Atrial fibrillation and cycling

[ColinJ]

I can only report what I was told ,they are still using the test strips and little machine in my surgery will ask again when back next week ,I have been on warfarin since 2002 when I had a stroke

Oh - I thought that it was a nationwide recall. Anyway, no harm in making sure.

The problem in my case was that the clinic started messing with my dosage to deal with the spurious readings. I had been stable for nearly 3 years so I couldn't understand why things had suddenly went wrong, but then the recall happened and all became clear.

Now I am back on the original dose and the readings have returned to normal.

 

[Freelanderuk]

That's good that all is back to normal, when I first started on it I had to travel 15 miles to the local hospital to have blood taken for the inr reading this was then phoned threw to the surgery where I then gad to make an appointment to get my readings and recommend dose of warfarin, what a faf and used to take about 3 days

When they take your blood do they do a test straight away and give you your readings as I don't think my surgery could do thst

 

[ColinJ]

That's good that all is back to normal, when I first started on it I had to travel 15 miles to the local hospital to have blood taken for the inr reading this was then phoned threw to the surgery where I then gad to make an appointment to get my readings and recommend dose of warfarin, what a faf and used to take about 3 days

When they take your blood do they do a test straight away and give you your readings as I don't think my surgery could do thst

No. I have the sample taken at the local health centre and they ship it off to a clinic in Huddersfield which does the tests for the whole area. They are very quick. I normally get a letter from them the following afternoon, so it should arrive in about 3 hours. If the results require a change of dose then they phone as well. It is a good system, but obviously getting instant results from the machine was better. (And I prefer having a small needle stuck in a finger, rather than a larger one in my arm, though the nurse yesterday said that some patients (bizarrely!) refuse to have their fingers pricked and demand that the needle goes in the arm!)

 

[cuberider]

Having suffered from 2 episodes of AF in the mid 90's and given digoxin, I was surprised to get a third late on Christmas Eve. Went to A&E and was sent home 3 or 4 hours later after an ECG, blood tests, a chest x-ray and 2 bisoprolol tablets which worked quickly. I followed it up with a GP appointment today, who said to hold back on cycling "unless I could hold a conversation while doing it" and keep off the alcohol for now. It seems that a few people I know suffer from it which I wasnt aware of until now.

Have got an appointment to make with a cardiologist, and intend to do a little light cycling, and maybe walk a bit more until then. Its a bad time of year to go tee-total though!

 

[12boy]

I too have AFIB, although mine is asymptomatic. I was having a problem with standing up after sitting or crouching then taking a few steps and passing out and the resulting tests discovered the AFIB. I'm almost 70 and it is likely if I don't get killed on a bike or in a car I will ultimately stroke out. If I do have a stroke I hope it is fatal and not one that leaves you half paralyzed or unable to speak or think clearly. For the time being I do everything I always have, although I don,t have the stamina I once did. As Woody Allen once said...."I am not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens.

 

[ColinJ]

I too have AFIB, although mine is asymptomatic. I was having a problem with standing up after sitting or crouching then taking a few steps and passing out and the resulting tests discovered the AFIB. I'm almost 70 and it is likely if I don't get killed on a bike or in a car I will ultimately stroke out. If I do have a stroke I hope it is fatal and not one that leaves you half paralyzed or unable to speak or think clearly. For the time being I do everything I always have, although I don,t have the stamina I once did. As Woody Allen once said...."I am not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens.

Aren't you taking anything (warfarin etc.) to reduce the risk of a stroke?

 

[12boy]

I take a 350 mg aspirin daily. When I am 75 the doc said I'll need to go on warfarin, coumadin or something stronger than aspirin.

 

[ColinJ]

I take a 350 mg aspirin daily. When I am 75 the doc said I'll need to go on warfarin, coumadin or something stronger than aspirin.

I'd ask for a second opinion on that - not much point in putting off taking a more effective medication until 75 if you end up having a devastating stroke before then!

Take a look at THIS ARTICLE. (Maybe your stroke risk is less than you hinted at though, in which case aspirin might well be the right choice anyway.)

 

[12boy]

Because I am only 69, get a couple of hours of vigorous exercise daily, have low cholesterol, don't smoke ( since 1989), and I am not obese, I am in the low risk category. Apparently when 75 even if all the above is still true, I am in the higher risk category by virtue of age alone, and Warfarin is in the future. As that great English poet, Sir Mick Jagger, once sang "what a drag it is getting old". But not as big a drag as not getting old. Thanks for the article, though.

 

[ColinJ]

Because I am only 69, get a couple of hours of vigorous exercise daily, have low cholesterol, don't smoke ( since 1989), and I am not obese, I am in the low risk category. Apparently when 75 even if all the above is still true, I am in the higher risk category by virtue of age alone, and Warfarin is in the future. As that great English poet, Sir Mick Jagger, once sang "what a drag it is getting old". But not as big a drag as not getting old. Thanks for the article, though.

