Hi guys,just wondering if it is safe to go swimming? I have had CLL for almost 5 years,still on w and w...i want to try and get some

[welshlady52]

exercise so i bought new bathers but now i am wondering if it is safe or not?

[fieldmeadow]

I recently commenced treatment and was strongly advised not to swim at the local leisure centre due to strong possibility of catching infection especially in the changing rooms. However, nothing was said regarding swimming while on watch & wait. You do have to be more careful in such a humid and public environment, but we also need to continue enjoying life. Just make sure you follow a few extra precautions and check with doctor if you have any doubts.

[teakbank12]

I was strongly advised not to use public swimming pools, saunas or spas back in 2003 after contracting numerous ear, nose & throat infections due to being immunosuppressed from having Crohn's disease & the drugs I'm on.

This was way before I was finally diagnosed with CLL in 2009.

My answer was to buy a hot tub where I'm in control of who uses it & we keep the hygiene 100% with regular tests of the water.

[ygtgo]

I was advised not to go to public baths/steam rooms/ saunas etc

[welshlady52]

Thanks for your replies...guess i better not go then....

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

I think walking or cycling is a better choice for exercise, or perhaps swimming in the ocean or a lake in summer...

Swimming pools are chemical soups, filled with who knows what! Change rooms are bug infested breeding grounds... better to avoid them...hospitals too!

[Hidden]

Hi welshlady52

I really have sympathy for you. I only learnt to swim when I was 65 and so long to get into the pool for a few lengths. Best not to go as my friend who is not immunosurpressed uses it as her exercise regime, and sorry to say. I rarely see her as she has one infection after another and is kind enough not to meet up as she is mindful of my CLL.

Welshlady Bub

[Quarry]

Welshlady

I guess it depends upon your general health. I am pretty early CLL, definitely on watch and wait and my haematologist (happily one of the UK top CLL experts) is very clear that in general swimming is ok/good (I have specifically asked, as I swim when taking kids early morning) - any exercise is to be encouraged.....

However, I was generally healthy (ie did not get ear infections/colds from swimming, I don't get CLL-related-lingering colds), so it is set in that context swimming is fine/good.

I currently have an additional AIHA problem (nothing to do with swimming!), so I am finding any exercise hard...however once resolved/in remission I hope to go back to the early morning mile in the pool!

[Berrytog]

Good morning Welsh Lady

I am afraid I agree with everybody. Have you thought of a splash pool in the garden in a small building, heated of course. It needs to be about fifteen feet long above ground with a current machine which can be set at any speed to suit.

[fish61]

Do not even swim in the ocean .... there are things in there they have not named yet..... fish61

[splashsplash]

Swimming is a brilliant exercise because your weight is supported and you can really stretch your lungs without pulling any muscles. The last time I went to the pool and had problems was getting a cold sore that took ages to heal. After that I always take a mouth wash - Corsodyl to use when I get out of the pool and shower extra thoroughly. If you are on W&W I think the health benefits of swimming outweigh the negatives.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

As I see it, the problem with swimming is that you are bound to swallow some water and any included bugs. You may also get some water into your ears, sinuses, other body cavities, plus of course any unhealed cuts in your skin may be a route for infection. Thus the issue comes down to how safe the water is to swim in for someone that is immune compromised, which we all are to some degree if we have CLL.

So we need some reassurance that there is a low concentration of pathogens in our swimming water.

The Wikipedia has a good overview of swimming pool sanitation:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimm...

Thus I'd say it comes down to a personal decision based on your confidence in how well your favourite 'swimming hole' is maintained along with guidance from your specialist.

Note that "Chlorine reacting with urea in urine and other nitrogen-containing wastes from bathers can produce chloramines.", one of which is trihalomethane which is a proven carcinogen in rodents. Hence the level of this disinfection by product is carefully monitored in drinking water. Hopefully you don't drink much swimming water, but skin exposure is also a risk:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/185...

Perhaps a good reason to shower both before and after swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool?

Then there is this interesting ABC (Australia's equivalent to the BBC) interview with infectious disease and tropical infection expert Professor Bart Currie:

Q: Will sea water help heal sores?

A: It might, but there are too many variables to make it a good choice.

abc.net.au/health/talkinghe...

Neil

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Today I asked my haematologist about swimming in the sea and was advised that it was OK and definitely a better choice than a public pool but to keep my distance from others. (My neutropenia is bordering on neutropenic diet territory, so the risk for other members in public pools may not be as risky.)

If you do decide to swim in the sea/ocean, be careful to avoid swimming in the vicinity of storm water discharges for at least several days after any outflows. Same goes for creeks and rivers that may be dumping polluted water with high bacterial loads after heavy rains. (I live near a river outlet and sadly, the sea takes on a dirty brown colouration for a while after any heavy rainfall, which is a good warning sign to stay clear.)

Neil