Introduction and Hi

[Abnorm]

Hi, just turned 72 in July.

On my return from our normal stay in France at the beginning of August I experienced a pain in my abdomen which spread to the left side of my chest that resulted in me spending a few days in hospital. The final diagnosis was Pneumonia with a Pulmonary Embolism on my lung. My ECG also showed I had Atrial Fibrillation. As a result I was given antibiotics to treat the Pneumonia and put on Rivaroxaban (Anticoagulation) drugs to combat the risk of further embolisms. Since then I have also experience some shortage of breath and some pain/discomfort in my chest on walking briskly or stenos activity. This has been initially diagnosed as Angina. I am now awaiting an Angiogram to examine whether I do have some hardening or narrowing of my arteries. I have been on Statins since I was 60 for high cholesterol which I had previously controlled by diet and fitness.

The onset of all this has come on suddenly as I was well fit for my age regularly walking dogs of 8-10 miles a day, regularly dancing including ballroom, latin, salsa and swing (rock and roll). I am also a keen motorcyclist all year including Continental touring. I am now awaiting further tests etc. to determine a complete diagnosis and how this will affect my lifestyle. Currently things are a little on slow down but not completely stopped.

[Hidden]

Hi, it's horrible, isn't it. Rivaroxaban is great, as long as you don't suffer any side-effects - I don't; don't know I'm on it - but the side effects of the clot are horrible! Mine was just 3 months ago, but I'm still walking really slowly, and any attempt at vigorous exercise puts me to bed for 24 hours. Even running for a bus.... Maddening! I normally use trekking poles for long walks, as I can walk faster with them, but discovered these holidays that I now walk to fart for my lungs if I do that! Plus they didn't really like being at 500 metres altitude in the Alps - it is only a couple of years since I was competing in ice dancing at more than twice that altitude without noticing! So frustrating!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That should read "too fast for my lungs" h the perils of autocorrect!

[Abnorm in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply. I can sympathise with you this may ask be a life changing thing for me. I am now caught in the catch 22 situation of not knowing how much exercise/effort I can put in and that if I don't exercise I will lose my fitness rapidly at my age. I only hope that the appointment for an Angiogram comes through soon so that I can find out if Angina is the major issue and how this can be counteracted. Also I have not been given any update on my last ECG results and whether I still have the Arterial Fibrillation and if so what type and what the consequences are. Apart that is from the need to be on Rivaroxaban for life. I am not aware of any obvious side effects as yet.

[Abnorm]

Should be "may be" don't know where the 'ask' came from.

[dizzielizzie1]

Hi Abnorm----not sure I can help you much, sorry. I took Rivaroxaban for about 6 months then changed to Apixaban ( take twice daily) as it is acknowledged to be gentler on the stomach amd I suffer from digestive problems. Sorry to hear about your health problems. My husband(68yrs) developed pneumonia out of the blue two years ago and got over it with antibiotics. However, I notice that he gets out of breath more easily nowadays. Glad to see that you are still doing all the things you enjoy. Hope things turn out well for you.

[rosyG]

the advice re exercise is to listen to your body- I would stick to walking until you have had the angiogram- good news is that if there is anything that needs shifting they can do this easily now- main thing, if it were me, would be to be cautious until you know