A-fib vs Sports

Have a relative that got covid, then a-fib seemingly as a side effect. She loves to bike, and does so regularly. Her doctor wants her on anticoagulants for a few months, then it sounds like he wants to place a pacemaker/AICD. She doesn't want to do it, because it pretty much ends the mountain biking. Anybody have any experience with blood thinners and adventure sports? To me, I'd rather dial back the mountain biking to low-risk trails and keep riding rather than risk having a stroke and never being able to do my sport again. Any thoughts from the collective?

Not a whole lot of experience but I’ve been dealing with afib for the past 18 months. Started off feeling a flutter every now and then, often during a strenuous climb while mountain biking. Heart rate would jump for a bit and go back down. Started happening more often last fall and winter. By January it was fluttering for a couple of days and then return to normal. Went to primary care doc and wore a monitor that confirmed afib.

I went on Eliquis as a blood thinner. Primary care wasn’t too concerned about my continuing to ride, even knowing I’ve broken ribs a couple of years ago. I think it somewhat depends on what blood thinner you’re on. My dad has afib and was on coumadin and for that they were very worried about internal injuries and told him no more horseback riding.

A pacemaker seems like a drastic first step. My primary care strongly recommended an ablation which I got on July 2nd. It seems to have been successful, went into afib for a couple of hours the first week but nothing since. Cardiologist that did it is also a mountain biker and he just asked that I didn’t ride for 2 weeks to allow the incisions to heal. We talked about trails we ride so he knows the risks I’m taking. Still on eliquis but that may stop in October when I have a follow up visit.

I’d tell your relative to get a second opinion and ask about ablation. I think it’s really only been in use for just over 20 years so not sure how widespread it’s use is. My primary care doc was adamant that I try it because I’m “young” (early 50’s) and in good shape. So far it’s been amazing. Scary being knocked out for 4 hours while they stuck wires up 2 veins, pierced the wall of the heart between chambers, and proceed to burn spots with radio frequency around my pulmonary veins but if it keeps working like it has so far, I’ll be very happy.

If they're talking about pacers and defibrillators it sounds more complicated than just afib. As far as the anticoagulants go--the risk of not being on them is not just stroke. You can lose a leg. You can have all your bowel die (usually fatal). Managing coumadin is a real pain in the ass for doctors, who used to find excuses not to put people on it. When pharmacists took this over then number of people with blood clots fell dramatically. Now of course there are anticoagulants that don't require monitoring and frequent dose changes. (Although those are more expensive--when I had afib after heart surgery they had me on coumadin. The afib stopped or I would have demanded an alternate drug.)
Your relative should definitely take the drug. If the afib persists and there aren't other significant heart issues then ablation could be a good alternative. If she's lucky the afib will go away.

Sounds like there were bilateral fem bypasses. She just went through an ablation. Thanks for the info!

blood thinners are toxic waste
ride your bike go skiing fall over be scared dial it back ten notches but get after it
the alternative is sitting around the house giving up on life like everyone else

mom heard on tv that blood thinners were poison so she quit taking her meds ( possible dementia at 90 ) collapses and ends up passed out on her kitchen floor overnight

never makes it out of hospitol/ extended care and dies 3 months later

I'm thinking she might still be alive if she took that poison ?

but even if she could hear

she wouldn't listen

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

mom heard on tv that blood thinners were poison so she quit taking her meds ( possible dementia at 90 ) collapses and ends up passed out on her kitchen floor overnight

never makes it out of hospitol/ extended care and dies 3 months later

I'm thinking she might still be alive if she took that poison ?

but even if she could hear

she wouldn't listen

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So sorry about your mom. Did this just happen?

If she had a stroke from a blood clot, then yes, maybe taking the medication might have prevented it. If she had a stroke from a bleed or passed out for some other reason, like a heart rhythm problem, then no.

