Still struggling with after effects of ablation
Posted , 7 users are following.
Had avnrt ablation 22 oct. Have had lots of ectopics ever since with at least once a day having spells of multiple ectopics. Spoke to arrhythmia nurse after 3 weeks who reassured me its normal to get all sorts for first 3 months. 2 weeks ago started to get very fast pounding heartbeat after the runs of ectopics lasting hour or so. Taking diazepam help it slow down but cannot do this too much.
Been told this is all part of healing process and the after effects change over time as the scar forming causes different irritations.
Trouble is this now is more frequent than the old svt attacks were!
I have read on here that this sort of problem can go on for many months with sone saying it took a year to settle down.
I am going to ask cardiac next week if it would help to go back onto my verapamil.
Any thoughts/reassurance would be appreciated.
0 likes, 9 replies
chadcf deborah36618
Posted
I have pretty frequent pvcs for a good month or two after the ablation that gradually tapered off. By frequent I mean one every 3 or 4 heartbeats. Of course I've also had times like that that lasted weeks to months before the ablation too. But I definitely had a bad spell after the ablation and it took a while to settle down. I don't know how much of it was due to the ablation and how much was just me being hyper focused on my heart after going through the ablation... But many people report the same thing and say it calms down after a while.
Shige deborah36618
Posted
hi Deborah,
I had my accessory pathway ablation, trans-septal, on 7/16/18. 6.5 hours procedure, 3 abpated spots and overnight observation. I'm 42 year old male, 6'0", 180lbs. non-smoker. I experienced much of what you describe; tachycardia multiple times through the first few weeks post ablation, ectopics daily and sometimes multiple times per day. Anyway, my cardiologist and electrophysiologist both said this is a normal part of healing.
It's been almost five months now and I'm hitting the gym 4-5 days a week, running 30-40min @ 6.0mph, lifting weights 30-40minutes. All has been pretty well aside from the occassional ectopic beat. These are probably a couple of times per week now vs. multiple times a day initially. I'd highly recommend journaling whenever you feel something funny with your heart so you can have a somewhat objective perspective to reflect on as you move along your journey of healing.
deborah36618
Posted
Thank you both. I think i forget that it takes at least 3 months for heart to heal and many have said it can take 6 months to settle.
I have started to keep journal as suggested.
It def raises anxiety when you end up worse in the months after ablation than you were before in frequency of symptons even if the ablation is a success.
ditzydeb deborah36618
Posted
I too am having worse tachycardia since my ablation for svt a week ago.. how long before I know if it worked or not.. So sad 😦
Shige ditzydeb
Posted
Hi DitzyDeb,
I'm sorry to hear you are having worse tachycardia since ablation. i remember my Cardiologist saying something like 12 weeks at least before heart normalized. i still have ectopics today, had one on flight to NYC from Boise and just went to happy place and reminded myself, "It doesn't mean what I think it means." i HIGHLY recommend belly breathing exercises when you experience these, or whatever form of meditation, calming activites youve enlisted. Ive learned in the last year that most things Im tripping about go away within a few minutes, including stuff i feel with my heart. i hope thats helpful.
ditzydeb deborah36618
Posted
Hi Shige. Yes that helps me alot. Thank you so much.. Any comforting words are so helpful. Today has been loads better. I will try and relax, it is just so hard for me.
SS1969 deborah36618
Posted
yes these are ectopic beats (PVCs) that almost everybody is experiencing after ablation! I did my ablation in late march, 2019 & am still experiencing them almost on daily basis with good & bad days! VERY FRUSTRATING as I didn't have them before the procedure! From my research, it takes a while for the heart to fully heal after the ablation, but they do ease up after one year! Wish my doctor warned about them upfront; I wouldn't have done the ablation & stayed on medical therapy.. GOOD LUCK
patricia16507 deborah36618
Posted
Hi Deborah
I am 4 days post ablation and am feeling pretty good however my heart is doing a hell of a lot of flip flopping and I can feel it beating quite a lot and sometimes I feel the need to cough.
I had a checkup yesterday at my doctors to make sure the catheter site in my groin is healing okay (it is) and she had the nurse do an ECG seeing I was experiencing these sensations. No A fib, blood pressure was fine and pulse was perfect so diagnosis was just the heart healing.
It seems I may not be the only one experiencing this and I have to say although I was expecting some palp's afterwards this is more than what I expected. The only other thing is that I have an anxiety and panic disorder and I feel this isn't helping as I don't experience them when I am asleep. The other thing which is incredibly weird is that when I take my first mouthful of food they stop for a few hours!! Very strange.
I think if this continues I might look at going back on to Verapamil as I can't keep taking diazipam.
SS1969 deborah36618
Posted