Feelings of anxiety post ablation

I have seen a cycle. People are anxious. There is much to be anxious about. This (brain/thinking) anxiety, especially if chronic, sets off physical responses, like heart flutters. ( see allostatic load).
Then, we have a heart problem which needs medical attention. Then we have anxiety about our cardio system's problems, which need more medical attention , which leads to more anxiety.
Try exercise, talk therapy, and meditation.
Note: some say it's possible that a pre- existing arrhythmia condition is what makes one more susceptible to anxieties, not that the anxiety causes the heart condition 🤷‍♂️.

What you are experiencing is normal. As much as it feels abnormal, it's natural...for you, particularly. If I can switch it around to me for a minute: after both a work-up angiogram (catheterization through the wrist in preparation for an ablation, and then after the first of two ablations I had seven months apart, I had trouble falling asleep. Well, not quite accurate...i was sleepy and wanted to sleep, and did fall asleep, but only for ten seconds at a time. I would awaken gasping for air. I had what is known as 'sleep onset central apnea'. Central apnea, unlike obstructive apnea, is a problem with CO2 regulation in the blood, and the central nervous system doesn't respond to rising concentration of CO2. You don't breathe because you're running out of serum oxygen. You breathe because your levels of serum CO2 rise above a threshold and if makes you start breathing to flush more of it out! Strang, I know, but it's a fact. But, to continue, for several days after the angiogram and after that first ablation, I would fall asleep numerous times and then come awakes several long seconds later gasping for air. As you would understand, this was not fun. I was desperate to get some rest!
But my main message is that it passed. In both instances, it passed after a week or so. If things go well, yours will, too. What you must do is self-talk. Have a talk to yourself, aloud if it helps, and tell your mind that you have been relieved of AF, that you feel well, and that you have the best science and technology at your disposal for this problem. You are well, you are fed, you are clothed, you are sheltered, and you have the means to conquer the problems you encounter in your life. This is but one of them, hopefully to be a closed chapter after your Holter assessment showing no further arrhythmia.
Another strategy is to begin to claw back 'normalcy' in your routine and former practices and enjoyments. Make sure you get between 30 and 60 minutes, generally, of walking or aerobic exercise each day (if you have no physical limitations). Eat well....meet with friends. Restore your life to its former glory. You have been granted a reprieve and should celebrate. Allow yourself to feel good about your life, your overall health, and over your many successes, this being just the latest.

Thank you for that. Interesting info.

Thank you gloaming - excellent advice as usual.

I found your comments very helpful and even though you are feeling anxious, I completely understand. I am now being scheduled for an ablation in the next six weeks--my decision. I know that I will be probably be feeling like you afterward, but I want a chance at a "normal" life and antiarrhythmics are not how I want to live. I did a trial on Flecainide and I hated the feelings/side effects (and the black box warnings, too!) I hope you will let us know how you are doing in the future. I am not worried about my choice and it sounds like you are going to be fine.

Thanks for sharing this! I’m just starting on this journey of being diagnosed with A-Fib! My first episode lasted 5 minutes, and I felt my heart flop around in my chest. I ran an ECG with my Apple Smart Watch, and it stated that it was arterial fibrillation ( very erratic heart beating on the ecg graph line ). The watch stated in a message that I should calk my Doctor and 911 emergency. It was 5:30 am. So I woke my wife up. I had pain in my left shoulder, and felt light headed. She said “take a Propanolol capsule medicine”! I took that, and was going to call 911, but then my heart suddenly reverted back to beating in a regular manner. I took another ECG reading that stated back in regular sinus rythym! Anyway, I’ve been anxious ever since! After a cardiologist appointment, where I was told that A-fib patients have a 4X greater chance of having a stroke, than other people, that made me have an anxiety attack, cause my Mom, Dad, and Sister had all died from massive strokes! The Cardiologist put a halter monitor on me for 14 days! During that time, I had a 45 minute attack of A-Fib, that left me terrified! So now, when I went to my first neurology appt. with a new to me Doctor, just a few days after the A-fib attack, he diagnosed me with a ‘mental’ disorder ( either anxiety or depression ). That appointment did not go well!!

