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.
OK so 5.5 weeks after ablation to treat over 20 years of LAF, I go into AFlutter. It immediately felt different from the AFIB I was trying to get rid of and in fact have not felt that since the ablation. Well having always converted on my own and with my rate around 90-110, I decided to ride it out to see if I could self convert. My longest AFIB episode was 2 weeks and then I self-converted so I figured I would give it 2 weeks. Usually I could feel my heart trying to go back into normal rhythm with AFIB but not the case with flutter. Interestingly, I had no issue climbing 6 flights of stairs when in A-Flutter and did not moderate hiking too.
So my EP and I decided to do a cardioversion on Friday, my first one ever. Seemed sucky though that before the ablation, I could always convert on my own but it seemed I could not with a long bout of flutter - although who knows, maybe if I had waited another few days, it would have stopped. I ended up learning something that did not know because I had never been in A-Flutter before: I was told that a-Flutter is far less likely to convert on its own than AFIB and is more likely to need cardioversion (and chemicals are less likely to convert Aflutter as well). Oddly, the 2 day episode I self converted on 2 days after the ablation I learned was Aflutter.
As far as the cardioversion, it was less eventful than a root canal and worked on the first ZAP. Apparently, Aflutter requires less voltage to convert which made me happy. While I apprehensive going in there, it was a lot worse imagining it than the cake walk that ensued. I did not have a TEE before hand since I have been an Xarelto continuously for 2 months and not missed a dose (but I am glad I did not read Petey's post on the meaninglessness of CHADD scores before I went in).
I was advised not to be discouraged regarding the episode and they see this frequently in recent Ablatees during the healing process. So I should not jump to conclusions about it. Being an impatient person, it is tough to hang in there when it can take 3-6 months to determine whether the ablation worked the first time.
I would be interested to know if anyone has been able to continue strenuous exercise at high altitudes when going into Aflutter. For me, it felt like my heart was performing more normally when in Aflutter as opposed to AFIB. Not as efficiently but I was not winded after climbing 6 long flights of steep stairs several times in a day.
So my EP and I decided to do a cardioversion on Friday, my first one ever. Seemed sucky though that before the ablation, I could always convert on my own but it seemed I could not with a long bout of flutter - although who knows, maybe if I had waited another few days, it would have stopped. I ended up learning something that did not know because I had never been in A-Flutter before: I was told that a-Flutter is far less likely to convert on its own than AFIB and is more likely to need cardioversion (and chemicals are less likely to convert Aflutter as well). Oddly, the 2 day episode I self converted on 2 days after the ablation I learned was Aflutter.
As far as the cardioversion, it was less eventful than a root canal and worked on the first ZAP. Apparently, Aflutter requires less voltage to convert which made me happy. While I apprehensive going in there, it was a lot worse imagining it than the cake walk that ensued. I did not have a TEE before hand since I have been an Xarelto continuously for 2 months and not missed a dose (but I am glad I did not read Petey's post on the meaninglessness of CHADD scores before I went in).
I was advised not to be discouraged regarding the episode and they see this frequently in recent Ablatees during the healing process. So I should not jump to conclusions about it. Being an impatient person, it is tough to hang in there when it can take 3-6 months to determine whether the ablation worked the first time.
I would be interested to know if anyone has been able to continue strenuous exercise at high altitudes when going into Aflutter. For me, it felt like my heart was performing more normally when in Aflutter as opposed to AFIB. Not as efficiently but I was not winded after climbing 6 long flights of steep stairs several times in a day.
BTW:
"Many people experience some atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter following a catheter ablation due to inflammation of the heart tissue. For this reason, the first three months are generally considered a "blanking period" in which success or failure should not be judged." http://www.stopafib.org/catheter-ablation/expect-after.cfm
"The ablation of atrial flutter is a relatively easy catheter ablation procedure. " http://www.heartrhythmcenter.com/myweb2/atrial_flutter.htm
Sounds like you are in a really good position.
petey
I had a couple of Afib episodes post ablation but they both occurred right after discontinuing the anti arrhythmic medication I was on during the blanking period. I'm back to jogging now with no issues. Even during my worst Afib years I continued to run, I was fortunate that shortness of breath was never a symptom for me.
