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Driving with ICD

Amindya
0 Recommendations

Hi,

I am 39 Y mother of 02 kids 4/1 years.

I fainted twice and Dr. decided me to have ICD implantation for trachycardia. I got it on 06.12.2008.

I got my first shock on 30.03.2009 and today also i felt dizzy but did not get the shock.

However, i want to know if some one there having ICD and driving. I am driving now. I drive very slowly since scared of fainting attack.

If some one there... who had ICD shock during driving?? Does it happen??
Please tell me....

Amindya

Explore topics in this discussion:

Surgery Stress

14 replies

Paul_Pakusch

I think this is something you should discuss with your cardiologist. On a safety level, you wouldn't want to put your kids' lives or anyone else's life at risk if you were to faint while driving. If something were to happen where someone got seriously hurt, there could be a lot of liability involved if you were driving with a known condition and then passed out. On a legal level, depending on what state you're in, it may be illegal for you to drive. Here in New York, you're not supposed to drive for 6 months after passing out like that.

Sorry to be blunt like that, but we are dealing with this exact situation in my household. My wife, Mary (also on this forum), has had two SCA's and has been strongly advised by her cardiologist not to drive at all. It's been tough on her, but with the whole family and co-workers helping, we are making it work.

I'm sure it would be even more difficult in your situation, with young kids. But since everyone's situation is different, I would advise you to talk to your cardiologist.

Amindya

Dear Paul,

Thanks for your email and kind advice.

Actually i have spoken to my doctor, what he is telling is since i have the ICD implanted i can live the normal life.... and exactly in his word its like "Dont tell Dont ask" policy. I have to do that my own risk.

after my first fainting attack i did not drive for 3-4 months. Now even i dont get fainted i am scared with the faintness feeling i get.

I know i should not drive.. and also when my family travel, i am not driving now.. but when i go to office i have to drive....

Sometimes i feel that everything on god's hand....

Lets see.

Amindya

brandanjayme

I have and ICD since July and had to have it replaced in September due to malfunctioning., I got 4 high voltage shocks in Jan 2009. I am still driving., I get warning signs, flash a blue light in my eyes, like electrical currents before my device defibberlates. So I know when to pull over. My dr said no reason to stop driving. I guess its up to each person..I try not to drive far with my kids ....hope this helps a bit...

Amindya

Dear Brandan (?),

Thanks for your comment.

I also get this warning sign... the same way. This is the exactly i am also thinking that when i get this i can manage to stop the car.... but i think its on the god's hands.

However, i am also not driving with my kids as well driving slowly.... As i mentioned above my doctor also did not ask me to STOP DRIVING... but he said its up to me.

Anyway thanks for your comment.. its gave me relief...

Amindya

AlexlikeElvis

If your doctor's okay with it, I'd go on. I know my driving's a bit more conservative -- I don't tailgate, for example -- since my event and implant, but if anything I'm actually driving more these days.

Jifizap

I got my ICD after my SCA and my doctor told me I could not drive until I went 6 months without passing out. Since I always pass out before being zapped, I went without driving for 9 months. Now I drive but only in town, never on the freeway. I haven't been zapped in 9 years, so it's probably just a phobia on my part, but I figure at 25-30 miles an hour I probably won't kill anyone if I pass out; at freeway speeds someone would probably die.

MetalGoddess

I don't pass out before I get hit but when I have gotten hit-I don't jerk or anything, I don't skip a beat while dancing (and I finish the dance). I wasn't supposed to drive for 6 wks after my first surgery (15 yrs ago) but I was 23 and by myself in life. I was driving 2 days later to get my butt to work. That, and I was 23! still hitting the bars, concerts and going everywhere all the time. I may not have children but all of your children are my children, my responsibility and my hope, while I'm operating a 5 ton box truck. Trust what you know about yourself and then decide. I wish you the very best.

blake76

Hi

In the UK by law I cannot drive for 6 months following the SCA and implant of my ICD.
Only 3 weeks to go until I can drive though!!

