 months. However, you may reconsider your next few pints!

[Bennera513]

I'm onboard with everything already said but I'll pile on anyway. Me, my wife and Son went out for Sushi last night. Turns out the place only provided carry out so we scrambled to a fine Italian restaurant next door and lucked into a private table. When asked about drinks, I surprised myself by ordering an Italian Pilsner (me assuming the ABV would be low, it was). This was my first beer since Ablation 11 weeks ago. I'm a beer fiend and have had my darker moments with that beast but in good days pre-ablation I would venture the odd pint or maybe two. Like someone else mentioned I actively seek out the low ABV or no alcohol varieties now and find that comes close to scratching at least one of those itches. Well, I did have a few clustered ectopics afterward, but I'm putting that down to the rich, fattening and voluminous meal. As yet another mentioned, I firmly believe large meals cause crowding in my inner sanctum and the heart does not like that. I can't argue with anyone that questions why we'd tempt fate with a beer so early on. But, yea...Lifestyle. It's got to change. I've curtailed my exercise to moderate levels and the same just makes sense for the binge sessions. I'd be right there by your side with a toast and a desire to order one more, but really...four of anything begins to sound like something other than moderation...

[cherrypicker]

Yep I’m afraid alcohol is your trigger! I speak after a cardio version 2 ablations and lastly a cryoballoon ablation which was the solution if I want an alcoholic drink on a special occasion I have half a glass of bubbly and take a bisopropol before bed! Boring I know but not worth going into af chocolate is my other weakness but doesn’t affect me like booze!

[CordellBaker]

I drink 2 or 3 “light beers” on ICE - 2 or 3 times a week with no problem yet…