ramakentesh Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I went for my first swim since my major crash late last year. I felt ok when I got there although two days ago I felt quite POTSie while I rushed in to buy a few items at the local store (i have arounf 4 minutes in a shopping centre at the moment before things get uncomfortable - which is a big step from November last year when sitting in a chair made me dizzy but nowhere as good as a year ago when I was swimming daily and even riding a bike and running!!)So i get in the water and Im feeling ok. Two laps and my heart is in my throat - and i get this weird thing when I can actually see my pulse in my peripheral vision - its weird! I took it easy then did another lap - about halfway down the pool i started getting breathless and dizzy. I kept calm and just kept going and made it to the shallow end. When im saying lap, im talking about a very slow breaststroke at a low speed, not full throttle. My doc generally suggests I keep moderately active - walking and swimming have helped me in the past.After taking it easy for 10 minutes in the pool i got out and the extra weight nearly knocked me over. There was an old guy there who raced passed me as I ambled over to my clothing breathless and looking pale. I actually feel better now, but it seems I misread my progress so far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Swimming is awful for me too. I don't think you misread your condition, I think swimming is like a space environment for you! It is almost too much and not enough resistance at the same time. The temperature control that you are asking your body to maintain is another consideration. 10 minutes in a pool, even in 90 degree heat and I'm a goner! I just have to drag myself out of the pool and shiver on the side for a while. It's systemic overload! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm glad you made it back okay. Just thinking about your experience makes me ill.Please, if you are going to try something different, where your body is using muscles and coordination that is different than usual, do NOT push and do NOT try to do as much as you did. You cannot push through something like "your heart pounding enough so you could see it."This doesn't mean the end of swimming forever, but I would expect much much less next time and be happy with that. I would take someone along as well.This thing about "being in the water is good for us"....I take issue with this anyway, and I believe people are referring to "walking" around in the water slowly.Swimming is in a class by itself with all the muscles in use and the coordination. Please be cautious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkerbella Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm glad you're ok. Always wear a life jacket as a safety device if you want to swim. If I hadn't been working in a pool teaching water exercise, I never would have gotten this dx. I used to teach 3 classes a day, in between teaching preschool and other things. While overexerting myself, I would have to get out of the pool and hold on to the bars of the ladder for dear life drink so much water, try to catch my breath and pray I would not pass out.None of of clients had to do this, I just believed I worked harder than any of them. This was the one piece of info that made my doctor listen to me after my stress test came back suggesting congestive heart failure/ ? chest muscle weakness. I have been so blessed in a day where most people say docs won't listen to them, I have been lucky. The process has been a long one, but here I am.Take care all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 thanks for the replies. In the past when ive been feeling pretty good ive found swimming to be a big help for me with POTS. I guess I just get frustrated and after five months of slow progress out of a major POTS hole I was hoping I could just start back into it.I find POTS hard to read at times. In the past when i was feeling mildly potsie Id go for a swim and it would make me feel better, where as today i feel terrible and I can see its gonna take a few days to recover. Last year I was swimming 20 laps three times a week with POTS and without any major difficulties. Today I feel terrible as a result of overdoing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan617 Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I am glad you are ok, even though suffering the after effects. Although a lot of people actually feel better in the water, I have never had any stamina for it. I don't think I've ever been able to swim a lap in my life.The really crappy thing about POTS is that what works one day can just about take you out the next. I hope if you try it again, you have someone with you, that's pretty scary! morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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