Firstly I would just like to thank you all for being there & sharing your experiences. You don't know how much it helps when we feel scared & don't know what to expect
I had my ablation on 22nd November. I still haven't had a follow up appointment with my EP. Did anyone have to same? This was private & I did chase up a month ago, but still waiting
I have started having what I think are palpatations which seem to start early evening & carry on until I manage to get to sleep. My heart bangs like mad. At the same time I am getting tinitus. Sometimes my chest hurts, not a bad pain but twinges from time to time which worries me
I know it has only been almost 3 months sincemy ablation & I have assumed this is why I am getting these episodes. I also get upper backache which moves across my back
Has anyone else had this please? I am trying to ignore it due to the timing, but sometimes we just need a bit of reassurance to stop us grom worrying
Thanks again. I still have so much to learn ❤❤
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I would like to be able to reassure but don’t feel competent to comment so I think the best plan would be to make an appointment with your GP and ask for an ECG and blood tests.
Even better if you have a mobile or watch that will take an ECG when you feel the palpitations. Most likely they will be either harmless ectopic beats - very common following ablation but they can feel very like AF and are often uncomfortable and can last for months after ablation.
The palpitations may also be caused by eating too much, when you are not in rest and digest mode or food related in some way so good idea to keep a journal of symptoms and timings and what you were doing.
Have you had any infection at all? Even the slightest infection causes inflammation and your heart will still be very sensitive so that could also be a factor as is stress or anxiety of any kind, although I get it’s nearly impossible to not have anxiety with AF!
Just a few things to bear in mind - pain in the chest and back are most often muscular or gastric but pain is something you should never ignore and always get checked out, especially when it’s persistent.
Just thoughts and hope some of that helps. Best wishes
Thank you for that CDreamer, it is very helpful. I get the pulsating & the ringing tinitis. Both aren't pleasant, but I am getting used to it now
I have a kardiomobile which is reading Normal Sinus Rhythm, but it slows downward spikes at times. I really am unsure when it comes to reading the ecg
I have had 5 UTI's since September, but finished the antibiotics about a month ago. I really feel like I am dropping to bits. Until 2020, I had only been to hospital to give birth lol
I think you are right regarding the gastric problems, they are all connected
Thank you so much. It is amazing how much better you feel just being able to discuss it with someone in the same boat. You take care of yourself x
As an American doing business travel, my experiences with the British medical system have been few and for somewhat minor issues for which I was treated rather well. Thus, I don't know if your treatment is typical.
Considering your frightening symptoms, If they were mine I would insist on being seen. If still ignored, I would speak with his superior and not stop going up the chain until I received the needed examination and likely the needed medication.
Your experiences this far on I think should be discussed with your EP. All medics are very stretched at present. Often an EP likes to wait 12-16 weeks before assessing you post ablation. So you're within that period, just. I'd absolutely get a Kardiamobile pr watch to track what your heart is getting up to. Make a note of all events- time, how long, level of discomfort and whether after meals or not. As CDreamer says you could have some type of inflammation and I'm also wondering about nerve disturbance. Chest and back pains btw are classic symptoms of heartburn, which is a digestive issue. So, there are a few possibilities. By keeping a detailed record you'll help your EP build a picture of what's going on. Hope that helps a bit
Hi Singwell , yes, my 3 months is up shortly. I'm really keen to get off the amiodorone as I have been on them over a year now. As per my reply above, I have a Kardomobile,but it is showing no sign of AF, but I am useless at reading them. There are large downward spikes, but I'm not sure whyThank you, that is so helpful
As your symptoms are new rather than ongoing since your ablation I would want medical advice on them - it is common for people to think all symptoms are AF/ablation related and therefore not report them. All the suggestions already given are possible so you need to find out what’s going on. I would contact your GP first because EPs do tend to be very focussed on their speciality.
I had similar after my ablation so I can sympathise. These things are always a worry and feed anxiety, sadly. If you feel your pulse when they happen, you'll likely feel a few longer gaps between heartbeats with a "thump" coming in after the gap. If so, these are common and are ectopic beats which are almost always harmless. They can happen in short runs, or with gaps then recur. If the pulse feels very irregular over a longer period, that could be AF, of course. I think your EP will say to wait for three months for things to settle, and up to six months or more on occasions is needed.
The back discomfort is something I still get, and I can't explain it, but I think it is common. It's never a true pain but is unpleasant. My doctor is never concerned about it. I often wonder if it isn't gastric in origin as it feels like it's from the diaphragm under the left bottom ribs.
Hi Steve, you have all my sympathy as I know how awful it feels. Like you. I was also dealing with atrial flutter. If it was only one thing at a time, but there are so many different niggles. Were you on amiodorone? How are you feeling now? Many thanks for replying
I'm fine generally now, thank you. Amiodarone was the next step but, luckily, the ablation came before that was tried. I was on bisoprolol 5mg and digoxin which did keep my heartbeat down, thank goodness. I was told that AFl was tough to treat with drugs but easy to cure with an ablation. They also found I have a "wide QRS" caused by left-branch bundle block, and, apparently, that limits the drugs that can be used even further.
The ablation did cure the flutter. That said, I haven't remained symptom-free since then. After the ablation, when I stopped the tablets, I had a bad episode of AF, out of the blue. Goodness that wasn't nice. These days I am a lot better but still get a mild tachycardia (85-130bpm) that comes out of nowhere, often over breakfast or with the mildest exertion. A very few times I have had bouts of AF and long runs of multiple ectopic beats - again, not easy to put up with but at a lowish rate (85-130bpm). All echos and MRI scan show a normal heart, thankfully.
Hi, I don't know if this helps but I have been waiting since November for a follow up appointment since my ablation in August. I finally rang the cardio nurse( I couldn't get any where with the other numbers I had been given and she was great, ringing me back with an appintment for this Monday to speak to him. My appointment had simply been forgotten -in the hubub of covid, I suppose, which is understandable - but I need some advice. I am really glad I asked now. perhaps you could do the same?And CDreamer is dead right. Any infection can bring AF back. Best wishes.
Thank you Bassets. I did ring over a month ago & the EP blamed the Spire for not arranging it. Have heard nothing since. I did go private due to the waiting list, but any further will be by NHS🤞🤞🤞
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