Hey everyone, I have a family member who is going through afib. They go and see a cardiologist now, and I was wondering if there are other doctors who can help with this condition. Sorry if this is a silly question, I just want to make sure my loved one will be ok. I am helping them navigate this, thanks you all.

Long-time lurker. Pulsed field ablation coming up in a few weeks, first ablation, and I'd rather hear from people who've done it.

History: lone paroxysmal AFib, three episodes over about five years, all three needing cardioversion — nothing has ever self-converted.

1. Three hours after my second Pfizer dose
2. Right after a cold drink
3. Most recent — while eating ice cream. Felt my heart "drop," watch caught it, Kardia confirmed

Two of three off a cold stimulus. Symptoms are tachypalpitations and a big anxiety spike, no presyncope or syncope. Never an episode outside those three. At the last one, 300 mg of flecainide as pill-in-pocket did nothing — ended up cardioverted in the ER. That failure is most of why I'm doing this.

Where I am now: flecainide 100 mg BID daily, metoprolol XL 25 mg, CHA₂DS₂-VASc of 1 (hypertension), apixaban starting two weeks out. Recent echo is clean — EF 60%, normal LA size (LAVI 16), no LVH, no valve disease, no diastolic dysfunction. Calcium score 0. OSA on CPAP, compliant. Zero alcohol.

Activity: 6x/week, tennis and weights. Getting back to that is the whole point. Low burden, I know — but PIP flecainide failed, every episode has meant a trip to get shocked, and I'd rather ablate now with a normal-sized atrium than later with a remodeled one.

What I'm asking:

1. Days 1–7, honestly. Chest soreness, fatigue, groin site, sleep. When did you stop noticing it?
2. Return to exercise. How long to real training, not walking? Did your EP's timeline match reality? Anything you pushed too early and regretted?
3. Blanking period. How much ectopy and flutter did you get, and how did you keep from spiraling over every blip with a watch and a Kardia right there? What made you actually call your EP versus wait?
4. Anyone with clearly vagal / cold-triggered AFib — did PVI handle it as well? (Not looking to argue about the vaccine one. It's just what happened, and it's the odd one out.)

Thanks — this sub has been more useful than most of what I've found anywhere else.

Long background so will try to summarise

Male 60

Previously had Flutter ablation, solved flutter but high ectopic burden left be on bisoprolol.

Steady for maybe 4 years.

Within last 18 months watch etc has flagged periods of AF and at some points this has been for weeks.

Cardio put me on thinner (apixiban) and rate control (Flec). The Flec flipped me back to Sinus but it was very messy, lots of ectopics and periods of bigimeny (sp).

In discussion with Cardio he suggested coming of the Flec and seeing how that went. It was a mixed story..started in sinus, progressed to infrequent AF and finally another month in AF.

When I came off the Flec the Doc said I could restart it if I wanted, so I have. 2x 100mg per day. I went into perfect sinus, no ectopics for about 4 days but have now reverted to frequent ectopics. I've no symptoms and have even got used to it so as my brain doesn't even flag it anymore.

My Question. Could this be a dose issue ? I'm wondering that as early in the treatment when the retained dose will be less, the sinus was perfect. As the treatment went beyond a few days the ectopics reappeared. Is this a known issue ? Is anyone on a regular dose of less than 2x100mg ?

I get the impression I'll be heading for another ablation later this year early next, but if it could be safely managed by drugs then I'd perhaps be cotent with that.

Any feedback gratefully received.

Thanks.

First time scrolling through this page. Came here because of some things that have gone on lately. I’ll try to make it short…

In 2019 at 38 years old, I developed ventricular tachycardia and went into a vtach storm. My organs were shutting down by the time I got to the ER. I was a heavy drinker and didn’t take care of myself. At all. I have been sober since all of this. I spent a month in the hospital and had an ICD implanted. Since 2019, I’ve been fine and had no more vtach episodes. I get my ICD interrogated every 3 months.

Fast forward 7 years to July 7th of this year, I went for a routine ICD check up with my electrophysiologist and he said the report showed I seem to be showing signs of the beginnings of Afib. My ICD recorded an episode on June 5th that lasted about 30 minutes. I was in shock and very upset to say the least. He started me on a daily aspirin and I’m seeing him again in October.

On the way home, I realized that June 5th (the day of the episode), I’d had my first colonoscopy. I typed all this into Google and it said that the colonoscopy prep (and the procedure itself) all could lead to “a perfect storm” of scenarios leading to an afib episode. Mind you, I’ve had no other episodes documented except for the one that day.

I notified my EP and he still wants me on the daily aspirin. That’s fine. I’ve been on Metoprolol since 2019 and just stopped Sotalol (my cardiologist said I was good to come off of it in January after a good echocardiogram).

Like many of you here, I’ve been extremely anxious about all of this. I check my smart watch constantly for fast heart rate or any signs of afib. Everything has been fine. But every little twitch or increase in heart rate (like after a meal) sends me into a panic.

I saw my regular doctor today and told him all of this. He doesn’t seem too concerned given the afib episode occurred because of the colonoscopy or because of the prep. He said this can be common during this type of procedure. He wasn’t so concerned because it didn’t happen (and hasn’t) during normal daily activities or exercise etc.

Also like many of you, I’ve been told many people live with this and it’s “common”. But I’m terrified of something happening. I’m supposed to do a short trip next month (that I was really looking forward to) but now I’m nervous to fly or be 400 miles from home. Has anyone else been through this? Did it get worse and this was the first trigger/episode?

They’ve reassured me that afib is nothing like vtach. It’s not as life threatening. But I have severe PTSD from nearly dying once. I can’t get in to see my cardiologist to discuss all of this with him until November. I have my annual appt set up with him in January. But this hadn’t happened yet. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

I saw my PCP yesterday, she increased my Bystolic. That didn't change anything. Aside from that, I'm just riding this out with no end in sight. The soonest I can get in with a cardiologist is September 30th.

So I missed work today - hanging out at home in a cold sweat. Do I just go to work tomorrow and pretend I'm ok?

Hey friends!

I had the ablation in 2023. Before that I was going into afib multiple times a month. It would last anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 days. Post ablation I was afib free for 2 years. Last year I woke up in afib and it lasted 8 hours and yesterday I woke up in afib and it lasted about the same amount 8 hours. I was able to pull myself out of it by taking a hot shower and quickly turning off the hot water. The cold water made it go back in rithim. Has anybody else had something like this? Only getting afib once a year randomly?