3 ablations none worked

[Afib_girl]

well I have given up hope. I had 3 failed ablations. My heart keeps reconnecting. Maybe bc I’m young (30s) and have an otherwise healthy strong heart. Always lasts a month almost exactly to the day then it starts back up again. Last episode was 3 days my longest to date. And no medication and cardioversion also don’t work for me.

[mjames1]

I see you're from the US. You might consider a surgical ablation such as Minimaze or Hybrid/Convergent. They sometimes work when catheter ablations do not. Here's a short intro video from one of the pioneers of the MiniMaze, Dr. Randall Wolf of the Debakey Clinic at Houston Methodist.

youtube.com/watch?v=5F4fSn2...(Not working as expected?)

Jim

[Prince123456]

Hi. Please never give up hope it took 3 cardiologist and 2 electrophysiologist to resolve my issue. I started getting multi focal PVCS back in 2019 which absolutely ruined my life due to how they made me feel, I tried many many medications until the last electrophysiologist suggested Flecainide which resolved my problem in 24 hours or at least got rid of 98 % of them. I also know of 2 other failed friends who had ablation that didn’t work but Flecainide controlled the Afib. It’s worth a try asking to trial Flecainide

[Afib_girl in reply to Prince123456]

I can’t handle that medication I have tried already

[Cookie24 in reply to Afib_girl]

Flecainide did not suit me. Propafenone is better for me.

[MikeThePike in reply to Prince123456]

Hi there, I'm interested in why you say flecainide cured your PVCs. Are you saying that the multifocal PVCs no longer occur or that you no longer feel them? Have you worn Holter monitors and had your ectopic burden calculated? Do they show that the PVCs no longer occur in quantity?

[OzRob in reply to MikeThePike]

I will share my experience with ectopics and Flecainide. I was getting up to 800 PVC's and 400 PAC's each night, recorded with a monitor over an 8 hour period, along with between 5 and 20 short AF episodes that I would resolve or they would resolve themselves. Once I was put on Flecainide and Diltiazem, both 50mg twice daily everything stopped. Happy NSR without any ectopics now for almost 8 months.

[Barb1]

Keep trying. You can't cure AF but you can gain respite. You've only had a month so far but you are far too young to give up.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

What meds? what levels of bP and H/R are we trying to control?

Rapid H/Rate? I was finally given Diltiazem down to 120mg (360mg max.) and a year later down to 60s hbpm Day and always avge 47 at night.

No cardioversions, no ablations no anti rhythm meds.

cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

[Afib_girl in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Diltiazem didn’t do anything but make me tired still had afib. Tried Flecainde and ameodorne (spell?) and a few others none worked or had horrible side effects

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Afib_girl]

Hi

How much Diltiazem? 30mg?

cheri JOY

[Afib_girl in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

120 er

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Afib_girl]

Hi

Well, it sounds like Calcium isn't a worry in your case.

On 180mg Diltiazem slow release I dropped 105bpm!

There are other blockers though ACE etc. Imbrace made me cough.

cheri JOY

[listerines]

You are in US which is a positive thing re: switching health professionals. May be time for a second opinion from a different EP?

[Afib_girl in reply to listerines]

This is my second opinion ep

[listerines in reply to Afib_girl]

That is challenging for sure - are there other options you can discuss with your EP re: maze procedures (surgical ablations) or perhaps the Wolf Mini-maze (though I can appreciate that the cost here might be extremely prohibitive). If it provides you any consolation do know that my father-in-law has had 5 ablations and on the most recent one he has been afib free for over 2 years and a workmate of mine's brother has had, over the past decade or so, 6 ablations. The most recent and the most successful was completed over 4 years ago at this point. I wish only for greater heart stability for you

[fibnum]

I am not a doctor, but finding I had celiac disease and avoiding gluten, avoiding gas-producing fruits and vegetables, alcohol, and carbonated drinks, and limiting caffeine, along with dropping most BP meds, achieving significant weight loss, eating smaller meals, doing moderate daily exercise, sleeping in a position to avoid sleep apnea, remembering to breathe deeply often and staying hydrated have somehow brought me from 24-hour Afib episodes every two weeks to one 5-hour episode in the past 8 and one-half months.

I hope some of those or other life-style adjustments can help you reduce or eliminate your Afib issues. It requires a daily awareness of avoiding any triggers that you can identify.

[Cevetello1]

Hi, I also live in USA. I had 2 failed ablations at NYU. Live in New Jersey . I was very symptomatic. I did some research and was fortunate to find Dr Andrea Natale at Texas Cardiac Institute. He is an amazingly talented and humble man. Flew there and had ablation and hearts been purring for 3 years now. Also had Watchman.

You are very young. Don’t give up.

Victoria