How terrifying and frustrating for you! I started my AFib journey nine years ago and am a 79 year old female. It might be a different experience for a female but not sure. I’ve never owned a smartwatch but knew right away when the palpitations were starting up. For whatever reason the artery in my right side neck would start hurting like I was getting strep throat. Then the heart would starting racing and it would continue for one to two hours but with no pain in the chest or arms. I was told to wait it out if there wasn’t a tightening in the chest so I would put my feet up in a recliner and just try to be calm. I got this twice a month and it was always brought on by worrying and stress as I am a perfectionist and a worrier. I was on a beta blocker and blood thinner for nine years. A few years ago I asked to be put on an anti anxiety pill Sertraline - which kept the palpitations away but made me feel drugged. In Canada one has to be tested for AFib for quite sometime before qualifying for an ablation because our universal healthcare pays for it. My cardiologist finally booked me for a catheter ablation last March and so far so good except for some anxiety in the morning. I tend to over think everything and I will always be a perfectionist and worrier - so I did mention it to the surgeon yesterday and he said I’m fine and not to worry. Ha! I sure hope you get things sorted out - hopefully you’ll get a doctor who understands what you are going through. Maybe having a smart watch is making you more anxious and of course thinking about your family history doesn’t help. Take care. xo

Thank you! Good you are getting an ablation - it’s really worth it - my quality of life has improved overall except for the small amount of anxiety early mornings - but I’m a worrier and over thinker so this probably causes it. I spoke to my surgeon yesterday and he said I’m fine and not to worry. My heart pulse was in the normal range. I’ve started taking “Calm Magnesium gummies” to help with any stress and I can feel they are helping. I’m sure you will do well having your ablation - take care and keep in touch. xo

My husband and I went on vacation to France in June; he had a bike accident there, got a pneumothorax and spent five days in ICU. We were then forced to stay in France another two weeks after the chest tube came out before we could safely fly home. Talk about stress! Hospital stay, major communication issues, severe heat wave, finding a place to stay, finding a way to get medications refilled, laundry done, grocery store for cooking, transportation, insurance paperwork, cancelled airline tickets, small town 90 miles from Paris--the list goes on! But we made it and if that didn't trigger an attack of A-fib, I don't know what would. So stress can sometimes be a good thing because I didn't have time or energy to worry about my condition; and surprisingly I never missed a beat in all the time we were there--30 days! You will make it; try not to worry and just enjoy the your success. I am really looking forward to getting this done! I'll let you know!

Yikes. You almost certainly do not have a mental disorder, but you......may. The big thing in this new journey is to learn. Read, watch videos about AF and its treatments. Also learn about....YOU! This is another opportunity to find out what you're made of. Also, keep an open mind. If you are willing to learn, and can keep an open mind, you may have to accept that you DO have a mental disorder. It may be 'generalized anxiety disorder', a formal diagnosis in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental illness, probably edition 6 or 7 by now....you can google it).
Again, the way you get through this depends on your personality, and your propensity to put things off, to not want to know, or to be oriented completely opposite: you insist on knowing, learning, and being part of the decision-tree in your treatment. Your power in this is going to be in how you come across to any help you seek from other experts. If you are engaged, inquiring, focused, energetic, and determined to succeed, those experts tend to want to do well for you. But ya gotta listen, too, meaning keeping that open mind, even if you begin to hear things from them that you don't like!!! If you need time to digest what they say, say so! Go away, come back in a couple of weeks having learned more, pondered more, and with a decision about which option they place before you is your preferred one.
You are in what is called the 'paroxysmal' stage. It's early, and much more easily treated than if it is allowed to progress, which it will, to more advanced stages. So, get on top of your new 'friend' now, right away. It might mean medicine, it might mean a catheter ablation. But please do figure this out now while your disordered heart is going to be easiest to manage.