“ATYPICAL ATRIAL FLUTTER” QUESTIONS

Hello I’m 31 days post ablation for atrial flutter still notice occasional pvc ( maybe 10 per day) always only one beat and noticed this morning hr before bed leaving moving higher and lower. Otherwise I feel fine and now sleep through the entire night. Should I expect this to continue long term or am I still feeling effects from healing. The 7 day checkup via loop recorder was excellent. I’m back to exercising via swimming regularly. Thanks

@beebo
How long ago did you have the procedure done?

I was 5 weeks out from my second ablation when I too went into flutter. Mine looked typical, but I read when it is post ablation you can't really tell the location based on the ecg. I wound up getting cardioverted on day 6, 50 J did the trick. I was sweating non-stop and my mitral regurgitation murmur was getting worse and I was getting short of breath at rest starting on day 4 of the flutter. I think my pulmonary hypertension wasn't liking that flutter crap. I wound up spending 7.5 hours in the ER waiting room. I definitely wasn't the sickest person there but I wasn't tolerating the 150 heart rate alternating with the BP in the 90s when I took the metoprolol to control the heart rate. I did okay the first 3 days, but then things fell apart. They had scheduled me for an outpatient cardioversion that would have happened on day 10. I got pretty dehydrated despite drinking a lot of water and eating okay. I'm told I'll be getting another ablation to fix this flutter issue in the winter or spring, 90% chance it will reoccur. I'm 2.5 weeks post cardioversion and am back up to my usual exercise. The flecainide and metoprolol they sent me home on lasted 4 days, I couldn't handle the beta blocker induced chronotropic incompetence. I couldn't make it up a single flight of stairs without gasping when taking the metoprolol. No way was I going to just take the flecainide, I'm scared of 1:1 conduction while in flutter, I'm sure I wouldn't tolerate a heart rate of 240! The coolest part of this nightmare was seeing my vena cava flutter on ultrasound. I didn't know it would do that.

First, I was diabetic, then I started having irregular or skipped beats. After an ECG, my PD told me I had a Right Brachial Branch Blockage (RBBB)--major heart nerve and not to worry about it. The LBB is strong enough to cause both sides to beat. I asked what about an LBBB? His answer was, "Don't worry about that either because that is fatal. I think the RBBB progressed into Right Atrial Fib.

I tried Ablation and it lasted 5 seconds! Recently, I had a consult with a new heart specialist who me I had an RBBB and RAF. I told him I knew that and that it was in my file which he didn't take the time to read. My problem is that I can't sense or feel the fib so I have no symptoms.

@mikeandtina Just over 2 years ago. Never had a single recurrence, even during the “Blanking Period “.
This Flutter came out of the blue. They put me on AMIODARONE and that brought the irregular rate down. Cardioversion scheduled for end of month, I’m just a bit Sceptical about how long that will last.

@stan52 Did your Doctor tell you that you should expect recurring pvc for a while following the procedure? I’m told that it is due to the Heart recovering/healing during this time. Called the “Blanking Period”, and it will last for several months.

@beebo Also - Are you now able to exercise at the same level as before you got the Flutter?

@diane987654321 Wow! Thanks for sharing.

@beebo dr said about 3 weeks. Prior to diagnosis I swam 40 minutes pretty much every day nonstop. I’m now at 30 minutes nonstop and I’m sure I could do 40 but I just trying to build up slowly. Thanks

@stan52 That’s great to know. Thanks !