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@gracie71

Thank you for being so kind to share your experience with cardiac ablation and then going back into hospital so quickly with pericarditis. I have been second guessing myself right and left about choosing the Pulsed Field Ablation thinking perhaps it was too new of a procedure and needed more time to prove its efficacy.

I was stunned by the amount of hard pain it took to breath and had no idea that was a potential side effect. I believe l remember that it was perhaps referred to as trivial fluid around the heart.

I'm curious since you have had 3 ablations are you now free from Afib?
Do you still have to take blood thinners and an anti arrhythmia drug and/or blood pressure medication?

I do wish you well on your rode towards recovery and will forever be grateful to you for helping me so much by sharing how you managed 3 ablations.

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Replies to "Thank you for being so kind to share your experience with cardiac ablation and then going..."

3rd Ablation was March 2022...so far so good (3rd time the charm?).

Other thing to think about is the "blanking" period...usually about 3 months where you may think it hasn't worked. You have to remember the ablation is still sort of an "injury" to the heart (but a very planned one) that takes time to heal/recover.

I didn't really have much pain breathing after that 2nd one just some shortness of breath....mostly was bad pain around left shoulder blade (like I was sitting back leaning on a rock), tried to eat dinner-started with salad & that didn't stay down so didn't bother with the rest of dinner...decided to just doze a bit & see if I would feel any better & when I woke up around 11pm & was just as bad that's when I called 911.

From what I've learned/read....Afib isn't really "cured" (at least according to a contact I have on Twitter...he is Director of EP at a major teaching hospital/university - he also has some really good teaching videos on YouTube...actually learned more from his videos than from my own EP). Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to them.

I did sometimes feel like I might be having a mini-run of Afib...only lasting a minute or so.
but was actually runs of PVCs/PACs. Those are now well under control with Magnesium (check with doctor before just trying that though).

I am still on Eliquis since my ChadsVasc score indicates that I should be on it.
Not really on a medication for my BP since I have/get Orthostatic Hypotension. I am on a Beta Blocker but to control my heart rate.

Hope all goes well for you