Other complications following ablation - Atrial Fibrillati...

Atrial Fibrillation Support

32,400 members38,733 posts

Other complications following ablation

Karendeena profile image
37 Replies

Here I go. I think finishing work, having the ablation and nothing else to occupy my mind has turned me into a hypochondriac!! Apart from the aura migraines (another one today when I thought I had got away with it) I have now been looking at my consent form and saw the statistics for esophageal fistula. Of course my anxious mind has now gone into overdrive. Catastrophising about this as I remember feeling the pain shooting up my neck when woke and he was doing the ablation. Then I think why has he given me esomoprazole.

Was anyone else worried about this as my consent form says 1 in 1000?

Hypochondria in overdrive.

Written by
Karendeena profile image
Karendeena
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
37 Replies
Buzby62 profile image
Buzby62

Common practice now to give a PPI to prevent acid reflux, I had lansoprazole for 6 weeks as did everyone else. I felt the sensation up my neck during the procedure and spoke to them about it, I think they turned the happy drug up a bit to shut me up. Nothing new to me in what you’ve said so far. Try to distract yourself with things you’re interested in is my advice while resting, resting and resting.

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toBuzby62

Thank you again. I think they turned the happy juice up for me too when I said that, it flippin hurt!! Yes, I must distract myself, I'm just bored as I was always so active and find it difficult to sit still!!

I did go for a walk today 10 mins each way to Tesco cafe. I did ask the arrythmia nurse and she said it was ok as long as it was on the flat. Perhaps I will give it a miss tomorrow but I do struggle with sitting still for too long

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

STOP IT! No seriously stop worrying. Remember the doctors put every little thing that might go wrong onto the warning sheets, not because they might but so that you can't sue them if it does. Relax and concentrate on resting PLEASE!

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toBobD

Aaaaaaaarh thanks Bob.....again 😊😊I will try and stop it, I think all that's happened in my life this last 12 months has really messed me up! A 95 year old mother who is aggressive towards me and my only brother who has had 4 strokes from undiagnosed afib and Parkinson's. Must think nice things 🤔

Give me some of your humour please 🙃

lawspear profile image
lawspear in reply toKarendeena

I would not recommend forcefully trying to “stop it”. That is just thinking even harder. Rather than trying to stamp out the worries, say to yourself that you are actually allowed to worry about them as much as you like, and you might find the sensation and worry immediately softens. It’s counterintuitive but it works.

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

A horse walked into a bar and the barman said "Why the long face? " Sleep well.xx

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toBobD

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Nick1957 profile image
Nick1957 in reply toBobD

A bloke rang me up the other night and said "I'm the dandy highwayman who youre too scared to mention - I spend my cash on looking flash and grabbing your attention! I tried to tell him that he had a wrong number, but he was adamant!

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toNick1957

🤣🤣🤣🤣

AmandaLouise77 profile image
AmandaLouise77

Every one comes home on a gut protection drug. I'm on a month of lansoprozole. Please try to stop worrying, your heart needs to heal without stress.

AmandaLouise77 profile image
AmandaLouise77

The other thing to remember is that you still have the arrhythmia team caring for you. I've just had a major blip in my recovery but it was dealt with super quick and efficiently no messing around, I've seen more Drs in the last week than I have in my life. It's all sorted out now. I've been looked after extremely well (thanks NHS) and hopefully get to go home today. So look at those statistics and think it's OK Amanda had problems so it's not my turn now.

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toAmandaLouise77

Hope you are ok now Amanda ❤️

AmandaLouise77 profile image
AmandaLouise77

I'm a lot better than I was a couple of days ago. It amazing how quickly your body and mind improve when they're given the help that they need.

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toAmandaLouise77

If you don't mind me asking what problem did you have?

AmandaLouise77 profile image
AmandaLouise77

I had a very rare complication of the artery by the entry site in the groin and had to have emergency surgery to fix it. All done now.

