bradycardia after ablation

[bearss27]

I had a heart ablation about 7months ago for psvt and soon after started having problems with low blood pressure so was started on midorine which helped for awhile they lowered my dose of metoprolol which i still cant come off of due to bad palps when stopped and return of psvt well about 3 months ago i started getting extremly tired and has gradually got worse with heart rate dropping in 40s was in the er for problems with high b12 concern from bariatric doctor and was turning paler by the day with dark circles under my eyes and they did a ekg and it read my heart rate was exacly 40 and stayed low for about 2hrs then returned to lower 60s so the other day was back in cardiologist office and was scheduled for stress test which didnt last very long cause i callpsed but didnt pass out the doc that did the test recomended pacemaker and was going to talk to cardiologist but before i was scheduled to go back had trouble breathing at work sent back to er were nothing was done and then talked to cardiologist still didnt want to do pacemaker because i am only 24 but cant return to work because now have become almost nonfunctional due to being so tired and turning paler every day the cardilogist finally decided to do pacemaker and scheduled but then next day wants to wait again and have me see another cardiologist in the mean time problems keep getting worse and at a loss of what to do any advice would be greatly appreciated

[MichelleP_3811]

I am so glad to hear you are feeling better.  The fact that you did this to improve the quality of your life should have you never regretting it.  Keep us posted on how you are doing.

[bearss27]

just wanted to stop in and let you know im home and already feeling alot better they said so far i have paced 80% of the time its been in i think this was a good decision that i will never regret

[MichelleP_3811]

So glad to hear things are moving forward for you.  I will hold you in my prayers next Thursday.  Please do come back and let us know you are OK.  Best of luck.  

[bearss27]

so now I am rescheduled for thursday at noon again so now just to make it till then

[bearss27]

Well waiting to go see the first doc again tomorrow so hopefully he will give me a date and stop playing these games I did what he wanted me to do and got the second opinion which said to do it so now he needs to just do it and get it over with just tired of going back and forth for him to keep delaying its been more expensive to keep waiting than to just do it

[bearss27]

Well waiting to go see the first doc again tomorrow so hopefully he will give me a date and stop playing these games I did what he wanted me to do and got the second opinion which said to do it so now he needs to just do it and get it over with just tired of going back and forth for him to keep delaying its been more expensive to keep waiting than to just do it

[MichelleP_3811]

I wish you a ton of good wishes that this turns your life around.  You sure deserve to feel better.  Please do let us know when it will happen so I can send good thoughts your way.  Hopefully the worst will all be over soon.

[bearss27]

just wanted to let yall know that the other doc  did say he recomended the pacemaker so he is going to call the other doc tonight to let him know so now i get to wait for the other doc to call me to let me know if this is good enough for him and how fast he will be doing it he told me last time i talked to him if it was recomended that he would do it within 48hrs i bet that wont happen lol gotta love docs but anyway i got the impression that if my current doc still has issues then he would be glad to do it so my fingers crossed that this will be done sooner rather than later thank yall for your input and i will keep you posted

[bearss27]

Ya I was on 100 Mg twice aday before the ablation which at that piont did me no good but after the ablation they lowered it which I feel with this dose I dont get to tachy but without it I go.very tachy plus still go Brady so thats why I still take it but I started.that med whem i.wad like 12 and now.im.24 but feel more like im 80 lol I really hope they decide tomorro im starting.to feel like im on a wild.goose.chase but they told me if.i was 4/ then they would have already done the pacemaker.and that kind of.upsets me but theres not alot i.can do about it

[tom_h]

You probably know this already, but a daily dose of 400mg of Metoprolol is BIG.  I was on 200mg a day a few years back and felt like a zombie.  Any exertion would cause that weight on the chest feeling.  My heart rate just wouldn't respond to physical activity.  If you're dialed back to fifty a day most likely the drug isn't causing your low heart rate.

[MichelleP_3811]

I am sure they are just trying to be cautious so as not to do you more harm but just be very forthcoming that you can't live like this anymore.  I send strength your way and will think good thoughts of you tomorrow.  Hang in there.  Every step gets you closer to a solution even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes.  Please do let me know how it goes.

