Hi all, i was wondering if any of you have any idea if its ok to fly abroad whilst being on treatment for AF & i had lots of blood clots diagnosed in august but been on rivaroxaban since so hopefully they'll have dossolved by now? Im looking to book for later in year but unsure whether it would be wise as i have cardio appt on 22nd but not sure what theyre gonna suggest to reolve it or stay on same medication, been on flecanide now for about 10 weeks as digoxin helped for a while then tried bisoprasol but that didnt work so flecanide been ok apart ftom couple of wee blips but didnt last long. Any advice would be grateful.
Teresa
Written by
Teresaw40
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I am a bit puzzled by you question actually Teresa. Many people with AF go on holidays so the only worry is usually getting travel insurance cover. If you are still trying to get diagnosis or are awaiting ablation say then this may be refused but other treatment like drugs etc is ongoing so should not stop you. Is this what you wanted to know?
Yes i'm waiting on a cardio decision so wasnt sure whether i would be allowed to go or not as it all started when i csme bk from malta last June, i had swollen feet etc on holiday but my doc thinks it was the AF thats caused all the clots rather than a thrombosis so its unclear although at that time i wasnt anticogulated. Thanks for your reply.
I've had episodes of AF ranging from twice a week to once a fortnight, for the past year. I'm on anticoagulants and Flecainide. Last year we flew to Mediterranean destinations five times with no problems other than the usual bad symptoms associated with having an AF episode. I was nervous at first, but glad I decided to 'carry on as normal'. My worst fear is beginning an episode just before flying as I always need to wee (!) every 10 minutes when an episode begins - don't fancy that on a plane!
If I've had an AF episode while away, I've had to stay in and rest, but then I'm fine again afterwards. But we're all different... if you're unsure, I'd go to your GP for clarification of your individual situation and for reassurance :o)
We use insurance brokers Allclear, it's more expensive for me than it used to be, but no other choice.
Hi wendy thankyou for your reoly, i went to docs this morning & he said i should be fine for flying later on in year i just have to be cautious about insurance but i will try your insurance company & hopefully get it ok so thanks again for the info.
When I was diagnosed with PAF, 16 years ago I was advised no long flights, so attending a wedding in the USA was a no no. My GP said if my heart went out of rhythm when in the air i would not be able to get medical treatment quickly enough. When my heart goes out of rhythm it goes extremely fast, and has similar symptoms to a heart attack. His parting words to my question about flying was "you will not get insurance anyway"!
As long as you continue to take your meds you should be fine . I'm on rivaroxaban as well and have permanent AF and have flown around the world several times due to family living in OZ . In fact I'm off to Spain next week and Iceland in Feb. And I'm awaiting a cardio version at the end of Feb . To be sure just check with your GP
If you get insurance please be aware you will NOT be covered For your existing conditions... I now can’t be bothered to go abroad as the cost of insurance was triple if not more than the holiday itself, and I wouldn’t be able to claim should my condition play up, and if you are already getting treatment or waiting for it you will have to put this in your claim as well.
I used to use all clear, but they went down the " we can't cover existing conditions" route. So I changed to goodtogo. As long as you declare everything they will give you cover but they won't give me annual cover any more - it has to be on a trip by trip basis.
Cruise to Australia and fly back - certainly.
Walking in the alps in Austria(Lech) or Switzerland (wengen)or France (Chamonix) - certainly as long you declare how high you want walk up to e.g. 2000m , 3000m , 4000m (cover is available but the premium goes up accordingly in £50 lumps for every 1000m).
I would like to say I enjoy running up lofty mountains but it tends to be up in a cablecar, wander along a pleasant path that tends to follow contours, into a mountain hut for rostii or meringues or coffee or lunch and then down in another cable car/lift/train
Off to sunny spain? - no problem.
I haven't asked for cover to go to America as I have a feeling they might come back with a request for a shedload of money and as an Australian acquaintance said "Europe's got everything".
I am 73 . I had open heart surgery for valve repair in May 2014 and an ablation for flutter in Sept 2015. I currently take warfarin and my heart is a bit wobbly If I am daft enough to go swigging wine.
I haven't had to make a claim (touch wood) and going through the check lists is a pain, but I hope this helps.
Thsnkyou Iain your reply has been very helpful & im going to majorca so hopefully should be ok.
Teresa
I'm not a doctor but logic makes me think we afib people who are on blood thinning medications might be better protected from clots while flying than otherwise healthy people who are crammed into some of these planes like sardines in a can. I used to travel a lot when I was younger. Planes were fun. Now from what I hear and read in the news, it's stressful, expensive, and many airlines in the US get so testy over things. I privately refer to them as cattle cars in the sky. And don't even get me started on the airport experience before you even board. I live in Atlanta where the world's busiest airport is and I have driven to other cities to avoid flying out of our airport. Enough said! To answer your question. Yes, I think it's safe. I worry more about them losing my luggage than my afib. Although they are welcome to lose that if they want to! I do worry about security givingme grief re special handling because of my pacemaker but that hasn't happened so far. irina1975 PS. Not very patriotic of me but I always try to fly on another country's airline when I can. Not so many power struggles over nonsense.
I agree with you Irina. We used to go to Canada regularly but now we take annual holidays in the UK and Switzerland which is just a short low stress flight with Swiss Air. We've even looked at taking a train trip all the way to the Alps but haven't done it yet
If you are waiting for treatment then many insurance companies won't cover you if you need that or a related treatment as an emergency abroad. Do you really need to go abroad when you're still recovering ?
Don't let this condition rule your life . Stress plays a very big factor in A Fib , don't let it take over . Insurance can be a problem , but just like your car , home insurance , shop around . I'm with Avanti and declare my condition and awaiting treatment , I also had a stroke in 2013 which is when A Fib was discovered . It's around £400 a year worldwide , but I travel a lot with family in Oz and a home in Spain , but in the grand scale of things , I get a lot of enjoyment from seeing our world , so it's worth every penny
That doesn’t sound too bad . As I said . I pay around 400 and travel abroad 8 times a year worldwide so it’s all relevant . For a holiday , that will be a well deserved enjoyable break for you and your loved one / one’s , the money is almost secondary to the memories you will gain
I got my insurance to go to Peru through Saga. They were quite expensive i.e. £200 plus, but I was confident that any medical expenditure needs would be covered.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Svt, ablation or pacemaker
Intermittent breathlessness with effort
Going abroad on holiday with AF!?
Flecanide or Ablation
