I have atrial fibrillation and I am awaiting ablation. I rang the hospital and apparently they are waiting for the nurse to sign it off and she said that it could take 12 months for the referral to be accepted by the hospital she has referred me to!
I keep having panic attacks and anxiety and they are not helping with my heart going like the clappers!
My question is how long were you waiting? I am scared of having an event that I can’t sleep. I have rung those poor secretaries so many times and their hands are tied
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AFnotworked1981234
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The length of time waiting for an ablation varies from one hospital to another. I would say in general 6-12 months.
How long have you had AF attacks, are they really bad, do you lose consciousness, how long do they last and do you usually end up getting admitted to a hospital ward? Also what drugs are you taking to control the attacks?
I had cardioversion 2 years ago and was in sinus rhythm then I was walking my daughter to school and I just collapsed at her school in March 2023. I am on Amiodarone. At the hospital they said I was back in AF, then the next time I am back in sinus rhythm but it doesn’t feel it
Since I have been on the Amiodarone I have not had any other events.
It’s making me not sleep because all I can hear is my heart pounding. My nurse has referred me to the other local hospital that is a Specialist Cardiac centre and I got a letter from her the other day saying that I need to be aware that I could be waiting a long time for my ablation. My dad got a letter from the same hospital saying he’s at risk for sudden cardiac death! He is only 62. I guess it’s a mixture of both things happening. I think about my kids growing up without me and being looked after by their father who is not reliable.
In the past I've had that experience where your heart beat sounds in your ears. It's a fairly common thing to have and highly annoying!
I'm going to post below some information I've discovered over the years that can help reduce AF attacks:
Having had AF for 18 years, three ablations (where they go up through your groin to burn or freeze the inside of the heart where the rogue pulses often come from) and numerous cardioversions (electric shock to put the heart back into it's correct rhythm) my advice to everyone diagnosed with AF is the following:
1. Be Aware you are most unlikely to die from Atrial Fibrillation (AF). I used to think that the way my heart bounced around I would surely be found dead next day. Still here though!
2. Changing your diet to a more plant based one, avoiding any foods containing artificial additives, not allowing yourself to become dehydrated, cutting back on sugar, alcohol and caffeine, also losing weight (if it's needed) will all have a beneficial effect on your AF. Artificial sweeteners were a sure trigger for my attacks. How I wish I'd known all of this before having any of my ablations. Would I have listened if anyone had told me? Probably not, because I believed ablations would cure me - three didn't! They have helped some people though and my AF now is not so severe.
3. This is a hard one, but looking at gadgets that show your pulse and AF will make you anxious and anxiety feeds AF. I was obsessed with what my heart was doing for about the first ten+ years of my AF journey and my attacks were so debilitating I'd end up in a hospital ward, it has taken me a long time to take my mind off this subject and get on with living. The less I think about it, the better I feel. Now I used to feel cross with people who suggested I stop looking at my pulse rate machines, I thought that their AF couldn't be as bad as mine and they didn't understand how poorly attacks made some of us feel. I would get cross with anyone who said they could still go on holiday and carry on life as normal. They made me feel evil, by not understanding how ill I felt! In our minds AF is only as bad as we have experienced, for some attacks are mild for others they're more severe.
4. Make sure you don't slouch, or unwittingly do shallow breathing while watching tv or if you're online. If you do your heart will protest. Also avoid tight clothing around your waist.
5. Try supplementing with magnesium, any type except oxide (I use glycinate from YourSupplements and also take taurine, zinc, vitamin B complex, D3, K2 & C). I feel fine and there's little I can't do now, despite being in constant low rate AF. Or at least I think I am, I don't check these days.
6. If over 60 I would make sure that you’re taking an anticoagulant to prevent blood clots forming and causing a stroke. Note that they do not thin the blood in any way, just stop it from clotting so quickly. You should not notice any major difference in the way you bleed.
Brilliant advice thank you. Just your words unlikely to die from AF has put my mind at ease and I am so glad I have found this forum because we are all in the same boat and thus supporting. My dad bought me an Apple Watch and my Cardiologist said I can’t tell you what to do but it makes some patients worse especially with AF because the software is so sensitive and it assumes you have normal heart function and when you’re in AF it is always telling you something is wrong and so it makes you worse so I haven’t used it
AF History is an alternative set up if you are diagnosed with AF so as you don’t get Irregular Rhythm Notifications. Irregular Rhythm Notifications are not available while AF History is enabled.
Whilst waiting for your ablation you can have another cardioversion - ask your cardio nurses about that. No idea how long the waiting time is but it may be worth a try.
Good response from JeanAfter reading your entry I get the impression that your anxiety is worse than your AF. I guess that the fainting spell at the school is of particular concern to you and this is understandable. Worry and anxiety can definitely exacerbate and indeed trigger the symptoms of AF.
I find that deep breathing, mindfulness and yoga are all helpful.
I was waiting about 18 months. I had to have 2 cardioversions in that time to pute back into NSR. Are you getting help with your panic attacks. Perhaps the might be able to help get your ambulation pushed forward. I unfortunately need 2nd ablation, I've been told there is a 1 year wait for that. Hope all goes well.
I have had two ablations, the second being exactly a year ago, touch wood no AF since. For my first ablation after not hearing anything for about five months my GP wrote a letter to the hospital stating my AF episodes were getting more frequent, within a fortnight of the letter I received an appointment for the ablation. For the second ablation exactly the same pattern occurred so it appears a nudge from the GP (mine is an ex cardiologist) does work wonders. That may be an avenue worth trying.
About 18 months ago, my paroxysmal AF became more frequent from every few months to weekly. About that time, I coincidentally had a telephone appointment with my cardiologist ( well the registrar actually) who agreed to put me on the waiting list for ablation. She said the wait was about 12 months and I could change my mind at any time. I then had 2 telephone appointments with the arrhythmia nurses - one in January and another in April and I asked if the ablation was likely to be that year (last year now) and she said yes and then in May a letter from the cardiologist confirming that I was on his list. Well the year passed and then I chased the secretary in about March following on from which I had another telephone appointment (they called it counselling) with the arrhthymia nurse and she said it would be soon. I now have a date for the 8 August so I suppose it depends on your trust and your cardiologist. Good luck, I'll let you know how I get on. Take care
Ask the nurses how long they intend leaving you on amiodarone? You need regular blood tests to monitor your health while on it. Also please be aware of any side effects, so read that leaflet and contact the nurse if you notice anything
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