end of "blanking"

My afib/flutter ablation was on May 16. While I have not had afib after the first month (that I know of), I have had palpitations and some flutter. I am halfway through a 14 day Zio patch that will hopefully shed more light on what is going on and what is next for me. Recently I have the most pronounced palpitations at night---at bedtime of waking me up after some sleep. In the past week it took over an hour for me to get back to sleep a few times. I am only on Eliquis (both before and after the ablation except for a short Diltiazem/Multaq try). I suspect that I still have flutter, or a new flutter.
Do others experience this mostly at or after bedtime? I am able to hike daily for two miles in nearby mild hills. My "recovery" has been much longer and rockier than I had anticipated. I am a 73 year old female.
Thanks
Barbara

I dealt with atrial flutter (AFL) for several years. In my experience, there is no particular time of day when it will start. It starts whenever it wants. The only thing I found that can prevent it is maintaining high potassium levels. Forget over-the-counter supplements because in the US those are limited by law to 99 mg, and that's less potassium than you'll get from a few almonds or a small glass of OJ. But a diet high in potassium is easy to construct. Just look up foods high in potassium and add those to your diet (bananas aren't particularly high in potassium, BTW). The good news is a high-potassium diet is almost always a very healthy diet.

my favorite potassium combo is potato with avocado on the top

Yep, those are both good sources. Throw in a kiwi fruit and you've got a potassium bomb.

Not sure if relevant but I have strange pattern. I am beginning to wonder if it has contributed to my afib in past. I seem to have situation where I wake up at between 5-6am every morning and my BP is 144-155/83-89. The day and night before it is always 110-120/65-70. Previously, I just noticed blood sugar spikes of 110 at night and 150 during night.

So something is causing both my blood pressure and blood sugar to spike during middle of night and/or am. I have never found either to be so low as to trigger a body reaction to boost it. Just wondering if my body is for some reason producing adrenalin or something to cause BP and BS to spike. By 9:00am BP was back down to 122/75. Last two nights I also ran my kardia to make sure not having any episodes (ablation was 8/9) and I was NSR and heart rate was 78.

Will be posing question to new Cardiologist and PCP.

I am currently on 5mg of apixaban, my unchanged dose since being diagnosed with paroxysmal AF and severe sleep apnea five years ago. I think it's a moderately low dose. It wouldn't hurt to double up. If you google the problem and the recommended dosage, it does suggest 5mg X2.

Will you get a scrip renewed if you ask for one before your current scrip is meant to run out?

I wouldn’t go over 5mg x 2 per day with Eliquis. Unless supervised by your EP or Cardiologist.
The maximum dose I was offered was 10mg x2 short term for DVT AND PE.
I’m on 2.5 x2 per day and don’t want to go any higher. I’m concerned about prompting a bleed, being a senior citizen
Others here might have a different viewpoint.

Get out of bed really slowly. If I jump out of bed I usually get my episode

Barbara (my own squeeze's name, incidentally), the heart is quite sensitive to activity related to the vagus nerve. It is also sensitive to epinephrine (adrenalin) and to arousals from both sleep and intrusive thoughts. If you are waking during the night with ectopic beats, it is quite likely to be related to any of the following:

GERD

dreams

apneic events or prolonged flow limitations that end up arousing you, even if only partially. This includes loud snoring.

generalized anxiety disorder

I am in the same circumstances as you, 27 July, and in the ER/ICU due to a runaway heart about six days later. I'm now on Amiodarone, which is doing a B+ job, if you follow, so I am doing better. Not super duper, just 'better'. It gets better over time, and that is what I'm learning. However, and although my answer to the question from my GP was that I didn't think so, I must have had some underlying anxiety and have had to get by with between three and fours hours of decent sleep each night for a month now. My GP prescribed Zoplicone, a whole five tablets, and told me to break them in half. Not a whole one because I have severe sleep apnea (although well treated with a CPAP), and there's a risk with the typical dose of that sleep aid. I'm happy to report that I now sleep well, for about six hours, a bit more, and that has allowed me to calm myself, my heart, and to begin to enjoy living again.

It will happen to you.

Thank you.. I am suspecting more and more that my problems have to do with some thing about my vagus nerves and my heart. i've been having some digestive issues and I'm scheduled to see a gastroenterologist in a month or so