Coumadin (warfarin) is, or was the active ingredient in DCON rat poison (I'm not sure it's still on the market). So the information on TV was true, but sounds like it was clumsily expressed. Therapeutic index is how much of a drug will kill you, divided by how much you need to take for the drug to work. Coumadin has the lowest therapeutic index of any drug I know of--less than 2. (You could take 10 times or more the recommended dose of penicillin and it wouldn't bother you.) So it is important that people understand the potential risk of Coumadin and the need for close monitoring--as long as the warning is properly and compassionately conveyed. The newer oral anticoagulants are safer and don't require monitoring with blood tests. They still are among the more dangerous drugs doctors prescribe but the risk is justified by the risk of throwing blood clots.

was on warfarin some of the doses were super high
shit is poison do not take it unless you really have to was given a choice of dying sooner or being on blood thinners for the rest of my life
I took dying earlier than living longer due to my active lifestyle don't want to bleed out from falling over and the attempt to not have that shit in my body

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Originally Posted by old goat

So sorry about your mom. Did this just happen? .

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A few years ago , 800 kms to the south so not sure of the situ exactly but she had a really good doctor, I had found and was using him when he was a brand new MD, I seen him catch a couple of mis-diagnosis by other MD's, she was closely monitored, was doing ok but collapsing in the kitchen overnight wasnt good and it was in fact the beginning of the end

but instead of listening to the really good doctor she did her own research, we found her bottle of meds was only half taken, at some point on life support in the hospitol the attending said there was too much wrong ... she was unplugged

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Originally Posted by BS720

Sounds like there were bilateral fem bypasses. She just went through an ablation. Thanks for the info!

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Excellent. Hope it works. Just had my 3 month follow up from my ablation. No more afib and I can stop with the blood thinners.

Been on Eliquis since February. I don’t know how different that is from other blood thinners but neither my primary or cardiologist suggested I step back from skiing or biking. Even knowing I’ve cracked or broken ribs in falls twice in the past few years. Cardiologist is also a mountain biker and we spend half the appointment talking about great trails we’ve each ridden recently. They did both tell me to be safe and not be an idiot but that I shouldn’t let being on blood thinners stop me. More important to get the exercise and stress relief.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

A few years ago , 800 kms to the south so not sure of the situ exactly but she had a really good doctor, I had found and was using him when he was a brand new MD, I seen him catch a couple of mis-diagnosis by other MD's, she was closely monitored, was doing ok but collapsing in the kitchen overnight wasnt good and it was in fact the beginning of the end

but instead of listening to the really good doctor she did her own research, we found her bottle of meds was only half taken, at some point on life support in the hospitol the attending said there was too much wrong ... she was unplugged

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If it makes you feel better--it probably won't--people who take their medicine as directed are in the minority. Personally, I'm in the majority re one drug.

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Originally Posted by fastfred

was on warfarin some of the doses were super high
shit is poison do not take it unless you really have to was given a choice of dying sooner or being on blood thinners for the rest of my life
I took dying earlier than living longer due to my active lifestyle don't want to bleed out from falling over and the attempt to not have that shit in my body

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Not so bad dying early. Not so good being stroked out from a blood clot but very much alive and having to have someone to wipe your ass for a few years before you finally kick off. Maybe rethink, if you still have the indication to take anticoagulant, and see if you can get on a newer agent. Or at the very least make sure you have a living will that very clearly says no tube or intravenous feeding.

I don't have Afib but do have a pacemaker for bradycardia (slow heart rate). The operation was very quick and painless afterward so no need to be hesitant from the procedure standpoint. I have no opinion on the use of pacemaker for Afib.

They have pacemakers that you program for various activities--like sex. The male version goes from 60 to 120 and back to 60 in 3 minutes. The female version stays at 60.

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Originally Posted by old goat

They have pacemakers that you program for various activities--like sex. The male version goes from 60 to 120 and back to 60 in 3 minutes. The female version stays at 60.

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That's fucking hilarious.

I don't usually bump old threads but this post was deserving. I got diagnosed as having Afib yesterday and figured there could be no place better that TGR to start my research. Dr. prescribed Eliquis but I chose to not give CVS $493.25 last night.

Don’t know if the deal is still going, but go to the eloquis website. You could get 6 weeks worth for free. My mom needed it. Pharmacy called me to warn me how much it was going to be.