swimming

Goodevening everyone and Merry Christmas;
Just have been trying to get some idea if anyone knows about how much swimming a recipient as myself of a Biontronik pace maker should or should not do;
I have been starting to swim regulary about 4-5 timers per week and approx 20-30 laps of 50 mtr pool, albiet not all at once maybe 19 to sart with then in sets of 2-4.
Have read that if to much of a particular exercise such as swimming maybe can or could cause fracture of leads, does anyone know more about this.
Also have been putting up with a dry cough a lot, sort of tickly cough wonder if associated with lung thru pacemaker. thank you for any feedback guys, enjoy the festive season evryone. kind regards, Johnb

3 Comments

swimming

by Tracey_E - 2013-12-23 09:12:39

There are a very few drs who limit arm movement overhead in order to protect the leads but most drs put no restrictions on us after we heal. There is an Olympic swimmer with a pacemaker.

If you have no other symptoms whatsoever and you feel good, the cough is probably just part of the season/weather. If you have other symptoms, I'd get it checked out just to be sure.

Dry cough

by Theknotguy - 2013-12-23 09:12:45

I agree with TraceyE above about the exercise. As for the dry cough, I get that.

In the old days, shortly after they stopped writing on stone tablets, (1960's) people would get what they called a "heart cough". It was an interaction with the nervous system due to heart disease. You don't hear about it too much nowadays because we've advanced so far in medicine.

My heart cough is an interaction between my nervous system, heart, and PM. The PM won't allow my heart to beat at just any old time, but instead, wants to keep it on a regular beat. So when my heart decides to skip a beat like it was accustomed to and the PM forces it into a beat, I'll sometimes get a cough, or a coughing spell. No big deal.

As you get accustomed to your PM, you'll probably have fewer and fewer coughing spells. Or, as TraceyE said, you could have the cough because of dry winter air, reaction to pool chemicals, or a mild kiddie virus. It all depends.

It's very encouraging to see you doing so much swimming as exercise. It lets other people know there is life after the PM implant.

Theknotguy

Medication?

by johng - 2013-12-23 12:12:24

The dry cough may be a side effect of some medication. I believe Ramapril is one of these. Check with your doctor, there are alternatives which may not have this effect.
Best of luck,
Johng

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