Post-Ablation Afib Episode Causes?

[willec49]

I had my first cyro ablation in March after which I had a brief, 15-minute Afib episode and then a 4-hour and a 6-hour episode, all while off the flecainide which had kept episodes at bay for 10 months or more before the ablation. Now I am back on 100 mg. flecainide daily. Because my episodes are always at night during sleep, my EP thinks they are being triggered by sleep apnea which I was diagnosed with a "mild" case in 2018. I challenged him as to whether the ablation was "successful" to which he replied that the purpose of ablations is to "reduce" the incidence of afib, not necessarily stop them completely. I've heard different takes on that as many on here report that their ablation(s) have completely stopped their afib. When I asked him about the statistics showing additional ablations raise the success rate, he replied that he wants to assess my sleep apnea first and go from there so I have a sleep study scheduled for next weekend. I made a point to tell him that since my apnea diagnoses in 2018, I dropped 55 pounds and have maintained that this entire time as I adhere to my specific diet. I know weight is a factor in sleep apnea so we'll see what this sleep study reveals. for now, however, I am on a lower dose of flecainide than before the ablation.

[Hidden]

What you are being told certainly sounds familiar. It’s something which has been discussed at our support group meetings so it sounds right to get sleep apnea checked out and if necessary, treated. We often hear it said that an ablation does not cure AF but that is an effective means of controlling and/or improving symptoms. I had a Cryoablation back in 2016 and although the EP was unable to fully treat one of my pulmonary veins, I was relatively symptom free for a good while and when they did occur, they were nowhere near as troublesome as before the ablation. After my second ablation (RF) in 2018, I was symptom free for 7 months before mild episodes of AF returned which were quickly stopped using Flecainide as a PiP. Fortunately, the episodes stopped after a couple of months or so and I have been AF free since 🤞which also demonstrates that the blanking period can often extend well beyond the often quoted 3/6 months……

[willec49 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply. I am happy and reassured to hear that your episodes finally did stop after the blanking period. I am only 4 months out from my ablation so the whole story has yet to be told. I will try to remember that. All the best!

[BobD Volunteer]

It is very important to understand that any and all treatment for AF is for quality of life (QOL) rather than cure for which there is currently none.

If your heart feels like it new pathways can form in exactly the same way the ones recently ablated did. Consequently every effort to alter life style to mediate these things should be made. and maintained.

After three RF ablataions up to 2008 my AF was terminated but I still developed a different arrhythmia nearly ten years later. As I say. if you are prone to arrhythmias you may well get them.

All that said, as we say in our fact sheet on recovery from ablation many people are still improving at nine months or a year so keep up the good work.

[willec49]

Thanks, Bob, for your always instructive and encouraging words. I realize, at only four months post ablation, I am still very early in the process and so hopeful for improvement as I move ahead.

[mjames1]

Are you taking 100mg twice a day? What did you take before?

[willec49]

I am on 50 mg. day and 50 mg. night - 100 mg. all together. Before the ablation I was on 50 mg. day and 100 mg. night.