thought I would let you know after first thinking I could manage my paroxysmal it has been gradually getting worse since June so decided I had no choice but to book an appointment with an EP who I saw today in Leicestershire and have decided that I have to have the ablation done he now thinks that I had been having episodes on and off for about Twenty years as I have been on beta blockers twice before, so am now booked in for the 12th November to have it done.
I am very scared and now back home still not sure if I have made the right decision, I am actually in Afib again today so was glad he could see it on my ECG he has told me he will put me out as when I had the second cardio version they just sedated me and it took me ages to go to sleep so was concerned i would be awake for it.
He has also said it takes about a week to get over it so would like to know how long it has taken those that have had it done to recover, I am very negative about it and my husband has said I have got to be positive but that is easier said than done.
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Bell50
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What utter nonsense! Honestly I thought we had sorted this sort of wishful thinking.
A very young fit person may feel reasonable after a week but for most people they are just starting the recovery process.
A few years ago we produced two fact sheets, one on preparing for and one recovering from ablation so I will put links at the end of my post. It is far better to understand what to expect rather than feel a total failure when you are still struggling. Doctors have seldom had to go through the procedure so please read both these as they were written by patients for patients based on the question "what do you wish you had been told ". Once you have absorbed them please come back and ask any specific questions and we wil try to help.
The procedure itself is not like open heart surgery and so please be reassured that you will know little about it, just tell the team about your high anxiety and they will help you with a mild relaxant medication prior to going into the cath lab.
Your husband is correct, positive mindset helps as anxiety and worry will result in stress and that will hinder healing process and will always exacerbate episodes.
Go with an open mind, knowing that if the ablation works for you, great and if it doesn’t it most certainly will lessen symptoms.
Take Bob’s advice an go in with a realistic view of the recovery time but understand it is different for everyone so read and absorb the information and come back and ask questions but understand you will get a variety of responses - because we all react differently. The first 3 - 6 months you may experience further episodes during the ‘blanking’ period so won’t know if has worked for you for sure for several months.
A friend of mine in her early 80’s just had an ablation and was back in the gym and playing golf about 4 weeks following the ablation and had absolutely none of symptoms on the Fact Sheet so don’t forget the people who write posts here are most certainly the people who do experience symptoms but they may not be truly representative of the majority.
And don’t forget that right up to the moment you enter the Cath Lab, you can change your mind although you might not win popularity contest if you cancel last minute.
You don't say how and for how long you have tried to manage your PAF. Lifestyle changes are of prime importance and take time, effort & perseverance, in emergencies and when QOL is too poor it becomes necessary to intervene. I think it is a general consensus (albeit governed by individual circumstances) that drugs are tried first and buy you some more time for Lifestyle changes and then 'procedures', principally ablations.
My decision not to have an ablation at age 60 (offered by 2 cardiologists & an EP) was non-scientific. I was not comfortable with the speed at which it was offered, the description of the process, my own assessment of my body's robustness and the 70% success rate quoted together with no guarantees on stopping drugs afterwards.
I therefore postponed the ablation option and have been lucky that L/S changes and Flecainide have given me 8 yrs of remission so far. My decision may not have been right but I take comfort in the fact that during the delay the procedure is being improved all the time and I have benefitted my life generally from the L/S changes.
I am afraid this is not advice to you because your decision is largely subjective. I would accept both decisions have potential issues. I would then follow your own 'gut feel'. Don't give in to pressures from others, your own decision will never be wrong as no one knows how the alternative would have worked out.
Most L/S changes have been mentioned before here. I have probably tried most of them over the 8 yrs. The more you look into it the more a lot becomes interrelated. For example dealing with diet & gut issues affects your mental health/anxiety via the Vagus Nerve, which in turn reduces the build-up to an AF episode.
I suppose the biggest changes I have made which I would not have done without being driven to it by AF are regular daily brisk walks in the countryside, increase in spirituality (in my case God), reduction in gluten, sugar & processed foods , magnesium compound & CoQ10 supplements and lastly reduction in personal/busines stress.
Hope something there helps, a lot of trial & error is involved and of course what works for me may not for someone else.
I first had symptoms in may 2021 it took two months for the doctors to take me seriously I then had an ecg which proved I had Afib it was registering 166 so I then got an appointment with a cardiologist who put me on tablets then had two cardio versions that put me into paroxysmal.I was hoping to manage it with tablets as she had changed my tablets twice but since June when she discharged me my episodes have been getting more frequent and lasting longer so have realised I can’t carry on like this as I am not managing it, but after speaking to the EP yesterday I now realise that I have actually been having episodes since I was 34 I am 59 now as I have been on beta blockers before twice but the doctors then took me off of them.
there is nothing at all to fear! You will either not feel it at all or be vaguely aware of it but there is no pain. If you get a GA you feel nothing of course. In the strongest terms I would say Go for it!!
I was determined not to have an ablation but it was completely successful for two years and though the AF crept back slowly my episodes are less and my symptoms milder so it was worthwhile.
I believed the ‘back to normal in a few days’ quoted on my hospital info leaflet so completely overdid it in the following weeks as my ablation was on the 15th of December. Just don’t make important plans for several weeks afterwards so you don’t feel forced to keep up.
Buffafly I was like you thought I could manage it and refused to even see the EP but it got to the point where I wasn’t just feeling unwell I didn’t look well and I am so fed up of having to go toilet every time it goes in to Afib it makes me want to go every fine mins which isn’t normal and we like walking so to think that I might need the toilet all the time is putting me off walking.
What you are saying is that your QOL and that of your husband is being spoilt and that is the best reason to go for it as you have a very good chance of a better life whereas now you have none. Good luck 🍀 (hopefully not needed!)
your fears and reluctance are entirely valid but the two links provided above are some of the best advice ever. Having been through four ablations, I can affirm they are a cake walk compared with knee or hip surgery. I asked my EP, “if I was your father, what would you advise?” He said, “let’s do it, dad!” That was all the assurance I needed.
oh flip not what I wanted to hear. I've had 3 abl s and Im having hip repl Oct 14th(if I don't back out) I m much more scared of hipop than either of the abl s.😃☹
I’ve had 4 ablations at leicester each one has given me relief for a period of time longest 18 months shortest 3 months but my af and afl symptoms has reduced with each one. I had to battle to get a sick note from them for 2 weeks as they tell you that you will be fine after a week. On all occasions I had a month off from work dr wrote the note for the remaining 2 weeks. In all honest I probably shouldn’t of returned even then to a physical job.
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up date on Potassium effects!!
Husband got date for cardioversion.
Ablation date available...arggh
Got my ablation date 
Date for ankle surgery 
