skydive69

Here is an interesting article on something just published this month:

https://www.lifeclinic.com/healthnews...p?story=531294

wildandcrazy

According to good medical studies Omega-3 fish oils are number one for preventing fibrilation. You can check this out on Google. You may not get much or the right kind of fish in Denver. Most docs aren't aware of this as the drug companies have no financial incentive to spread the research results.

Artmo 

Contrary to what is stated in the article, A-fib may cause blood clots which may reult in a stroke, but not a heart attack, at least according to my cardiologists. That's why it's important to seek a medical opinion if you are aware of an irregular heart beat which lasts for more than an hour.

rideorglide

I just want to thank you DnvrFox for this thread and for all those who have contributed to it. Sorry to resurrect it if it was put to bed, but it is a great source of comfort for other cyclists going through these terrifying experiences alone. It helps to know that these occurrences have been not uncommon in our athletic community and others.

Like Lady Hawk mine has involved strange bouts where my HR has suddenly shot up to 235 bpm+ during exercise. And once, while at work...where, feeeling decidedly not good, a sudden spike to 210+ led to a trip to the ER to find out what in tarnation was going on with me.

It was a quite an experience to find myself overnight in the ER with so many folk whose defibs had gone off or who were in one kind of cardiac distress or another. What a great group of folk, despite their troubles.

Anyway, for now I am on Metoprolol ER together with a less potent version of my normal BP Rx, Diovan HCT. Trying to figure out the next step with my Doctor and Cardiologist. Haven't ridden a bike --at least not hard -- in a few weeks -- part schedule/part fear of it happening again. Just some medium weight lifting and easy treadmill walk/run routines so far.

DnvrFox

Thanks.

I was pretty severely criticized by a couple of folks for having "medical" stuff (we 50+ folks aren't supposed to have "medical" issues) on the forum.

But, I thought that even if there were a couple of folks out there who were going through the same thing that it might be useful to have other's experiences to bounce ideas off of.

skydive69

This thread started by DnvrFox is easily the most significant thread I have read here or anywhere else on the internet. I have suffered a few rather wide spread incidents over the past three years, and as I delved deeply into it, I was amazed to discover the number of very good local athletes with the same experience. As you are well aware, a good aerobic athlete is more apt to suffer AFIB and HVT than a "normal" person.

As an aside, a good friend of mine who is a very successful bicycle racer underwent an ablation procedure in January which rid him of his problem. He has been back successfully racing this season.

My first incident in 2004 (I have suffered a total of 5 over the years) was scary enough to bring me to the emergency room, but fortunately I went out of AFIB prior to getting the medication they were about to give me. Probably very stupidly, the last time I suffered an incident, I went for a two and a half hour bicycle ride while in AFIB. I found it amusing that my heart rate would actually go down when I was climbing.

Another fascinating subject that gets rather involved is the difference in ecocardiogram readings between the regular population and highly trained athletes. I, for example, was flagged for my allegedly high Isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT). Research showed that a study of elite soccer players in Europe indicated that those athletes had IVRT readings well above the so-called normal reading. The secret is to enlist the services of a physician who is well aware that he is dealing with a super normal rather than sub normal patient.

Some of you might remember Dr. George Sheehan, the famous running cardiologist who other than being a world class runner, was also the running editor for Runner's World. He was a teammate of mine on the Shore AC, and once gave me a stress EKG. I was an active airline pilot at the time, and George said that my EKG reading might flag me as a cardiac case with my airline. He indicated that I had a super heart and only one of two that he had seen in his many years as a cardiologist. He indicated that the medical profession unfortunately is used to dealing with sub normal - not super normal. He further indicated that he would intervene on my behalf should I ever have an issue. Fortunately, I never did.

It is complicated out there. One must be one's own medical advocate and do extensive research. For example, when I broke my neck in a bicycle race in October 2005, the Orthopaedic physician I was seeing wanted to fuse my C1 cervial vertebrae to the base of my neck relegating me to a permanent 50% loss of neck mobility. I did my research and found a chap that proceeded without surgery. I ultimately healed and went on to break all of the FL state time trial records for my age group. Had I taken the "expert" medical advice, I would be incapable of even riding my time trial bicycle.

A forum like this is a wonderful place to exchange information, but after this long winded diatribe, I to want to thank DnvrFox for his candid and helpful information. It was fascinating following his case at the time, and it was very exciting when it came to a very successful conclusion!

