Heart Rate after Ablation

Very common. Some report that it took about a year before their hearts settled down to something closer to their pre-diagnosis HR.
What you don't want it doing is to stay above 100 for more than a day or two at most. If that happens, see your EP or go to Emerg. When a heart acts up after an ablation, there are three possible remedies: low dose of metoprolol or equivalent for a few weeks, then wean off over about 7-14 days; another anti-arrhythmic such as Flecainide or Sotolol, propafenone on a light dose for two-four weeks; or simply a cardioversion at the ER. My own team told me that if I went into flutter or AF and it wouldn't convert after a few hours to go get cardioverted.
Always consult an expert before trying something new or in desperation.

Completely normal. Your heart is inflamed from being burned or frozen. It has to heal and that takes time. My resting HR went from 50-60s to mid 90s. As long as it didn’t go over 100 they said it was fine. BP may be higher as well. All normal post ablation.

I am a 69 year old female and was encouraged to see your post because I have also experienced an increased resting heart rate since my only ablation in February 2023. At the time I was diagnosed with AFib in Oct 2022 my cardiologist started me on Diltiazem 120 mg, Amiodarone 200mg daily and Eliquis 5 mg/x2 daily with a plan to meet with an EP and proceed with an ablation as soon as possible. During that time my resting HR was between 65-74. After the ablation, my EP had me continue the Amiodarone for the 3-month blanking period and my resting HR was then in the high 80's to low 90's and has remained above 80 ever since. I discontinued the Amiodarone May 2023 and am only taking Eliquis at this point. In June 2023 I wore a 30-day heart monitor and my resting HR had come down to an average of 82 which was fine with my EP. At this point I still monitor my resting HR on a Fitbit and it has stayed around 80-83. While I am active during the day, my heart rate tends to range anywhere from 85-115. Since I am at almost a year post ablation, I am hoping my resting HR will eventually start to go down a little more. If not, I am trusting my EP that it's nothing to worry about.

The heart has been 'remodeled' after both some time in AF and post-ablation. Ablation generates fibrosis, or scarring, which blocks the movement of the unwanted signals across the endothelium of the atrium which causes it to beat out of synch. Let's face it, the onset of AF in the first place means it's now, permanently, a disordered heart. It fortunately continues to function normally after ablation because the spurious signals have been blocked. But my point is that the heart ain't what it used to be ten years ago. Not only has it aged by the passage of time, but it has deteriorated in function and in its substrate as it became disordered. So, I feel we should be grateful for being in NSR...all by that fact itself. Once you have had AF, and if you're highly averse to the symptoms, as I was, there's really immense bliss in returning to a normal existence. My own heart rate used to be in the mid-forties as a competitive runner and cyclist. I'd awaken to take my pulse first thing 25 years ago and find that I was around 34-38 BPM. Nowadays it's 64 upon waking. Big change for me. Right after my two ablations the HR was closer to 84. Also, recall that women have a normally higher HR than men do, about five BPM.

Thanks for sharing this info.

Thanks for this!

I had an ablation in 2019. My pulse went from the low 70s to 80s-90s. It has been consistently in that range since the ablation. At one point a doctor wanted me to be on calcium blocker but when my pulse went into the low 50s and I felt faint, I stopped that medication and changed doctors. I now feel good at this heart rate and my doctor agrees that it is fine. Of course I’d prefer it to be lower but I’m happy that the ablation stopped the afib and I’m now at less risk.