So I'm 2 months from my 1st ablation and supposed to now stop taking Flecainide but I seem to be permanently having extrasystoles, having hardly had them at all previously. They are fairly asymptomatic with me only sometimes feeling palpitations. I've also had a couple of Afib episodes but it's the sudden onset of extrasystoles that's got me wondering.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
I remember Sabine Ernst (look her up) telling a patient at a lecture these are a good sign. As she said, the heart is trying to go into AF and failing. Try the slow deep breathing excercise we promote. Use diaphragm not shoulders and slow to six or less breaths a minute.
Thanks Bob. I'll look her up. I haven't been in Afib since they started, so fingers crossed and woke up this morning in NSR for the first time in a few days - even after a couple of pints with an old friend I've not seen for many years.
I'm not confident enough to come off the Flecainide as I'm supposed to do today, especially as it's the start of the family holiday. Going to give it another week and start with dropping the morning dose
No hurry to come off it in my experience. Maybe start to titrate down once you're safely home from your holiday? They'll tell you you can come off cold turkey but personally I found a slow titration worked better for me. And I've just learned a new term - extrastytoles!
I'd stay on the Flecainide for another month i.e. for 3 months post-ablation or possibly for 6 months post-ablation. The ablation will take a fair while to settle down - or more accurately IMO, 'put its roots down'. Most EPs will tell you that the inflammation settles in 6 to 8 weeks, and they're likely right. But I think that it takes 6 to 12 months for all the subtle nuances of the heart to readjust to the new electrophysiological landscape brought about by the ablation - particularly a re-do second or third ablation involving more lesions/scars than PVI. Anecdotally there are certainly plenty of folks who find it's a year or so before things settle down totally with them only then realising the full extent of the success of the procedure.
Sabine Ernst: very clever lady - I consulted with her in 2008. I have also heard many times that ectopics not initiating AF is a positive sign. But it would obviously be even better not to get the ectopics which can be a real nuisance for many if in the 100s or 1000s and/or if very heavy and/or 'thumpy'.
2 months post ablation, strange heart rhythm
8 months post ablations update
3 month post ablation consultation 
3 month post ablation-update 
