Long haul travel a few months after succesful cardioversion

[lindyloo59]

My husband had a successful cardioversion in February and luckily is still in regular sinus rythmn. We are wanting to go to Australianin sept to visit relatives and have a long awaited holiday. Has anyone done this and been ok?

Thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

As I am sure that you already know Cardioversion is not a cure for AF so this can return at any time. That said if you are travelling the most important thing is good hydration. Those people who do suffer do so usually through not drinking sufficient water. And I do mean water not tea or coffee etc. Aim for about 2 litres per 24hours as a general guide. and more in hot weather.

The cabin air conditioning in air craft makes this vital. Avoid alcohol (of course) and arrange to take any meds at the correct time space. Some people find that it is easy to move the time they take their drugs an hour or so per day before the trip so that they do not have to go without during the journey. Flight socks are a good idea even if on anticoagulation. I'm sure some of our frequent flyers will join in with their tips before long.

[Hidden]

Hi lindyloo, a couple of extra points to consider.....make sure you have good travel insurance and do everything possible to avoid stress. Give yourself plenty of time at airports to get through all the formalities. Do what you can to make the arrival process as stress free as possible, research transfers to hotels unless of course, you are being picked up by family/friends. If he is driving, consider renting a sat nav and remember he will be pretty knackered on arrival so plan accordingly.

Research medical centres that can deal with AF just in case. Should hubby flip while you are away, his situation will be no worse than it was before the CV. It happened to me in Portugal, which is a bit different of course, but it caused no problems (apart from disappointment).

Most of all, enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time.

[lindyloo59 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your advise. We will be getting driven about by relatives he will not be stressed at all. My cousin has af too but had been in nsr for 6 years following abalation he has a good friend who is a consultant cardiologjst so my husband would be in good hands. I am the one who is getting stressed out about it all. It makes me feel like I dont want to fly etc anymore which is not a good thought😬😬

[Hidden]

just try to bear in mind that if you get stressed (which is fully understandable) it will have an impact on hubby....it sounds as though you have got most bases well 'n truly covered so just go with the flow.....very many forum members enjoy their holidays and so will you!!!

[Kaz747]

I'm in Australia and we have wonderful medical facilities so if anything happens he will be in good hands. And if you're travelling away from the cities our Royal Flying Doctor service is amazing in emergencies. As FlapJack said make sure your travel insurance is in place.

We usually travel a lot but we haven't been overseas since I was diagnosed with my latest problem. I am worried myself and think I'll need to be very selective in destinations going forward. I needed a cardioversion for atrial flutter after no medication would help. I don't want to be stuck somewhere with a racing heart and no (or poor) medical facilities.

Have a great trip. Let us know how it goes.

[sleeksheep]

I,m in Australia and have travelled to Scotland in NSR and also not in NSR. Made no difference to the travel at all . Don't worry about the flight as long haul is very comfortable these days with normalized pressure in the cabins. Unless your doing the direct flight UK to Perth with no stops , its not all that long with the break in Dubai. I,ve had a couple of flights that were only 16hrs in the air .

[Maggimunro]

Hi Lindyloo, I flew from the UK to Australia five weeks after an incomplete ablation for Afib. I was absolutely fine BUT I did have in place ALL the suggestions so wisely given above.

For your stress levels why not download a Mindfulness App onto your phone or ipad and spend some time each day learning to let go and relax?

Have a great trip.

[pleesk]

I would put some "reserve" medications in my carry-on bags rather than checked-in the luggage (in case of flight delays and luggage being misplaced). Good luck and bon voyage!

[Janith]

I am planning a trip to Belgrade, Serbia. It is a very long journey. I am joining my husband there. I will be alone going ... we will come back together. I haven’t had issues the past year and two in total. I am terrified and fearful. I don’t know anything about Serbian medical care in the event that anything goes wrong. He is researching. I really don’t want to go. But l feel as though l must. My husband is Serbian, l am American. We go every year. HELP!!

[Sean_C]

I agree with pretty much every suggestion given above. As some reassurance, I had my first Cardioversion in September last year, and in October flew to San Francisco (for my 30th wedding anniversary) (nearly 12 hrs flying time), and then back via New York. No problems whatsoever, as I followed the advice given above. No alcohol on the flight, lots of fluids, took it really calm and took regular walks around the plane etc.. The biggest 'challenge' for me was the timing of my meds (I take Bisoprolol in the mornings and Ramipril & Rivaroxaban both in the evenings... SF is around 9 hrs difference and New York 5hrs to the UK. Decide up front (and possibly discuss with your doc first) whether you are going to stick to UK timings (I didn't, but possibly should have) .... and plan accordingly.

As a close off, I went back in to AFib in February this year, but totally unrelated to the trip.

[Ianc2]

I suggest you have a good look at the sleep aids like sleep masks and neck cushions. If you are flying back over Russia overnight make sure you are wearing loose comfortable and warm clothes as the aircraft is flying quite high in cold air and it can get a little bit cool around the window, even with the blinds closed.

The cabin crew will probably offer you cushions and blankets and if you think you will need to go to the loo often, try and book an aisle seat so you can get in and out without disturbing any one.

I invariably don't sleep on aircraft so I watched three films and played 2 games of chess. the galley on the plane had a help yourself facility so you could go and get snacks as the night wore on.

I arrived back, got on the airport bus and went on my way. Before flying back I had been on a cruise from Southampton to New Zealand and arrived back with a sore throat. I went to see my GP who identified it as some sort of allergic reaction and prescribed anti histamine pills - which kicked off my irregular heartbeat again. Funny old world isn't it?