Recovery from AF after Covid

[JoDogBlue]

I contracted covid in July 2022 and although fully vaccinated it really hit me for six and I struggled to get my energy back. I was diagnosed with AF shortly after. I then put my constant tiredness down to AF. In April this year I had an ablation and after quickly returning to AF had a successful cardioversion in June. I remain in NSR.

Although I feel better than I have in a long time I still struggle with my energy levels and feel easily tired a lot of the time even after only moderate activity.

I've recently had a whole bunch of blood tests to rule out possible causes, all came back normal.

Given that it's over 6 months since my ablation I've been assuming I should be back to normal by now. My GP can't advise but has mentioned long covid as a possible cause of my symptoms. Just wondering if anyone else has had AF after covid and what their experience has been?

[CDreamer]

Hi and I think you will find the answer will be YES. Post viral fatigue has been documented for a long time, I remember having been diagnosed with it back in 1975 after a bad bout of flu. Looking back I think a that was a long term trigger for many of my issues in later life.

My situation is somewhat complex in that I have had AF diagnosed in 2007, treated with 2 ablations 2013/14 and CRT Pacemaker implanted 2018. Following ablation in 2014 I had extreme fatigue, although no AF episodes, everything heart was good. Eventually I was diagnosed with a relatively rare neuro muscular condition and treated with immune suppressants which put me into medicated remission by 2017/18.

Fast Forward :-

From 2018 - September 2021 I had no AF episodes, until I had a bad bout of COVID, Sept 2021 when AF hit back big time for about 4 months. Since then my fatigue has increased exponentially, in fact just returned from infectious diseases consultation this afternoon. In my case I have tested positive for very high levels of Herpes simplex and zoster so now put on a daily dose of antiviral med as a prophylactic following 3 episodes of Shingles (despite having had the Shingrix jab in 2023) between June and now. As you may know, Herpes is what is termed as an opportunist virus which hides in the nervous system, erupting when your system is weak. I had the double whammy in that I was also on immune suppressant drugs.

I noticed when the doctor was looking up drugs and latest protocols for prescribing prophalactic anti-virals that long COVID was on a list that was viewed, different drug to the one I have been prescribed but it seems that there has been some success in treating Long Covid with a mix of drugs, including anti-virals.

You might want to research further but be prepared for a long haul to get to a specialist doctor.

I’ll be interested to read the experiences of others.

[secondtry]

I understand fully vaccinated does not mean fully protected. It sounds to me like you have got a spike protein/inflammation from either the vaccine or Covid. Here in the UK we have the World Council for Health and in the USA there is FLCCC, the last time I looked both suggest protocols to reduce the issue.

[50568789]

Thank God I've managed to avoid covid so far, fully vaccinated. However, after ablation in June and cardioversion in September , delighted to still be in NSR but low energy levels, tire easily, poor sleep. Hope it's just a question of time and will get back to something like normal. Booked in for covid jab this weekend, fingers crossed that will be a breeze.

[JoDogBlue in reply to 50568789]

I'm hoping that I'm (very) slowly recovering from the ablation. My GP thinks it's a minor procedure and quite dismissive of it taking more than a few weeks to get over. I had my covid booster this week and no issues, I'm sure you'll be fine.

[maurice2]

I developed af after a dose of covid but the two were not tied together for sure...I was also doing a physically very hard landscape project and developed peridcarditis first so may have been that or a combination. A cardioversion sorted it out, I was lacking in energy after, giving up bisoprolol helped with that, and starting an exercise routine (fast walk first thing in the morning) got my fitness back up. Doing a fair bit of hill walking now, sometimes get tired in the evening but take this as a good sign...I've been busy all day! 😀

[JoDogBlue in reply to maurice2]

It's been a hectic few months since my ablation.. daughters wedding, helping our son sort his new house and now I could do with putting some effort in to try to get fit. I struggle to do things just for me but really have to.

[maurice2 in reply to JoDogBlue]

First thing (after breakfast perhaps 😃) might suit you, it soon becomes a routine and gives you a bit of a physical high to start the day. I prefer fast walking to jogging as it saves my creaky knees, and I try and aim for nearby hill so I get a bit of a challenge too. All the best with it 👍

[Vonnegut]

I felt no different when I tested positive for covid for 14 days but I acquired chronic fatigue around the time the paroxysmal AF hit after I caught a virus and couldn’t get an appointment at our surgery when an antiviral might have saved me from both! Guess it might be the “long covid” with you unfortunately as apparently it has similar symptoms. Take it easy.

[Snowgirl65]

After having Covid in December of 2020 (with 2 a-fib episodes in the midst of it), then having an ablation a few months later, my energy level was pretty dismal for at least 6 months after. Judging by my quick recovery from my first and my last (hopefully!) ablation, I'm pretty certain that Covid caused my slow recovery from the 2nd ablation.

[Autumn_Leaves]

I have ME/CFS which began long before AF and long before anyone had ever heard of Covid. I had Covid in 2023 and it caused a very big relapse in my ME from which I had not recovered to my previous level of activity. Whether this is a relapse in ME or whether it’s LC is impossible to know. I was already severely affected with ME to begin with.

My husband had Covid at the same time and he still feels much more exhausted than he did before Covid. He has no diagnosed health conditions, takes no medication, only his vitamin D supplement (which he was already taking). He works full time so his activity levels are way beyond what I could ever manage, but he’s a lot more tired at the weekends and in the evening. I’d say definitely yes, you may well have LC or a post viral fatigue syndrome. Covid really did a number on my AF too. I cleared the Covid infection fairly quickly but the sequelae is a different matter.

As to what to do, I could message you with some links to reliable and trusted sources of information and actionable advice to help you manage your fatigue and activity levels, which are lifestyle based and cost nothing.

[JoDogBlue in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Thank you for your response. I'd appreciate the links. It sounds like you've more experience than you'd like of dealing with fatigue. I'm trying to slowly push myself to do more and hoping I might start to sleep better... my sleep hasn't been great and that really doesn't help.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to JoDogBlue]

OK. Will do. 👍