Post ablation worries…..

[Afib12345]

There’s such a wealth of ablation experience on this forum I’m sure someone must have experienced this…..had ablation 3 weeks ago, took it very easy for first 2 weeks as instructed (especially easy in first week as am total tennis fan and Wimbledon was on!). Bruising has now gone and I’m still taking it easy but things have gone a bit weird in the last 5 days. Pulse rate is back down to usual mid-60s but now have permanent fluttering feeling in my chest. It doesn’t seem to be affected by anything I do, eat etc, it’s there when I wake up and still there when I go to sleep. Pulse is not irregular, just some ectopics. The fluttering feeling is very disconcerting!

Sarah

[CDreamer]

Unfortunately ectopics are quite a common experience following ablation. I think it was about 6-9 months before I found they calmed down.

It might be a good idea to talk to your arrythmia nurse/clinic about the sensations you feel - they may want to check they are ectopics with a monitor. Do you have anyway of monitoring- Kardia, Apple Watch?

[Afib12345 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for the reply. I don’t have a monitor - yet! - I am still sort of in denial about there being anything wrong with me 🤣

[JeanetteH in reply to Afib12345]

I have had 3 ablations and now get atrial flutter but the rate can high 130/150.I use an oximeter and ecg looks like a saw tooth its very regular but I have also flipped in and out of Afib.One cardiologist thought the ablation had caused the flutter as I would have so much scarring after 3 ablations altho i know others had much success.I use an oximeter which seems to agree with hospital monitors.I was advised to drink plenty of water

[mjames1]

"Fluttering feeling" can mean different things to different people. Not uncommon to feel heart beats different parts of body. I would try and get an ekg to rule out certain arrythmia's when you have this feeling. If it comes and goes, probably best to use a home ekg device like Kardia 6L or Apple Watch. Takes the guesswork out of what you feel and will add credibility to any discussions you may have with your doctors, should something show up. Alternatively, you can ask your doctor for a 7-14 day wearable ekg patch.

Jim

[Afib12345 in reply to mjames1]

Thanks for your reply Jim. Is looking like I’ll be getting a Kardia….!

[gorpo59 in reply to Afib12345]

Get yourself the Kardia 6L (don't waste your time on the 1L). It's a great product that you'll find reassuring when needed. By the way, you can use the 6L as a 'single lead', it's just a much better made product than the 1L and uses bluetooth instead of sound, which when you are stressed really just means it works better and more reliably all of the time (I have both, as a very early adopter).

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Sarah

Have your made your EP aware of how you're feeling?

After my third ablation 7 years ago, I was kept in when due to go home the following day because of a fast heartrate. It went back to sinus rhythm after another 24hrs. Then 2-3 months later I had to go back and have a cardioversion. It turned out to be the most successful ablation, so don't give up hope. After a few years and more cardioversions I was told they wouldn't offer me any more. I then went into continuous slow rate AF 60-90bpm. Life is good at this rate and I can do anything I want, including walking our hilly coastal footpaths.

Jean

[Afib12345 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jean, thanks for your reply. Can’t work out if it’s afib…..pulse is regular and about 65 resting but I’ve still got this odd fluttery, vibrating sensation in the heart area of my chest! Am getting a Kardia so that I have some decent info to discuss with EP - don’t think ‘a strange fluttery sensation’ would impress him much!

Sarah

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Afib12345]

In your situation a Kardia sounds like a good idea. How are you measuring your pulse rate now? I can't trust my wrist pulse as it doesn't reflect true on what my heart is actually doing. At times my heart used to go too fast to register there. My GP said to always take it from the carotid artery in the neck as that is more accurate.

Jean

[Afib12345 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks for the carotid tip!

