Golf after Heart Attack

Wait till you've at least spoken to your GP/cardiologist. I was back on the course a month after my last one.
 
Depends how bad and whether any residual problems, but 3 weeks sounds a bit early. Wait at least until you are reviewed by a cardiologist, but walking is often advised as a mild form of exercise, so golf may well be OK.
 
TerryA said:
Hi guys
Had a heart attack 3 weeks ago whilst on holiday playing golf! Not a massive one but ended up having to go to A&E in Eastbourne.
After various tests, had to have 2 stents fitted. Now back home recuperating and building up my fitness again. I’m intending to play 9 holes n Friday which will be 3 weeks after the incident. I’m feeling fine but obviously on various tabs. I’ve always been pretty fit and my diet is reasonable, unfortunately high cholestroll runs in the family.
Anyone else suffered in the same way and how long before you played again?
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Had the same issue and treatment around 8 years ago. Back playing inside a month but had to stop carrying for a while until I was recovered as you can't lift heavy weights initially - it compresses the chest. I was on a special gym programme for some months to build up strength. I lift up to 1,000kg a day now, play golf regularly and table tennis too. Watch my diet and alcohol consumption of course. Today, my cholesterol is 1.8, heart rate under 60 and BP 122/64. So. all good. Plenty of life after a heart attack. So, very best wishes to you. I'm sure you'll be fine!!
 
hovis said:
A defib is only a call to the pro show away
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Blue in Munich said:
If only it were that simple.
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hovis said:
Why isn't it?
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Will the pro shop actually answer? Ours goes to answerphone more often than not. If they do they are in a position to drop everything and come to you? Assuming they are in a position to come to you, when they get there, how familiar are they with the operation of a defibrillator? I know that most are designed to be idiot proof, but personally I'd rather have someone medically or first aid trained administering it to me than someone who changes grips for a living.
 
Blue in Munich said:
Will the pro shop actually answer? Ours goes to answerphone more often than not. If they do they are in a position to drop everything and come to you? Assuming they are in a position to come to you, when they get there, how familiar are they with the operation of a defibrillator? I know that most are designed to be idiot proof, but personally I'd rather have someone medically or first aid trained administering it to me than someone who changes grips for a living.
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Are you for real? Is he in a position to drop what he's doing? Really? What position could a pro be in that wouldn't warrent him dropping what he's doing to respond to a cardiac arrest?

And secondly a trained person is coming regardless so what does it matter if a trained chimp comes with a defib in the meantime? You can't worsen conditions with one. In fact, you could put one pad on your balls and the other pad on you forehead and it would still be better than nothing
 
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Blue in Munich said:
Will the pro shop actually answer? Ours goes to answerphone more often than not. If they do they are in a position to drop everything and come to you? Assuming they are in a position to come to you, when they get there, how familiar are they with the operation of a defibrillator? I know that most are designed to be idiot proof, but personally I'd rather have someone medically or first aid trained administering it to me than someone who changes grips for a living.
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Air ambulance lives in the field next to our club. Hope I don't need it :cool:
 
Had mine 10years ago with a quadruple bypass operation took me about four months to get back playing. Did all the rehab and listened to what the drs were telling me. Just be aware of what your body is telling you and you should be fine.
 
slicer79 said:
What I find scary is how many here have had a heart attack ?
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I thought it was quite a positive, at the number of people who have had heart attacks and returned to golf/sport and have managed to live a normal life afterwards. Great to hear feel good and positive stories.

I know of some, friends & family that have returned to sport/cycling/golf etc after stents fitted.

A wonderful thing modern science and the NHS.
 
My dad had a quadruple bypass back in the 80s, when it was a full on, open-heart surgery process. He had to recover for a few months, but retuned to golf and played right up until he passed away 10 years ago
 
Beedee said:
Had heart attack last Christmas.

You will receive a follow up from the cardiac rehabilitation service. Personally I really wouldn't play until the cardiologist or the rehab service have given the ok.
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This is probably not what the op wanted to hear, but is 100% correct. Get well soon.
 
Theres a bit of noise re heart attacks on the course and law of averages says that always gonna happen. It can happen anywhere so why not a golf course. But especially regards to the old farts of us. The good that can come from playing golf for me massively outweighs the remote chance of having a heart attack wherever it may happen.
 
I’d say it’s too soon, my Dads had two and it was months before he was fit-and-well again (he has other heart complications and was kept in for 24 days after the second).

If it were me I’d be very careful and look to build myself back up to it, theres things much more important than playing golf.
 
Just do as the cardiologist says , do not force anything , do not rush they know best and the course will always be out there you may not be if you have another event .
I had 3 or 4 cardiac arrests 8 years ago , heart stopped so i suppose i died . Have an ICD fitted which is a defib\pacemaker , i could not drive for 6 months but i did a hell of a lot of walking
around the local parks and built myself up slowly , and slowly is the key do not rush , i cannot say that enough , do not rush .
Just a small point but do not get heart attacks confused with cardiac arrests , a heart attack ,if i understood right, is a disruption of blood flow to the heart and is accompanied by pain and the other well
known symptoms , cardiac arrest is where the heart stops and needs a defib to restart so to all intents you are dead untill you are jump started .

At least thats what i understand about the attack and arrest, i may be wrong on some points though .
 
oxymoron said:
Just do as the cardiologist says , do not force anything , do not rush they know best and the course will always be out there you may not be if you have another event .
I had 3 or 4 cardiac arrests 8 years ago , heart stopped so i suppose i died . Have an ICD fitted which is a defib\pacemaker , i could not drive for 6 months but i did a hell of a lot of walking
around the local parks and built myself up slowly , and slowly is the key do not rush , i cannot say that enough , do not rush .
Just a small point but do not get heart attacks confused with cardiac arrests , a heart attack ,if i understood right, is a disruption of blood flow to the heart and is accompanied by pain and the other well
known symptoms , cardiac arrest is where the heart stops and needs a defib to restart so to all intents you are dead untill you are jump started .

At least thats what i understand about the attack and arrest, i may be wrong on some points though .
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That is correct. As the OP had stents fitted, it would be a heart attack. Otherwise known as myocardial infarction. Tends to happen to men around 50. I had pain in the centre of my chest that came and went and moved up to my jaw for 12 hours. It disappeared when I was in A & E. They did a blood test that cinfirmed the heart attack and I was in hospital for 4 days.

Thinking back, I was told not to do any exercise for 6 weeks. I started hitting a few balls at the range after that and played my first 9 holes 3 or 4 weeks after that. It was a couple of months after that I played my first 18 and have been absolutely fine since. I also started doing a bit of cycling, but I'm not really doing as much exercise as I should. Golf is not great cardio vascular exercise.
 
Really interesting thread and good to hear most of you are back playing again after a heart attack.

I am curious, do you all think the heart attacks were lifestyle factors or just bad luck / genetic?
 
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