Arrhythmia problems

[Nigel-YZ1]

A few months ago I was taking glucosamine/chondroitin pills each day hoping my dodgy knees would benefit. My better half got bigger pills by accident. I only realised they were causing the palpitations I felt every night when I started googling.

But I also went through a terrifying period of missed beats which lasted two weeks and got me to see a GP.

I'm paranoid enough to go see a GP, and I also know it can turn out to be something trivial.

In the end I'd rather get an opinion than live in fear. My life is too good now and I want it to last.

 

[Yorksman]

@Jody Most people with arrythmias have blood thinning medication. When you have skipped heart beats, your blood pools in your heart and clots can form. If these are then pushed out by your next heart beat, you run the risk of a stroke. My GP surgery, which recently failed every quality standard expected of them and which is now in 'special measures', only had me on asprin. Every cardiac consultant I have encountered found it unbelievable that I was not on "the good stuff", which they of course prescribed immediately. Obviously we don't know what type of arrythmia you have but this article will give you the general idea:

Aspirin Instead of Blood Thinners Often Prescribed for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

"More than one-third of patients with atrial fibrillation who are have a moderate to high risk for stroke are being treated with aspirin, even though it is well known that blood thinners provide more protection."

You might also find the Arrythmia Alliance web site informative.

 

[Jody]

Thanks for the replys guys. Went out for a ride last night, about 20 miles with a mate and i felt the odd few when my heart rate was 160ish. Checked my pulse and although it wasn't skipping a beat it felt like a single weak beat. But overall the ride didnt feel to bad. Very wierd though as I didn't have any for the first ten minutes after the ride finished and only had a handfull before going to sleep. Today is similar and things have settled back down, although there have probably 15+ that have been felt. But its not been constant like the last two weeks.

Still feel it is worth make an appointment with the doctor and talking to him again to see if he can sort a holter out.

 

[The Jogger]

With anything to do with the heart I for one would get checked. Last month I was suppose to meet my brother in law in the Malaga region after his fifth Camino Way walk, he swam evey day and was often found walking the Mourne mountains. I spoke to him while he was on route to Camino De Santiago and we arranged our meet up. He finished his walk on July 11th in great form, he died that evening of a heart attack, because of a blocked artery. He was the last person you would have thought to get a heart attack, a slim , fit ( we thought) young looking 60 year old and one hell of a guy.
http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/tributes-paid-former-west-belfast-11613652

 

[Yorksman]

But overall the ride didnt feel to bad.

Still feel it is worth make an appointment with the doctor and talking to him again to see if he can sort a holter out.

This guy felt fit enough to play a game of soccer. Fortunately he had an ICD fitted.



Get any sort of arrythmia checked out.

 

[Yorksman]

I passed out one more time in the afternoon frightening the nurses before receiving a pacemaker that evening. During the operation the surgeon who was a keen jogger was chatting with me about the high correlation between endurance exercise and heart rhythm problems.

Things are back to normal now, although my blood presure is on the low side and I can get very light headed when I stand up. I can also get a bit breathless if I'm sedentary for a while and then I stand up and start walking and talking at the same time. The most disconcerting thing though is when I suddenly feel quite anxious as though I might pass out. Of course I never do pass out, because the pacemaker is there to fill in the pauses. For me, keeping active is the thing that makes me feel good and keeps the anxiety in check.

The pacemaker is configured to keep my heart from dropping below 60bps and on average it's pacing about 70% of the time. There is no rate response configured so the pacemaker doesn't need to speed up when it detects movement and I also don't need to take any medication.

There are quite a few reports into cyclists getting arrythmias and I went into Ventricular Tachycardia whilst on an exercise bike. I didn't pass out but I was only taking it steady so was surprised my Afib turned into VT. Anyway they cardioverted me out of VT and stuck an ICD in me. They cardioverted my Afib and, fingers crossed, I am still in sinus rhythm.

I still do get light headed if I have been sitting down and relaxing but I think that's due to another condition, heart failure, which is a failure in the muscle wall.

I agree with your comment about remaining active. I'm off for a few days cycling in germany tomorrow - in the north where its flat - and I hope to be able to tell the cardiologist all about it at my appointment in a couple of weeks time. I always take things very steady and monitor my heart rate when cycling. It's a balancing act between doing some beneficial exercise which does, as you say, make you mentally better, and making sure that the condition doesn't catch you out. I would go nuts at the prospect of sitting in a chair watching TV for the rest of my life. There's never owt good on :-)