Flying with Atrial Fibrillation

[Choccylover1]

I am due to fly to America very soon but have recently been diagnosed with permanet AF (following many years of Atrial Flutter treated by Cardioverion and Ablation, now I have a pacemaker). I am waiting for cardiologist to ok my ability to fly - but if OK should I take any extra precatutions for the long flight? Any tips anyone? I am taking blood thinners and beta blockers.

[Happyrosie]

is your travel insurance OK for this? Heck the small print

[Choccylover1 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you I will. The insurance does not require to predisclose conditions etc but there are exemptions of which I think this would be one so not then be covered. BUT I may be ok as it has changed since I took out the policy so I may be covered on this occasion.

[Marvel3000]

Yes make sure your travel insurance covers the trip. I had to get a seperate policy as i found most insurers didnt cover pacemakers..Flying per se should not be an issue. We had terrible turbulence on the way back which caused my heart to skip quite a few beats and one pint I though it stopped Lol but aside from that all was ok.

[Choccylover1 in reply to Marvel3000]

I had been advised that the oxygen in the cabin is reduced so this might cause an issue.

[Marvel3000 in reply to Choccylover1]

You may be able to request for oxygen on flight through the airline I believe. Worth looking into of you think you may need it.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Choccylover1]

I need to use oxygen when I fly. I only have my Cardiologist's permission to take short haul flights.

I have a portable oxygen concentrator which is approved by airlines. It weighs about 3 kgs. I take a spare battery.

The airlines require you to take enough battery time to last twice the length of the flight.

I wear flight socks, drink plenty of water and do lots of ankle exercises during the flight.

I have to get a fit to fly letter from my GP with the reason why I have to use the oxygen before every flight.

It's not easy to arrange for piped oxygen during the flight. You usually have to pay extra too.

I suggest you ask your GP or Cardiologist whether you will need to use oxygen during your flight.

[Redactrice]

I'm not sure how it works with a pacemaker but other people have commented. From the AF perspective, I took a long haul flight a few months ago after being in persistent AF for a year, waiting for ablation. My precautions:

1. Travel insurance to cover AF

2. Kept all my drugs (blood thinner, rate control and anti-arrhythmic) in my cabin bag for quick access, and packed an extra month's supply beyond what I needed for the trip in case my return was delayed for any reason. Before flying, I worked out when to take the drugs to ensure I didn't miss any doses.

3. No alcohol before or during flight

4. Drank lots of water

5. Compression socks

6. Got up to move regularly throughout the flights

As it turned out, I went back into normal rhythm a few days before the flight -- for the first time in a year! -- but the flight put me back into AF, which flipped back and forth while I was away.

7. Get the phone number and email address for your cardiac rhythm management nurses so that you can contact them direct in case you have a situation that's not serious enough for an ambulance but is causing you concern. I talked to mine several times while I was away because my AF was suddenly behaving differently and I wasn't sure how to manage it.

[Choccylover1 in reply to Redactrice]

That is very helpful advice and I thank you - and everyone else.

[Redactrice]

8. Being able to reach your cardiac nurses in case of unexpected issues that are not ambulance-level emergencies is a good idea because you want to AVOID having anything to do with US hospitals unless you are actually in danger.

I had travel insurance, but in the US recently I felt like an illegal immigrant -- the US medical system does not make it easy for tourists. This was not an issue when I was younger because I was healthy. Now I'm 60 and I have a chronic heart problem.

On the trip before the last one, I ended up in A&E due to a relatively minor problem (nothing to do with AF at first) that escalated. I went all round the houses -- trying to avoid A&E, which I had been warned off as the most expensive option, I pre-booked at two "urgent care" clinics which could only help with part of the problem. Finally I had to go A&E because what I needed was a hospital to resolve what had been left unresolved. Almost everyone in the US who has a job has private health insurance, which dictates which hospital they will use (here are lots of hospitals because it's a profit-making industry) -- they don't simply go to the nearest A&E, which mops up uninsured people, such as homeless people.

In A&E I had several scans with instant results -- they have all the equipment and they use it liberally because it all goes on the bill. The cost of my A&E adventure (approx four hours) was almost £12,000. This is why adequate travel insurance is ESSENTIAL when travelling to the US.

I'm not trying to scare you. Just be prepared. Do not take chances with your insurance.

And to anyone who thinks US-style privatisation is the answer to the woes of our NHS -- it really isn't. The no.1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US is medical bills. You can instantly access the best care in the world if you can afford expensive insurance, but if you can't...it's a disaster.

[GJHD]

YOU SHOULD BE OK BUT SPEAK TO THE RELEVANT DEPT AT YOUR LOCAL HOSPITAL. SAVES WORRYING ABOUT IT. I'VE FLOWN A FEW TIMES AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM!!