Only just joined the site and not yet had a full diagnosis but after numerous ECG's blood tests etc it seems that I have developed a form of exercise induced Arrhythmia. I've always lived a very healthy and active life style and at 56 I'm still a very keen competitive cyclist. This condition has literally knocked me for six and I'm struggling to cope with the ramifications.
The current advice from my GP prior to any treatment is to STOP cycling but where practical to keep active and walk as much as possible. I recently blacked out during a cycle ride so reluctantly I'm going to have accept this advice and work with my GP while tests etc are on-going.
I'd like to ask any members if they have had a similar experience and if after treatment they have been able to return to competitive sport. Being fit and active has been such an important aspect of my life and the prospect that I may have to dial back my activities does not sit well with me. Clearly getting older and making allowances is something that comes to us all but emotionally this is proving very hard to cope with.
Thanks to all in advance for any reply’s or advice
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GeeMan
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Hi GeeMan, it looks as if you and I have very similar problems although I am a little older at 69. Up until 4 years ago I was into cycling, not competitive but off road, and as we live in Southern Spain some interesting hills. Whilst out on the bike, I was found unconscious in a ditch having been out for quite a while, I was carted of to hospital and had loads of brain scans and sent home, a week later I was taken back in with a bleed on the brain. During all of this nothing was mentioned about my heart, we thought that I had been knocked off by a drunk driver as it was New Years Eve when the accident happened.
My wife preferred me not to cycle as I was normally out on my own so I took up Spinning as an alternative excersise along with some gym sessions. During one of the spinning sessions, almost at the end of the session, I felt the eyes going and bonk, I passed out.
Neither of these incidents showed any heart problems and one theory is both times I landed with a bonk and it kicked my heart back into rhythm.
Needless to say that was the end of my spinning, so now what?
I took up walking and now in fact run 3 walking groups. However in October 2016 I was at the end of my third hill walk in 5 days and crumpled into a heap. The friends I was with thought that I had heat exhaustion and put my feet in iced water. However I was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack but it turns out I had a heart rate of 230 and it had been like that for about 3 hours, consequently damage has been done.
After 2 weeks in the cardiac ward of Malaga's Universidad Hospital I was fitted with an ICD and banned from hill walking.
After a few months I was able to get back into walking and now walk virtually every day and lead two of my groups on most routes, although I now only administer the hill walking group.
I have had two incidents since having the ICD fitted and on both occasions the pacemaker corrected the Arrhythmia without me even knowing at the time. I had my six month review last month and found that I had not had an incident for 12 months and they don't need to see me for another year.
The next challenge is to lose weight as the lack of hard excersise has caused me to gain too much.
At least I am still alive and for that I am grateful.
Sometimes life's a bitch, and you have to accept that changes have to be made, but there is usually something else to enjoy just round the corner.
Thanks so much for your reply, as you say life can be a bitch at times and being such an active person all my life I never for a moment thought that heart problems would be something that would affect me.
The blacking out is very scary as you can attest to so I'm really glad you are out of the woods and are keeping fit. Re-setting your fitness goals must have been a bloody tough challenge for you.
Hi GeeMan. I'm 59, was a competitive sprint swimmer, very high standard water polo player, and reasonable standard rugby player until early 30's, then a few half marathons etc, then got into weights properly as opposed to part of training for something else. Own gym at home, trained 4/5 times per week, lifting well. Good on C2 rower as well. Had a HA early April just gone, thought it was a torn muscle, so ignored it and carried on, until after 2 weeks ended up in hospital with fluid on the lungs. I've now got heart failure due to damage caused by HA and not being sorted straight away. Yes its a bummer, but start from the base line that we're alive and still kicking. try to treat it like a really long rehab from a severe injury. Its a long haul, but there's always something for competition, it just might not be what we used to do. My first thing is to damn well be the best with what I've got - re-learning new limits is hard, but its doable and is part of the challenge. Go well fella.
I'm afraid I can only empathise with you, rather than advise at this stage. It really is sh*t sometimes, even if I am very thankful to be alive.
I'm 29 and had my first cardiac arrest out of the blue in April this year. I grew up really into lots of sports, competing at a national level in athletics until my early 20s. Granted, that had dropped away in recent years, but I was still strong and active. Now, after a second cardiac arrest in May(thankfully just after having my ICD put in), I've been advised I can exercise but not to do anything too intense. So now I'm doing yoga and walking; resting whenever I get tired and with no clear progression goals in my training. I need some guidance.
I want to jog but I'm scared to get out of breath alone. I've put on about 4kg since the arrest and none of it's muscle, although I'm still technically not overweight. After being used to being 'top of the class' in sports it's so weird to have to ask my 50 something parents to slow down when we walk or to let my mum carry my bags. I am having some ablation next month and trying to take things as they come. Depending on how that operation goes, I may push for cardiac rehab classes. You could ask if you are eligible for these. It varies across the country. In my area unfortunately they are just for heart attack patients, not cardiac arrests or other arrythmia.
you did make me smile with your comment about asking the over 50's to slow down a bit
As the other guys have said, re-setting my goals is something that seems inevitable for me but as hard as I keep telling myself its not the end of the world I can't help feeling that the future is not as bright as it could be. (I'm also dealing with some Prostate issues as well, so the cards seem a bit stacked against me at the moment)
I don't know yet what course of action my GP is likely to advise but I'm holding on to the hope that perhaps next year I might be able to get back to some kind of fitness.
My poor girlfriend is having to put up with grumpy moods at the moment too....
Wishing you all the very best for the op next month, do keep in touch..
Same with me re rehab in my area. Although I take the view that I’ve got very good knowledge on training, and I’m the world’s leading experton what my body can do. I started rehabbing on my own, just walking for time but as hard as I could take, and really surprised myself how quickly I progressed. I wanted to know what I can and shouldn’t do or try, so I went and insisted that my GP referred me to the rehab team. He got me assessed by the community nurse, and she got me into rehab. It’s quite gentle, but you have the reassurance of specialist nurses and PT’s to suck all the knowledge you can over the time you’ve got. In mine, the PT is from the sport centre, so you can possibly book 1:1 after you’ve finished the course. Hassle them and don’t take no. After all, if you have support now, can get yourself healthy and stay in good nick, you may we’ll be easing the NHS burden later! Good luck.
Just to add another insight for you, I keep reading about rehabilitation and help for HA victims etc etc in the UK. Here in Spain you get nada in the way of aftercare it's all down to you and your family and that happens to be only my wife. Yes I have a check up every 6 months and now every year but there are no classes or rehab to go to.
It's all down to me, and sometimes that just gets a little too much!
I suppose what I am saying is take all the help and advise that you can get and just be sensible.
Really appreciate your comments buddy and sincerely hope that life can keep a smile on your face.
What i'm begining to reaslise is that NHS resources seem to be largely aligned to focus on the physical and not so much on the physcological impact of these issues and for some of us I'm starting to recogonise that this can be just as challenging.
I have also just been diagnosed with arrhythmia. I am 78 but still an active swimmer (2km/week) and cyclist (50km./week). Advice from my cardiologist is to continue my activities prior to treatment but to 'listen to my body'.
In truth it was giving me prior warning of attacks but I was ignoring them!
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