Chest pain and horse riding

Hi all. Looking for some advice please. Medtronic PPM implanted late March2017. After some problems re rate settings, things are getting better. However, I ride horses, dressage, which people think you just sit and do very little but actually it is extremely physical. With my upper limit set at 170 I'm finding I'm not struggling with energy levels but I am having pretty bad pain in the middle of the sternum,between  the shoulder blades and radiating to pacemaker site and even slightly up my neck, when doing sitting trot work and some canter( pretty jarring type of movements). Although  my heart rate monitor shows rates up to 160(accuracy not confirmed) I've had angiogram and cardiac perfusion tests which show no issues so pretty sure not having a heart attack but pain is burning and intense, subsiding when I bring horse back to walk. I've managed to do a stop start routine to work through the pain and get the horse worked but it is painful and distressing. It's not reflux and  I've made another appointment with cardiologist just to confirm I'm not doing any damage to my heart but I find they really don't understand or really seem to care about the more active patients. So I once again turn to the pacemaker club for guidance. Is it possible that the jarring action of horseriding is irritating muscle around the pacemaker wires and unit causing this pain? I have regular massge and chiro appointments and they help a little but not lasting. Although I feel a bit tender in those areas afterwards I have no other ill effects and for 53 YO I'm really active. I've read on this site that some of you are horse riders so was hoping to compare notes to see how you have coped. Riding is my passion, I ride nearly daily and compete, it would crush me to think I can't do it any more. Any advice hugely appreciated.

 

 

2 Comments

more time

by Tracey_E - 2017-09-19 10:58:48

I don't ride but I'm very active and it can take up to a year for things to settle in and heal fully. It can take a while for scar tissue to build up around the device and make it numb. Have you tried icing after?

Riding

by Wired28 - 2017-09-19 19:28:53

thanks TraceyE, my pain isn't so much at the device site more in the centre of the body. I hear what you are saying though with regards to healing, maybe over time it will improve, just need to find a way to deal with pain til it does I guesss.The doctors all say it's not a big op but none of them have actually had it done themselves which is why I find this forum an excellent source of real life information. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.

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It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.