have you tried the medications again? you said they worked for a few months...i would start over in the order you tried them before, there may not be a way to get rid of the afib permanentely but a few months break may help ya some
Ablation may work for you, and worth the risk if you left atrium is not enlarged (over 5cm diameter) and you symptoms are troublesome, really lower you quality of life. My doctor says my permanent AFib symptoms are at such a low level I should just live with them. My live expectancy isn't improved with regaining NSR. I even get along fairly well with Coumadin, some people don't. I take 5 mg a day.
Thanks Jerry for your comments.
I've tried all the meds. they worked for a short time but the a. fib came back even stronger.
currently taking 120mg diltiazem 2 X day Although I'm still in A. Fib. it does slow it down to a tolerable rate)
7.5 mg coumadin
I'm constantly in A. Fib.
Heart size is normal for an ex-athlete.
You didn't say anything about how frequent (once in a while, or all the time) you AFib is active, or what the size of the left atrium is. Those all play a important input role in predicting the success for ablation, or maze for that mater. I have permanent AFib and an enlarged left atrium... I also had a mini-maze done when I had open heart surgery in 11/2007, I still have AFib. I have never tried an ablation, and as I am absent any of the pain you mention, as well as have a reasonable rest HR with Metoprolol (200 mg a day) my doctors do not recommend an ablation for me.