My ablation was 1 1/2 years ago. At the time I had an external event monitor. In the first 30 days a had over 600 events! The alarm was making me nuts. Now after 1 1/2 years my heart is calmer. I still have AFIB. but much reduced. I've gone from 3-4 serious events a week, to 1-2 minor events per month. I can live with that.

For many, the blanking period is a thrill ride.

Sean, EVERYONE is different. Of course, you know that. Then again, during my blanking periods I wanted to know if what was happening to me was normal or not. I took comfort in knowing that others had a rough time and then had the a-fib end suddenly and completely. I was glad when they shared their stories. Let it also be said my guess is that around 98% of the people who have had successful ablations (i.e. are a-fib-free) no longer regularly (if at all) frequent this site. So if you dont get a lot of super feedback from your question, dont fret most of the people who have the positive stuff you want to hear are out on vacation and enjoying an a-fib-free life (as you probably will be soon!).

Your heart is still healing scar tissue has to be formed so the conduction that causes the a-fib can be stopped. Before that happens there will more than likely be breakthroughs. If your EP was happy with the results then go with that. Hang in there, the 3 months will be over quickly but you need the time to heal.

This is how it went for meduring the first month after my 1st ablation I was in a-fib for only about 80 hours (the first time being on the day I came home from the hospital). After about 4 weeks my heart went into overdrive. During the first month after my 2nd ablation I was in a-fib about 50% of the time and pretty much hung around 50% the whole blanking period (I was in a-fib when they finished the ablation!). BUT (and you noticed I wrote that in caps) Im not your normal Jill and Im coming from a completely different corner of the ring than you. I started off with a bunch of scarring in my heart from radiation treatment many, many moons ago and the additional scarring from the ablation obviously just couldnt compete. So be it. Thats me, youre different.

Trust your EP, it will be good Im sure.

Take care and try to carpe diem,
atp

Sad face... as I sit here awakened by flutter... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26187447

ehm.... you did read the part where they wrote EXCLUDING the first 6 weeks, didn't you?

Read this...

http://www.drjohnm.org/2014/12/ten-things-to-expect-after-af-ablation/

I feel really lucky - I've almost reached the one-month mark since ablation #2 and have had no afib since the surgery. Of course, it was just over 30 days following ablation #1 that afib showed back up which necessitated ablation #2.

Are you on any type of antiarrhythmic during the blanking period?

Thanks all. My EP has continued my sotatol (80 mg twice daily) for 30 days post-op. This drug decreased my a-fib burden by about 30% since loading in February. I'm grateful for the sotatol. I am also on linsinopril, a blood pressure medication, since they observed a low 40% ejection fraction day following ablation. So I'm grateful for the sotatol and lisinopril. I wouldn't want to navigate this blanking period without them. In fact, I may push back on my EP to extend the sotalol therapy up to 2 months post op. Plan is to transition to 50 mg twice daily metoprolol following the sotatol. I'm assuming they won't have me on metoprolol and lisinopril at the same time. Who knows. This is so beyond me and out of my hands at this point.

I was on lisinopril for HBP before my afib appeared and they put me on metoprolol when the afib showed up. So they may put you on both at the same time. I took them together for over a year with no problems.

I haven't had any afib (that I'm aware of) since my ablation on June 11. I also didn't have any the 3 months before that on Rythmol so I'm most likely a different case. (I had afib multiple times for 3 weeks after starting Rythmol which is why they recommended an ablation.)

However...there's a reason they don't send you the 30 day monitor until 6 weeks after the ablation...it's because whatever happens in those 6 weeks isn't an indication of whether it worked or not. If it was, they'd put you on it right away. So try not to worry if you can.

On a side note, working with insurance on this is enough stress to cause afib. They finally covered the ablation after going back and forth with the doctor, and now they send me a 30 day monitor that I'm pretty sure Anthem won't cover because it's "real time monitoring" which Anthem feels is not a medical necessity. I went through them with this on the first monitor I got when they were diagnosing the afib. So who knows what this monitor is going to cost me per day until they get it figured out and probably send me a lesser model.

Sean, 2 days back and so far no big issues here. Yet. Doc said I can expect some afib and flutter in the blanking period. Still feel like a bus hit me but my GI tract is coming back to life. Worst things for me so far are a sore throat and busted lip from the O2 line (they said I had a naturally small airway) and the after effects of the Foley catheter which I actually had a nightmare about last night. That SOB hurt! Using Xarelto and a 2 times a day GERD med. Off of the Rhythmol which is a Godsend. Hated that stuff! One day at a time friend. We will all get through this. Time for a nap.

I am about 4 months out from my first ablation and have had no afib. I am very happy so far, but know afib could come back at any time. Had some PAC's, but nothing that lasts longer than a couple seconds. Feeling good so far. Hope things start to settle down for you.

Hubby had a bad first week to 10 days with long bouts of a fib, then settled down. Has had only four very short bursts of rapid beats in the 7 months post ablation. We initially thought the ablation wasn't successful, but Looks like NSR is here to stay. Hang in there!