Member Contributer emoyer Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 I will spare you the details, but after 51 years of no meds and basic good health I have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and there is a chance I will have to start taking coumadin. My cardiologist's assistant, who is OK about motorcycling, said that if I do take the meds I should seriously consider giving up riding, as it would significantly increase my chances of bleeding out in a crash. I realize it's a decision only I can make for myself (just one more rung on the "ladder of risk", which is a personal thing,) but I am looking for the wisdom of the group. Though I enjoy riding very much, life is sweet in other ways too. So what would YOU do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gradus Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 Ride in full gear and you greatly reduce your chance of bleeding. Better question may be, 'Did you bleed when you've wrecked?' I've wrecked 3 times, always in full gear. Never bled other than very minor scratches through the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 its an IF situation. you die taking your car or slipping in the shower. it wouldnt stop me.. i WOULD have it put on a med alert bracelet and necklace. and yes FULL GEAR.. i crashed at over 160 and only have a small scar on my elbow to show for it.. however, it was a lowside and long slide. not a sudden impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrAustin Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 My rational response would be to change the type of riding I do. Mainly open road touring, of which I know you have, having lived in NM. I am not much of a tourer personally. If I was faced with this same question I would not alter my life in any way. I think you have plenty of miles left in ya. You can always decide to buy that Jeep you have been wanting! Well, if you do stop... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthshake Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 It's a tough decision, hard to say how I would respond if faced with similar circumstances. But I do love riding, and it's one of the things that, for me, makes life very enjoyable. What's the old saying... it's not the years in your life, but the life in your years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 Coumadin or the poor mans term is "rat poison " ... I would try a different thinner. Coumadin is very intrusive. You even have you watch what vegetables you eat . EDIT: I would continue to ride .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer The mailman Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 I just turned 50 in March, good shape, work out 3 days/off one - repeat, eat right, good genes, etc. and still got the Afib diagnosis too. No thinners at this point but am hounded relentlessly by my doc as well as my wife about the aspirin regimen. I'm sure you know that it works like a lite-blood thinner if taken regularly. The doc said if I stroke out and have to be pushed around in a wheel chair by someone that knows I was skipping meds, she won't be too happy about that. Yet, I RIDE ON! Full gear should limit most bleeding as mentioned above. You might break, bend, twist and pull in unnatural ways but people in full gear don't usually suffer from blood loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 My cardiologist's assistant, who is OK about motorcycling, said that if I do take the meds I should seriously consider giving up riding, as it would significantly increase my chances of bleeding out in a crash. Is this person's image of a rider a typical cruiser rider or squid with minimal to no protection? Like others here I have been down, and never had a problem with bleeding as my leather did it's job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 It's a matter of probabilities. If you take reasonable precautions (best gear you can get), you improve the odds considerably. Get a jacket with a clear external pocket that carries a medical notice to first responders about your condition. Motoport and I think Aerostich have that option - or make one yourself. You could also be in a car crash or cut yourself doing something around the house - and you're not likely to give those things up. So if riding makes you happy, I say do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer viffergyrl Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 First of all I am not a medical doctor, but I am in the biotechnology/healthcare field. My mom was on heparin at one time in her life as well as coumadin and eventually weaned off of it but is now on Plavix at the tender age of 88. She drives locally (not out of town any more), walks in the neighborhood by herself, goes to tai-chi and Curves, and lives by herself. I got her a Road ID (www.roadid.com) with all her medications listed on the website which first responders can access via the website and pin. My dad had AF. He also had high blood pressure and was under treatment for that as well as taking additional meds for AF and the baby aspirin. He did die from the complications of a stroke at 78. The stroke was caused by a blockage (clot or plaque). If you have chronic inflammation, plaque can break off and cause a blockage, even if you have low cholesterol. Aspirin decreases inflammation as do statins. Your treatment depends on YOUR particular risk factors (do you have your family history?) and this should be taken into account for your treatment. If you are on blood thinners (any kind) you should be monitored regularly for your clotting time and the dosage varied appropriately. Particularly if you are using coumadin. There is also heparin, Plavix, and baby aspirin. You should explore your options with your doctor (not the assistant). The purpose of treatment is to prolong the quality of life; not take from it. I think you have to remember that a lot of medical folk only see the gruesome results in the ER and NOT the larger majority that walk away from a crash. I actually think it's a bit irresponsible to say that you need to quit riding because you are on blood thinners. Do you stop riding a bicycle too? Do you stop driving? Seriously? However…. if you do crash you should get yourself checked ASAP, not because of external bleeding, but for internal bleeding risk. I would take a look at this: www.roadid.com (Road ID) and invest in one of the interactive formats (I use the bracelet with velcro but I'm going to upgrade to the rubber with clasp as the velcro is not that comfortable). I do a lot of traveling by myself and keep this with me. You might even get a SPOT and have that with you as well. That would give your family peace of mind as well as yourself. Talk to your doctor, DO what he says, do your own research, mitigate your risks as best you can, and gear up. