UPDATE: I was taken off amiodarone on Oct 1 in preparation for catheter ablation, which occurred this past Wednesday, Oct 8. The procedure went well I was told, and I have had no issues at home except that the puncture areas are bruised and a bit sore. "Take it easy" for a few days was prescribed, of which I am fully on board 🙂 Immediately after the procedure my dosage of metoprolol was cut in half to 12.5mg twice a day, along with the same Eliquis dosage of 5mg twice a day. ***SIDE NOTE: Sep 2024 I had a saddle pulmonary embolism; my hematologist says I will be on an anticoagulant (probably Eliquis) the rest of my life, perhaps ultimately with a lower 2.5mg x2 dosage.*** My EP (with Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Charlotte NC) said that after ablating the atrial flutter area, he tried to induce Afib several times (which he would have then ablated) but was unsuccessful. He seemed pleased with this result. Lastly, I note that my heart rate has risen into the low 50's, from the 40's, yet my sleeping heart rate "line" as measured by my smart watch, looks very similar to how it did while taking amiodarone, except the line is just a little higher, numerically. I guess this get back to the long half-life of amiodarone. I told my EP right after the ablation, when I was semi-coherent, that I greatly hoped amiodarone was NOT reinstated because the side-effects were "awful" (my medical-based term).

I post this just for information, and for anyone that is contemplating an ablation. Yes, it was a little scary; in my case it had to be done because the flutter was out of control when in the hospital over the Labor Day weekend, with systolic, diastolic and HR all in the triple digits and remaining there, until I had the cardio version on Sep 2. Would I do the ablation again? Absolutely.