2 Days, everything changes.

MikeyOz wrote:

[chomp]

Quoted message said:

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or
rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about
heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the
heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

A friend of mine's dad has it, he has so far had 3 lots of a general
and a whack with a defib to get it back to normal again. That's about
all I know about it. Not much fun at all. Hope yours is ok from now
on.

Be sure to tell any coaches or anyone else involved with your training
& racing about it so they know to plan carefully around any high
intensity stuff.

MikeyOz said:

<Snip>

Quoted message said:

Hope everyone else is ticking on well!

Thinking/resting, Mikey.

Can't offer any advice, but from what you said, it highlights the
importance of getting some early advice when things don't feel right.
Hope you get it all under control and make it to Port Macquarie in April.

jh

MikeyOz said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

so long story shorter, I spend the weekend in a hospital bed,
recovering from a "atiral fibulation", causing an "irregular heartbeat"
*sigh*

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or
rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about
heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the
heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

Firstly, thank you so much for listening to your body and not going for
that ride, you're too valuable to lose to stupidity! Good on you and I'm
glad you're okay.

Secondly, I had a stint of chest pain last year (or the year before?),
no fibrillation but enough that I went to have a whole lot of tests done
and everything came back normal. The brain controls everything,
including the release of various signallers that make your heart react
differently. You may have had an allergic reaction to something, you may
have had a viral infection (did they check your blood?) or maybe been
low on salt or something.

I rested for a bit, monitored my diet, and particularly fluid intake,
and never had a problem again. But it was really scary at the time. (I
think it must have been late 2004, because it was when I was ironman
training, 22hrs per week)

I hope things work out for you in this one. Try to figure out anything
you did that was different in the leadup to what happened, and I'd
recommend keeping a detailed diet/activity diary for a few weeks in case
you get another bout, so you can identify possible causes.

Tam

MikeyOz said:

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

I had a similar experience 4 years ago. Felt real weird sitting at work so I felt my pulse - up above 120 for no apparent reason. There was no shortness of breath, but a bit of a dull ache in my chest. Went to the doc and ECG showed an arythmia. It was worked out to be caused by Sudafed.

It did correct itself without medication. In the meantime I had multiple ECG's over a number of days because of ongoing chest pain. I also had an echocardiogram, which showed my heart was in good shape - that was a real positive.

After one of the final ECG's the doctor referred me for a stress test (run on a tread mill up to your max heart rate). This showed good health and the tech told me my maximum heart rate. It was quite reassuring to push my heart to the maximum in a controlled environment. I would certainly encourage that for your own peace of mind.

I wouldn't be suprised if all my chest pain was anxiety, but it is sure scary and makes you feel very mortal. And I know not to use Sudafed any more. Did you have any triggers: environmental, health, viruses etc.?

MikeyOz said:

Well, just read about the Alpine, would have loved to have been on that by the sounds of it, but I start back my exercising next saturday after all I can say is a very depressing/thankful time all in the 1 weekend.

Geez Mikey, that sounds very worrying. Hopefully like you say it's just a blip and it won't affect you at all in the future.

At least being fit if you do have a serious heart problem you stand a much better chance of surviving. Not to say it's anything like your current condition but did you see Greg Welch (I think that's right) the ironman on "Australian Story" who has tachycardia? Doctors said the attacks would have killing him if his heart wasn't so strong.

Anyhow take it easy (literally!)

Adam

sinus wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't be suprised if all my chest pain was anxiety, but it is sure
scary and makes you feel very mortal. And I know not to use Sudafed any
more. Did you have any triggers: environmental, health, viruses etc.?

That's a very good point... once I noticed my chest pain, I knew it
wouldn't go away until I got it checked out, because I'd keep freaking
out about it. And it's hell scary. Especially when you're young and fit
and there's no excuse for it.

Tam'

Hey MikeyOz,

Glad that things are under-control - sounds like you took the most
sensible course of action (how many of us would've NOT gone to the
hospital!!), and so the result was a best-case one for you...

But remember the obvious silver-lining in this 'grey cloud' - next time
someone cruises up to you at a red light, and suggests a 'sprint', you
can always smile and say, "Well I WOULD - but I'm recovering from
atrial fibulation..." and then give a dismissive wave... *grins*

Stay well dude!
Abby

adam85 said:

MikeyOz said:

Well, just read about the Alpine, would have loved to have been on that
by the sounds of it, but I start back my exercising next saturday after
all I can say is a very depressing/thankful time all in the 1 weekend.

