Skipped Beats w/ Light-Headedness After WPW Ablation

[Jon79]

I am 27 years old and had an ablation done because I was diagnosed w/ WPW this past summer.  I had a form of tachycardia where I'd get runs of fast beats every so often, but it wasn't that frequent (nevertheless scary).  I had the procedure done in Jun-06 b/c I was told there was a small chance that people w/ WPW could die suddenly.  I didn't know that after the ablation I'd end up with a different, more unnerving problem.

I now have what I believe are "skipped beats", where I can feel my heart flutter in my chest, sometimes followed by a feeling of light-headedness (not sure why?).  This has been a problem since the ablation, and now, 10 mos. later, I'm having the skipped beats even more often.  At first I noticed it mostly during the cool-down period post exercise, but it also happened while inactive.  The post-exercise skipped beats remain today, but occurrences while inactive increased dramatically in the last few days from 3-5 a week to about 1x every couple mins.

I had an event monitor for a mo. previously & did a stress test (of course the skipped beats didn't happen during/after the test at all), and my EP says everything is "normal" and the skipped beats were "normal".  They weren't "normal" for me...I never had them before!

I've since worn a halter monitor for 24 hr. constant monitoring, & later another event monitor for a mo., with results yet to be heard.  Other than a few episodes, I don't predict them seeing anything other than what they consider "normal".  I was hoping they would subside w/ time, but I'm now getting more skipped beats than ever, immediately after I returned the monitor!  I'm not an emotional person, but any time you feel your heart beat irregularly it's not something you can just ignore like they tell you to, so it is an emotional challenge.

What options are there (if any) to decrease/eliminate the skipped beats I'm having post-ablation?  Also, why do I sometimes feel light-headed when they occur?  Is my BP dropping?

[herbc]

I have WPW, large delta waves in II and III.  When I was first diagnosed they used drug therapy.....Beta blockers don't work, but Norpace/disopyramide works great.  It's tough to tolerate, though, if you have an active lifestyle.

What I've found that works very well without bad effects is Magnesium Aspartate, Orotate, or a hybrid made by KAL called Magnesium Asporotate.  I take about 600mg three times a day.  

Anyone can write me at chcollins at yahoo

[bookert11]

Is anyone out there living with wpw without any treatment? if so how is it going for you? thanks!

[luvboxers]

I know how you guys feel and it really sucks at times.  I was 19 when I had sudden heart racing that went on for days.  I was told it was panic attacks.  Six years later after my son was born, I had skipped heartbeats constantly.  It drove me nuts!  the weirdest thing about it was that I couldn't sneeze if I wanted to.  Everytime I would feel it coming on and get right there, my heart would skip and nothing.  That finally went away and then there was the heart racing thing again.  Just a steady 110 to 120 for hours.  Dr said slight tachycardia.  If I lay a certain way my heart will skip or beat fast.  I'll feel light headed.  Doctors have their theories but I don't think they even know for sure.  My only advice would be if you have to have any type of heart surgery, research and find the best doctor possible.  Make sure they are the best of the best.  

[Leslie613]

I had my second ablation for WPW almost a year and a half ago, and I still have the skipped beats too!  And my doctor is a nice guy, but he just doesn't get how emotionally devastating it is for people with this sort of issue (hence joining an online forum for emotional support.)  At least you've started to exercise again, I used to run all the time but now I'm completely paranoid to do it because it always makes the skipped beats worse.  I hope you start to feel better:)

[guitarpicker]

my doc told me to have a ablation in 2002 so I did,, rapid heart beat,, she called it a abnormal electrical pathway,, well I hav'nt had the 180 rate heart beat anymore but at the same time she put me on lopressor or metoprolol 50 mg twice a day, keep in mind this is the same drug they used to bring my heart rate down the first time it jumped to 180 so like everybody else I put up with the pvc's and every year that goes by it gets worse I was 49 when I had the ablation and now I am 55 and my doc still has me on the lopressor,,, my pvc's come when I go down a bumpie road in the car ,, they come in the hot summer months when I drink a cold drink and it don't matter the drink its the cold that sets it off ,, if I rest my left arm on a table to long here come the pvc's,, sometime they last all day sometime they last a hour ,, they put me in a bad mood ... position is a factor with my pvc's ,, everybody has a little pressure stress from day to day,, this also bring them on, anyway I'am tired of it ,, at 55 the erge for sex is not what it was when you are 40 so when the erge is there you want to talk about somthing that is a turn off is to have a bunch of pvc's when your getting ready to have sex, it may be a problem in the heart but believe me when this happens its a pain in @ss

[DaDog]

I am currently 30 and also had WPW and the ablation when I was 18.  Now 12 years later I am having the same "skipped" beats that you are experiencing.  It is nice to know that others are having the same problem as me.  I don't have health insurance, and I have a wife, a 17 month old son and another on the way in May.  Having a family really puts your health at the forefront of your mind.  Thanks for asking the question, I just wish doctors would talk to people without having to charge them for an office visit :(