Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
It looks like things have taken a turn for the worse. My ablation was one month ago, and while I was initially considering it a total success, now I'm not so sure.
Last Saturday, after almost a month of glorious NSR, I had the worst afib episode I've ever had. Now it seems my heart has rewired itself with afib being the new normal. Sleep used to allow me to self-convert, but for the past two nights, afib has woken me up, so intense that I can't get back to sleep. That never happened before. Before the ablation, I would have days of SVT, which is easier to deal with. Now it's nothing but afib.
Since I am still in the blanking period, my EP seems reluctant to do anything, which I guess is understandable. It just seems odd that I would be in continuous NSR following the ablation for almost a month, only to have afib return with a vengeance, worse than it was before. I thought the normal course of events was to have some arrhythmia immediately following an ablation which gradually tapers off over time.
At this point, I am thinking another ablation is in my future. I have no hesitation about that, I just wish I didn't have to suffer at least 3 more months of this crap before anything can be done about it.
The worst part is the anxiety. I've had afib for 20 years, so you'd think I would be used to it by now. Unfortunately, my EP doesn't seem to want to deal with the anxiety aspect of it. Plus I live in a state where getting a prescription for xanax is next to impossible (doctors offices here have signs on their front door saying they will not prescribe it or anything like it, and the few psychiatrists who are able to prescribe anxiety meds are booked a year in advance). So dealing with anxiety is something I guess I just have to do on my own. I am so sick of the platitudes from people who know nothing about this condition, "it will get better, you just have to have patience"..."go see your doctor, he should be able to help". On the surface, these people say they want to help, but in reality, I think they would ssy anything to get me to stop talking about it, since no one wants an honest answer when they ask, "how are you doing?"
Sorry for the rant, I am just frustrated and more than a little pissed off, and other than this board, there isn't anyone I can talk to who truly know what I am going through.
Last Saturday, after almost a month of glorious NSR, I had the worst afib episode I've ever had. Now it seems my heart has rewired itself with afib being the new normal. Sleep used to allow me to self-convert, but for the past two nights, afib has woken me up, so intense that I can't get back to sleep. That never happened before. Before the ablation, I would have days of SVT, which is easier to deal with. Now it's nothing but afib.
Since I am still in the blanking period, my EP seems reluctant to do anything, which I guess is understandable. It just seems odd that I would be in continuous NSR following the ablation for almost a month, only to have afib return with a vengeance, worse than it was before. I thought the normal course of events was to have some arrhythmia immediately following an ablation which gradually tapers off over time.
At this point, I am thinking another ablation is in my future. I have no hesitation about that, I just wish I didn't have to suffer at least 3 more months of this crap before anything can be done about it.
The worst part is the anxiety. I've had afib for 20 years, so you'd think I would be used to it by now. Unfortunately, my EP doesn't seem to want to deal with the anxiety aspect of it. Plus I live in a state where getting a prescription for xanax is next to impossible (doctors offices here have signs on their front door saying they will not prescribe it or anything like it, and the few psychiatrists who are able to prescribe anxiety meds are booked a year in advance). So dealing with anxiety is something I guess I just have to do on my own. I am so sick of the platitudes from people who know nothing about this condition, "it will get better, you just have to have patience"..."go see your doctor, he should be able to help". On the surface, these people say they want to help, but in reality, I think they would ssy anything to get me to stop talking about it, since no one wants an honest answer when they ask, "how are you doing?"
Sorry for the rant, I am just frustrated and more than a little pissed off, and other than this board, there isn't anyone I can talk to who truly know what I am going through.
A second ablation might be in your future to patch up the reconnects. A lot of people have a second one. For the majority the second ablation is the fix. If your a-fib lasts too long you might need a cardioversion. Someone else on this site had one after his ablation and it stopped his a-fib completely! Ask your EP how long you should be in a-fib and wait before doing something about it.
Rant away. I know exactly how you feel.