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 My wife is taking coumadin due to a mechanical heart valve (she's 65) and still rides her Silver Wing scooter. Her cardiologist has no issues with this what so ever. In fact he thought it was pretty cool that she rides. She's been taking it for 10 years so far, and riding longer than that. Go for it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 Talk to your doctor, DO what he says, do your own research, mitigate your risks as best you can, and gear up. Good luck! Talk to several doctors, don't rely on the opinion of just one, or one PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer GP Paul Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 Keep riding! Gear up & go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 14, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 14, 2013 Yeah the medical I.D. bracelets good idea ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roebling3 Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 You give good stuff, vffergyrl. Thank you. I'm also looking forward to visiting my Cardiologist, mid Jan. Finished 30 days with a heart monitor this past Thursday. When it comes to quality of life motorcycles are a very big part of mine. The 9 motorcycles are all sport bikes, the least sporty is the VFR. + 1 on gear. Had a few crashes. Never hurt badly. I turned 79 last October. Been riding 63 years. I try not to be overly foolish. Good fortune and happy holidays. Thanx again. R3~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I wouldn't stop riding because when i sit at home in a chair, waiting for the inevitable i wouldn't have a happy life . So i rather do the things i like and die happy one year earlier, then have a longer empty, bored, depressed, worthless life. The only reason to stop driving is when i endager other people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vtcyclist Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Still ride, but slow down/use sense/wear gear. But also remember, the bleeding is not just external. Internal bleeding can be just as bad. Or worse. (Experience with my father) Still what others have said is all noteworthy and valid. If it were me...I'd still ride my motorcycles, but not like I was still 18 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer The mailman Posted December 15, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 15, 2013 However…. if you do crash you should get yourself checked ASAP, not because of external bleeding, but for internal bleeding risk. Very good point, and I would recommend just about anyone that goes down to get checked out asap whether you are on any meds or not. I know two people that wound up flat-lining but both came through after emergency surgeries when they thought they were ok after an accident. One of them didn't experience trouble for almost 24 hours after his crash. Take the ambulance ride if offered by first responders or get yourself to a doc on your own but GO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 My heart stopped after a run in 2008,long story short there was a doctor at the gym cpr woke up in the hospital operation.Got out of hospital rode take weekend. Nobody gets out alive live life as if it's your last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I had bad atrial fibrillation in June 2010, after I had open-heart surgery to fix my leaky mitral valve (which neither I nor my doctor knew about, until I asked him to listen to my ticker, because I had chest pain, which turned out to be indigestion). To fix the a-fib, I was first given Amiodarone tablets, then after I was discharged and went into a-fib again a few hours later, stuck into the local public hospital and (eventually) put on an Amiodarone drip. I was on warfarin tablets after discharge, but only for a week. The a-fib came back a few weeks later when the meds wore off, which freaked me out until the doctor pointed out why, but it's no biggie, comes and goes but no real problem. So apart from daily 10mg aspirin for the rest of my life, I'm on no meds. Yay! But yeah, if I was on blood thinners, I'd still ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rice Posted December 15, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 15, 2013 If riding makes your life more enjoyable then definitely keep riding. No need to deprive yourself of the things that make life worth living. Ware gear, be careful and enjoy. As an added bonus the positive emotions riding brings will help your body and mind combat the ailments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 15, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 15, 2013 The aim is not the maximum number of days in your life but the aim is the maximum life in your days....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 15, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hmmmmmm .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jugornot Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 After my crash I am left with a defective right arm, and a very deformed rib cage. I don't have the range of motion in my shoulder and frequent stabbing pains in my shoulder. I investigated custom armor, but I don't think I can put my family through that again. As you said it is a personal decision. But having high blood pressure diabetes and high cholesterol or anything controlled by medicine would not keep me from riding. I think I may eventually get a bike to ride on short weekend trips, but no commuting 10,000 mile a year riding. I know the next serious wreck will be my last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 15, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hmmmmmm .... I just ordered a bottle of High West Rendezvous rye (don't tell me how much a bottle in the US is....) to add to my arsenal of blood thinners.... So in that respect: I do not ride my motorcycle while having taken blood thinners.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.