So can I have a Pina Colada on my vacation?

Hello all - I haven't been on here in awhile as things have been going well, although I do still check in from time to time. As some may know, I had a LAA isolation in September 2013, and then a "touch up" by Dr. Natale in the spring of 2014. So far, so good! A few thumps here and there, but that's about it.

I have never been much of a drinker (well..except in college...haha), but over the years, I drank 2-3 drinks at parties, that was about it. I am heading off on a cruise on Monday and was thinking...gee, it would be nice to be able to enjoy a Pina Colada at least once on the cruise!

Am I playing with fire to have any alcohol? That did trigger Afib in the past, but supposedly I no longer have Afib, so....is it safe to do?

I'll check back here before I leave....thank you! ~ Barb

Drink a damn pina colada!! We only live once. I have special occasion drinks and yes sometimes it gives me some extra bumps but I live in the moment and have a good time!
Actually my EP said if you are going to have an occasional drink its almost better to do more often than not because the system adjusts to it.
If you are really anxious about it don't do it. More than likely (if something happens) its your anx more so than the booze!!

Have a great cruise!!!

Hey Barb,
Enjoy a few, don't worry be happy!

McHale

Certainly do it before the cruise, as a dry run - pun intended.

Barb,

How sensitive were you prior to your ablation to alcohol? Some are very sensitive and it is a big trigger, others are not. I still have a glass or two of wine now and then. However, alcohol has never been a trigger for me (I'm a non ablatee).

If alcohol had been a trigger before, I probably wouldn't press the issue.

I recall 8 or 9 years ago, a guy from Wales wrote in here. He said he only got afib after a night of drinking. I suggested maybe he shouldn't drink. He said I didn't understand his culture. That this was not possible...

George

HI Barb, If you are worried about ONE drink then don't do it. Not worth the risk for one drink. Especially if one drink caused trouble in the past. Anyway with your personality you don't need no stinking Pina Colada to have fun! Enjoy the cruise! Dennis

Thanks all. I just got back from the cruise and ended up getting "Virgin" Pina Colada's, just in case.....I might try a little vodka in one the next time, but I did end up in Afib when I had 1-2 White Russians pre-ablation.

Was just wondering if Afib can even be triggered if you've had a LAA isolation.....can that still happen?

Barb

Hi Barb,

No you won't trigger AFIB after an LAA Isolation with an occasional pina colada if the LAA was your last unaddressed trigger source and your LAA isolation (and the rest of your ablation areas and focal spots) remain transmural and without gaps that are functionally 'leaking' for lack of a better term. With a solid ablation process completed you are not going to fly off into AFIB even when doing what used to make you trigger at the drop of a hat.

If you are still highly prone to frequent ectopy then especially more caution is prudent as would be the case if you have had ANY post blanking period documented true AFIB/Flutter/ATachy and abstinence is likely the safer road in that case... And moderation is still always key when it comes to alcohol in particular due to its direct cardio-toxic impact on endothelial cells (including pacing cells) lining the heart. If you've had a long slug of a bout with AFIB before your ablation process, then before deciding to over indulge more regularly please consider you might only be slowly rebuilding those unhandy pathways for more arrhythmia to raise its head again at some point .

Most people can tolerate one to two drinks periodically without a problem especially after a solid transmural ablation process. But least you rekindle and encourage further progression of the kind of long term undesirable cellular changes to your heart... Then moderation via only occasional frequency of imbibing and limited number of drinks per session will serve you far better.

If after an ablation or two you are quickly triggered back into AFIB with only a couple drinks or glasses of wine, then that indicates you still very likely have some loose ends that need touching up. If abstaining keeps the heart consistently quiet, but you are still prone to trigger with a drink, its worth a good discussion with your EP about whether that ability to Fibrillate again after one drink in an otherwise stable heart merits going for that touch up now rather than waiting it out with what may well be an inevitable return of arrhythmia.

Certainly, that last scenario above should encourage redoubling one's efforts at life style risk factor mitigation, which in my book doesn't leave much wiggle room for alcohol in a still AFIB prone heart. And if you notice any increased tendency in actual arrhythmia breakthroughs well past the blanking period ... then by all means get it addressed ASAP with the best EP ablationist you can.

Hope you enjoyed your trip to the beach!!
Shannon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2016 05:29PM by Shannon.

HI Shannon - thank you for your reply. I decided not to risk it and didn't order any alcoholic drinks while I was on my trip. I am actually afraid to have a drink, as I certainly don't want to do anything that might trigger Afib again. As far as I know, I haven't had any Afib since the blanking period, but how do we even know for sure? It could happen while we're sleeping, or it could be like some people have, now "silent"..and sporadic.

I am making an appt with my cardiologist for a check up, and will hopefully get a better idea after that. Do you advise wearing a heart monitor again to be sure things really are calm?

Your post raises a question I've always had...Is it possible/likely to get Afib in another part of your heart that wasn't ablated, as whatever caused it in the first place is probably still there?

Barb

Barb, do it like researcher suggested, a dry run now while you are on solid land and can get to a doctor if you need one. Tell us what happens, please?

PeggyM

Barb,

Having been highly symptomatic throughout your AFIB career, its highly unlikey you will now go asymptomatic. It can happen but in those very rare case when a breakthrough happens that switch to a symptomatic after having been hihgly symptomatic msot of your AFIB 'career' its a persistent AFIB in which case you can easily catch it.

Typically those with silent AFIB they dont catch at all, were persistent prior to ablation too. You have the Alivecor right Barb? If not you can get one just to check randomly and periodically over the next 6 months and then less frequently to reassure yourself nothing it going on.

Outside of an onboard pacemaker, such as I have, or a LINQ implanted 24/7 monitor... there is no other way to be absolutely 100% sure but you can be roughly 99.5% sure by random monitoring and just knowing that when you do flip into AFIB you will know it based on all past history both befoer your index ablation and afterward too when finally some breakthroughs were very noticeable and sent you back for the touch up.

You are on the half dose of Eliquis too now so no big deal from the stroke risk front anyway should a run happen which is highly doubtful anyway at this stage of your progress. Again moderation is the key in both frequency of imbibing after a successful expert ablation process and in terms of limiting number of drinks to two during each drinking session.

And yes, Barb after and ablation it is possible for other areas of the heart that were not detected during the first ablation either due to suppression from anesthesia or due to being too immature triggers at the time to rise above the index ( or follow up ablation) noise floor enough to be detected as a consistent trigger at that time.

We even see folks that have had a good 10 + years of ablation success and then have a AT or AFIB pop up over a decade later and Dr Natale has found that these extremely late recurrances are almost 100% sure to be from late evolution substrate of the underlying sub to CS/LAA involvement.

But you don't need to worry so much about that as you have had an LAA isolation now .. though it is possible for the LAA isolation to need one or two very limited and targeted touch ups with only a couple burns needed. due to the challenging nature of durable LAA isolation on one procedure... adding in a Atriclip or new updated Lariat-Plus ligation is a good way to kill that stone and eliminate the LAA as any possible source of new arrhythmia as well as end any need for ongoing OAC drugs if your normal CHADS2VASc score is under 2.

Is short Barb, don't worry too much about an occasional pina colada every now and then, If drinking one or two increases runs of ectopy then maybe use that as a cue to abstain all together just for peace of mind.

Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2016 11:16AM by Shannon.