Weird Flutter Amid a Quiet Heart

It has been seven .months since my very successful RPVI ablation for intractable atrial tachycardia. I have had an amazingly wonderful seven months of sinus rhythm and a quiet heart. Today at work, I was suffering from an unpleasant head cold and decided to risk a Sudafed. Then it happened. It was only a moment.. A blip.. But for that moment I felt dizzy, and quickly checked my pulse. It was erratic, fast, and fluttery. Afterwards I felt a bit off, nauseated, and a bit dizzy. The moment passed. I hope it doesn't come back. No idea what rhythm it was. Hoping it isn't a forecast of stormy weather.

I also went 7 months after my right sided flutter ablation. In my case I did have some VERY short episodes over the 7 months but NSR virtually anytime I checked. Until I wasn't. After 7 months I locked into flutter and afib persistent. If you had an arrhythmia that means the cells/tissue can produce that arrhythmia and from my understanding, like in my case that's not good.

Hopefully yours is a one off but again you now know that it can happen and hopefully it doesn't progress.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2025 05:10AM by cornerbax.

Don't take anything containing pseudoephedrine again.

I wouldn't freak out about it, Megan....not yet. You added something to your system, but you were already under duress from the cold/flu, and that wasn't just one night by then. You were a bit light on sleep as well, feeling cruddy, distracted when you wanted to focus on your tasks....and then you added a stimulant that many AFers will tell you is a no-no. You got a blip, it went away....and you'll almost certainly be fine. I get the odd weirdness, now 28 months after my second ablation, but it's like a swelling, and then it goes away. A good night's rest and you're right back in it.

Oh, and what Carey said.

I would avoid the pseudoephedrine and related products as much as possible. They can cause some issues. Just having a cold can cause problems by itself. Try not to worry about it too much and continue on.

Thanks for the replies. It did seem to be a one and done situation. So thankful for that!!

Megan

Not directly related, but I had a one-off afib episode six months after my ablation two years ago. I also have very occasional tachycardia episodes with various triggers. What I've found effective for me in both cases are short-term rhythm or rate control agents to calm my heart down after an episode. In the case of my afib episode I took daily Flecainide for a month after the episode. In the case of my tachycardia's, I take Diltiazem for "x" days or weeks after an episode to give my heart time to settle. I don't know if you've had luck with any such medications, but if you did, you might use them temporarily now.

Jim