pericarditis and cycling

[Johnmcd]

has anyone any history of getting back to cycling 50 miles at 15 mph ? How soon after episode . I have a holiday cycling in Cuba end of November and currently resting for 2 weeks but then want to get back to cycling so ready for end of month and 50 miles per day for 6 days . I’m 67 , fit strong active male . John

[devonian186]

I have looked at your bio and it is unclear as to whether your condition will clear up after taking medication and having a proper rest or if further treatment is needed.

If the former, then your GP will advise when you can start to exercise harder. If the latter, there are several consequences, one of which is getting health insurance, the other being when you can start to train without making yourself worse.

There are many people on here very eager to get back to cycling, golf or tennis and many of them do so too early and have a health setback.

So guess your GP is the first port of call. Checking out your health insurance will lead on from that

[Scho1]

Hi, sorry to hear you are suffering from pericarditis. Firstly what caused your peri and secondly what treatment have you been prescribed? I have idiopathic, chronic, recurrent peri and have had it now since 2006. Unfortunately due to incorrect diagnoses in the past I did not rest properly (at least 6 weeks) eventually in 2020 I was finished from work on the grounds of ill health.

It’s crucial to rest as exercise can and does exacerbate the condition and may result in it becoming chronic.

Meds used for peri are colchicine and anti inflammatory drugs. The gold standard for diagnosis is a cardiac MRI.

Listen to your doctors and please don’t make my and others mistake of trying to get back to normalcy too soon.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I can't comment on your medical condition. However, if you have not been to Cuba, I have, albeit 15 years ago. My holiday involved 3 weeks travelling over much of the island so I got to see what the 'real' Cuba is like, outside of Havana, noting we didn't go to Varadero the main holiday resort, and my belief is that it has not changed much since since I went there, although I am sure some things are better and others are worse given the economic conditions the Cuban state is in. So first my understanding is that the medical facilities are first class, although fortunately I didn't need to use them. However outside of Havana the infrastructure is falling apart. And its a big island, and if you move away from the Soviet era 'motorway' with cattle roaming freely, roads are in poor shape, and it takes a long time to travel long distances. So I suggest you research what you are faced with if you are going to travel outside of Havana to be aware of the problems you might face should you suddenly become ill, in terms of getting you to a hospital or other medical facilities and plan to tailor your cycling exertions accordingly. And it goes without saying that you should have more than adequate travel insurance to cover your medical conditions.

[HHH2017]

Hi, just a quick reply to ask you to be cautious.

My own experience was with both Myo & peri carditis and Ive never been able to return to exercise like cycling. However my brother in law who is a cyclist has recovered from pericarditis and is back to cycling but it did take approx 6months.

We are all so different and severity of the condition can vary widely. HOWEVER taking it slowly in your early recovery and not doing too much too soon does seem to be an absolute golden rule. Best wishes.

If you do go to Cuba it might be worth updating your insurance.

[Millbrook]

My husband used to be an avid cyclist. He could cycle 80-100 km and he enjoyed it tremendously.

I have noticed that many people here with atrial fibrillation and other heart conditions may just have their sports to thank. When you are cycling fast your heart rate can be at really high 140-160 and it can be sustained at that rate for a long period of time. It was this realisation that made my husband quit cycling after a discussion with his cardiologist. Pulse Field ablation cured the afib but he is not about to invite it back by doing intense cycling.