Ectopics

[7164]

Dear all

As always I turn to you for advice

I had an ablation for my paf 2 years ago and no paf or meds since😊

Digging the garden two weeks ago and ectopics when I rested. Since then ectopics at rest. Have I damaged the ablation?

Any advice please

Rod

[BobD Volunteer]

No. Ectopic beats are a normal function of a heathly heart amd everybody gets them. Trouble is we AFers get fixated on our hearts and notice them. Slow deep breathing helps.

[7164 in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobI was getting concerned that the dreaded af was coming back.

You are very resilient I know.

[frazeej in reply to BobD]

Your comment on Afib folks getting "fixated" on their heart is VERY WELL TAKEN. I am trying to break the habit of reaching for my Kardia with every little spurious blip....blips that healthy folks don't even notice. The "Kardia habit" can be a tough one!!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to frazeej]

I used to joke that I only started feeling better when the batery died!

[Turquoise19 in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob,and 7164 on the subject of ectopics I have had them accompanied with about 10bpm's raised over night according to my Garmin watch and with mild chest pain this past week.

I have an embedded ECG recorder so sent a reading to the technician who said it was fine 'just ectopics', though I don't think I've had this before.

Before my most recent ablation, when in Flutter. Still feels quite limiting.

Plus I whacked it with a load of extra drugs for fear of the AF or Flutter coming back or putting pressure on the heart .

Am trying to do my best not to have another ablation in persistent AF or Flutter if I can !!!

Thanks a lot

Turquoise

[mjames1]

Was this the first time gardening since the ablation? In my case and many others, bending over can cause ectopics. Ectopics in and of themselves should not be a concern but if they become problematic, look for the triggers. Slow breathing can sometimes help. You can also check out Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Youtube. Ectopics is one of his favorite subjects. He also has a good video on how different positions can trigger different types of ectopics -- vagal and non vagal and that also can relate to afib although fortunately not your problem now.

Jim

[mjames1]

Here's the link

youtube.com/watch?v=tPdZjfq...(Not working as expected?)

[Megams in reply to mjames1]

~Thank you mjames1 for sharing this - great info ~

[7164 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you great

[Ppiman]

Oh dear - just what you needed! I did a similar things when dismantling my grandson’s cot a while back, setting off a fast heart and ectopics. I need to be careful still as it seems I’m prone to that happening and occasionally need a bisoprolol to calm things down.

You won’t, though, have damaged the ablation scars themselves, I feel sure. One possibility is that it seems that, in some people, maybe all, the cells around the pulmonary veins are sensitive to being“stretched” and this can set off ectopic beats, even AF. You could have stretched other cells than those the ablation dealt with and caused this, I suppose - just temporarily.

Also when gardening, as I find, it’s easy to pull the muscles around the oesophagus and stomach. This can also cause the diaphragm to push against the heart and set off ectopic beats, or cause acid indigestion with a similar effect.

I suspect all will be well, myself. Fingers crossed!

Steve

[JoseT]

please remember that ectopics can be also caused by electrolyte imbalance in the blood which is not uncommon. Low potassium, for instance. You could try electrolyte supplements and magnesium and see if it helps. Blood test will show it for sure and even an ECG could potentially detect patterns of electrolyte imbalance.

all the best