skipped beats and tachycardia after ablation

[annie2417]

I had a catheter ablation for avnrt 5 weeks ago.  I am still experiencing occasional skipped beats and also some rapid beats (2-8 in a row) that feel like the old svt. These rapid beats occur about every other day.  Today I also felt several irregular beats before starting into several seconds of what felt like svt. Is this normal?    Could the irregular beats have been several skipped beats in a row?   They only lasted a few seconds, but I had an episode of a-fib a few weeks before the ablation, which the ep felt was probably caused by the svt, so I am worried that the short irregular beats could have been a-fib again. I know that skipped beats and rapid heart beats can occur for a few weeks after the ablation, but I'm getting concerned that this is going on too long.

[Fitty4117]

Thanks Michelle. The nurse at the cardiologist office also told me that even if they can ablate them every cell in your heart is capable of conducting a current and under stress you could easily develope a new one. I guess I will just take an atenolol today since I was up most of the night with them last night and need a break.

[Fitty4117]

When you took the atenolol did the side effects subside after a little while or did you ever have any?

[annie2518]

When I started on the atenolol I was extremely tired for the first couple of days, but after that I adjusted and have not noticed any side effects.  I take 25 mg once a day and my doc recommended that I take it in the evening when I first started it, so that if I became fatigued it would hit right around bedtime.  So when I first started it, I would take it around 7:30 pm and was ready to fall asleep standing up by about 9:30!  But the effects would wear off by the time I would get up in the morning so the timing was perfect.  Maybe I was lucky, but those side effects diminished in about a week.  I still take the atenolol before bed just in case it would make me tired, but I am always fine the rest of the day.  My resting heart rate is definitely slower and it doesn't get as high as it used to during exercise which I suppose would be a problem if I was a serious athlete but I'm not :)
My blood pressure is also lower and I don't feel as much adrenaline as I used to when I am feeling tense.  So I guess those would be considered good side effects!

[Fitty4117]

Sounds good to me. I took one today and then I started to feel anxious. I got in bed and rested and now I feel better. I think it was the lack of sleep from last night. I dont want to start taking it every day until after I get the event monitor. I cant take it while on that. If that shows nothing dangerous over a month I will feel a lot better about ignoring it. Good thing Im off today. I can handle a week of drowsiness if it will get better. Thanks again

[Janpes]

I am 1½ years out from an ablation for SVT and still have some jumps and bumps that feel like the old SVT starting up again. Fortunately it stops there. 5 weeks out is such a short time to evaluate anything, your heart is still settling down and healing the burns on your heart.

Rest up and try to understand that this process takes time, a lot of it!

[Fitty4117]

I do have to tell you Barbie, Even though I am having the PVCs like crazy I am so much better than I was for a while after my ablation. Mentally I am so much better. It just takes time and rest. I took it easy for a while. I had a hard time falling asleep and then woke up early with anxiety for about 6- 8 weeks. That was exhausting. Now I can usually sleep 8 hours straight. It takes time.