PAC/PVC increase after ablation suvey

It seems like a lot of people mention an increase in PAC/PVCs after ablation. I really don’t want to substitute one arrhythmia for another issue. I am extremely sensitive to abnormal rhythms and ectopic beats. Can you leave a post if that’s your experience?
INCREASE IN PAC/PVCs
Yes
Or
No
Thank you!

It’s guaranteed.

Take a moment to visualize what has happened inside of your heart during an ablation. The thin atrial tissue has been seriously inflamed by either burning with what equates to a hand-held soldering iron, or frozen with a sub-zero balloon. If either of those two things happened to a sensitive part of your skin, say, your inside forearm, how long would that be irritable? A good, long time to be sure.

It can take months to even a year for things to “get back to normal”. Don’t be discouraged in the meantime.

Yes, no, sort of (I've had multiple ablations).

If your afib is so mild that some ectopics are worse for you then I definitely would not recommend ablation. But I'm guessing that's not actually the case?

A successful ablation will leave you free of afib without drugs other than maybe an anticoagulant depending on your CHADS-Vasc score. It's possible you'll still experience some ectopics, but they'll probably decrease over time, and above all you'll be free of afib. And it's possible if you do an ablation even with a top specialist like Natale that you'll need a second "touch up" procedure later. But with an EP of that caliber that should be it for you; you should be free of afib and all the drugs and crap that go with it. Don't underestimate how good that will feel. Trust me on that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2018 06:11AM by Carey.

Afib is potentially dangerous, rhythm drugs are often poorly efficient and potentially dangerous too, but ectopics are nearly always harmless.
Ablation is a serious procedure, it has some risks, but it's worth the try. I always thought ablation was a remedy, not a problem.

After my 2nd and 3rd Natale ablations...which isolated the LAA after 11 years success with the first ablation, I had no problems with any type of ectopic beats. I still don't.

After all ablations, I resumed my protocols outlined in The Strategy, which eliminated ectopy issues and I also focus on eliminating underlying promoters of 'silent inflammation' which often are stimulators of ectopy for the obvious reasons.

Everyone responds a bit differently, obviously, but since I used to have a high stress load continually, (which depletes magnesium rapidly), I just made sure that I worked on not only continual magnesium repletion, but also focused on adrenal support as an underlying factor to maintain a sense of calm. That works for me.

Also, in my very early years of AF, tests by my FM MD revealed that I had leaky gut syndrome and some bacterial overgrowth and once those were normalized, my gut issues that often promoted the onset of AF (preceeded by ectopy) were eliminated.

Jackie

Had 4 ablations. Last 2 by Natale (Nov 2017 and April 2018). Stopped meds after 2nd Natale July 2018. Had significant ectopics July -Sept. Gradually ectopics diminished thereafter. Currently have very few ectopics. Started taking 200mg of magnesium daily about 2 months ago as well. Beats afib!! Have TEE and appt with Natale next month at St D to determine LAA functionality, and possible stopping of eliquis.

that is super interesting on the leaky gut. i had 2 episodes of Afib that i went to the ER for cardioversion. i tried meds- did not work. But i do have a FM doc and will be talking to him about this this week... i think this 2nd episode was when i had a goblet of wine. I rarely drink- and i know that effects the gut. wondering if you can elaborate on your leaky gut and what you are doing for it. Presently, i am doing enzymes, probiotics, l-gutamine. plus obvious diet things (although i just had a bite of pizza...but just a bite of the crust.. i have to get back to 0 tolerance.) .. sorry i didn't post this correct- was meaning it for Jackie. thanks



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2018 11:20PM by bettylou4488.

Bettylou - It was many years ago that the intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome was revealed by testing. The FM practitioner you'll be seeing can order the appropriate tests and then advise how to proceed depending on the results. Sometimes a Candida overgrowth is present as well. I had that as well, but all was managed by specific protocols for each condition.

Jackie

Jackie-

Thanks. I do have an appointment Wednesday- i am going to bring up the connection

Yes.

I have had six ablations. Like you I find ectopics extremely bothersome. Unfortunately my afib episodes were increasing and they were bothersome also.
I am thankful the afib has subsided but realize it may and prob will return. The ectopics bother me also but not as bad as afib.
One consequence of this is you may need meds to control ectopics.........
Tim

I'll be 2 weeks out from my first ablation tomorrow. For the first 6 days, I was in 100% NSR with RHR in the 50's. Then last Monday morning I bent over in the shower and arrhythmia kicked in hard. I stayed in arytthmia for most of the day, so I called the doc and got an EKG the following day. Confirmed atrial flutter, but not real afib. Doc actually saw this as a good sign - usually flutter is what precedes afib, so the fact that I just had flutter was positive. He gave me a beta blocker and let me schedule a cardio version in the event that I didn't convert on my own.

The following morning, I was back in NSR. Canceled the cardio version. Stayed that way a lot of the day, and then had a couple of pockets that *felt* like afib, but were a little different, because there was a normal rhythm in front of the goofy beats that weren't quite right.

Each day since, I have pockets of arrhythmia, they always eventually convert, but it always sucks when I'm off.

As others have described, it's kinda par for the course. You have to give it some time to heal. But I understand how the idea of "replacing" one arrhythmia for another can be really tough, and I sympathize. For me, the fact that I have reverted in and out has been a better outcome than what I had before, because before when I went into afib, I stayed there. Now, I don't have afib anymore, my flutter is pretty much gone, and I have stray ectopic beats that come and go. If that's the price I have to pay over the next 2 months to have a shot at long term NSR, I'll take it.

Good luck.

For me ....Quality of life is just as important. Just like afib - some people feel it, some don’t, some stroke but most don’t. I don’t want to cure one arrhythmia that induces another - but that’s just me. Someone else might be fine with that - I’m not.