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.
Hi Everyone,
Great forum here. I am 46 and had my first known bought of a-fib when I was 25. I didn't know what it was, but it scared me so bad, I thought I'd die. As I remember then, it was very situational. As a younger person then, I was in a rock band, had played the night prior, and was fairly well hungover. I was on maybe 3 hours sleep when somehow I thought it was a good idea to workout ( I was young remember). About 5 minutes into working out, I felt the skipped beats and it just kept going. I ended up going to the hospital with NO idea what was going on but it truly about made me flip my lid. I was so scared, I was in a complete panic attack. They sent me home on some Lanoxin, and I converted sometime later that day. Unfortunately, the mental scar has lasted till present day. It was the beginning of my anxiety and panic attacks that would last for the rest of my life up until this very point. I've gotten way better in some regards and even had years where I had it beaten down into submission and felt a good sense of confidence, but I was also living inside a bubble.
So after that episode, I didn't have another full blown one for 16 years. Again, I could blame a bit of alcohol excess on that particular night, and a lot of second-hand smoke perhaps. That time, it lasted 30 hours until a cardioversion. Then it was about 4 years till the next, then a year, and then I had my pulmonary vein ablation at the Cleveland Clininc.
Right now I am one month post ablation. The first 3 weeks were smooth sailing and I was feeling confident. Now, in the past 9 days, I have had 3 episodes. One was about 6 hours and I converted by myself, the 2nd was about 30 hours and they cardioverted me, and the last was an off/on episode that lasted for about 6 hours. I would me in it for a couple minutes and then out for a minute back and forth for 6 hours. We were actually driving back from a follow-up in Cleveland when it happened still 2 and a half hours from home. I had a full-blown panic attack. I just can't handle the mental aspect of feeling my heart get crazy and feeling the dizzy spells and hot flashes that come with it. So yeah, I'm basically 5 weeks in, with symptoms way worse right now, and REALLY really hoping that it is going to find it's way through to a fix in the coming weeks. I'm really lucky that my workplace allows a decent amount of sick-time for this.
Can anyone else tell me of a similar path, as far as developing worse symptoms half-way through the recovery period? Thanks for listening.
Oh, and I got some anxiety meds to try to help me cope. I'm a bit of a typical tough-guy in a lot of ways, but this thing brings me to my mental knees with any kind of sustained fib/flutter.
Great forum here. I am 46 and had my first known bought of a-fib when I was 25. I didn't know what it was, but it scared me so bad, I thought I'd die. As I remember then, it was very situational. As a younger person then, I was in a rock band, had played the night prior, and was fairly well hungover. I was on maybe 3 hours sleep when somehow I thought it was a good idea to workout ( I was young remember). About 5 minutes into working out, I felt the skipped beats and it just kept going. I ended up going to the hospital with NO idea what was going on but it truly about made me flip my lid. I was so scared, I was in a complete panic attack. They sent me home on some Lanoxin, and I converted sometime later that day. Unfortunately, the mental scar has lasted till present day. It was the beginning of my anxiety and panic attacks that would last for the rest of my life up until this very point. I've gotten way better in some regards and even had years where I had it beaten down into submission and felt a good sense of confidence, but I was also living inside a bubble.
So after that episode, I didn't have another full blown one for 16 years. Again, I could blame a bit of alcohol excess on that particular night, and a lot of second-hand smoke perhaps. That time, it lasted 30 hours until a cardioversion. Then it was about 4 years till the next, then a year, and then I had my pulmonary vein ablation at the Cleveland Clininc.
Right now I am one month post ablation. The first 3 weeks were smooth sailing and I was feeling confident. Now, in the past 9 days, I have had 3 episodes. One was about 6 hours and I converted by myself, the 2nd was about 30 hours and they cardioverted me, and the last was an off/on episode that lasted for about 6 hours. I would me in it for a couple minutes and then out for a minute back and forth for 6 hours. We were actually driving back from a follow-up in Cleveland when it happened still 2 and a half hours from home. I had a full-blown panic attack. I just can't handle the mental aspect of feeling my heart get crazy and feeling the dizzy spells and hot flashes that come with it. So yeah, I'm basically 5 weeks in, with symptoms way worse right now, and REALLY really hoping that it is going to find it's way through to a fix in the coming weeks. I'm really lucky that my workplace allows a decent amount of sick-time for this.
Can anyone else tell me of a similar path, as far as developing worse symptoms half-way through the recovery period? Thanks for listening.
Oh, and I got some anxiety meds to try to help me cope. I'm a bit of a typical tough-guy in a lot of ways, but this thing brings me to my mental knees with any kind of sustained fib/flutter.
Perfectly normal considering they put a branding iron to your heart like chopped meat and the inflammation it causes while the lesions form.
This is normal during the blanking period which is 90 days but Natale told me it's really 60 days and anything after that will basically involve a touchup to check for reconnections and/or do a more extensive ablation outside the PV's.
I went into afib flutter AEIOU at day day 15 post-op you name it which morphed into high rate flutter. I got an ECV at day 30, then had a few 6 and 4 hour episodes the next few weeks that self terminated.. Been AFIB free since...19 months out from my ablation.
Don't worry be Happy!
McHale
I was about 22 when I had my first episode (38 now), so I know where you're coming from as far as your symptoms go. I've not yet been ablated (that's the next step for me), so unfortunately I can't commiserate.
When I was young I had a thing about doctors - I would avoid them at all costs. The years passed and I would experience this arrhythmia, but it didn't kill me, so I guess that's how I came to deal with the anxiety that comes with having arrhythmias/afib. I figured, "well, it hasn't killed me yet, so it probably won't kill me today".
Sometimes it's just a constant flutter and I can deal with it, other times I have to sit down to keep from passing out, and there's nothing else I can do but concentrate on breathing and staying alive.
Hopefully your anxiety meds will help you cope, with the advise of some of the folks here who have been ablated. Above all, when you're having an episode, just remember that there are people here who know exactly what you're going through. You're not alone.
So I thought, gee, maybe the procedure did not work, maybe I am worse off than I was. It's been 14 months since then and I have been episode free. My EP (also at the cle clinic) told me at my 6 month post-op appointment that even if I had an episode, I should not worry about it unless it stuck around. Your heart is more inflamed and irritated after the procedure than before. Takes time for things to heal up. So give things some time. In my case I believe my episodes occurred because I had more durable burns.
Of course anxiety and afib go hand in hand. Even after an ablation has proven "successful," it's human nature to think about it coming back - hang in there!
Man, your story is freaking me out and making me second guess my scheduled ablation in February. That's the thing I fear the most - that my afib will be worse after an ablation than it is now. I know everyone says it's "normal" for it to maybe be worse during the blanking period but that certainly doesn't provide any comfort, I'm sure. Keep us posted and I wish you a speedy and full recovery (and hopefully 100% NSR)!!
Travis
Good luck with your outcome. I sometimes have second thoughts about having an ablation, but the reasoning behind my decision seems solid--even though I haven't tried an anti rhythm therapy. We'll see.
p.s. looks like my surgeon will use the newer nitrous oxide 'freezing' ablation catheter--hope that this is less irritating to my heart.
I have no regrets on getting the ablation. I still feel that it was by far, the best option. My goal is to get off the drugs and be healthy again.
Be sure to update us on how you are doing after the ablation!
Travis, second guessing yourself is normal for most of us that have gone for an ablation.I know i had the same fear it would be worse too but you are going to be in good hands, You have an opportunity many of us can only dream about, you will be fine!
For some people here, the heart can take a long time to heal after get beat up during and ablation.