If I receive therapy from the ICD again, I am banned from driving for 2 years unless if the ICD fired incorrectly or the hospital make any changes to my treatment or to the ICD.

I also have to re-apply for my license to get renewed every 3 years. ( I think this is so the licensing authority can check with the hospital if I have received any shocks or not from the ICD without me telling them)

Anyway, not sure how I will feel when I get back on the motorways/freeways again but as your comments above I hopefully will get an indication that something is wrong so I can pull over. Although I didn't feel anything was wrong before my SCA when my heart stopped for 15 minutes.

Just thought I would give you the point of view of the legal side from the UK

kbauhs

I guess I'm a bit of a rule follower, but I didn't drive for 6 months following my SCA. 5.5 months later, I was so excited about the possibility of getting back behind the wheel, but had a major set back. 120 episodes of VT in one day with 8 shocks. That restarted my 6 month clock. Altogether, I didn't drive for almost a year. It was hard, but I wouldn't have done it any other way. People were fantastic in helping me out.

Now that I am 2 years out, I am driving regularly. I'm on a beta blocker this time. I have had a few minor dizzy spells since, but they were brief and self-correcting. I try not to be paranoid about driving....but I have decided to take public transportation to work every day. I just didn't want to be on the road 2-3 hrs a day every day. I felt it increased the risk that if something happens in the future (which I assume it will eventually), odds would be greater I would be driving at the time.

cdjd36

My husband had an ICD implanted on 4/27 (he had to be shocked back to life on 4/26) and is doing ok. His cardiologist has okayed him to go back to work but NO DRIVING. His job is 50 miles away and there is no public transportation, so this is impractical if not impossible! His regular doc okays his driving.

Plus he has a stressful job which is probably the reason why he is in this situation to begin with! We just don't know what to do since now his disability pay will probably stop now and he is not ready to retire yet.

He has been driving around town and is ok with that, but I am worried about him driving on the turnpike and all the stress with the job. I don't know what to do!

Amindya

Hi,,

Thanks for your reply... actually I am also having hell of stress in my job.. after joining this job I got my first SCA. I also thing that is the reason (stress) for me to be in this situation...

But.... now I dont get much stress on the work since I my family and life is more worth than that... my office is 25 km far from my place and everyday i drive up and down... thank god till date nothing happen... I usually drive fast.. but after ICD implanted i drive less than 100 but some times i forget that and i go for 120.140 kmph.

Since I dont have choice.. (I mean without driving I cannot go to work... its so hard) I am driving right now... and leaving everything in god's hand.

God will decide everything... trust him...

Regards

Amindya

Leenie

I was just reading some of this stuff,I havent been writing in sometime. But I just wanted to say something here. I had my SCA 3-19 07 and I suffered a TBI (Tramic Brain Injury) because of the SCA. I'm not allowed to drive at all. But I am going to Kessler rehabilition. I'm being tested now to see If I can start driving again. My SCA happened while I was driving,thank god no one was hurt. I also don't have a ICD. I quess everyone is different but STRESS had everything to do with the SCA. I'm lucky though I live in NJ where Kessler is located,not everyone gets the help that I have received with my TBI. But I also can't work any more. Where I live I need someone to drive me ever where. I hope that I can drive in to town to get my medications and stuff like that. Just waiting for testing to be over. Thanks for lessoning, My best to you all

tasha1974

i suffered a sca after being involved in a car accident. When i was told that i needed an icd and wouldnt be able to drive for 6 months, i was so upset and didnt think i would cope. Now 6 months on i have been cleared to drive but am apprehensive in doing so. I worry about receiving a shock whislt being behind the wheel of a car. Reading posts on here it seems that some of you get a warning first. I am still so undecided what to do but travelling by public transport adds 3 hours onto my day which i could well do without. Such a big decision to make

Nutbeem

I couldn't drive for 6 weeks after my SCA, but I hardly left the house the first three, so it wasn't too big a deal.

Driving is big big big for me - if I couldn't drive, the SCA would have had a much bigger impact on me.

I think it's important to get back to living life as soon as possible - if you haven't had an event in 9 years, chances are you never will, so get on that road!

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