Post Ablation Questions

Good Day to All. I am posting for the first time I think I may have posted long ago but have not kept up with a forum for over 3 years. I sure do need the support. I am 70 years old, female, other than AF, I have no other health concerns. I've been very healthy all of my life. In October of 2019, I had been experiencing an irregular heart rhythm off and on for quite some time. Finally, one day, it started up and just wouldn't stop for many hours. I had no other symptoms excepting feeling the irregularity and quickness of my heart. I broke down and went to Urgent Care only to learn I was "in Afib" and needed to go to ER. They called an ambulance and away I went. I hadn't been seen by a doctor since the 1990s. Again, I'm healthy and really wasn't too impressed with the last doctor that I went to. I managed my Health just fine, taking supplements and educating myself about different things I experienced. The ER doctor could not believe I'd not taken a pharmaceutical drug in over 30 years. I had been a distance runner for 25 years, had a very strong immune system and did not experience aches and pains.

Long story short, they admitted me for 2 days, prescribed Metoprolol 25mg 2x daily and the Eliquis 5mg 2x daily. Had an echo and all testing according to protocol. Had a heart cath which showed no blockages or serious narrowing in arteries. Aside from the Afib episodes, there was nothing wrong.

Within 8 months of taking the meds, the AF got worse. More frequent episodes, more intense episodes and longer in duration. I've never needed cardioversion as I always convert on my own although sometimes episodes could last 15 hours I'd ride them out at home. I'd get SOB, but knew it was normal while in AF. I do not have high blood pressure, diabetes or pulmonary issues. Ten months after diagnosis, I had a very intense episode which I went to ER and was admitted. They took me off of the Metoprolol and put me on Sotolol 80mg 2x daily. This drug was very hard on me. My HR dropped to 47bpm and all I could do was lay in bed. An EP was called in and this doctor was very abrupt he introduced himself and no sooner did he say his name the next thing he said (abruptly) was "YOU KNOW THERE'S NO CURE FOR THIS RIGHT?". I was dumbfounded and sent him packing.

The cardiologist that initially treated me had to retire due to health issues of his own and I was passed around the practice for another 6 months or so. My PCP suggested I find another cardiologist because not once since my diagnosis was I given a Holter Monitor test to actually SEE what was going on with me.

I tried everything short of Ablation. Acupuncture, which helped some but not much. Finally I begged the new cardio doc to get me OFF the Sotolol. It was just making me so tired and lethargic my life was nothing but laying in bed where I previously was very active for my age. The months after tapering off of the Sotolol was HELL! The "beta blocker rebound" was horrible but I toughed it out. After about 6 months I started feeling normal again when I wasn't in AF that is. I wouldn't take another beta blocker after my experiences so other than the Eliquis I wasn't taking anything else.

Finally I found an EP who would listen to me. He is very, very experienced and very, very Kind. I went to see him last December (2022) and we scheduled an Ablation for February 10, 2023 so a month ago. The first day post Ablation I sure could feel a difference, I don't know why, but I really felt wonderful. 24 hours later, I had a run of SVT but it didn't last very long, maybe 1 minute but I was so discouraged. For two weeks I didn't even have a flutter, AF, SVT nothing felt like I could run a marathon. The past 2 weeks I'm getting short runs of AF and some tachycardia here and there which I take Propranolol 20mg AS NEEDED and it calms right down.

Wondering how many of you have experienced continued irregularities the first 3 months post Ablation and if so did the episodes taper off and finally stop? I seem to be tolerating the Propranolol very well just taking it as needed, the daily dosages just tire me out so much both my cardiologist and EP are in agreement I can take it as needed. Also, it seems I get the irregularities after eating dinner. Not so much "what" I'm eating rather "that" I'm eating and I make sure I'm eating slowly. I should mention that I have been abstinent from alcohol completely since 2019 although I am not a real heavy drinker just socially, I do miss a glass of wine with a nice meal.

I am new to this forum and I am reading through the posts and would like to Thank Everyone for their input and their posts... as you all know the support and knowledge here surly helps! Have a Blessed Day and Thank You for reading I hope I didn't bore everyone!

Virtually everyone experiences bouts of afib and assorted other arrhythmias during the blanking period after an ablation. The blanking period is 3 months long, and bouts of afib, flutter, SVT, etc. should be ignored during this period unless they're prolonged or cause other symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, chest pain, etc. What you're experiencing is perfectly normal and will most likely pass by May when the blanking period ends. This is why it's called a blanking period.

Carey... Thank You so much this really helps me! I do feel quite well as long as my heart is in NSR cannot say that I felt this well prior to the ablation even when I was in NSR. I do believe it's helping me quite a bit. Blessings!

Jeanie (if that is your name..?), ditto to what Carey said. Additionally, there is evidence that those who experience some surprises (shall we call them) earlier in their blanking period do considerably better in the long run than those who are hiccup-free for weeks and then suddenly begin getting runs of SVT or AF...or flutter. So, you are doing just fine. They're intermittent, of short duration, and I think if you take care of yourself intuitively and follow your prescriptions and after-ablation information package, you'll do okay. If you must dread anything, it will be that you do well over the next several weeks and then suddenly find yourself in...umm....familiar territory. And I wouldn't even go there. Life's too short already, and you should strive for positivity. I know, having had a failed first ablation seven months ago, that it can be very disconcerting, but try to be positive.

Jeanie, your experience and lifestyle is almost exactly the same as mine. I was diagnosed with Afib at 69 and thankfully it was and controlled with Flecanide for several years until it began to lose its effectiveness. It became too uncomfortable and unpredictable and scary so I opted for an Ablation and had one in November 2022. For the most part I have been in NSR with a pretty steady 65 bpm and there are many days I never even think about Afib and I’m off all drugs except Xarelto . However I do get skipped beats for several minutes that can be unsettling or rapid beats or palpitations. They can come and go. I like to think this will correct itself eventually and not get worse. I also drink an electrolyte drink when it’s especially bothering me and it seems to help. But as we all know here, everyone is different and sometimes a second or third or more ablations are needed. I’m thinking positively about mine and hoping one will do the trick for a long time. But reading this forum for a while, I think it’s pretty rare that after an ablation you are completely without any irregularities and sometimes they can last for many months and some have said a year. This is a royal pain . It runs in my family and I have two brothers who have somehow managed to live fairly normal lives even after multiple ablations, different drug therapies during the past 15-20 years. So hang in there and good luck!