Well, good luck with it!

I am getting on okay with the warfarin so I'll stick with it. (I tried stopping after my first illness but got ill again 4 months later so I am on it for life now.)

 

[mojames]

On January 6th I went out for a 2 hour ride and whilst making my way on a flat road 6 miles from home, I was having heart palpitations for around a minute or so.
I've had the odd one before but for this episode to last so long, was unnerving. They eventually stopped as I slowed my pace right down but my HR was increasing. I thought that it might correct itself on the journey home. After an hour at home the HR didn't come down, in fact, it went up to around 170 bpm.
My partner drove me to A&E and I was admitted for two days. I was given a 23 hour infusion which brought my HR back to normal. I had 2 ECG's and the
X-RAY and Echocardigraph were all clear.
The consultant told me I had an Atrial Flutter and obviously I was keen on what he thought may have triggered the episode.
He told me that my white blood cell count was slightly raised and that I had an underlying infection which was a possible contributor and for this he put me on Antibiotics. He also thought that the amount of alcohol I consumed on New Years Eve, contributed. Now, I very rarely drink, I probably have a couple of bottles of beer once in a blue moon. On this particular night, I drank 3 large Gins, 4 beers and two glasses of Champagne over a period of around 7 hours.
Believe me, that will never happen again. I was surprised though to think this would have an effect 5 days later.
I was given the all clear, told to rest for four weeks and discharged without any meds. The consultant said he had no reason as to why I can't go back to carrying on the way I did on the bike. He did say he'd like to do a check up in three months.
The thing is, due to my work commitments, I don't get out on the bike as regularly as I used to. The last two years or so, I will often go without riding for up to two weeks and then when I do, I go out hard.
Also, I like coffee, I'll have maybe four or five a day. Now after that small drama, I've restricted it to just one 'Proper' coffee in the morning and then the rest are decaf.

As from next week I'm back on the bike and I'll admit that I'm nervous about it. Be sure that I'll be building it back up slowly.

 

[cuberider]

I was advised to give up alcohol if I could, which I have, but no cause was found. Should have been seeing an electro physiologist in late February, but that has now been put back to April, so apart from the drink, it's business as usual, although my lovely wife would like to bubble wrap me

 

[busdennis]

Time for me to join this thread as the AF fairy has visited me in the last week. Im 48 and fairly fit and have been racing cyclocross all winter. It lasted 36 hours which started with fast AF (pulse 166) which was sorted in ED over 8 hrs with medication (beta blocker and anticoagulant) and i was discharged in AF (pulse rate now 70 to 80) to see if i self reverted or needed a cardioversion. I reverted spontaneously without more treatment.

Im a nurse in the NHS so know a little but im no expert. 3 DR's ive spoken to have all given me different advise but i went with the one who said it was OK to stop the beta blocker to see what happened with my HR and stop the anticoagulant as my VARS risk of stroke was zero.
It was also OK to keep on cycling has im keen to start training for the Majorca 312 which ive already entered but no real fast stuff for a while until i see the cardiologist. Will report what happens but ive got 150 miles in so far

Finally a local cyclist has been in contact with me who has had AF weekly for over six months who has seen a private cardiologist provided by work, hes been fitted with a loop recorder but he also his on no medication. It does seem that there is a variation on treatment depending on who you see

 

[GuyBoden]

My wife has done some work with the Stroke association, they have produced an informative leaflet about AF.

I'm thinking of asking my GP to check for the condition with a simple 10min ECG test.

https://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/atrial_fibrillation_and_stroke_guide.pdf

"There are different types of heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia), and atrial fibrillation is the most common. Around 1.4 million people in the UK have AF. It’s a major risk factor for stroke, and around 20% of all strokes are caused by AF."

 

[All uphill]

My wife has done some work with the Stroke association, they have produced an informative leaflet about AF.

I'm thinking of asking my GP to check for the condition with a simple 10min ECG test.

https://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/atrial_fibrillation_and_stroke_guide.pdf

"There are different types of heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia), and atrial fibrillation is the most common. Around 1.4 million people in the UK have AF. It’s a major risk factor for stroke, and around 20% of all strokes are caused by AF."

Thanks for that, Guy, a very useful reminder.

I've had the occasional flutter over the last twenty years; maybe ten times per year. Cutting out coffee and alcohol helped and reducing my salt intake has made a big difference and now I can go months with no symptoms.

A couple of weeks ago I fancied a hot coffee mid ride and enjoyed it; lying in bed that night my heart was fluttering for the first time in months - it took me a while to make the link.