Hi Folks,

looking for a bit of advice, was biking on Sunday – two laps of Carron Valley in pish weather conditions. Nothing strenous as used to biking around 30miles a week. On the way home had a heart attack in the car. I managed to drive to Casualty and within three hours was operated on, clot buster and stent but in.

Apparently heart function within normal parameters and only very small damage to heart. I’m currently in the Cardiac Car Unit. Getting conflicting information about mountain biking as cycling seems to be accepted as good but MTB maybe not so due to short bursts of intense activity.

I am 39, 5’9 and 13.5 stone. No high cholesterol and No High blood pressure history. Apparently, my blood sugar is high ’15’ and might need to get assessed for diabetes.

Anyone had any experience of MTB after a heart attack?

Also anyone know any sympathetic insurers for travel insurance?

Thanks

Alan

First of all, I’d get yourself checked out for Type One Diabetes. Although at 39 you’re a little old to develop this, it’s not unknown (I have a friend who developed Type One at 42). 15 is very high for post exercise blood sugar.

Sorry to hear that.

I’m in a similar boat with regards to Heart and MTB riding, 38 years old and diagnosed with an enlarged Aorta/bicuspid aortic vlave. i’ve basically been told to take it easy, keep heart rate down, exercise at a much lower intensity, Lower my “normal” BP with beta blockers etc etc. Kinda scary stuff all in.

Be keen to hear how you get on and what you are advised.

get well soon

I’ve never had any symptoms of diabetes in terms of extreme tiredness, drinking and pissing too much. Hoping its just type two if at all.

I’ve never had high blood pressure and hypertension diagnosis is negative. Echo has full function with 63 LVEF, i.e. pumping is normal. I had a narrowing and a clot which has been treated with a stent and clot buster. My typical resting HR has been mid 60’s but elevated to around 80 and BP has been 130/80.

They have stuck me on beta blockers, ramipril, anti-rejection drugs and torvastatin. My resting heart rate is back down to 65 and BP 110/60.

Just spoke to the rehab nurse and she is concerned about going back to extreme stress on heart and short burst of intense activity may be a problem. Ill need to speak to the consultant tomorrow. I play badminton competitively and they have said that this might not be allowed as well.

At least I am out of the high dependency and in the cardiac care unit now.

Glad to hear you’re on your way out of the cardiac ward and that you know what to look out for.

Speedy recovery fella.

not had a heart attack, but i had open heart surgery in september to fix a long standing problem.
my surgeon told me after 3 to 3 months taking it easy, that i could crack on as normal, because after surgery, you problem his fixed.
off all meds now, and cracking on as normal……..good luck. 8)

The high blood sugar can be normal in heart attacks so it might not be anything to worry about.

Personally if I was in your position I’d be giving it a few weeks and seeing how I got on before I started thinking about getting out on the bike again.

Take it slowly and do what the cardiologist says in terms of recuperation and recovery. It can take a long time to recover properly but you’ve got age on your side

Nothing to add on the medical front but I’m glad you’re OK and hope you get fixed up. As ever the collective will probably provide you with some practical advice and reassurance if not a complete scan and diagnosis.

At least you picked the best time of year to take a few weeks off the bike to fathom out what’s going on. I guess you’ll have to lay off the Quality Street though (IANAD).

I was also told Squash and the like are not to be undertaken. take it easy

That sucks, hope you get better soon.

If they’ve already said steady cycling is ok, I’d go with that for now, play it safe and don’t push it too hard, too soon. Take your MTB out, but go steady.

Some easy downhill trails (taken nice and slow) and a very slow granny ring climbs up fire paths should be ok. at 13.5 stone, I’m sure 22×34 gearing at a low cadence would get you up most fire paths without much more effort than walking it.

Very glad you are ok but driving while having the symptoms of a heart attack! Have you actually seen any news coverage today.

My ex had AV Nodal Re-entry Tachycardia and still traveled, so I think you will be able to find insurance – she didn’t pay silly money for it I don’t think.

Alan, glad you are still with us. General advice of listen to the doctors but get some specialist advice too and find someone who can follow you specifically, perhaps do some ecg tests on a static bike and get monitored. Perhaps more xc riding on the cards in the future and picking your routes carefully, certainly for the time being.

Thanks guys will keep you updated on progress. No mobile signal, self extraction given the weather was only option. The speed of treatment helped preserve heart function. If it happened again, I would do the same thing.

More importantly are they kicking you out for christmas?

Alan,

I had a heart attack four years ago, I know from my rehab group that everyone recovers differently and you will find there is a lot of support out there.

It took me 6 months before I had the strength to get back on a bike and then it was on the flat very short distances, building up slowly.
Probably took a year until I was reasonably fit.

I’m now riding better off road than I was pre attack and did London to Bath (on road)earlier this year.

What I find is that I have a maximum heart rate, I can’t exceed this and as a result I’m slow uphill and I can’t attack trails like other people.

Re: Travel insurance. British Heart Foundation website used to have some information on this. Yes you can get it and as you would expect it costs a lot.

Don’t have anything to offer but glad you got yourself safely to hospital and best of wishes for your ongoing recovery!

Don’t have anything to offer but glad you got yourself safely to hospital and best of wishes for your ongoing recovery!

39 and a narrowing and clot?

WTgoddamnF!

Nice one Scienceofficer 🙄

All he best OP. Didn’t David Baker (racer from back when) develop heart problem?

EDIT – his was dysrhythmia

Firstly, I would get your car out of the Hospital car park 🙂

GWS – you are still young, you will mend quickly

All the best mate, very worrying. It doesn’t matter how fit we feel we just don’t know what’s going on inside..I wonder if there is some sort of screening for this type of thing?

Thanks for the sentiments guys. Apparently, poor genetics typical west of Scotland. Don’t drink don’t smoke what chance have you got. The only redeeming thing for me is that if I wasn’t physically fit, the heart attack would have
floored me and I would have collapsed and died without intervention.

Apparently, recovery should be quicker, taking it easy and hope to get out tomorrow all being well. Car and bike stored at a near by friends.

As far as I know screening wouldn’t have picked it up as ecg would have been normal. I’m not sure but think an angiogram is the only thing which can show narrowing of arteries. If you have a family history it may be worth getting checked out anyway.

I’ve been lucky

Alan

Good job on getting home for christmas – timed it perfectly. Be nice to the nurses.

Do you go on some kind of watch list if it’s a genetic factor? Surely you’re at heightened risk?

Glad you got through it, shitty thing to happen any time of the year but at least you’re not tucked up in a hospital bed with lovely dry trails outside. Fingers crossed for a full and speedy recovery in time for the cracking spring and summer we will have next year 🙂