Anyone have a-fib/palpitations after surgery that went away?

[ARGreenMN]

I'm told the a-fib and other irregular beat issues I've been having since 2 wks post-op is a fairly common side effect from the surgery during the healing process and that it should be temporary. Note, I never had a-fib prior to the surgery (but did have some irregular beats).

Almost every time I lay down or even just recline, my heart starts skipping beats and then settles into a very slow, but still irregular pattern (45-50 bpm) which is uncomfortable (the air-bubble feeling others have described, plus some tense muscles in upper chest). Then, when I stand up, within a minute or two it will almost always go back up to the normal 75 bpm. There's also a pain in my diaphram area (maybe from sitting in the recliner?) that keeps coming and going and seems to be associated with this somehow. For example, that pain was pretty bad last night, and I ended up going into a-fib (for 2nd time post-surgery) after one of the extremely slow-beat episodes.

I've seen many discussions on here where people are having a-fib years after surgery, but don't think I've run across one yet where it was temporary and went away for good at some point.

So my question - has anyone experienced some a-fib (and/or some pretty noticeable irregular beat issues) after surgery that eventually went away? And if so, how long did it take to go away?

 

[Luana]

I had most of my a-fib when I was in the hospital, though I did have some unusual beats in the first month or so when I was home. I went to the ER 2 weeks after discharge for SOB and was discharged 6 hours later. That night when I got home, my heart was beating really fast, 150ish and it didn't seem to want to drop below 130. All I could think was, well heck if I'm going back to the ER again, and went to bed. I could be wrong, but I think for most it does go away.

 

[ARGreenMN]

Thanks Luana! That's consistent with what I'm being told - I just wanted to hear from someone who had it for a while and it went away. I'll rest easier now Thanks again!

 

[Cooker]

I had it before surgery so I had ablation during AVR to correct it ... went into a-fib once after surgery and was cardioverted (shocked) back to normal rhythm ... never has returned...

 

[gerrys]

Life post-op is filled with new and different feelings. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what's real and what's being created by the grey matter. I had all kinds of feelings of irregulars heart beats, palpatations and thumping going on for the first thirty days post op and those feelings/episodes gradually left in the months after. There's no shame in seeing your doctor or visiting the ER if you're really concerned.

:thumbup:

 

[ARGreenMN]

Thanks guys. Makes me feel a little better. I'm pretty sure they're not just grey-matter related tho - have seen the monitor match what my loud ticker and chest tells me while during last 2 ER visits last week But they keep telling me this should go away one of these days. Hope so - driving me nuts!

 

[Lily]

Hoping you feel better soon.

This may be redundant but I'll share my experience.

Post-op A-fib/A-flutter began for me a week after surgery, my first known experience with it; I'd just gotten home from the hospital. I found it highly unpleasant and was at 198 beats per minute, as per EKG. It knocked the breath out of me. Doc wanted to readmit me immediately; but my cardio and the surgical hospital are hours away and the local hospital is just awful. Also, I was on a temporary post-op dose of Coumadin anyway. So I (possibly unwisely) fiddled around, and tried some digoxen from my local family doctor for a few days -- I think the med was called -- which didn't really work for me.

Longer story short, I was readmitted, put on a temporary (3 month) regimen of Sotalol, and the A-fib/A-flutter stopped right away. I was also given magnesium IVs while I was in the hospital. It was only a 3 or 4 day stay I think. A few weeks later my med dosage was reduced and then I was off of it and the ACT by three months and I haven't been diagnosed with it again, although I've had some other more innocuous arrhythmias.

 

[ARGreenMN]

Awsome Lily, thank you! Just got back from the doc and while my magnesium was good, my potassium is questionable, and he has a 'theory" it might be that causing my skipped beats. I'm hopeful he's right. And seeing that they put you on magnesium IVs gives me even more hope because he mentioned he believes if you're low on either (Mag or Pot) he thinks it can cause this. Just took my first potassium HORSE pill. He's gonna call me tonight and check because he's interested to see if it works (it's kind of a test - he's got one other patient it worked for and he wants to see if it has now helped two). Go Potassium!

 

[mrm312010]

I was told about 1/3 of patients go into a-fib after surgery. I did. While in the hospital possibly on day 5. I took a drug called amioderone. I am in week 9 right now. Every day, week by week, my palpitations, pvc, etc have lessened. I still take the med. I haven't had an a-fib repeat as yet.

 

[Lily]

Hi Andy. Yeah, mineral balance seems to be important with various arrhythmias. When I had my "innocuous" arrhythmias my minerals were out of whack too. Interestingly, it was my hypertensive medication that was causing the mineral imbalance! There are several meds, even heart meds, that can cause mineral imbalance. Feel better soon. Take care

I was told about 1/3 of patients go into a-fib after surgery. I did. While in the hospital possibly on day 5. I took a drug called amioderone. I am in week 9 right now. Every day, week by week, my palpitations, pvc, etc have lessened. I still take the med. I haven't had an a-fib repeat as yet.

Welcome to the site

 

[ARGreenMN]

Thanks Lilly I'll be a pretty happy camper if the potassium solves this!

MRM, thanks for your comment too. It sounds very consistent with what I'm being told, so gives me hope! PS - I'm on Amiodarone too - have been since my first a-fib incident last week (3 wks post-op).