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toAmandaLouise77

Pleased it went well for you Amanda ❤️

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

No - I didn’t worry about esophagal fistula, it’s an incredibly rare complication. You are catastrophising so stop reading about everything that could go wrong and write down ALL the things that are going right in bright green crayon and pin that up on your kitchen cupboard so that you have to look at it every time you make a cuppa to remind yourself.

SELFTALK works!

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toCDreamer

Thanks CDreamer, yes I am catastrophising, it comes from 12 months listening to my brother who has severe health anxiety. It's unfortunate for him as he had 4 strokes from undiagnosed afib, early Parkinson's and then a bladder tumour (albeit benign when removed). He has driven me crazy every time I have spoken to him. Really rubbed off on me.It's been a rough year. I also got made redundant in January (although I was retiring in May this year). Everything seems to have come at once for me.

Thanks you for your advice, I will try it and tell myself everyday 😊

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply toKarendeena

It’s hard, no getting away from it but it’s not going to be a catastrophe and you will get through and hopefully with a much improved quality of life for you both -😘

MikeThePike profile image
MikeThePike

You are creating anxiety for yourself by doing all this reading and research after the fact. You have had the ablation now just wait a few months and see how you feel. In future I would suggest that you thoroughly research any medical procedures before you have them. Best wishes.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman

From one fellow worrier to another, I think that you'll only be cured by time and not by words. In a few weeks, when you realise all your fears were only that, you will smile at your over-active mind!

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” says Prince Hamlet. And it is so very true.

Steve

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply toPpiman

So true!

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toCDreamer

There’s a wonderful short gothic story by HG Wells called “The Red Room” which is an excellent portrayal of where fear can lead the mind.

Steve

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toPpiman

Thanks again Steve, I'll take a look for that!

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toKarendeena

It’s online and very short. It’s a ghost story with a little twist!

Steve

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toPpiman

Great I love ghost stories about supernatural

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toPpiman

Just had a look Steve, right up my street, going to order. Thanks

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toKarendeena

I remember in my early teens really enjoying scaring myself before going to sleep with a series of paperbacks called the Pan Book of Horror Stories. I bought them all. Very few of them were truly well written or even scary, but some have stayed in my mind ever since.

I do like Wells's "The Red Room" and I think you will, too. It's not in-your-face scary, of course, but haunting in its way. If you like it, you might like some of these - all with a ghostly or supernatural theme (I was an English teacher, you can guess):

- Walter de la Mare, "The Wharf" (a really wonderful writer, now rather overlooked)

- Walter de la Mare, "Miss Miller" (beautiful and haunting)

- Susan Hill, "Farthing House"

- Thomas Hardy, "The Withered Arm"

- Charles Dickens, "The Signalman"

- Angela Carter, "The Company of Wolves"

- Penelope Lively, "The Darkness Out There"

- Ray Bradbury, "The Whole Town's Sleeping"

- Roald Dahl, "The Landlady"

- Washington Irvine, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Steve

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toPpiman

Made a list Steve, thanks a million! 😊

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick

I was given 6 weeks worth of Lansoprazole too, so it’s nothing to worry about. Enjoy your retirement. Like you, I was made redundant 9 years ago. I decided not to find another job, although as a care assistant, I could have walked into another job the next day. Enjoy not having to work for a living and getting paid for doing nothing.!! 😄 I find plenty to do and we have a touring caravan, so can go away when we like. I am in 2 W.I. groups and on a committee for 1 of them and there are always plenty of things going on, that I do with them and I’ve made lots of friends through it. We also have a Grandson who we look after as well. I play keyboards and read and do colouring. I also have suffered with anxiety, but I found that Hypnotherapy helped me.

I hope you get some help with your mother. If not , it might be worth contacting Social Services.

