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I am 72 and have AF

Posted , 7 users are following.

bill27138
bill27138

I would like to get back to offroad cycling. Is this advisable or will it just cause AF attacks

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • simon56380
    simon56380 bill27138

    Posted

    Hi Bill,

    i think it's a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string?"

    How many risk factors do you have? (And have you/are you addressed/I got them?)

    What kind of AF do you have and what are your risk triggers?

    Aside from AF, what is your heart structure and function like (depending on what tests you have had?)

    What meds are you on? A bad fall on irreversible blood thinners could potentially have very nasty consequences.

    There's no "one size fits all" answer for this question.

    When I asked my cardiologist about excercise levels after recovering from undiagnosed AF, which led to a tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy (severely enlarged left ventricle with an ejection fraction of only 25%), his advice was "as you feel comfortable". 

    So in early recovery, I was just doing some very gentle walking around my neighbourhood. 

    17 months on, I've addressed a number of risk factors, have had an ablation, my heart structure and function is almost normal.

    So, I think that this is a question best answered by your cardiologist who knows you, and your history.

     

    • bill27138
      bill27138 simon56380

      Posted

      Hi Simon,

      You have given good advice. I also had an ablation which was effective for 2 years. I am almost sure that the return of AF was due to alcahol consumption. The only advice from my GP was "do what exercise you are comfortable with" The anticoagulant issue is very pertinant though.

      I think considering all the factors, gently does is the way forward

    • terence68672
      terence68672 simon56380

      Posted

      You ask him 'What kind of AF do you have?'' Are there varying ECG presentaions of it then? ie:- are there different pathways/symptoms?  I always thought that it was always the same, and only classifed by its duration?
    • simon56380
      simon56380 bill27138

      Posted

      Thanks Bill, I was doing a bit of off road cycling with my son until I had my ablation a outlet of weeks ago. So having some company that knows what to do in case something goes wrong would also be a good option. We were also within phone range so call call for help if needed.

      I had been cardioverted three times this year, which is why I had the ablation. One of those times was definitely due to alcohol(in my opinion) and going home to bed, which has the added effect of dehydration, which would in turn, impact on your blood chemistry (magnesium & potassium levels etc.)

      I have a Fitbit and notice that a few drinks increases my heart rate by around 10-15 beats per minute(clearly making it work harder).

      So, gently does it, and reducing risk in case something goes wrong, is probably going to be the way forward.

    • simon56380
      simon56380 terence68672

      Posted

      Sorry for not being more clear on this Terrence.

      I believe you are right. 

      The point that I was trying to make was that if it is short lived and self correcting AF, it's not as bit a deal, compared to having persistent AF, where you'd have to go and get cardioverted back into rhythm which could be quite some time depending on where you live and what kind of health system you are under.

      Hope that clarifies it a bit better?

    • terence68672
      terence68672 simon56380

      Posted

      Yeah sure cheers mate.

      And I have to add-even short lived episodes still feel like a big deal to me! An hour was too much

  • mikelly321
    mikelly321 bill27138

    Posted

    I'm 65, and I play singles tennis every other day for about two hours. I take 50 mg of Fkecainide twice a day. The only thing that seems to really set it off is if I drink too much alcohol (for example, 3 shots of whiskey and 3 shots of Irish crime), I pay for it the next day, especially if I forget to take the flecainide that night. I can double up on the flec the next day and still have some serious palpitations and heavy duty pounding and shortness of breath, especially if I have coffee. Needless to say, this happens very rarely, this perfect storm. Sometimes just forgetting to take the flec sets off an episode but it quickly halts after doubling up. By the way, I reduced my dose from 100 mg x 2 per day to 50 in my own after having a bad reaction to the flec (hyponatremia and at least one faint). I have not been the worse for it. Exercise has never set it off since my ablation (only one so far) and the flec regimen. That's my story. Hopefully, it will be yours as well. We need exercise to feel alive as far as I'm concerned.
    • frank61666
      frank61666 mikelly321

      Posted

      Question - can you relate your onset of afib to some period where you had to take antibiotics? I am coinvinced there is an intimate relationship between antibiotics and afib/palpitations.  Your triggers and the fact that you exercise seem to point in that direction.
    • mikelly321
      mikelly321 frank61666

      Posted

      No, I can't. Sex, drugs and rock and roll much more likely culprits in my past.
  • Okapis
    Okapis bill27138

    Posted

    Over exertion used to set off my AF so I learnt to be carefull. Getting stuck on top of Mallorcan mountain after with an AF episode after I'd pushed myself too hard is not to be reccomended. So if youre used to really pushing yourself off road be careful. I suggest you ask yourself whether you are prepared to face the consequences miles from a road with an AF episode? Only you will know what triggers your episodes.

     

  • betty47298
    betty47298 bill27138

    Posted

    What is offroad cycling?
    • terence68672
      terence68672 betty47298

      Posted

      Without sounding sarcy Betty-it kind of speaks for itself doesnt it? Riding on grass track and mud etc :-)
    • simon56380
      simon56380 terence68672

      Posted

      Mostly rocky, dirt tracks here in South Australia. The local tracks where I ride  are set in the Adelaide foothills & are surrounded by suburbs. 

      The best part is that you can jump on a train that takes you up near the top of about 10 different tracks, so it's all downhill and minimal exertion. And as I said before, in phone range if something went wrong.(quite fortunate I think))cheesygrin

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