AVNRT - Post Ablation Symptoms

[JasonW]

I'll keep this question simple...

I had an RF ablation for AVNRT in late September.  For the most part, the healing process has been fine.  There are some days, however, when I have so many PACs that I border on going insane.  The problem is that they are frequent and forceful...not the light ones that we can all ignore, the ones that really thump.  These days of incessant PACs might be tracking with exercise - happening one to two days after a good run.

How long do post-ablation symptoms last?  A lot of us hear 4-6 weeks, but I'm hoping the period is longer because I want these days to fade away eventually.

Any insight is appreciated.

[JasonW]

I think we're on to something here...

The heart block thing was just a result of the burn site being so close to the AV Node...once the swelling went down I was okay.  The doctor had me on Carvedilol before the procedure but took me off of them afterward.

I'm not having any issues with tachycardia.  I just get these three day stints with PACs.  Day one is the ramp up, day two is all day misery, and day three is the ramp down.  So far, there's no rhyme or reason to the bouts...the correlation to exercise is my best theory.  Maybe be a little lazy for a couple of weeks and see if they stay away?

Something you wrote, Michelle, really struck me.  The idea that the premature beats are much worse than dealing with the SVT really hits home.  The tachycardia might hit me twice a month and ONLY when I was exercising so I seemed to have some control over it.  The PACs defy reason and are miserably 'in your face' when they are at their worst.

I appreciate your story.

[tom_h]

Most of us report months for the post ablation symptoms to fade. Did you continue a beta blocker following the procedure?  This often helps lessen the bumps and short runs of SVT.

[MichelleP_3811]

I had an ablation for avnrt in early september.  I had flutters that I did not know were pvcs prior to and after the ablation.  They would come and go and mostly feel like popping corn in my chest.  About 6 weeks after the ablation I got a case of the flutters that did not stop.  I became aware at that point that I had pvcs.  Like you they were inncessant lasting all day and having upwards of 20 a minute.  I couldn't eat, sleep and I was short of breath and my chest hurt.  I felt worse than I ever had with the avnrt.  It all kind of took me by surprise because for the first 6 weeks I felt pretty good, just an occasional thump or pang.  The incessant pvcs only lasted a week.  The second week they started to lighten up.  Now 3 weeks later I am mostly free of them during the day or if I get them I only get little bouts of them but only 1 a minute or so.  I talked to my doctor about it and he told me that the pvcs will not go away but they should get to a point where I don't notice them once my heart has had a chance to heal.  He wanted me to give it a good 3 months before we did anything more.  But I can say that though they come back they did stop going off like crazy.  I did not have any sort of block and don't know that my heart was enlarged or not so it is possible your heart has a little more healing to do than mine but hang in there.  Once your heart calms down into a more normal rhythm I am sure the pacs will fade away for you as well.  If not, you can go on beta blockers to help regulate your beat.  I kind of think a flucturating beat has a lot to do with letting in the extra beats.  My heart rate is jumping around like crazy when the pvcs are flaring but when my heart is pretty steady the pvcs don't flare as much.  So try to give yourself some time before you worry too much.  And if exercise is making them worse then slow it down a bit so your heart isn't working so hard.  Your heart has been through a lot and needs a bit of a rest.  Best of luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

[JasonW]

I think the two week episode that you experienced is what I'm talking about.  They're incessant and pounding...one can't  hardly concentrate on anything else.


Can you tell me more about your experience during that two weeks and what your doctor might have said about it?  Was there anything that you did to improve them?  Did you get a little down worrying what life would be like if they didn't stop?

Thanks

[tom_h]

Feeling "better" took about 2 weeks.  By one month was back to normal.  However, the little blips, PVC's and little runs of SVT continue even today, and it will be one year in  couple of weeks.  I really don't know if this is a result of the healing process or if this is just how its going to be.  I had a terrible episode of PVC's and PAC's about 8 months post ablation that lasted for 2 weeks.  They suddenly disappeared and I've been fine for the most part ever since.

[JasonW]

I appreciate the link.  What I see there is more about how one feels immediately after the procedure.

I too had swelling and 2nd Degree heart block two days after the procedure.  It cleared up within the next day or so (remained in the hospital the whole time) and the doctor sent me home.  After wearing a holter monitor for a day about a week later.  The doctor told me the danger of needing a pacemaker had passed.  Thank God.

But to my original question...on Tuesday I was officially six weeks post ablation.  4-6 weeks was the period that the doctor gave me to heal.  I am still having days where I have a ton of hard PACs.  I guess I'm looking for someone to say that it actually takes longer than 4-6 weeks for all symptoms to subside.

Is there anyone who had post-ablation symptoms persist for more than six weeks?  Esp PACs.

Thanks.