What the New Mexico Heart Institute (among other ablation centers) says:

Over several weeks, the fatigue will gradually improve. By 3 months most people will have completely healed. Almost everyone will have some heart rhythm symptoms after ablation is performed. Many people have atrial fibrillation during the recovery period. This is part of the healing process and usually does not affect outcomes. Because this an important time, we ask that you keep track of your pulse rate, and if it is elevated ( > 110 beats in 1 minute) for > 24 hours, then please call us (505-841-1000).

heart Happy Easter! Sorry to hear that your feeling quite fatigued. Hope you feel stronger as the days pass!

Hi Heart!
I felt a lot of fatigue, especially in the afternoons for the first couple of weeks. I felt a lot better after 3-4 weeks than after 2 weeks.
My chest discomfort was mostly gone after the first week.
Happy Easter!
- Rick

Thanks, Petey for the research!! I kinda felt like the fatigue is a normal reaction to the ablation. Just wondered when it starts getting better. 3 mos is a LONG time!! My heart rate was 102, kinda close to the 110...

Thanks, Cheryl for the well wishes.

Rick,
Thanks for giving me a frame of reference from your experiences. Seems I am following your footsteps with the chest pains and the fatigue. Did you feel a pressure in your chest, especially when you are stressed? I have that sensation. Certainly nothing like the chest pains from the pericarditis, more like pressure.

Happy Easter to you all too!!

Hi Heart, I don't have any experience with feelings of pressure in my chest.
- Rick

Thanks, Rick!

I had some fatigue for the first couple of weeks which seemed to get worse as the cardio kept upping my dosage of Metoprolol.

Sorry about the chest pain, I didn't have any?

I guess the fatigue is all part of the process after getting your heart "branded". I guess when I say I'm "burned out" I can say it literally!!

From what I gather on this forum, those who had cryo don't seem to be plagued by the chest pain issue. YOu had cryo, right ohio?

That's affirmative heart, I had a cryoablation.

there appears to be a big difference in the after effects of cryo vs RF. That's why I was kinda hoping for cryo in a way.

Having had both RF and CRYO, I recovered much faster with the CRYO than RF... your mileage may very!

I still unconsciously grab my chest over my heart (people at work tell me).

Robert

Robert,

That seems to be the general consensus regarding RF and cryo. Was either of them successful?

Why did you grab your chest? During a fib episodes?

Thanks for sharing!

heart2222 - I had an RF ablation in December and it took me about 3-4 weeks before I really felt my energy level returning. I didn't have any discomfort or feelings of pressure in my chest, but as I started exercising a bit more strenuously in February, I did have some periodic feelings of a little pressure in my diaphram area. There's a nerve (that I can't remember the name of right now) that partially controls the diaphram that can be effected by RF ablations. In my case, those episodes have ended, so I guess that nerve has healed. I hope you continue to heal well and have a AF-free future.

Thanks, hughes!!
I'm at 3 weeks post ablation and I slowly feel more energy coming back. I still get so tired and am not doing anywhere near what I did before the ablation. Are you referring to the phrenic nerve that might get injured?

I gotta say, I'm struck by how many other systems are affected by this RF ablation. Hopefully all will heal up nicely.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!!

Heart,

Success after my 2 ablations? That's a matter of who you ask; however, I'm not cured...

Not sure why I grab my chest... sometimes I feel a little pain... nothing serious, just like a 'tired muscle' and needs a little massaging.

When the AFIB hits, I don't grab my chest, I grab the pills!

Robert