Hi, I wrote earlier "6 days post ablation," & thought I would check back in with current results. My cough is better now, 5 weeks after ablation/anesthesia. I am not sure if I ever said it here, but CXR revealed no acute findings, but evidence of paraseptal emphysema. I was a former, though moderate smoker for 27 yrs, but that ended around 1991, I think, which is ~28 yrs ago. Funny, on any physical exam where a chest x-ray was taken, no one ever said anything about these findings. Maybe they just showed up after the anesthesia. It has been maybe 10 yrs since I had any prolonged anesthesia other than propofol for a colonoscopy a couple of yrs ago & there was no problem. Anyway, I am happy that the cough is subsiding. I can take a deep breath in now without having so much spasm, and sometimes none! :) In case it would be of help to anyone or to satisfy curiosity, here is how some of it went for me: History Summary: Cardiac ablation 8/2/19 Home on sotalol 80 mg b.i.d. like before & of course will be on Xarelto for a while 8/13: Stopped sotalol because of strange dry cough & paraseptal emphysema on CXR. 8/16: Start Inderal LA 60 mg q.d. by my cardiologist at home, for continuing help with hand tremors. (advised by Natale) 8/21: Tachycardia on EKG. Pulse increased 8/21, 8/28 & 8/29 : 102, 94, 91 – also was just feeling racy. 8/24: Stop Inderal today cus of cough still, but got A-Fib 8/25 Restart Inderal 8/30 Restart sotalol but at reduced dose of 40 mg b.i.d. in addition to Inderal LA 60 q.d. Pulse has slowed back down to 81-89 range 8/30 thru today 9/4, also feeling better. History BPs since adding sotalol back 8/30: 106/73, P 85 on 8/31, & 103/73, P 85 on 9/1. Not sure why I was feeling hyper those few days before adding the sotalol back in, but it seems to help. I guess it was too soon for me to get off of it, but the cough was really bothering me. The cough is milder now. I am tired during the day again though. It is only 3 more weeks til I reach the 8-wk blanking period mark. I also got my thyroid levels drawn this week & they are just like they have been for the last year pretty much, except when they tested my levels the day of my ablation & my levels were elevated. I did not know they were getting thyroid levels that morning & they had told me to take my thyroid meds that morning, so I did. This skewed the levels & just to have my evidence to back me up, I got my levels the correct way this week & they are fine like before. So I am not hyperthyroid. After the ablation, I told Dr. Natale that I was partially on natural dessicated thyroid aka natural thyroid hormone & that when that is the case one takes their last dose the day before a blood draw & not again until after the blood draw next morning. There has to be time between taking the direct T3 & testing blood levels. Also TSH is not a valid indicator for thyroid status when taking NDT bec the pituitary is overly sensitive to T3 & TSH always comes back too low, as if in a hyperthyroid state, regardless of what the FT3 & FT4 show. So, that is where I am now. Thank you, Group. This is the best support group I have ever been in & I have been in several thyroid & adrenal groups in the past due to having had a total thyroidectomy. Thank you. https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,170907,170907#msg-170907 Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:56:52 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,170907,170907#msg-170907 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,170907,170907#msg-170907
I wrote earlier "6 days post ablation," & thought I would check back in with current results.

My cough is better now, 5 weeks after ablation/anesthesia.

I am not sure if I ever said it here, but CXR revealed no acute findings, but evidence of paraseptal emphysema. I was a former, though moderate smoker for 27 yrs, but that ended around 1991, I think, which is ~28 yrs ago. Funny, on any physical exam where a chest x-ray was taken, no one ever said anything about these findings. Maybe they just showed up after the anesthesia. It has been maybe 10 yrs since I had any prolonged anesthesia other than propofol for a colonoscopy a couple of yrs ago & there was no problem. Anyway, I am happy that the cough is subsiding. I can take a deep breath in now without having so much spasm, and sometimes none! :)

In case it would be of help to anyone or to satisfy curiosity, here is how some of it went for me:

History Summary:

Cardiac ablation 8/2/19
Home on sotalol 80 mg b.i.d. like before & of course will be on Xarelto for a while
8/13: Stopped sotalol because of strange dry cough & paraseptal emphysema on CXR.
8/16: Start Inderal LA 60 mg q.d. by my cardiologist at home, for continuing help with hand tremors. (advised by Natale)
8/21: Tachycardia on EKG.
Pulse increased 8/21, 8/28 & 8/29 : 102, 94, 91 – also was just feeling racy.
8/24: Stop Inderal today cus of cough still, but got A-Fib
8/25 Restart Inderal
8/30 Restart sotalol but at reduced dose of 40 mg b.i.d. in addition to Inderal LA 60 q.d.
Pulse has slowed back down to 81-89 range 8/30 thru today 9/4, also feeling better.

History BPs since adding sotalol back 8/30:
106/73, P 85 on 8/31, & 103/73, P 85 on 9/1.

Not sure why I was feeling hyper those few days before adding the sotalol back in, but it seems to help. I guess it was too soon for me to get off of it, but the cough was really bothering me. The cough is milder now. I am tired during the day again though.

It is only 3 more weeks til I reach the 8-wk blanking period mark.

I also got my thyroid levels drawn this week & they are just like they have been for the last year pretty much, except when they tested my levels the day of my ablation & my levels were elevated. I did not know they were getting thyroid levels that morning & they had told me to take my thyroid meds that morning, so I did. This skewed the levels & just to have my evidence to back me up, I got my levels the correct way this week & they are fine like before. So I am not hyperthyroid.

After the ablation, I told Dr. Natale that I was partially on natural dessicated thyroid aka natural thyroid hormone & that when that is the case one takes their last dose the day before a blood draw & not again until after the blood draw next morning. There has to be time between taking the direct T3 & testing blood levels. Also TSH is not a valid indicator for thyroid status when taking NDT bec the pituitary is overly sensitive to T3 & TSH always comes back too low, as if in a hyperthyroid state, regardless of what the FT3 & FT4 show.

So, that is where I am now. Thank you, Group. This is the best support group I have ever been in & I have been in several thyroid & adrenal groups in the past due to having had a total thyroidectomy. Thank you.]]> Madeline AFIBBERS FORUM Thu, 05 Sep 2019 19:33:15 +0000