Increase in skipped beats post ablation concerns

[glassheart46]

I am now 3weeks and 3 days post ablation for AV node reentry, atrial tachycardia and atrial extrasystoles. The slow pathway was ablated as was the atrial extrasystoles and the atrial tachycardia.  For the first 2 weeks or so after ablation the only symptoms I experienced were an occasionl skipped beat(maybe 12 to 24 per day very well spaced) and daily gradual increase in heart rhythm (not abrupt and would only get up to 100bpm or so.)  The last 3 days things have changed.  I now have skipped beats much more frequent.  They will come in runs that lasted an hour or so the first day and an hour or so the second day and yesterday it started at 4pm and did not let up at all untill I finally went to sleep around midnight. This am they are gone but for a few now and then. I was very hopeful that my ablation had worked and now some doubts are starting to creep in.  My common sense tells me that the skipped beats should be decreasing, not increasing.  I am wearing a loop monitor and was told that these beats are from the atrium and they called them early beats or skipped beats.  My question:  Is it possible that I am getting the old problem back: the old problem being bigeminys and trigeminys daily, 7 days a week and of course tachycardia; or is this just post ablation irritation.  They get so bothersome that I have a difficult time getting to sleep.  I take Alprazolam which does not help for the above. I was never bothered much with skipped beats prior to ablation.  Should I be calling my EP at this point?  Thanks for this great forum.

[comatt1]

I recently had an ablation (Dec 10) for an AV nodal reentry tach. (although they found another arrythmia, which they only explained as being lower).

A bit of history, when I was 20 I experienced my first catheter ablation for an attypical arrythmia, I guess within my right atrium I had two circuits that were sending energy the wrong way and were opposing eachother, in any case, this was fixed. And following the procedure everything was fine for about a year - when the new arrythmia started.

However, with this last catherization I know I could have expected an increase in the number of arrythmias for a few months, however, I seem to have arrythmias that are coinciding with fits of coughing.

I was a little sniffly before the procedure, but not that bad. After the procedure, when on my pain meds (hydrocodone), I had a lot of green mucus coming up. Having stopped the meds, yesterday, I now am just coughing intensly, and it feels like the phlegm is stuck in my chest it won't come out.

I don't have a fever, but I feel sick, I feel like I am working with one lung.

Should I see the doc again, because my arrythmias are causing me to get lightheaded.

[JohnAlex]

Hello everyone.  I found this site and found it very helpful.  I've recently started experiencing PVC's and it's driving me crazy.  All my tests however (echo & stress) have come out normal, so my doctor says not to worry.  Easy for him to say.  I don't use caffeine, I eat choclate rarely.  A month ago I never even heard of a PVC . . . now I could write a thesis.  I'm learning, slowly, to ignore them.  My doctor told me to try to loose weight and get my blood pressure down, , , it may help.  I would be interested in hearing from any of you who are experiencing the same problem, and if your doctor has given you any advice on how to lessen them.  It would be GREATLY appreciated !  Thanks very much.  JohnAlex

[GES]

Armyman, Don't worry.  I train a lot of full contact fighting and Jiu Jitsui.  very intense cardio training.  I have PVCs constantly and I am still alive.  I went to different cardio's and they all said I am healthier than them.  Just quit worrying about them and deal with them.

[armyman]

Iam 23 years old, and according to my cardiologist I have SVT.  Since I was 11 years old it has happened 15 times to my memory, 2 of those times in the past year occuring 2 weeks apart.  The 2nd time I went to the ER to get an EKG done so I could find an end to this.  The cardiologist told me I'am fine, its not life threatening, and if it happens more often he could recommend treatment.  

That part I was fine with, as it didn't happen very often, and while I was on active duty it never happened.  What is concerning me now, is for the past 6 months my heart has started to "skip" beats.  Sometimes it happens 4 or 5 times in a row before returning to a normal heartrate.  At the worst times, it happens near 20 times per minute.  It is causing my entire life to degrade and all my cardiologist tells me is that i'am fine and won't even give me an appointment.  I have a wife and kids and my own father died when I was 3 years old, I can't allow myself to do the same to my kids.  The town I live in only has one cardiologist, and at the present time I can't go get a second opinion.  He didn't give me any details aside from I have SVT.  These "skipped" beats are destroying my life and I'am taking it upon myself to discover as much as possible about them.

I don't know exactly what type I have, because as I said the cardiologist didn't tell me much of anything.  It feels like its in the lower part of my heart so I guess its ventricle.  Which according to what i've read is the most dangerious and life threatening.  My wife tries to understand but she has no idea, and although I don't get tired playing or running around, when it happens, as it does all the time now, I just can't function because of the fear my heart is going to stop.  Sometimes I have chest pains toward the middle of my chest, but I just tell myself its not my heart its my lungs or something else.  

If anyone has learned something that I haven't found on my own, or has gone through similiar expierances any information would be great.

[Ryman]

Hi Armyman. If your cardiologist said that the palpitations are not dangerous it would probably indicate that your tachycaria is not ventricular. The term SVT stands for Supra Ventricular Tachycardia in which "supra" means above the ventricals. This means it's in the Atrium. Ventricular tachycardias are considered more dangerous and would be a red flag for the cardiologist. Fortunately most SVTs are not life threatening, but can be a bit freaky. I too have experienced them since childhood. I know you said there is only one cardiologist in your area, but I would really sugggest you try to find an Electrophysiologist(EP). They specialize in the electrical system of your heart which is most likely the source of your tachycardia. I very strongly urge you to do as much research as possible regarding your options. This forum is a great source for feedback from people who have attempted to deal with their own irregularities. In reference to having skipped beats, it might help to think of it in different terms. Usually what we perceive as a "skip" is actually an extra beat. The skip you feel is because usually the irregular beat creates a longer interval of time until the next beat and thus has more blood to pump through. At least this is how I understand it from my own research. You should double check on everything I have mentioned because I am only a patient. I hope that some of this helps your understanding a little. I also hope that you can find an EP or atleast a cardiologist that can see you. When you do make sure to jot down all of your symptoms and make sure they hear what you have to say and answer all of your questions.
Not having answers can drive you mad sometimes. Best of luck.

[Ryman]

Hi Folks. I saw my cardiologist today and she agreed to do an ultra-sound to check out my overall heart condition. She was very attentive and assuring. After having a loop monitor for the past month she was able to deduce that most of my skipped beats were justs APCs with a few PVCs here and there.  I also showed one bigeminy which I perceived as a flutter. There were even times when I thought I was skipping a beat and was not. She said that was evidence that my heart is a bit over-sensative now and is picking up every little disturbance. She is also very hopeful that this sensitivity will subside.
   Although I'm still struggling with this, I have to say that seeing a doctor that really seemed to care was a wonderful experience. She sat down with me, asked a lot of detailed questions and reponded to all of mine(I had typed up a list of symptoms and concerns)without making me feel foolish. She confirmed that I'm not crazy or paranoid and am reacting very naturally to what I've been through. When we were wrapping up she said warmly,"I hope I was able to answer all of your questions sufficiently. It seems that, more than anything, that's why you're here." I thought, "Wow, she's absolutely right, and she really seems to want to help me." It really lifted my spirits. I guess I'm writing this to support what I mentioned earlier in the thread about finding a doctor that you can trust, and can help relieve the tension.