[bearss27]

Yea i have been dealing with this for like 12.years and it has gotten worse I saw the doc last thurday and finally got him to schedule for pacemaker and then got a.call Friday from him saying he canceled it and wanted me to see another doc so I feel like there purposly putting it off I really thought there was.a. Chance and was really upset that he did that and they have chbecked blood and everything and all thats good I have been diagnosed with all kinds of arrythmia problems and yes that was one of them but each doc I see has there own opinion I personally think the doc he is sendimg me to is goin to say he doesnt think I need it and its goin t be based.on the other docs.opiniom because one other.doc. Said he recommended it and thats when he decided he wanted a third opinion so I dont feel very confident that I will get anything answered tomorrow but all I can do is try

[MichelleP_3811]

It sounds a lot like sick sinus syndrome.  Some sort of scarring possibly around the sa node causing the heart to misfire.  I assume you have been checked for thyroid issues and anemia?  Those are a couple outside the heart issues that can cause ist but not the only ones. I will say it can take a little while for the body to readjust after starting or stopping meds but it sounds like you have slow and fast issues and they have tried all sorts of meds and nothing is working as well it sounds like you are telling me you have had this most of your life so it very well is some sort of congenital heart rhythm issue.   But I by no means was trying to imply you were going into the pacemaker lightly.  It is apparent you are having difficulty functioning and your heart in general is stressed out.  Please do not let your friends bother you.  You are ill and it is nothing to be ashamed about.  

The best advice I can give you is to be as direct as you can with your doctor.  They obviously do not want to do you harm but by prolonging the decision it is causing you more duress so just be forthcoming about how sick you really do feel. Make a deal with him that there is a limit to how much more testing and consulting you will do, that you need to start working towards a solution.   I would also find out if it is ok with your kidney issues if you can drink lots and lots of water.  It will help your heart function better if you can as well do make sure you are eating healthy and just rest as much as you can until you get this all sorted out.  Your heart is stressed out right now so do all you can to calm your breathing down when you notice it speed up and take it slow when you notice it being slow.  But I am sure once you can get your heart into a more normal rhythm it will help your heart to recover its strength.  Your heart has been through a lot but our hearts are very strong and can bounce back from a lot.  So do hang in there and do not feel bad about needing to take it slow.  You were one of the unlucky ones born with some heart issues not too many people have to face.  It isn't anything to be ashamed of it is just the way it is for you unfortunately.  And again, the more direct you can be with your doctor the more serious they will take you.  Stay strong, my thoughts are with you that you get this resolved sooner rather than later.  

[bearss27]

When they tried to stop the metoprolol they still had problems with the bradycardia so i am not sure that stopping it will really keep the bradycardia away i take 25mg twice aday and its the tartrate i believe it was ist but they had me in the cardiac unit for 3weeks trying different meds to fix the tachy and when ablation was decided he told me he was problably going to completetly destroy that part of my heart and put a set pacemaker in but he decided last minuet to wait due to my age before my ablation i was on 200mg metprolol twice aday plus several other meds to lower blood pressure but when the doc let me go he said i would end up with a pacemake eventually and its not that i want one i just want some of my life back i have lost several jobs because of going through these problems they had me scheduled tuesday to do a pacemaker but then he called the other day and said he wants another cardiologist to say if i need one and maybe send me to a big hospital for them to try todeal with all the issues i mean even the color of my face has turned really pale and i have dark circles under my eyes and feel like i cant function daily activities without feeling like my body is going to give out no one has mentioned a second ablation but i know when they did the first ablation they didnt ablate 2spots that they wanted to but were to scared to do but he gave me a long talk about knowing i was going to get a pacemaker eventually so now i am at the piont of just do it and get over so that i can have a chance to get back to a somewhat normal life the other concern now is my kidneys are starting to not filter properly and the reg doc is blaming heart but heart doc said there was no garantee that it was the cause i am hoping they will have the results back from the zio patch to help some but i feel like the cardiologist is trying to get one cardiologist against it so he has a reason to say no and send me to john hopkins its just i have been deeling with this stuff since i was a child and know i will have to keep dealing with it but would like for some how there to be a plan set up to try to help make my days feel some better and not feel like soon i wont be able to function at all past few days my memory has started to get really bad and its like i know what i am trying to say but the words come out jumbled my friends up the road make fun of me now too because i have become so pale and have such dark circles under my eyes it looks like someone has been beating me like i said before i just want to get some of my life back and have alittle energy to do regular activities i go to see this other cardiologist tuesday and the one said if he thought a pacemaker would help then he would go ahead and due it but i am 100percent sure its not going to work out that easy cause you dont just walk into a cardiologist office and he makes a decision in seconds unless the other doc told him to say no but its hard to tell i am really not sure what to say to him when i go any advice would be appreciated