LCI_Brian

Yes, I found this thread useful when dealing with my own arrhythmias. The thing about arrhythmias is that they can either potentially lead to more serious consequences, or they could just be harmless but annoying - you can't tell just from "feeling" them. Luckily for me it was the latter, but it still scared the **** out of me the first time.

DnvrFox, how are you doing nowadays? I've eliminated caffeine and don't get tachycardia any more.

DnvrFox

I am doing great. No AFib since the ablation 2.7 years ago. Fully functional, never worry.

Like you, I use absolutely no caffeine of any kind - I find it does many things to my body which I do not like. However, caffeine was not the cause of my AFib. I simply don't use it as a precaution, and because of the other strange things it does to me. Same thing with any "cold" medicine or similar.

Thanks for asking.

rideorglide

Thanks again for having the courage to bring it up, and damn the torpedoes. In the government world you'd be good for a Meritorious Civilian Service Award, I reckon. So here, I'd say a Meritorious Cycling Service Award.

I think that's an advantage of these subforums compared with some other places Web where any deviation from the concept of the idealized cyclist age 18-24 with no health issues at all, is greeted with a great deal of ignorance — almost ignorance of some of the vagaries of aging and genetic tendencies — or worse, derision.

I did discuss the first incident with a couple of doctors, in conjunction with a pneumonia and asthma issue I was recovering from — and managed to get an appointment for a stress test which reveled nothing unusual, except general good conditioning from cycling.

Neither doc mentioned SVT or AFib at the time, but after 2 different HRM straps, a new HRM, and a couple more Tachycardia events that happened recently, I figured it was not just an HRM malfunction and a total panic feeling (is my heart racing because of panic or some other reason, is it really racing, or what), but something was up.

Let's say I couldn't look at the HRM reading 240 after a while, it was freaking me out, I had to take it off.

Well, I'm very glad to hear it's behind you, and I'll get back to reading the remaining pages of this thread and other links that I haven't gotten to yet.

will dehne

Denver,
I just got back to this real world and see this thread. I sure hope you will be OK? Forgive me for being so self-absorbed with the tour.
Will

DnvrFox

This is OLD - REAL OLD news, Will.

This is a newly revived thread.

All is fine for past 2.5 years,

DnvrFox

If anyone still reads this thread, just wanted to update. It has been almost 6 years since my ablation for afib, I have had a NSR heartbeat for almost 6 years, I am on no special medication, I am 71 and I still ride in the neighborhood of 3,500 miles per year, swim about 4 times a week, do extensive resistance exercises and feel just great!!

rideorglide

That is good news.
(Wish I'd had the ablation instead of the meds. But I've got to get over herniated neck discs before I ride again.)

skydive69

Thanks for the update - that's great news! Illigitimi Non Carborundum

Yen

That's great, Denver!

As you are well aware, a good aerobic athlete is more apt to suffer AFIB and HVT than a "normal" person.

Why would that be? When my dad was diagnosed with AFIB, around age 80, he was otherwise strong and very healthy. My brother (a ER nurse) said there seems to be a connection between a slow HR and AFIB. My dad had a slow HR, as I do I -- even when I was unfit my HR was low.

qcpmsame 

DNVR,
Thanks for resurecting this thread. I wasn't here first time and it is very informative and timely. My mother has Afib and it can be sacry when you don't know what is going on. Glad you are doing so well ans keeping us in line here (like hearding cats, I suppose.)

Bill

55rider

Thanks for the updates.
I first experienced "vagally mediated afib" after a workout 4 years ago. To begin with, I found that exercise can actually terminate an episode. Also discovered that beta blockers can be pro arrhythmic, so stopped taking them. Now I can terminate (or often head off) an episode with Rhythmol. If I'm unsuccessful in preventing an episode, I take 300mg, put on a HRM, get on a stepper and can return to synus rhythm within an hour.
The last episode occurred on the bike (only time) about 20k from home. I just pressed on, and a couple of minutes from home, watched my heart rate return to normal rhythm without drugs.
I have been offered an ablation here in Vancouver, but have decided to put it off, as I am down to a couple of episodes a year.
I will certainly request the procedure if the afib starts to take over my life.

Good luck to any of you who experience heart rhythm issues.

gracehowler

I think this is great news, keep on riding and avoid the goatheads!
R