[pct-l] Atrial Fibrillation

[Roger Carpenter]

Hi J J,
I have had some minors problems with atrial fibrillation for about 15 years.
I know that cases vary, so you could have a more severe problem than me.  14
years ago I thru-hiked the PCT and noticed a slight irregular heartbeat in
the early days which were most likely the results of too much coffee in my
system and too much pre-hike stress.  As I progressed northbound in
California I felt much better and completed the hike as healthy as can be.
As I aged since 1996 (I am 56 now) and gained weight the atrial fibrillation
became more of a problem, so I saw a cardiologist in 2005.  As usual with
the mainstream medical establishment he suggested taking a drug (beta
blocker) but also a regimen of small dose aspirin.  The beta blockers have
side effects but the aspirin is harmless, and helps with blood flow, which
is good for a long-distance hiker.  In recent years I lost considerable
weight (from 215 to 180) and stepped up my cardiovascular conditioning.  I
often go the gym in the morning and spend 45-60 minutes on a treadmill at
fairly high resistance with no problems.   By taking better care of myself
with weight control and exercise I found that I can hike with as much speed
and stamina as I want, at least for my age.  It is also much better if I
abstain from drinking coffee while hiking.  I know that caffeine can cause
irregular heartbeat, and that's not good for someone with this condition. 

My advice would be to improve your cardiovascular fitness by working out on
a treadmill at or near your target heart rate or a rate that your heart can
handle without going into fibrillation mode.  You will find that the more
you work out the more you can do other things without the fibrillation
adversely affecting your activities, including hiking.  As I wrote above,
your case could be more severe and you might have to take other precautions.
But generally the greater your cardiovascular fitness the less the
fibrillation will affect your hiking.  Of course, you should check with your
doctor first!  I hope this helps!

Roger Carpenter


> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-
> bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Jim Keener ( J J )
> Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 6:45 PM
> To: PCT-L MailingList
> Subject: [pct-l] Atrial Fibrillation
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> This isn't as OT as it might seem at first. I had a number of bouts of
> dizziness on the trail this year and have undergone numerous test. The
> doctors finally found atrial fibrillation. So. I'm writing to see if
> anyone else has had this diagnosis and to learn how it has affected
> your hiking.
> 
> Walk well,
> J J
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