Post ablation atrial fibrillation

[Swanee44]

Dear Dr.,

I just had an ablation one week ago.  The day I was released from the hospital, I had an episode of atrial fibrillation.
After speaking with the doctor's office, I went to the ER.  They recorded a-fib with V-tach (but my EP said the EKG he got from them only showed AF).  They gave me cardizem in my IV and a cardizem drip and more cardizem afterwards.  I never converted to NSR but they said I could go home after 6 hrs. with a pulse rate of about 130 (and still with very irregular beats).  I finally converted later that night during my sleep.

The meds I was put on post ablation were:
Norpace 150 mg X 2
Topral XL l00 mg daily
Warfarin (now 3 mg daily... more to begin with)
Aspirin 325 mg
And the dr. said I could take Magnesium too (I'm taking 400 mg)

Since that day, I have had 2 or 3 other long attacks of a-fib with very irregular beats lasting 2 or more hours.  My EP told me to take additional Norpace + Toprol and if I don't convert in a reasonable amount of time, call the dr. and/or go to ER.

My question is this:
Is it normal to have bouts of a-fib like this post ablation? Is a-fib also part of the healing process? Or might we say right now that the ablation was a failure?

I have been experiencing PAC's and PVC's occasionally, but the literature I have states that I wouldn't have any more a-fib.  I'm having it now just as often as I had it before.

BTW, I'm not sure what kind of ablation I had...my EP spoke of the PV ablation before the procedure, so I assume that's what he performed.

Thanks

[axg9504]

It just occurred to me: You have Afib when running, and you are able to continue after a while, no dizziness, no tiredness. However my EP's think that my dizziness etc. are due to an arrythmia of some sort!! I assume you had very irregular heart rates when you had your Afib. My heart rate, as per my Timex heart monitor shows it goes up smoothly during my initial run, levels off at 130, thereafter as I run and walk it goes down and does not seem to go up to 130 again. when I step off the treadmill it goes down, sometimes as low as 50. It stays fairly steady at this low rate for a while and then it ramps up to 90-104 which is what it should be, since I work out with weights after the treadmill.

[PikaPika88]

Hi, Dr did not give me blood thinner.  I've a history of ITP (low platelets). I'm taking some herbs (in tablets form) that my mum posted to me.  It dissolved the blood clots and it helps to stop the bleeding as well.  (It is very good for gun shot wound and after operation.) I didn't tell this to my cardiology.  Two weeks ago, morning at 1:00am I went to ER because my back chest pain and I can't sleep.  My oxygen intake is 100%!!!  I knew that because my TCM practitioners are very strict.  They want me to do 2 kind of exercises to increase the oxygen intake.  I think all these exercises (slow motion) are came from part of the Martial Arts.  Hey, you all haven't told me which country are you in?  I just wander their ablation for A Fib is so advance than Australia.  Thank for your post. Hope you all get well and healthy. Pika

[PikaPika88]

Hi Everyone on this post,
Could I ask which country are you all in?  I'm from Melbourne, Australia.  I recently find out have A Fib as well but my Dr told me have to take medication for the rest of my life.  I'd an ablation done in 1985 for WPW 10% case.  Permanent pacemaker implanted.  Dr said I have a lot of episode recorded in my pacemaker.  Something.. ventricle increase the rate.  Take atenolol, Dixogin or Flecainide by itself not worked.  Now take the combination of Flecainide and Verapamil.  I hope you all can tell me a little bit more about the relation with A Fib and Ablation.  Thanks.  Pika.

[axg9504]

I would think that your medication would include Coumadin to thin your blood if you have Afib. I was told to take the same when my first EP saw (I think subsequent evidence showed he may have been incorrect) "bursts of Afib" on my heart monitor during running. I have never had any heart palpitations or recorded high heart rates at any time, or even widely fluctuating heart rates. My reasoning in rejecting Coumadin was that I did not think that I was in Afib, if ever,  very long at all to justify it. Sounds like you might need another EP study to determine the source of your arrythmia.

[axg9504]

Dquenzer: thanks for the history. I am trying to determine if I really have some arrythmia or if it's perhaps lack of fitness after all. My EP has suggested flecainide two times a day, but I haven't started yet. I have not responded to any of the BB's I took . My quandary is that if flecainide does work, I am not sure I want to take it the rest of my life just to be able to run. I don't like taking drugs. In my late thirties I ran a lot and could do 7:30 pace for 6-8 miles. Then I cut back on running. At 50 I was still in fairly good shape and could run 3-4 miles with some walking. Then I really slacked off. Trying to come back at 55 I noticed that I was not improving. Then at 58 I started getting dizzy spells. That's were I am now at nearly 61. I start running at a 9:40 pace and usually stop at .5 mi. After that I walk for a couple of minutes and try to resume at 9:40 for a minute. After a couple of these sequences I will start getting dizzy at the 9:40 pace. If I slow to a fast walk I'm OK. When I stop after I feel a dizzy spell coming on I'm breathing very hard.  I am going to get a pulmonary evaluation to see if perhaps I have some breathing problems. At this point I have no confidence that I can improve and based on my past history of achievements I find that embarassing. Thanks for your input, it helps to know what others are experiencing.

[dquenzer]

I had the same thing after an ablation for AFIB.  I had more irregular heart beats for about 5 days after the ablation, and had a number of afib bouts.    Mine settled down after a few weeks, and then I had just real short bouts, and now I'm afib free. It's been 18 months now since ablation, and it seems to have worked.  I'm still on a beta blocker.  Doctor figured it was just good to keep the heart from irritation.  But I'm running etc. and feeling good.  Hope yours is successful as mine.  But it will take some months to know for sure.