Atrial fibrillation and cycling

[ColinJ]

I posted the following account a week ago elsewhere on the forum and have since found this AF thread, which has made me feel more confident about cycling in to the future. I’ve copied and pasted the account here, as its probably more relevant to this thread…..

You can use the 'Reply' button below a post to quote it in the same thread, as I have done above...

In 2023, out of the blue I noticed a fluttering in my chest, which didn’t settle. GP checked and confirmed an ectopic heartbeat and offered beta-blockers. Heart team at the local hospital were not overly concerned and as I was told the beta blockers only masked the problem, rather than fix it, I decided to hang fire on using them.

Since then, I continued my solo winter mountain stuff, solo sea kayak trips and entered several etapes of 60+, 70+ and 80+ miles, as well as loads of Strava monthly Gran Fondo rides, so there was nothing majorly wrong.

I had arranged to go cycling with a friend on Saturday gone, to show her round a 34 mile local hilly route, but I woke up in the early hours with a pounding and very erratic heartbeat. I thought perhaps I’d had a bad dream and it would settle down and woke my wife to check my pulse. It didn’t settle and I lay awake the rest of the night considering whether or not to cancel the ride. I assumed it was the ectopic beat that I’d experienced in 2023 and decided to go for the ride as planned. We also had a sea swim to cool off once we were back at her beach house.
I was fine, we had a great ride and that evening a few of us got together for a meal, where one of my friends, a retired Doctor checked my erratic pulse for me. He said I was possibly suffering Atrial Fibrillation and insisted I should get an appointment with my GP asap (Monday).

Sunday morning arrived and the erratic beat was still there, so I did the sensible thing and went out sea kayaking and sea swimming again, however by the time I got home I was starting to feel very tired and irritable. I thought probably from lack of sleep the previous night.

Rang my surgery at 9am Monday, got to see my GP at 11am, ECG by 11.15 and confirmed Atrial Fibrillation with a resting pulse of 110-117bpm. By midday Monday I popped my first beta-blocker, which slowed things down a bit, had bloods taken yesterday and I’m now waiting for an ultrasound heart appointment to see if there’s anything else going on.

In my head I’m still that invincible young man, but at 64 my body is definitely letting me know I’m not !!

... but you can use the '+Quote' button below posts in one or more threads to mark them for quoting, and then use the 'Insert Quotes' button to insert them in a new post that you are writing, as I have done above... It saves a lot of copy-and-pasting!

 

[Bollo]

First proper outdoor ride for 20 months today! 🥳 I weighed the risks and decided that the health and mental benefits of getting back on the road outweighed the anticoagulant issue. Rule from Mrs Dr B is no going out alone and I've got a shiny bracelet with my name, ICE, NHS numbers and Apixaban note on it. Hopefully that and the beta-blockers can get binned after my 3 month checkup.

The ride itself was a return to my go-to hour loop, which is a lumpy thing in the style of most mid-Hants rides. It has a 10% reducer right from the outset so there's no time to get in the groove but despite the beta-blockers putting a lid on my maximum HR it all felt as comfortable as can be expected. My weight is up, fitness is down and I'm nearly 2 years older but two of those three can be dealt with. It all felt quite emotes TBH.

 

[Aston]

That's an interesting thought. The ID strap I used to wear would have granted full access to my medical records. It relies though on the paramedics knowing what the ID strap offers.

Mine looked impressive but delivered nothing. Fortunately, in my RTC two things happened. A witness overheard me give my address. It was two miles away and he drove straight to my house to tell my wife where I was. Secondly by the time I got to A&E I had come round sufficiently to state my history and meds.

There's an option on the iPhone and probably android to hold medical ID and emergency contacts which is accessible with the phone locked in case needed my medics. I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, first noticed 8 years ago at 57 and thought it handy to record.

 

[PaulSB]

There's an option on the iPhone and probably android to hold medical ID and emergency contacts which is accessible with the phone locked in case needed my medics. I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, first noticed 8 years ago at 57 and thought it handy to record.

I hate to rain on the parade but my experience is the last thing paramedics are concerned with is scrabbling around looking for medical history. If the patient is conscious they will ask relevant questions.

Apple love to sell every possible benefit to consumers. Tags, wrist bands, phones, bracelets, medallions, whatever are pointless. A whole little industry determined to get our money promises to save your life.

Paramedics use their judgement, not what a dog tag says.

I know others who through direct experience know these things are pointless. A tattoo on the forehead.........maybe????