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did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?

Posted by rayfes 
did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
March 10, 2025 03:52PM
A year ago my mom's Kardia showed afib one time for me which eventually led to me getting an ablation 6 months ago but as I review everything I'd like to have the opinion of those here. I've since learned from the afib nurse and EP doc that the kardia can be aggressive on showing afib but that my initial diagnosis for afib was based on a kardia reading not from the Zio patch.

I wore a Zio patch for 13 days pre-ablation and it did not show afib but did indicate junctional rhythm, SVTs and other arrythmias:
[drive.google.com]

Post ablation Zio patch did not show afib either but did indicate junctional rhythm, SVTs and SVEs:
[drive.google.com]

3 weeks after my ablation I was told to stop taking the beta blocker but remained on eliquis until 5 months post-ablation.

My current diagnosis is that I have a long first degree AV block with P-R interval of 180 which should be less than 120, weak to non-existent P-waves, and sometimes go into junctional rhythm. I also have occasional pulmonary vein triggers which are not improved by ablation.

I am supposed to take a beta blocker if my heart rate is over 150bpm for over 2 hours (which never came close to happening pre-ablation). And take a baby aspirin daily.

I generally don't have any symptoms and feel fine but wonder if I should get a 2nd opinion. My worry wart mother thinks I need to see someone else and thinks the ablation didn't do anything whereas I want to be cognizant if something changes but not worry about it otherwise. I have fewer arrythmias now so I think the ablation was beneficial though I wasn't having many before.

I am indebted to forum member George for giving me private advice and interpreting many EKGs for me.

--
Ablation performed Sep 2024 by Dr Bode at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia. Grateful for my care team and the afibbers community for helping me through this journey
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
March 10, 2025 04:39PM
The heart can literally break into multiple arrhythmias, but I don't think it generally does this concurrently. I guess it's possible to have flutter in the right atrium while the left is fibrillating...?...and why not. You are familiar with RVR, rapid ventricular response? That isn't an arrhythmia, just a 'sympathetic' tachycardia while the left atrium is going crazy above it.

It does sound to me, on the basis of what you have revealed, that you may have been mis-diagnosed. The pre and post ECG show the long interval and block, so what did the ablation treat?

Your last diagnosis is technically an arrhythmia, but if it doesn't involve slow-circulating blood in the left atrial appendage, I would have to conclude that you don't need a DOAC. However, we know little else about you. Your CHA2DS2-VASc score that deals with other potential risks is a cumulative score that generally rises with age and with 'problems' like comorbidities. If you google 'CHA2DS2-VASc calculator', you'll find online fill-in-the-blanks calculators where you can, if you're scrupulously honest about the inputs, derive a very close approximation of your risk score. From there, you would want to be on a DOAC if your score is 2 or higher.
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
March 10, 2025 04:44PM
You wrote:
My current diagnosis is that I have a long first degree AV block with P-R interval of 180 which should be less than 120,

During my first ablation it was terminated suddenly because of an unanticipated P-R.

What area of the heart while being ablated can cause this?

Did your ablation cause your P-R issue?
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
March 11, 2025 08:44PM
Thanks for the response Gloaming. I'm not familiar with RVR but will look into it. I don't know if the ablation did anything but I do feel like I have fewer of whatever arrythmias types I have.

My CHA2DS2-VASc score could be 0 or up to 2 since I had mild hypertension for a lengthy period of time (but not now). I also have a high calcium score (88.2).

--
Ablation performed Sep 2024 by Dr Bode at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia. Grateful for my care team and the afibbers community for helping me through this journey
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
March 11, 2025 08:46PM
Thanks Susan. I don't think my P-R issue was caused by my ablation but it wasn't improved by it either. I'm looking for another EP cardiologist to see but have discovered I say I'm looking for a 2nd opinion that they won't see me so I guess I guess I have to say something else.

--
Ablation performed Sep 2024 by Dr Bode at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia. Grateful for my care team and the afibbers community for helping me through this journey
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
April 30, 2025 05:52AM
Rayfes - I have been taking Waller water which has magnesium for the past few months and have seen a big improvement in my afib. It took about 2-3 months to show improvement but it was very evident. I also take taurine since I don't eat that much meat, plus I take nattokinase which reportedly can breakdown blood clots. I expect you may have already gotten a lot of useful info from George; he shared notes on his afib journey with me.
Re: did I really have afib and do I need to worry about it now?
May 01, 2025 02:27PM
Per TomR's comment, here is the recipe for "Waller Water." [www.afibbers.org] I have also consumed it undiluted or less diluted as I require more Mg++.

The first link has a link to a huge set of posts done by the late Erling Waller on his magnesium bicarbonate water (i.e. WW).

In this post by engineer ghg, the tinyurl link goes to a large document he created on magnesium acetate (which I've prepared as well), which is supposed to convert to magnesium bicarb in the body. Also note how he got his RBC magnesium levels up.
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