What downside have you experienced after an ablation?

Posted by mishel @mishel, Dec 5, 2024

I am 69 and have had an abib episodes every 2 months for a year; otherwise, I am healthy. I am approaching a decision to have an ablation and am assessing Pulsed Field Ablation vs. RF ablation and general anesthesia vs. deep sedation. I would love to know if you have experienced side effects such as tiredness, Hemolysis, Cardiac spasm, Gastric issues, Other. Have you tried to take medications such as Flacainade instead of having an ablation?
Thank you so much!

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timheart1 | @timheart1 | Jan 19 11:42am

I had 12 hours worth of abalation, 3x, orginally for flutter, rapid heart beat and irregular heart beat. I was cured for 3 years then the flutter came back. But it didn't really bother me. So, my cardiologist advised me to just live with. Which I did. Eventually I had more problems and was diagonosed with venticular fillaration and tachycardia. I take Cordarone 200 mg as needed, this med absolutely works but has a lot of bad side effects. So, I am going to start taking Hawthorn Berries, which suposedly work veru well for irregular heart functions.

merrychristmas | @merrychristmas | Feb 1 4:15pm

In reply to @susanrr "Hi there. I don't know about the anesthesia part but I do know that PFA is..." + (show)

I go to Mayo that’s what the said. Their afraid spams when treating AFlutter using PFA

Two EP said the same thing. Guess the protocol is different

nevets | @nevets | Feb 2 10:50am

I had pulsed field ablation 3 weeks ago for paroxysmal Afib. I had general anesthesia. Deep sedation was not an option. Afterwards I experienced fatigue, some chest discomfort, bruising and pain at the catheter insertion sites, occasional palpitations and headaches (headaches resolved after the first week). Overall feeling better now with fewer discomforts and less fatigue. Still on Xarelto and Metoprolol for now. Never took any rhythm control meds.

timheart1 | @timheart1 | Feb 2 11:56am

In reply to @gloaming "Great question, and most reasonable. I appreciate that you're actively reading and thinking analytically about what..." + (show)

@gloaming

Great question, and most reasonable. I appreciate that you're actively reading and thinking analytically about what I post.

I was told by my cardiologist that I would be placed on Eliquis for life. I don't recall him explaining the rationale, just that I was now going to have to rely on its efficacy until I die. I have since learned that the cardiology milieu, across the globe, have adopted an assessment model known as CHA2D2S-VASc. Like everything else in medicine and in natural philosophy (AKA 'the sciences'), they modify their models and introduce new ones constantly in an effort to improve the 'predictive validity' of their theories and models. CHA2DS2-VASc has undergone some revisions, and the one I site just here is the latest. The model imparts a score based on several risk factors, after which a total score is derived. Scores above 1.5, generally, are advised to go on a DOAC (Direct Oral Anti-Coagulant, sometimes referred to as NOAC, with N standing for 'novel', because these drugs are all relatively new, and newer ones supersede them or are introduced regularly). I had a score of 1.5, some would argue that it was a solid 2 while I was in AF (atrial fibrillation). So, I was told to accept that, if I wanted to live relatively risk-free from thrombolytic events, I should take Eliquis for life. I believe my score is now under 1.5, and could unilaterally stop taking a DOAC of my own volition and probably, not certainly, not suffer undue risk as a result of a foolish choice. My cardiologist might beg to differ. I haven't asked. I still take the Eliquis.
https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/801/cha2ds2-vasc-score-atrial-fibrillation-stroke-risk
I am on a medical plan up here in Canada, so I normally only pay an annual deduction on my insurance, and then the dispensing fee for each purchase/renewal. I have seen people say that they get their various drugs from online pharmacies in Canada, and that the prices are substantially better. I don't know the details, since they don't particularly interest me, but I hope someone has seen this thread and knows of the details.

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Hi gloaming, if you want to get off Eliquis, you can subsitute Garligin by Natural Slim. It's far less expensive and works very well, it consists of garlic and ginger know blood thinners. I hve been taking it for years. FYI, I have ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, have had 12 hours worth of ablations (3x) under general anesthesia. Currently I am trying Hawthorne berries to see if that controls my HR.

gloaming | @gloaming | Feb 2 4:32pm

In reply to @timheart1 "Hi gloaming, if you want to get off Eliquis, you can subsitute Garligin by Natural Slim...." + (show)

Thanks for the tips. I have been taking apixaban for seven years now, and have no objectionable reactions to it. I'd rather not take it, but nor do I want to have to do other types of preparations and make other purchases than the three-times each year Eliquis purchases. I have medical coverage, so my out-of-pocket for the apixaban is about $30/year.

cstrutt52 | @cstrutt52 | Mar 4 10:27am

I had a PFA on Feb 20, 2025. Absolutely no issues. I mean zero pain, zero tiredness. My biggest struggle was to try to remember that I'd had something done and to try to take it easy for the week. Choosing a good health team is probable a factor. (I was at Mayo Rochester). PF has many benefits over the other options. 72M.

mc79 | @mc79 | 1 day ago

Is it a given that post-procedure recovery includes irregular heart rhythm over the first several weeks?
I am one week over and everything seems to be clicking right along …
I use my Kardia daily to chk my heart rate which reports normal sinus rhythm. I still do not understand the difference between Tachycardia and AFIB, both I had prior to the Ablation!
I am taking Eliquis, Metoprolol, Flecainade, Statin and an anti-anxiety !
I will stay on said meds until June
when I am scheduled for my 3 mth
EC visit. Seems like a long time comin’

wcuro | @wcuro | 21 hours ago

In reply to @mc79 "Is it a given that post-procedure recovery includes irregular heart rhythm over the first several weeks?..." + (show)

Afib is a quivering of the upper chamber of the heart. There are two upper chambers, each one called an atrium. The plural is atria.
Afib is short for atrial fibrillation. Fibrillation means quivering.

Tachycardia is a heartbeat that is more rapid than normal.

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