G forces and AVR???

[kevin21]

I was wondering if anyone post op has been told to avoid activities that involve lots of G forces on them? I guess that would be like carnival or Six Flags rides or in my case racing (competitively) go karts.

Typically you can pull 2-3 g's in a corner but it's only for like a second so it isn't like being in a centrifuge or an acrobatic airplane where it lasts for a long time. I know you would need to have your chest heal first, it would be ungodly painful otherwise. I wear rib protection that pads against the seats to help minimize the stress but I'm sure I grunt some when I go into the turns. It doesn't really bother me now, severly leaking and all.

Just a thought. I really love racing and would like to continue after my surgery.

 

[Ross]

There should be no problems as long as the valves are functioning properly. By all means, check with your Doctor though.

 

[Harpoon]

I've said this before with folks that lived pretty active lifestyles before their surgeries... Chances are your heart is adapted to the increased stresses involved wiht racing and after a good recovery form your AVR, you should be OK to race again, though you should be sure to clear it with your doctors first.


There are warnings about people who might be pregnant or have a heart condition or BP issues for amusement park rides and such. In part, those warnings are legal protection for the parks, however there could be some problems experienced because of the high forces placed on your body during such a ride.

Mostly it's rapid changes in blood pressure from sudden climbs and or falls that do it. "Free fall" type rides seem to be getting pretty popular, the kind of ride where you sit in a chair of some fashion and get "dropped" a few hundred feet in such away that you experience something close to true free fall or weightlessness. That sends your blood racing in all directions and the sudden rush of adrenaline can put undue stress on your heart.

If you're fairly healthy, you may be OK, but be careful, REAL careful.

About 8 months before I had my tricuspid valve replaced I tried one of those rock wall climbing things at a county fair. I got up about half way and back down without much effort however after I got out of the harnesses and stuff I practically collapsed into a chair. I think my BP dropped through the floor. Felt VERY "woozie" and disoriented for a few moments and then it cleared up. It was kinda freaky, but I recovered within a few minutes and just carried on my way... I probably shouldn't have been on that wall but a few months before I had climbed to the top of an indoor climbing wall with almost no effort at all.

Gotta be careful.

 

[hensylee]

Kevin, we have had a few in the past who asked similar questions, but theirs was actually about things like the roller coaster. Maybe some of them will see this and drop in with their experience. Members?

 

[tommy]

At 4 months post AVR my cardio cleared me for roller coasters. I've been to roller coaster parks (Six Flags, Sea world) several times in the last few years. Some here have posted concerns about riding the shakey wooden coasters while on coumadin. I have done it. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Absolutely no problems for me and roller coasters.

 

[Sherry]

Hi, Kevin,
We had a thread going on this many months ago. A few of us came up with another concern in regard roller coasters: internal bleeding. The last time I rode coasters (a few years ago), I noticed my head jerking back and forth quite violently, actually hitting the back and sides of the seat. I was pretty shaken up after I got off and had quite a headache the rest of the day. If one's INR is a bit high, I would be concerned with that. I have no proof whatsoever, and I personally didn't have bleeding problems after that ride, but it seems as though another member or two actually did. Just throwing that out there.

 

[Sherry]

Here is one of the links

Here is one of the links

http://valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7324&highlight=roller+coasters

 

[Marguerite53]

Roller coasters, not for me

Roller coasters, not for me

Several years ago my husband showed me an article about recurring headaches and a connection to rollercoaster rides. ( I had a friend who ended up at the Mayo in search of answers). While no cause was ever found for him, this piece was pretty amazing information. I can't find the article in the New York Times, it was from June of 2002. Since then, though, it seems that there is quite a bit of info on how, well, unhealthy a good ride can be!!

I just "googled" roller coasters and headaches and there is a long list of articles and forum sites. I would think that if the jarring would affect "original hardware" in the body, it would certainly not be good for a newly repaired heart.

I'm still in waiting mode, so I have no experience with post surgical advice. Regarding the rollercoaster, I'm not sure it's the G force so much as the stop and go, push and pull nature of the complete experience. I'll get back if I can find that particular article.

Marguerite

 

[kevin21]

Go Karting is pretty smooth unless you wreck. I guess you could wreck in a real car and have the same thing happen.

I guess the forces aren't the problem, manily the jarring and bumping around.

On Coumadin I'm sure I will bruise some on the ribs but probably no worse than now (I don't bruise now...).