Take care,
atp
The first month after my ablation, my heart monitor alarmed over 600 times, definitely kept me up at night. Then it calmed down and I was good for several months. Then my thyroid went hyper and guess what (thyroid drugs!). However, now my heart seems very stable. I have little AFIB episodes (I think), but they a few and far between. They last less than 15 minutes. I'll know more when I see the EP again next month. I definitely am ok with what my heart is downing now, and I don't take any cardiac drugs.
Good luck, hope things calm down for you. You might try one of the 'Natural Calm' concoctions.
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425556470&sr=1-1&keywords=natural+calm
"Because it takes several weeks for the lesions to heal and form scars, it is common to experience atrial fibrillation early during the recovery period. Rarely, atrial fibrillation may be worse for a few weeks after the procedure and may be related to inflammation where the lesions were created. In most patients, these episodes subside within 1 to 3 months."
Keep the faith.
petey
Are you taking metoprolol by any chance? After my ablation, when I really nutso and had a full blown anxiety attack, my EP doubled my does of metoprolol as anxiety medication...and it worked. I am not smart enough to understand how that works, perhaps one of the folks who understands how these drugs really operate can jump in here and 'splain how metoprolol can work to that effect. But the doubling got me through the worst of the anxiety, then it eventually subsided. Hope the heart calms down and this is just part of the blanking period.
Bill
The Metoprolol zones me out...yes, like a Xanax....I stayed mellow...too lethargic for me, but, it was nice to loose the anxiety and I slept really well.
I know it sounds woo- woosih...but, Deep Breathing, Meditation and Affirmations are a huge help for me and many others. Yoga studios usually have references. You tube has a lot of good resources also. It takes daily practice...but even a few minutes a day dedicated to stress relief is worth a try! You might start here when you have the desire...http://www.whitecloudwellness.com/
Hope Today is a Good one for you!!!! (Do your best to make it good)
Carrie, I'm not on any rate or rhythm control meds. I'm supposed to hear back from my EP soon, he may want me to start a rhythm control med (my rate is always in the 70s and 80s, even when in afib). My blood pressure is also normal, even when in afib.
ATP, I wish I could be more like you and not let it bother me. And normally I can do that, it's just that I'm now waking up in afib (which never happened before), and not able to get back to sleep, and the lack of sleep (as we all know) exacerbates things.
Paul, I'm not wearing a monitor now but I'm 100% positive it's afib. I'll have runs of 30-45 seconds of afib, followed by 5 seconds of NSR, then 30-45 seconds of afib, lather, rinse, repeat. Have been dealing with this for almost 20 years, so unfortunately I'm pretty familiar with how it feels.
Petey, I understand that I'm in the blanking period and that it lasts 3 months. I just find it odd that I would have no symptoms right after the ablation and for a month afterward, then my heart goes nuts one day and hasn't settled down since. Normally symptoms start off bad and taper off over time. I seem to be doing the opposite. Of course I'm hopeful that my heart will settle down, but I'm ready to have another ablation if need be.
Bill, I am taking metoprolol, 100mg/day. Before the ablation, I was taking 200mg/day, which I understand is pretty much the max dose any doctor will prescribe. Thankfully I never had any of the fatigue that a lot of people experience with metoprolol, but it doesn't seem to do anything as far as calming me down. Possibly because I've been taking it for 4-5 years?
I've been taking magnesium for the past 2-3 months, I don't think it's doing anything for me, but I'm continuing to take it. I figure it can't hurt, and it's relatively cheap.
-Mark
Hope things settle down for you soon, and you can feel confident that you've made the right decision...or at least won't feel so lousy while you wait for a touchup if necessary.
I'm confident that I made the right decision. My EP is one of the best in the country, and I'm sure that he did his best work when he was rooting around inside my chest. Like I said, I'll do it again if need be. I guess I just needed to vent, like we all do at times :)
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Positive thoughts.
Christine