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After ablation, am I no longer a person with AFib?
I was diagnosed to be a person with AFib in 2016. As it goes with this issue, it continued to get worse over time with episodes lasting longer and becoming more frequent. I went from several events a year, lasting minutes, to 59 episodes in 2024 lasting 20+ hours each. I finally had a PF ablation at Mayo Rochester on February 20, 2025. (Advice, do NOT put this off). Four doctors told me early on that I needed to be on a blood thinner. I declined. Finally, I had to go on Eliquis to have the procedure. Now, the doctor doing my procedure said I could decide on continuing with Eliquis (for now, there will come a time in my life that I will be back on). I’m a 72M with a CHAD score of 2 (age and mild hypertension). CHA2DS2-VASc scoring says a man should be on an anticoagulant with a score of 1. I think of myself as a “young” 72 and my blood pressure is kept low with a small dose of amlodipine (2.5MG). He left it to my choice because the benefit/risk factors seem pretty equal for me. IF I am a person with AFib then my stroke risk is 3.5% without Eliquis (reduced to 0.9% with Eliquis) but with a 2.8% risk of a major bleed with Eliquis (0.49% without Eliquis). So, my risk and benefits are about even if I am a person with AFib. IF I am a person who does NOT HAVE AFib, then my stroke rate is 0.2%. So, have any of you ablated people heard from doctors about your AFib status. After a successful ablation, are you a person who DOES NOT HAVE AFib? [ I do understand that, by the raw numbers and my score of 2, the newest advice is to stay on Eliquis, but we know that numbers like age are not set in stone and equal for every person].
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Afib can com back, that is why some people have ablations 2or3times before other treatments are considered. Taking a blood thinner is for precaution and should be considered if your doctor believes it is for your safety.
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2 ReactionsRecently sent this to my great doctor who did my ablation procedure:
Good day Doctor,
It has been 3 years and a day (81 years-old today) since you did my mitral valve repair and ablation. I'm doing very well and am grateful. Blood pressure averages 112 over 76, resting heart rate (watching TV) is 66.
Watching my weight, sugar, and salt, taking no meds, taking a 30% RDA magnesium supplement daily and 2000 mg vitamin D supplement every other day. Also walking and doing a 30-minute moderate workout daily. Finally, I'm trying to avoid allergies and breathing problems by inhaling the aroma of dried thyme leaves.
Thank you once again for restoring my good health!
Best to others out there. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Sagan
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6 ReactionsDried Thyme leaves for allergies! Who knew? I will give it a go. Thanks so much for an alternative to anti-histimines and other drugs I can't tolerate.
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1 ReactionYou might also try organic tart cherry juice. I take about 4 ounces a day to help reduce any lung inflammation. Tart cherry juice is high in sugar, therefore my 4-ounce limit. We are all different, but that's part of my personal agenda.
Regards,
Sagan
All true, but my Mayo doctor who performed the ablation offered it to me as a choice (I didn't ask about it). The benefits and risks are about the same for a person with AFib. The risks of taking it outweigh any benefit if I am no longer a person with AFib. He also took me off Metoprolol (to manage heart rate), which I do not appear to need any more.
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1 ReactionI am a 79 year old female who just had my first ablation March 4th. I’ve had AFib since 2016. And yes, the palpitations became more frequent, longer in time causing a lot of anxiety. The surgeon said it went well and after wearing a three day holter post surgery my cardiologist says I don’t have AFib. There has been some palpitations since but very short and mild - normal reaction while the heart heals and is in the blanking phase. It will be three months June 4th. I was also told to stop my beta blocker Sotolol and see how it goes - if the palpitations come back full force I can go back on the Sotolol. I’m continuing my blood thinner Xarelto and will ask at my next checkup if I’m to continue or stop it. I do think I should stay on the Xarelto to prevent strokes. Hope this helps.
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1 ReactionWhich magnesium supplement do you take
magnesium glycinate
The brand is Pure, which I buy online from Vitacost. I have used it for 3 years; researched by my daughter, a healthcare professional
Regards,
Sagan
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1 ReactionSuch a good question. Someone needs to do the study in the era of PFA and Apple Watches. I plan on going off apixaban if I stay out of afib for 5 months post ablation. Right now I wear a pulse ring at night, and an Apple Watch in the day. I do a quick ecg on the watch at least once a day, and wear a wellue ecg about 20 hours a week. I do a Kardia 6 lead once a week. I’m having short svt episodes, I’m week 3 post ablation. My post covid echo had a lot of issues that have been resolving. If my left atrium keeps shrinking I figure my stroke/bleed risk will be about equal. I’ll always keep apixaban on hand, my afib was very symptomatic.
Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your outlook on AFib the increasing greater ability to detect an episode of AFib puts some folks in a grey area of having AFib.
As in your case you definitely have ongoing AFib issues and yet there are others such as myself who had a episode at one time in our past and still have a label of AFib in our medical history. From my limited medical knowledge you really only have AFib when your activity having an episode. So the use of say Eliqus is needed for a certain period during and after the episode to prevent the forming of clots. Similar to a person who had cancer and has gone into remission doesn't take a tiny dose of chemo daily to prevent a reoccurrence.
I haven't had a reoccurring episode of AFib in 5 years and nolonger take Eliqus for it.