myocarditis and exercise

[malan]

Dear doctor,
Could you tell me for what duration of time one should avoid exercising if one is suspected of having chronic myocarditis after an episode of acute myocarditis? Is there any exercise which is safe for chronic myocarditis, and what are the exercises to be avoided at all costs?
Thanks
Malan

[CCFHeartMD19]

Dear malan,

It is hard to give you an accurate answer over the internet without actually reviewing your case personally but I can give you general guidelines.
Exercising in chronic illness is a very subjective question. The most obvious answer is you start slow and do as much as you can tolerate. I dont think that there is anything that you are prohibited from doing but I would recommend just starting slowly and building up gradually. You can start by walking at a comfortable pace for a small duration and you could go up on your pace and duration over time.
I would recommend aerobic forms of exercise for a start, as these are generally easier.
I would definitely recommend that you touch base with your doctor before you start exercising to make sure that there is no pending work up or treatment that remains before you can start a regimen.

Hope that helps

CCFHeartMD19

[malan]

Dear doctor,
Thank you very much for the reply. I am not sure whether I am tolerating the exercise ( badminton) well, as I have experienced new symptoms of sustained skipping beats, for around 5 minutes or so, around 48 hours after the exercise, and once immediately after a game. The latter is clearly related to exercise, but what about the former after around 48 hrs or so?
Thanks again for sparing your time.