2 Days, everything changes.

MikeyOz said:

Snip........
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.

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.

Just catching up.

To answer your question "Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem" yes I have and do.

Have had three episodes of Atral Fibrilation (AF) over the last 15 years. All three needed the wack with the defibrilator as rest or chemicals would not bring back a normal rhythm.

Last 2 episodes were treated at Cabrini by Peter Hapersberger. Some of the causes of AF can be overtraining, insufficient rest, anxiety, marijuana use, poisoning, allergy, "electrical" problems with the nerve signals to the heart, any combo of the above or "buggered if I know". Common cause with young ppl is Party Party Party Work Work Work Sport Sport Sport and no rest. Marijuana use is also very common cause with young ppl.

From what I have been told and read AF, the heart rhythm disturbance, of itself is not life threatening. The nursing homes are full of old folk who are taking medication and living normal lives with long term AF. The problem with AF is that, as the name says, the Atrium (one heart chamber) is fibrilating or what you probably felt was flutter. The muscles around the atrium are not contracting fully, or in the correct sequence, and therefore the chamber is not being emptied of blood. Depending on how fast and shallow the flutter is, blood can pool and become "stagnant" in the "corners" of the chamber and it will clot and most likely eventually move off and get stuck who knows where.

Warfrin is used to thin the blood and off you go lad! The side effects and management of warfrin is often more of a problem than the AF. There are some new medications coming soon that are better than warfrin and dont need monthly blood tests.

Dont know if they showed you a normal ecg trace and yours. The normal trace goes up to a steep peak - comes back down - runs along flat - has a little blip and then shoots up again. In AF the fibrilation is easily seen as a very wiggly line between the definate beats. It hasnt got a flat bit where the heart muscle is resting between beats and this is why AF makes you feel so stuffed - the heart muscle is working so hard.

Typically when in AF my "pulse" was about 140 - 160 and the atriun was fluttering at about 300 bpm which is usual for AF.

Had ECG in August 05, still got a ragged wiggly line between the beats but I am not aware of it and usually feel rested after a sleep.

Pacemakers are usually used when there are "sinus node" problems. The sinus node is like the electrical junction box between the nerves from the brain and the heart nerve system. They would have eliminated that being a problem with the echocardiogram.

Be careful with the terminology used. Atral fibrilation is one of many arhythmias. Ventricular fibrilation is the deadly one and having AF does not mean you have any higher chance of getting VF.

Last saw specialist 3-4 years ago and he said that I still had slight AF but not to worry about it - just go and enjoy - dont worry - be happy. Keep taking the pills. He fully expects it to come back and be fixed a few more times and then possibly when I am over 70 I will go out of rhythm and stay out - enter warfrin or whatever. He was definate that my AF was no excuse not to do anything. I tell myself that when grinding up a hill and the HRM keeps on flashing between 170 and 300+.

Its a real bugger to be faced with ones frailties.

Only advice I can offer is that when given OK to continue training is to make sure that you get plenty of sleep and rest to offset the activity. Perhaps yoga may help with relaxation.

My thoughts are with you and a speedy recovery.

Cheers
Hugh

MikeyOz said:

Snip........
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.

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.

Just catching up.

To answer your question "Anybody else suffer/suffered from this problem" yes I have and do.

Have had three episodes of Atral Fibrilation (AF) over the last 15 years. All three needed the wack with the defibrilator as rest or chemicals would not bring back a normal rhythm.

Last 2 episodes were treated at Cabrini by Peter Hapersberger. Some of the causes of AF can be overtraining, insufficient rest, anxiety, marijuana use, poisoning, allergy, "electrical" problems with the nerve signals to the heart, any combo of the above or "buggered if I know". Common cause with young ppl is Party Party Party Work Work Work Sport Sport Sport and no rest. Marijuana use is also very common cause with young ppl.

From what I have been told and read AF, the heart rhythm disturbance, of itself is not life threatening. The nursing homes are full of old folk who are taking medication and living normal lives with long term AF. The problem with AF is that, as the name says, the Atrium (one heart chamber) is fibrilating or what you probably felt was flutter. The muscles around the atrium are not contracting fully, or in the correct sequence, and therefore the chamber is not being emptied of blood. Depending on how fast and shallow the flutter is, blood can pool and become "stagnant" in the "corners" of the chamber and it will clot and most likely eventually move off and get stuck who knows where.

Warfrin is used to thin the blood and off you go lad! The side effects and management of warfrin is often more of a problem than the AF. There are some new medications coming soon that are better than warfrin and dont need monthly blood tests.

