Anyone riding with a heart condition??

MacDoc

MacDoc

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Nice relaxed day at Lake Barrine
THEN I noticed my heartbeat monitor going stupid - 130-140 bpm - and I have been sitting for the better part of an hour. I can't feel anything wrong but that's not good.
I wait a bit but not going down so I slowly make my way to the bike and cautiously ride the shortest way home. I'd had a good sleep, was not hot ...just a racing heart that I could not sense.
So maybe it's the watch ....but this has happened before. ( watch alerted me that time )
Part way home the check engine light on the bike comes on... Not what want to deal with. Was not even going fast.
Pull over on a wide shoulder - let the bike sit for a few minutes - no sense the bike was overheating. - check my heart beat - still high - sigh, start the bike, no engine light and even more carefully rode home. No idea Just glad to be home.
Heartbeat still 130 + ....get out my fingertip heartbeat monitor .....nope ...still high so ain't the watch.
Slept for hours right through supper and finally started coming down and now at a normal 76 at midnight.
******* hell......made 2pm appointment with doc on Monday. I should have my echocardiogram report in by then.

So I have some sort of heart issue....the reason I got the the referral to the echocardiogram. I know I have some form of tachycardia but it showed with exertion ...that was before ....now it is showing without apparent cause.

Apparently I had echocardiogram two years ago that I don't recall at all. Got a copy of it and checked with partner who was cardiac nurse for years and she said it looked pretty average for an unfit 77 year old. Could not deny the unfit bit.
She doesn't object to me going out riding and does not seem concerned. :unsure:

Any one else with heart stories?
 
You haven't lived until you get over 200bpm :)


I was starting to suffer badly with rapid beats and they would come and go without any warning. Could be the middle of the night, or just bending down to pick something up. I could hold my breathe and the heart would go back into regular rhythm. Ended up having an ablation for a svt afib, where they also found that i had some issues with my aortic valve. 2 years later i had my aortic valve replaced, i was lucky i got it done 2 months prior to covid outbreak.

5 years later and i still feel good, i get yearly echo's and ecg's.

My advice find a good cardiologist and get monitored regularly.
 
Definitely demand your GP set you up with a cardiologist.
After I had a valve repaired in 2007 my heart started beating in the 140 range without exertion.
It was explained to me that this sometimes happens when the nerves that goven heart rate start to be over active.
My younger brother has the same problem without having surgery.
I take a medication to control my heart rate and it is fine now.
Some heart rate meds are not recommended for old people but others are fine.
I am not trying to offer health advise nor will I mention what medicatio I use so go see that specialist.
 
guzzirider said:
Definitely demand your GP set you up with a cardiologist.
After I had a valve repaired in 2007 my heart started beating in the 140 range without exertion.
It was explained to me that this sometimes happens when the nerves that goven heart rate start to be over active.
My younger brother has the same problem without having surgery.
I take a medication to control my heart rate and it is fine now.
Some heart rate meds are not recommended for old people but others are fine.
I am not trying to offer health advise nor will I mention what medicatio I use so go see that specialist.
Click to expand...
Of course but good info to know. My progress will surely show up in my down under blog.
The trick will be pulling strings to get early cardiologist appointment.
We know the one we want, used to work with my partner who was cardiac nurse.
 
Echocardiogram shows normal with enough caveats to warrant a specialist referral.
Partner ( former cardiac surgery nurse ) thinks looks normal but happy I'm on for an appointment with her former associate specialist.....when ??? Dunno waiting on the team to examine the echocardiogram. consensus seems to be some sort of electrical malfunction.
Meanwhile cleared to ride both myself and the bike ( which showed a "Check engine" once. Dealer says don't be concerned...wait til next service 🍿

Can't do much about the weather tho....still hot humid and rainy
Screen Shot 2025-03-25 at Mar, 25 2025 5.05.56 PM.jpg
30.0°

FEELS LIKE​

35.4°C 🥵
 
MacDoc said:
Echocardiogram shows normal with enough caveats to warrant a specialist referral.
Partner ( former cardiac surgery nurse ) thinks looks normal but happy I'm on for an appointment with her former associate specialist.....when ??? Dunno waiting on the team to examine the echocardiogram. consensus seems to be some sort of electrical malfunction.
Meanwhile cleared to ride both myself and the bike ( which showed a "Check engine" once. Dealer says don't be concerned...wait til next service 🍿

Can't do much about the weather tho....still hot humid and rainy
View attachment 73052
30.0°

FEELS LIKE​

35.4°C 🥵
Click to expand...
If in doubt go to Hospital emergency and mention "heart" and "pain" in the same sentence.
That usually gets you to the front of the line!
 