I expect they’re going to take you off your heart tablets. I’m now down to half the dose of Sotalol that I was on. Ok so far, just get a few palpitations, which seem to be worse in the morning, but I am worrying how I shall be, when I stop them completely. It scares you when you read that stopping them suddenly can cause heart atracks.!!! That’s why I ‘m stopping them very slowly. I have to stay on anticoagulants for life though.

Hope your recovery goes well and the nasty AFib stays away. Best wishes Cath.

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toSixtychick

Hi Cath, I believe you are under Glenfield too. I will pm you later if that's ok?Thanks for taking the time to respond ❤️

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick in reply toKarendeena

that’s fine

AustinElliot profile image
AustinElliot

Hi Karendeena,

So many others have commented, I just wanted to add a nod for support.

As I say to my mom and try to live my life. "It is what it is" I think it only works for me 50/50, my mom 10/90, the 10% is nice, so there's that!

Lovefrance profile image
Lovefrance

Hi there. I suffer with the occasional migraine and thought you may be interested in this. I discovered that the anticoagulants I take ie. Rivaoxaban in my case , set off regular almost daily migraines. Taking a soluble 75mg Aspirin seems to stop this. I take one every couple of days. I’ve tried not taking this and the migraines reappeared. Crazy but true.

P

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat

the anxiety is the main problem and pain in the backside karendeena .? I know because I worry about anything to do with my health.! Iv got myself into some really bad states in the past unfortunately and all due to anxiety.!! It’s only taken me 40+ years to actually realise that the anxiety has caused me more upset and worry and stress than any illness or surgery I have ever had. And Iv had alot of operations over the years believe me.?

No one could convince me otherwise about any worries I had, not even the doctors/surgeons.! Stop over thinking and relax. You’ll be fine. You may not think so at the moment but you will.👍

All the best.

Ron.👍

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toJetcat

Hey Rob, thanks a million. Yes, I am the same, developed this awful health anxiety. Wish I could be like my mum, she's almost 96 and had her bladder removed at 75 in a 9 hour operation for cancer! She doesn't worry and constantly tells me worry will kill me. Her mantra is 'Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's to come, live for today!), every day is a gift that's why they call it the present!!I do overthink and you're right, it takes your life over!

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat in reply toKarendeena

you’ll get there Karendeena. Iv had all sorts of help over a long time. Counciling, meds, phyco therapy etc etc. and although it helped things, it was only time that actually helped me.? I’d realised that if things were going kill me or bring my life to a standstill how come I’m still here.????😳

It’s no secret on here that in the past Iv had my funeral plans out more than enough updating my music choices for when I pop off.? Ten years ago when I got properly diagnosed in hospital with AFIB I spent the following 2 years a mental wreck because I was convinced my life was over at 46 years old. I was going to lose my job.! I wouldn’t be able to go on a nice long walk. I wouldn’t be able to go on holiday etc etc? Fast forward 10 years… I’m still working full time. I still go abroad on holidays , I baby sit the grandkids. ( a job in itself)😡

Anxiety can cause a heck of a lot sorrow and upset. And it’s physically hard, and definitely mentally hard.?

I still worry about things yes but honestly not like I did because I know things are not as bad in real life than they are in my thoughts.??👍

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Ablation - My Experience

Just wanted to write a post in regards to my recent Catheter Ablation. I have posted quite a lot...
rich101 profile image

Complications with ablation

I'm going for my ablation in two weeks I was wondering has anyone on the site who has gone for an...
Euve profile image

update on ablation . Long honest post warning!

Hi All, The Good News: I had my procedure to map out where the rogue impulses were coming from...
dedeottie profile image

Esophageal injury following Ablation...

Hi There, Following my Ablation in August I am experiencing increasing discomfort more or less...

Afib following Ablation

Had an ablation done 11 days ago. Was feeling great and no Afib up until this morning. Been in...
Nickr282 profile image

Moderation team

See all
Kelley-Admin profile image
Kelley-AdminAdministrator
jess-admin profile image
jess-adminAdministrator
Emily-Admin profile image
Emily-AdminAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.