UKH

Hi to you all. I'd love to hear from anyone that has or knows of anyone that has a pacemaker fittted for any heart condition. Does it effect your outdoor activities in anyway, etc, etc? A sort time back it happened to be & I'm in my 40's. It's set be back, but I'm working hard to be fit once again. Any good avice?? Thank you.

In reply to topout123:
Not personally but 2 years ago I did lead a lady with a pacemaker up to Refuge A (2100m) on Mount Olympus from the parking at Prionia (~1050m). i.e about 1000m of ascent over about 6km on a roasting hot day. We took it slow and steady and she had a fantastic time. Typical times for the walk are 2.5 to 3.5 hours and we took about 4.5. She had hoped to walk to the summit the next day, but decided against it having achieved what for her was a fantastic personal goal.
The point is that this was her first mountain walk since having the pacemaker installed and she came away very much with the view that most things would be possible, but she just needed to take things at her pace and enjoy it, and most importantly of all not feel pressurised by others.
Gareth

In reply to DLT: Good points. Many thanks.

In reply to topout123:

Met an American guy one time on Aconcagua. Part of a JG group I think. He was climbing with a pacemaker. Don't know how high he got on the mountain but he had at least made it to Plaza de Mulas basecamp at 4100m. A fairly strenuous hike in.

In reply to AndyUKC: This is all good news. Thanks.

In reply to topout123: Older sister (in her 40's) has had pacemakers all her life although you would not know if you met her in the gym. She seems to lead a totally normal life.
M.

In reply to topout123:

This tickled me, short article regarding a bike race Sean Yates took part in post pacemaker fitting:

http://tinyurl.com/3p48l5x

In reply to topout123: I do a fair bit of pacemaker work - what do you want to know about? PM me mate if it would help

P

In reply to topout123:

I would suggest you and your cardiologist contact a mountain medicine doctor with some experience of this prior to having it fitted. You can then discuss the underlying reason for having it fitted, any limitations or coexisting problems, the siting of the pacemaker "box" to avoid rucsac straps etc.

For a list of experienced UK doctors see:
http://medex.org.uk/diploma/about_diploma.php

Importantly avoid advice from unreliable internet forums and ensure if yu die abroad in the hills you are not cremated!

David Hillebrandt

In reply to Paul Atkinson: Mine was fitted 5 months ago for AV Block. From day one I've had palp's & discomfort in the chest area. I've been checked out, & told that all's ok with PM & heart etc. I'm still getting palp's & discomfort & still asking the Doc for answers.

In reply to David Hillebrandt: PM already fitted by the NHS. From being told of the problem and it being fitted was within 5 days, 3 of them was in hospital, so I had no chance of doing any internet research into the pros & cons of a PM for my condition. On the lighter side, if I do die abroad, I'm not going to worry about the PM exploding if I get cremated

In reply to David Hillebrandt: that seems a bit high handed David. The OP already has a PPM and is asking some general questions about pacemakers and outdoor activities/fitness and also looking to hear other patient experiences. There's nothing wrong with that and plenty of potential to get useful information and experiences on a forum without anyone playing diagnostics or getting specific to his case. Obviously he needs to talk through his own case with his cardiologist but there's plenty of useful general stuff that can be garnered from friendly individuals "down the pub" in the meantime. I greatly admire the mountain medicine diploma system you have set up but I'm not sure a diploma bearing GP or A&E doc reading from advice about PPMs and altitude/mountaineering has that much to offer with regards to the OP's questions on general fitness training - whereas for pacing cardiologists and pacemaker technicians this is daily bread and butter.



OP: you need to chat to your cardiologist and pacemaker technician about what your expectations are exercise wise so he knows what is normal for you. If people have AV block and no other heart problem then by and large a pacemaker will get them back to full activity - I've put PMs in 2 fell runners in the last year and both are back out on the hills. You need to find out if they feel there is any reason for you not to train hard and ask if the pacemaker settings are appropriate for this. Like most electronic goods the pacemakers come with factory settings and endless menus of parameters that can be reprogrammed. Default settings often require changing in very active people, sometimes taking quite a while to optimise. A lot of people feel washed out and take a good while to get back to normal after the whole thing of being ill/diagnosed/implanted. If you're still getting unpleasant symptoms keep asking about them. Some palpitations need treatment but many are a benign annoyance to live with - worth finding out if this latter has been established as the diagnosis.

You mention pros and cons of the treatment - clearly I don't know what went on with you but in most cases where PMs are implanted for heart block there isn't really a plan B on offer, the pacemaker is the only safe and effective treatment available - again ask your cardiologist.

Hope that's of some help, good luck with your training - PM me if you want

cheers, Paul

In reply to Paul Atkinson: Thank you Paul. I see my own GP today about a letter he's had from the Hospital, and I don't see the PM tech until June, but a least I've more info to ask questions this time. Thanks once again. Gary.