Dont know if they showed you a normal ecg trace and yours. The normal trace goes up to a steep peak - comes back down - runs along flat - has a little blip and then shoots up again. In AF the fibrilation is easily seen as a very wiggly line between the definate beats. It hasnt got a flat bit where the heart muscle is resting between beats and this is why AF makes you feel so stuffed - the heart muscle is working so hard.

Typically when in AF my "pulse" was about 140 - 160 and the atriun was fluttering at about 300 bpm which is usual for AF.

Had ECG in August 05, still got a ragged wiggly line between the beats but I am not aware of it and usually feel rested after a sleep.

Pacemakers are usually used when there are "sinus node" problems. The sinus node is like the electrical junction box between the nerves from the brain and the heart nerve system. They would have eliminated that being a problem with the echocardiogram.

Be careful with the terminology used. Atral fibrilation is one of many arhythmias. Ventricular fibrilation is the deadly one and having AF does not mean you have any higher chance of getting VF.

Last saw specialist 3-4 years ago and he said that I still had slight AF but not to worry about it - just go and enjoy - dont worry - be happy. Keep taking the pills. He fully expects it to come back and be fixed a few more times and then possibly when I am over 70 I will go out of rhythm and stay out - enter warfrin or whatever. He was definate that my AF was no excuse not to do anything. I tell myself that when grinding up a hill and the HRM keeps on flashing between 170 and 300+.

Its a real bugger to be faced with ones frailties.

Only advice I can offer is that when given OK to continue training is to make sure that you get plenty of sleep and rest to offset the activity. Perhaps yoga may help with relaxation.

My thoughts are with you and a speedy recovery.

Cheers
Hugh

Hugh,

thanks for the reply, I was going to say it is good to know somebody else in the same boat as me, but I dont think that is a nice thing to say 🙁

I had my first ride today, after a week totally off exercise, no riding, running or swimming, I ve been to the gym a few times, just doing some light weights, but that was just to keep sane.

It was a really strange ride this morning, my heart rate was very stable, but it was a strange feeling, my heart now seems to be completely linear in its rising and it certainly seems to have new limits now, like I have a little less top end zip, which is what I was told will probably happen, I just had to see what if felt like, so the next month at least I know what to expect, obviously probably a little bit weakened by the week of rest as well, but it is hard to describe, its like I felt really good, felt very good and then I decided to just a little harder and soon found, I did not have the zip, to push my heart to much higher, I never felt, pain, dizzy or and fluttering, I always felt good, just felt "flat"

I was very nervous about riding this morning, I did not know what to expect I guess I just wanted to ride really and have no complications, which I did, I run tomorrow morning, for about 10 kms and see how I go there.

I guess I am happy to be out exercising again, just felt strange.

And I agree with you 100% I think I was in denial the frist couple of days and then it started to set in what had happened to me and like you said, its not life threatening, but it is goddam, "scary" and like you said, facing your frailties.

I was also trreated by Dr Hapersberger at Cabrini, seems very good and very up front and honest.

Maybe we can start a care group, "Atrial Fribulation Riders Annonymous" 🙂

Hugh,

thanks for the reply, I was going to say it is good to know somebody else in the same boat as me, but I dont think that is a nice thing to say 🙁

I had my first ride today, after a week totally off exercise, no riding, running or swimming, I ve been to the gym a few times, just doing some light weights, but that was just to keep sane.

It was a really strange ride this morning, my heart rate was very stable, but it was a strange feeling, my heart now seems to be completely linear in its rising and it certainly seems to have new limits now, like I have a little less top end zip, which is what I was told will probably happen, I just had to see what if felt like, so the next month at least I know what to expect, obviously probably a little bit weakened by the week of rest as well, but it is hard to describe, its like I felt really good, felt very good and then I decided to just a little harder and soon found, I did not have the zip, to push my heart to much higher, I never felt, pain, dizzy or and fluttering, I always felt good, just felt "flat"

I was very nervous about riding this morning, I did not know what to expect I guess I just wanted to ride really and have no complications, which I did, I run tomorrow morning, for about 10 kms and see how I go there.

I guess I am happy to be out exercising again, just felt strange.

And I agree with you 100% I think I was in denial the frist couple of days and then it started to set in what had happened to me and like you said, its not life threatening, but it is goddam, "scary" and like you said, facing your frailties.

I was also trreated by Dr Hapersberger at Cabrini, seems very good and very up front and honest.

Maybe we can start a care group, "Atrial Fribulation Riders Annonymous" 🙂