Geez Mikey, that sounds very worrying. Hopefully like you say it's just
a blip and it won't affect you at all in the future.

At least being fit if you do have a serious heart problem you stand a
much better chance of surviving. Not to say it's anything like your
current condition but did you see Greg Welch (I think that's right) the
ironman on "Australian Story" who has tachycardia? Doctors said the
attacks would have killing him if his heart wasn't so strong.

Anyhow take it easy (literally!)

Adam

That was a good interview with Greg Welch , the transcript is available
at http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1198680.htm

jh

MikeyOz said:

Well, just read about the Alpine, would have loved to have been on that by the sounds of it, but I start back my exercising next saturday after all I can say is a very depressing/thankful time all in the 1 weekend.

<snip>

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

Hope everyone else is ticking on well!

Thinking/resting, Mikey.

Glad to hear you are back to normal. And that you did not do the 'bloke thing' and ignore it.

A few years ago, I got severe chest pains. I was a few kg over my ideal weight and the age at which 2 of my Mum's brothers had died from heart attacks (very early forties). I got checked out. Could not find anything. The docs at Royal Perth put it down to a chest infection I had had a few months earlier as part of a bout of flu. Has never recurred.

I don't have many suggestions for you, other than:

1. don't drive yourself or get wife to drive you to hospital if this happens again - ring the ambos. At the least, they will have a defibrilator;

2. if you are feeling nervous about getting back into training, do some kms on the trainer at home while there is someone there with you

Again, glad to hear you are OK

SteveA

MikeyOz wrote:

lots of really depressing stuff.

All I can say is that my mate Ian.. who many here know, had prettymuch
out of the blue a similiar experience. His ended in a triple bypass.
And he is at the wrong end of the age curve from you. And he was far
from home when it happened.. they wouldnt let him on a plane to come home.

He had no family history and no real risk factors.. A teeny bit
overweight.. but riding 300 ks a week and pretty fast.

Anyway he came back. Max allowed heart rate has come down a bit. He is
on some drugs so no tour de france for him 🙂 But he still pulls his
turns.. did the atb aces all his fitness tests.

So
It can be worse
and you can still come back 🙂 You will be fine

Dave

SteveA said:

MikeyOz said:

Well, just read about the Alpine, would have loved to have been on that
by the sounds of it, but I start back my exercising next saturday after
all I can say is a very depressing/thankful time all in the 1 weekend.

<snip>

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or
rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about
heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the
heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

Hope everyone else is ticking on well!

Thinking/resting, Mikey.

Glad to hear you are back to normal. And that you did not do the
'bloke thing' and ignore it.

Yes, big bravo, well done and hurrah for that. You did good there.

Quoted message said:

I don't have many suggestions for you, other than:

1. don't drive yourself or get wife to drive you to hospital if this
happens again - ring the ambos. At the least, they will have a
defibrilator;

Amen. I work with paramedics on occasion. I've had it said to me that
paramedics will drop just about everything to get to a male suffering
from symptoms of heart trouble. If you're in any doubt dial 000. Oh
and make sure you've got membership or it could get expensive :-)
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\<,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

One thing to keep in mind is that most cardiac specialists are more used
to treating older and more typical heart patients. But there are some
who might be considered sports doctors, and you should try to track one
of them down.

And of course ignore everything people on ngs tell you about what
happened to a friend of theirs...

--
Shane Stanley

Shane Stanley said:

One thing to keep in mind is that most cardiac specialists are more used
to treating older and more typical heart patients. But there are some
who might be considered sports doctors, and you should try to track one
of them down.

And of course ignore everything people on ngs tell you about what
happened to a friend of theirs...

OHhhhhhhhhhh...

I dunno that I want too many people calling Ian a friend 🙂
And dammit he got better 🙂

Dave

quite possibly the first time a HRM has been of REAL use 😄

glad to hear you didnt do the 'male' thing and bluff your way thru.

Obviously it was all that r_nning 😄

chin up mikey

F"resting-HR-198"Dutch

MikeyOz said:

very frustrating, I have my first Ironman in April, that I was really starting to crank up my training for and this happens, it always seems like something gets in my way, but still have the goal, I just have to re-adjust my goal posts slightly.