At 50 had a Widowmaker. Got to the hospital inside 5 minutes where they hit me with clotbusters. 30 minutes later, I was in the catch-lab at another hospital - blockage vacuumed out, stent in. Been all good for 10 years

Cause: stress, ****** diet, high bp, smoking, drinking, sedentary lifestyle (quit hockey and football 2 years prior thanks to worn knee).

Remedy: sold business (remove stress, )meds for BP, no prepared or fast food (diet), drinking limited. 10k steps a day , and 10 hot laps in the pool during warm months. Quitting smoking was the hardest - took a few attempts.

All good now.
 
MacDoc said:
Echocardiogram shows normal with enough caveats to warrant a specialist referral.
Partner ( former cardiac surgery nurse ) thinks looks normal but happy I'm on for an appointment with her former associate specialist.....when ??? Dunno waiting on the team to examine the echocardiogram. consensus seems to be some sort of electrical malfunction.
Meanwhile cleared to ride both myself and the bike ( which showed a "Check engine" once. Dealer says don't be concerned...wait til next service 🍿

Can't do much about the weather tho....still hot humid and rainy
View attachment 73052
30.0°

FEELS LIKE​

35.4°C 🥵
Click to expand...

If it's electrical more than likely you just need an ablation of some sort. They might put you on beta blockers and schedule a procedure in the future, I was fully awake for mine, which was definitely an experience. My buddy got it done a couple of years ago and he was under GA.
 
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Thanks all....that's my expectation. Partner being unconcerned is biggest positive.
Had not realized the extent or variety of tachy. Docs need to determine which flavour I have.
 
Right on the money with the betablocker call. Have a script for it now.
Some blood tests too for Monday.
Heart doc says something up with lower part of heart.
Have angiogram for June 2 and he sez bring overnight bag in case I need a stent.
They would do it right then :unsure: Partner as former cardiac nurse assures me that's quite the norm, done all the time and there would likely be a few patients in getting one done and I'd be awake :oops:
Now living in the medical past as I tend to do at 77 I thought putting in a stent was a serious sort of medical procedure...technology moves on so it's down to changing an oil filter sort of.....done on the spot.
Once more doc and partner ganging up and being....1746889868628.png types.
So I shan't.
Had to take a cab home as partner still working election and still raining..
If nothing dire shows worth a stent, then they will do an MRi.

So teeth on the 19th, heart early next month and likely urology next week...
yes Virginia getting old sucks. 1746890255296.jpeg
Hope I'm past all this before dottor arrives in October.....and I get some riding in too tho the weather not subject to medical hassles.
 
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Giving up motorcycling will not make you live longer!
It will only seem that way.
When I am stressed out I go for a ride on my motorcycle to relieve it.
Low stress is good for the heart.
Therefore motorcycling is good for the heart.
We can't spend our "golden years" driving in circles around the emergency ward
with a cell phone in hand with 911 set on speed dial.
Live right, be careful and live a full life.
 
Funny that this thread comes up the morning after I have a dream about a doctor giving me a heart monitor
 
Angiograms make you feel like you are wearing a heated blanket for a couple of minutes while they pump the dye through all your heart vessels, Expect to have a sore wrist for a few days afterwards.
 
Was going to put this in the Feel Good thread but perfect for here.
His son getting some training was his key to surviving and I did not understand the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest ....:unsure:
www.abc.net.au

Nigel's heart stopped for minutes. His teen sons kept him alive

West Australian farmer Nigel Norwood suffered a cardiac arrest while holidaying at a remote beach. His calm and quick-thinking family made sure he survived.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

this is a disturbing stat
About 30,000 Australians experience sudden cardiac arrest out of hospital each year, and between 5-10 per cent survive without immediate CPR and defibrillation, on average. But legislation has not kept pace with the statistics to keep the public safe.
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Saving Lives: The State of Legislation on Defibrillators in Public Places

www.stjohnvic.com.au www.stjohnvic.com.au
 
Jayv > Expect to have a sore wrist for a few days afterwards.
Click to expand...
Wonder if my carpal tunnel operation will interfere with getting the portal in ?....don't like the idea of my wrist being "tampered" with. :confused:
 
Jayv said:
make you feel like you are wearing a heated blanket for a couple of minutes while they pump the dye through all your heart vessels
Click to expand...

I've had a few tests with contrast dye and all it did for me was make me feel like I was going to (or had) ****** my pants. I was warned about it at least, but as they rolled me out of the MRI I will admit I checked my crotchal region to confirm one way or the other.
 
:eek: Think I'll stick with the wrist.
Mind you my veins and arteries are so deep and squirmy ( quote from doc) maybe they could find the damn thing first try. I almost walked out of my last chemo secession after 3 different nurses tried to get a feed in.
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