It sounds like the flutter is far less disruptive to your heart's pumping efficiency if you're able to exercise or climb long flights of stairs. Try not to get discouraged, you've got a good bit of healing ahead. Best wishes.
Steve
I think you have mentioned before that the healing process takes longer than they say, but it is always encouraging to read it again...mine has now been 9 full months and I still have some issues with skipped beats and blood pressure spikes (although this could be from the metabolic syndrome and not an after effect of the ablation). But I find myself thinking "Why is it taking SO long to get back to 'normal'?" It is good to be reminded that I am not alone in this.
Snow, just be patient, and keep up with the exercise! I am so jealous! I have been back to doing the elliptical for aerobic exercise, but man does my HR shoot up after only a minute or two! Before all this mess I could get my HR to 135, but I had to exercise long and hard..now? 4 or 5 minutes on the elliptical does it. But as my EP nurse predicted, now that I have been back at this for a month, my resting HR has dropped from 85 to 75ish, and actually hit 70 the other day for the first time. A long way from the pre Afib 58, but getting there! Good luck to you, and as Steve and the gang says, you are still in the "blanking" period, so nothing to worry about!
Old and still out of shape Bill
Bill, I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. I think in another couple of months you'll likely be even better. If we had this done in our 30s we probably would have been healed in two months. :-)
Maybe so, but all in all, I would have rather my first instance of Afib been at 96, and not 56! I do recall someone on the stopafib site saying he has had 3 ablations, first at 35, 2nd at 45, 3rd at 55, and he recovered MUCH better at 35 than 55...just a part of the aging process, I guess...EVERYTHING takes longer to recover from. Of course, we don't have a choice about getting older...just one of those things we are lucky to experience!
Bill
At the 4 month mark with Natale's magic.......
Mchale, so am I understanding that you had a Natale abalation and had an episode that started as afib flutter that changed to flutter that you were in for 30 days until cardioversion? And then you had one more brief episode and self converted on that one? And things have settled down for the last 2.5 months? If I got it right, that is really great to hear!
Sorry Petey, indeed you did not say CHADS is meaningless, that was my very pessimistic interpretation of the data - live by the CHAD score and die by the CHAD score I was thinking. I have a CHA2DS2-VASc Score is 0 but would take Xarelto when I went into AFIB and continued to take it when I converted for the same number of days I was in AFIB. I was ok with this since I could not really believe my risk was 0 and wasn't taking it regularly like I have to now for another 2 months. And I like the info about the ablation for flutter being "relatively easy" should I continue to get episodes well beyond the blanking period - wondering if they mean relatively easy for the EP or the patient :-) or maybe both.
Steve and Bill, it is good to hear you've gotten back into the exercise. I wanted to try running with aflutter to see if I would self convert but chickened out because the Flecainide I am on still scares me and how it might effect my heart when running. And indeed the flutter seemed less disruptive - I had converted myself pre-ablation a few times by walking up many flights of steep steps at the office and when I first got to the top, I was puffiing and I could feel my heart dancing around but not so with flutter. I could run up to 6 miles when in afib before getting tired but going up a lot of steps was a killer. I self converted once moving my kid into college by carrying stuff up flights of stairs to her dorm room!. So I was really surprised going up steps with flutter. It was my heart rate that was freaking me out. Anyway, definintely need to be patient since it appears from your comments and past comments others have made that it really takes longer than the quoted 3 months.
And heart rate of 70- 75, Bill sounds like that is finally going back toward your historical range. I would bet you would at least get back into the 60s as the norm by the end of the year if you continue doing what you are doing. As I have mentioned, I don't think you lose the capacity, you just have to reactivate the capacity you built over the years.
Thanks to all for helping me ride out this blanking period - and providing the therapeutic words.
Dr Natale told me during my 60 day followup to keep working out after I had backed off.I've been fine since. Actually some research has shown early recurrence is a good sign of a successful outcome because good durable transmural burns were made during the ablation causing much inflammation.