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

Hope everyone else is ticking on well!

Thinking/resting, Mikey.

Sorry to hear about your ticker problems. I hope everything is settling down now. Good to hear you listened to your body and took appropriate action.

I'd talk to your doctor again about doing the Ironman. The most important thing is that you are well. As long as your condition is well managed and you get the doctors seal of approval (do doctors approved of ironman insanity?!?! LOL) then I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to continue your training. I guess it's just a matter of keeping an eye on that HR. The ironman will be there next year if need be.

Good luck with the rest and getting back to exercise.

Suzie

MikeyOz said:

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or
rough guidelines I can base on,

First thing might be to ask your parents, etc if anyone in the family
has a "heart" condition. Whenever I have cardiograms ("Just playing
safe"😉 I always get asked about my "heart attack", to which I reply
"Don't ask me, I wasn't there". turns out to be "inherited".

Mike, send me an email offline, I have a reference to a very good
doctor who does a lot of sports-specific heart stuff.

[email hidden]

MikeyOz said:

Well, just read about the Alpine, would have loved to have been on that by the sounds of it, but I start back my exercising next saturday after all I can say is a very depressing/thankful time all in the 1 weekend.

Had organised to meet my brother for a ride saturday morning, but did not feel good Friday night, felt very strange, chest felt weird, felt like I had a REALLY bad case of nerves. GOod night sleep I will be right, wake up saturday morning, man dont feel much better, but I have done rides not feeling 100% so anyway, I will go out and see how I start to feel.

Crossed Kings Way on park Street, which is where I live, past BikeNow and my heart rate is already, 140 bpm, no this cant be good, did a ride up Lake Mountain with my brother on New Years Eve and my Heart rate was sitting on 120 while he was in the 150s gasping his way up the mountain, so I was fairly concerned, I had never felt this like or seen my heart behave like this before.

Go back home, wake up the wife, "im not feeling very well, she kind of grunted at me, it was 5.00 am, go to sleep then she said, no im going to the hospital I dont feel well at all"

so after spending 3 hours waiting in emergency at the Alfred, I finally get into see a Doctor, I explain my symptons, he looks at me, "Gee you look ok, but I will check your heart rate"

Takes my heart rate and steps back, looks at me and says ok we need to give you an ECG, right away.

so long story shorter, I spend the weekend in a hospital bed, recovering from a "atiral fibulation", causing an "irregular heartbeat" *sigh*

Doctor at Private Hospital, Cabrini, said tablets was the next course of action as it had not reverted back itself. Tablets that evening, wake up next morning and I was basically back to my normal self, I could not believe how I felt, compared to the day before, it was like I had no problems, I decided to take an extra day, get a heart ultrasound, that is "freaky", seeing your heart beating away... and they said everything looks ok, cant explain it, it just something that happens sometimes.

so I have tablets, 5 days of complete rest and then it is basically up to me, to monitor my exercise and guide myself back into things again.

very frustrating, I have my first Ironman in April, that I was really starting to crank up my training for and this happens, it always seems like something gets in my way, but still have the goal, I just have to re-adjust my goal posts slightly.

Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem and have any advice or rough guidelines I can base on, I pretty much am very nervous now about heading out again, how long to go for, I obivously wont be pushing the heart to hard, but I need to get training again.

Hope everyone else is ticking on well!

Thinking/resting, Mikey.

What is it with triathletes and heart problems?? Emma Carney basically has a pacemaker now to overcome her arythmia.

MikeyOz, that's scary and frustrating news. But your health is more important than any race. Sending you speedy recovery vibes and do as much research as you can, to recover fully and avoid a recurrence.

warrwych said:

What is it with triathletes and heart problems?? Emma Carney basically has a pacemaker now to overcome her arythmia.

MikeyOz, that's scary and frustrating news. But your health is more important than any race. Sending you speedy recovery vibes and do as much research as you can, to recover fully and avoid a recurrence.

just wanted to say THanks for all the positive feedback, sorry I was not being ignorant, I just decided to heed my doctors advice, I have not been near a computer for the last 4 days... been out walking in the mornings and reading a lot of books and watching a lot of movies, been a great week of rest and I head out for my first bike ride back tomorrow morning, just going to enjoy being out on the bike again and take it as it goes.

thanks again for all the positive messages of support.