Blanking period over

[Kennyb1968]

So that's my 3 month blanking period over and apart from 2 weeks or so after the Ablation I have had constant low level symptomless AFib. My HR ranges from 60-70bpm at rest and settles out at between 90-120bpm during exercise. I am sleeping well for the first time in 18 months and feel generally pretty good. I have been in contact with my EP throughout who is convinced the Ablation will be successful and is unconcerned by my symptoms. I am still taking 200mg of Flecanide daily. My appointment with him is next week and I will be interested to know what will come next. Cardioversion? Second ablation? Nothing? Thoughts?

[stoneyrosed]

Hi Kenny, Glad your feeling better and getting good sleep. I think the proof in the pudding will be when you come off the flecanaide, I ended up with a second ablation which seems quite common and is regarded has a touch up procedure. Apart from a couple of short episodes of af in the blanking period I have been free of af for 11 weeks. Fingers crossed you may not need a second ablation and maybe the EP will keep you on the meds but I have a feeling he will want to see how you get on without the flecanaide & beta blocker after all that’s why we have the ablation or at least it was for me. Since second ablation I only take 2.5 beta blocker and anticougalants ! All the best 👍

[Kennyb1968 in reply to stoneyrosed]

Cheers

[jeanjeannie50]

It's good to hear that all is going well for you Kenny. I guess the next step will be to slowly reduce your Flecainide. Let us know what your EP says please.

Jean

[Kennyb1968]

Will do Jean

[FindingCaradoc]

Your low rate symptomless constant AF sounds similar to mine earlier in the year (although I did get some unpleasant palpitations occasionally) but good you’re feeling OK - as you and others have said it’ll be interesting to see what your EP’s proposed next step is and when as he still thinks things will settle down further-best of luck

[Kennyb1968 in reply to FindingCaradoc]

Cheers

[Lilypocket]

It certainly sounds like a big improvement and a good nights sleep is worth everything. If you are in low level persistant Afib without symptoms you may decide to carry like that or perhaps your EP may try a cardioversion? Anyway you will work it out together 🙂 Good luck.

[momist]

It's early days yet - even after three months. My ablation was at the end of June last year, and I had a bad event as late as early April this year - and since then, nothing.

I still haven't seen my EP since the procedure (blame covid) but had a telephone appointment with the arrhythmia nurse, followed by a 7 day monitor which showed nothing of interest. I have a further telephone appointment this month, but not with the EP. Count yourself lucky to get a consultation, but I think it's too early to consider a cure or otherwise.

My understanding is that AF is never 'cured', only treated into the background.

[Maggimunro]

hi Kennyb

So, good news then? It can take ages for the heart to settle after an ablation and we are all different in the way we heal.

When you consider you can have 75 plus areas of rogue cells sending out unwanted electrical impulses around the pulmonary arteries, it isn’t surprising that a second touch up ablation might well be needed. That was certainly the case for me and apart from a 3 day post covid jab wobble, I have been Afib free now for 5 years.

Keep on healing.

[Kennyb1968 in reply to Maggimunro]

Thanks - such a kind post

[Hilianna]

Hi Kenny Glad To hear that you are coping so well after an ablation. I have A Fib and remain puzzled by its effects. How do you know you have low level A Fib if you have no symptoms? Are you referring to monitors picking it up? Is this because the heart is leaping around but at a slow pace? I can tell I am in a fib because I can feel it, but am not so sure if it is so easy to detect when it leaps around but at a slower pace. I am not controlling mine well - beta blockers make me ill and fleccanaide has no effect. My heart I am told is now enlarged so I will have to try some other treatment. I was more or less resigned to just coping with the episodes and taking an anti-stroke pill every day but will have to rethink. Hope you manage to reduce the fleccanaide soon.

[Kennyb1968 in reply to Hilianna]

I use the Kardia

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Hilianna]

How rotten that the meds are not doing much and that ablation is ruled out for you. Are there any other treatments eg different meds that you might do better on, or could at least try? I hope you’ve not been abandoned to just “get on with it”.

[Hilianna]

A lot of people on here use the kardia watch. Something else for me to think about. I have a lesser one - the fitbit, which is not as good I understand. Thanks.

[Suze43]

Good to hear from you Kenny. It seems that, although the AF has not been banished, your quality of life has improved.

I managed 10 weeks in NSR after my ablation, though HR varied from mid 70s-high 90s. I Stopped taking bisoprolol after 4 weeks and feel so very much better without it. In November I have had a lot of ‘unclassified’ kardia readings and a few minor runs of AF. Most were mild and resolved quickly. However, at the weekend I had an episode lasting about 3 hours with HR in the 160s. I was in an extremely stressful and sleep deprived state providing round the clock care for my 94 year old Dad so have no doubt that was the trigger!

My review was yesterday by phone! I discovered, to my dismay, that my wonderful arrhythmia nurse was no longer in the department. I never actually saw a cardiologist, only the nurse and didn’t meet the EP until the day of my ablation. The phone call was from someone I was completely unfamiliar with and fortunately I had detailed notes and plenty of kardia data. He asked me to email the kardia readings and said he would get back to me in the afternoon. I’m still waiting.

Like you, I am obviously disappointed that the AF has resurfaced but am hoping that the episodes are all part of the settling and remodelling process. Even if it hasn’t been a complete success the AF is easier to manage and I am very happy to be off the beta blocker.

Look forward to hearing about your review.

[dmack4646]

have you decided on a touch ablation or has the AF gone / not troublesome ?

[Kennyb1968 in reply to dmack4646]

Still pondering mate - AFib is permanent as time goes on its getting much less variable - average daily HR is 65-75bpm and that includes daily exercise. Feeling much less breathless during exercise and sleeping really well. So I think it would be fair to say the ablation was a success from a QoL perspective. I still yearn to get back to full fitness and that would require NSR. Going to get a second opinion in the New Year.

[dmack4646]

its a difficult decision when you have improved so much - 65-75 is pretty good ..

[Kennyb1968 in reply to dmack4646]

I know mate - I definitely think a second opinion is called for

[dmack4646 in reply to Kennyb1968]

hi. Kenny was wondering how you were getting on - did you need a 2nd opinion or have (hopefully) things improved recently ? Am debating whether to go for ablation myself now ….

[Kennyb1968 in reply to dmack4646]

Bizarrely I had a chat with my EP today - the holter monitor has shown my average daily heart rate is 75-80bpm with a very low AFib deviation. I am exercising daily and the breathlessness has reduced significantly. I am still in AFib but I feel great and almost back to normal. We have agreed to leave this until April and reassess then. I am very grateful that I have had the ablation and I am so much better for it.

[MummyLuv]

Hi Kenny, great to read things have settled and you are seeing positive outcomes.

I suspect it is too early for a second abalation, I would though ask him why no cardioversion yet in order to see if you can get into and hold sinus rhythm. It may be that he already cardioverted at the end of ablation which is commonplace.

As Jean says I suspect he will gradually reduce your meds.

Wishing you good luck next week

Alison

[Kennyb1968 in reply to MummyLuv]

He didn't cardiovert after the ablation - I converted about 3 hours later

[dmac4646]

Great news Kenny !! Long may it remain.