[tom_h]

How much Metoprolol are you taking PER DAY?

[MichelleP_3811]

What type of svt did you have?  Was it an accessory pathway or inappropriate sinus or something like MAT?  You  may have scaring around the sa node.  All I know is my cardiologists did not see bp meds as doing much to stop svt or ectopic beats.  They slowed the heart down when one is in svt as well it may help someone with ectopics feel a bit better but they aren't meds that actually cure what is going on.  They are symptoms relief.  But the fact that the meds slow the heart down is a big concern to me that you are taking a med that is adding to the problem no matter if it is a low dose or not.  Unfortunately it sounds like the ablation didn't fix the main issue though I have heard that people can experience some bouts of svt for a few months after an ablation until the scar tissue sets.  Have you been offered a second ablation to see if they can take a new attempt at correcting the svt?  That said it does sound like your issue is a bit extreme and there may be some extra scarring of some sort that will continue to give you issues.  In the long run a pacemaker isn't anything that can't be dealt with if it gives you your life back.  I wish you the best getting this sorted out.  Sending you health and healing whatever comes your way.  Hang in there.

[bearss27]

They did try to stop the metoprolol and the psvt started again along with the palps and still had off and on bradycardia without it so then I was adviced to keep taking it at lowest dose but most of my lows are after i do any activity and it has been getting worse i can barely walk through the store now without about calspsing the only reason they did my ablation was because i was in the cardiac unit for 3weeks with them trying all kinds of medicine to try to keep my heart rate down because the metroprolol had stopped working just recently they told me my kindneys are starting to have problems but the reg doctor is saying its probably from the low heart rate but no body knows and the guy that did the ablation told me i would need a pacemaker soon but wanted to put it off as long as possible but he is on the otherside of the usa so he cant do it. I go tueday to see a third cardiologist and was told if he said I needed one they would do it within 48hrs but if he couldnt make a decision then i have to drive 5hrs to john hopkins to find out what to do but i cant afford to run to all these doctors while in the mean time i cant even work sorry for the long reply just feel very confused right now and dont know what to do its not that i want a pacemaker but feel something has to be done because the slow rate is getting more often and lasting longer which i think is the reason my body is so worn down thanks for your input i do appreciate it.

[MichelleP_3811]

My heart rate slowed down after my ablation.  Well not initially but it is now slower than it use to be which was always pushing 100 and my resting never went under 70 but can now go into the 50s.  I would say a pacemaker is a drastic step.  I would first try to stop the beta blockers before putting one in.  I had a lot of ectopic beats after my ablation but with time they have virtually gone away and those I get are barely noticeable. So for me the least invasive approach is always the best choice.  You are on meds you don't really need unless you have high bp so seriously consider trying to deal with the ectopic beats for a short while to see if that will help your bradycardia.  Do give your body some time to adjust if you do come off.  It is never worth rushing into when a drastic step such as a pacemaker is being considered.  You may still need it but I personally would investigate all avenues first before I became dependent on one the rest of my life.  Ectopic beats are mostly just annoying.  They are not a health danger to you if your heart is healthy so the biggest challenge with them is to not let them take over you mental well being.  It really might be worth a shot before resorting to a pacemaker.  I wish you health and happiness whatever you decide to do.  Take care and keep us posted on how you are.