[Lilypocket in reply to Afib12345]

The great thing about the Kardia is you can record the reading and then send it directly to your dr. If the Dr thinks it needs further investigation you will be contacted hopefully. But at least it sets your mind at rest 🙂

[Jetcat]

Buy a monitor Sarah, you can catch them and show your EP or cardiologist. I bought a kardi livecor ecg monitor and it’s brilliant, but there’s all sorts on the market now.👍 It’s pretty common after ablation to get missed beats and fast heart rates. It took me months and months before everything settled down with me.! Try not to worry too much. ( easier said than done I know)

Best wishes. Ron

[Afib12345 in reply to Jetcat]

Thank you for your reply Ron, have taken advice and ordered a Kardia. Am trying not to do too much - and trying not to worry about what ‘too much’ is! 🤣

[Jetcat in reply to Afib12345]

It’s still early days yet Sarah as well. 3 weeks is nothing, and your heart will still be in a bad mood at been burned and roughed up.? I’m sure things will settle down in time. If I was your doctor I would prescribe lots of settee, and pinch of mooching around at a nice easy pace, with a few portions of feet up time. 👍

[Afib12345 in reply to Jetcat]

Very sound advice, am pretty hopeless at taking things easy but will try to…..!

[Jetcat in reply to Afib12345]

👍

[Speed]

My AF journey began several years ago when I had an almost continuous feeling of fluttering from my chest - the same as I used to get when I had “butterflies” when younger from anxiety. For months I and my GP assumed anxiety to the point I was prescribed Valium!!! Fortunately I decided not to take it. It was also accompanied with a high pulse rate. Several mths later when visiting A&E on a separate issue, a HR of 120 had me in resus for tests and eventually I was diagnosed with A Flutter. A Flutter effects the Atrium with varying rate effect on the Ventricle and so the pulse rate is not the same as the Atrial rate whilst in A Flutter.

With A Flutter, there is a very distinctive “saw tooth” profile in the ECG but I believe this is not evident on the Kardia 2 lead. It may be detected on the 6 lead or some wearable devices.

My experience and a possible explanation, but suggest worth getting further diagnosed in case it is. The sooner you know the sooner you can manage it.

[Afib12345 in reply to Speed]

Thanks for your reply. Now have a Kardia 6L on order to help with the detective work!

[Ppiman]

I believe that what you feel are palpitations, a sensation caused by the frequent ectopic beats you are experiencing. Even in between those beats, when normal beats are happening, the fluttering can still be felt for some reason. The ectopic beats are likely caused by naturally heightened inflammation the ablation has caused and will subside when this heals, after the so-called "blanking period" of 6-12 weeks.

You likely know this but here's a little explanation that I have read. An ectopic beat is like a normal beat except that it arises in the wrong place and at the wrong time, yet still manages to cause the ventricles to contract, but too early, i.e. it causes a premature beat. This then creates a slight delay or "compensatory pause" till the next normal beat (NSR) happens causing the feeling of a "skipped" beat. This delay allows a little too much blood to fill the atria which then force the valves to close more abruptly, felt as a palpitation or stronger heartbeat.

The "ectopy" can arise pretty much anywhere in the heart muscle as all heart cells not only contract, they can also set off ventricular heart cells to contract, acting as if they were a pacemaker cell in the sino-atrial node. It seems odd that they can do this.

Steve

[Afib12345 in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you Steve, especially for the detailed ectopics information, it does help to know what’s going on!

[lawspear in reply to Afib12345]

Look up Sunjay Gupta York Cardiology on YouTube. Loads of really good stuff on ectopics etc.

[Afib12345 in reply to lawspear]

Thank you!

[lawspear in reply to Afib12345]

You've probably figured it out but it is Sanjay, not Sunjay.

[Afib12345 in reply to lawspear]

👍

[Fullofheart in reply to Ppiman]

That's so well explained. Thanks for this!

[Ppiman in reply to Fullofheart]

It's very kind of you to say so. Thank you! Have a lovely Sunday.

Steve

[Afibflipper]

Following my 3rd ablation last year it took 4-5 months to sort but I used Apple Watch. Then one morning early hours I woke feeling strange but didn’t know why - my Apple Watch recorded my heart rate just suddenly dropped to a normal speed & normal rhythm - think my body just didn’t recognise being normal again. Been fine since.

[vent]

I had the same. Normal.