How soon are heart patients safely fit to drive?

by Carolyn Thomas        @HeartSisters

Almost all freshly-diagnosed heart patients are warned not to drive for a specific period of time following hospital discharge, ranging anywhere from 24 hours to several months, depending on the specific cardiac issue.  And in the earliest days or weeks, we may have mixed emotions even thinking about getting behind the wheel of a car again.

Some of us might feel afraid to drive (“What if I have another cardiac emergency while driving by myself on the highway?”).  A Swedish study that followed drivers living with chronic illness (including cardiovascular disease) over a 10-year period found that very few road accidents were directly caused by either the disease or its treatment after early driving restriction time periods had passed (just 0·8% of all cases).  Despite those stats, the researchers reported that many individual drivers voluntarily surrendered their driving license post-diagnosis because of the personal decision that “my state of health was no longer compatible with safe driving.” (1)

Some of us, however, can’t wait to grab our own car keys, a major psychological step toward being able to feel “normal” again (a quality of life factor that’s often diminished by being suddenly dependent on others to drive us around).

So how do we know which of us are actually competent to resume driving after a cardiac diagnosis, and which of us are no longer safe on the road? 

Ironically, drivers themselves are rarely the best qualified to accurately assess our own competence to drive. We know, for example, that even the worst drivers on the road rate their own driving competence far higher than it actually is. Just try arguing with a drunk who insists he’s okay to drive home from the pub. . .  Here’s an example of that: a study on drivers living with chronic pain noted “chronic pain patients rated their subjective driving quality to be ‘normal’, although their road driving testing ratings and degree of alertness were actually significantly lower.” (2)

The good news: governments that regulate road safety do assume that most people diagnosed with a heart condition (with some exceptions – see list below*) will eventually be fit to drive again, and almost all have guidelines based on input from medical experts with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society as well as  public road safety agencies.

I recently raised this issue with other women who are living with heart disease, and here’s a sampling of their comments:

  • I have had some scary times when symptoms suddenly came on while driving
  • I only drive in a 4-mile radius and no driving at night
  • There were a few times I had to pull over to the side or a parking lot to spray nitro and rest
  • I can and do drive, but it takes a lot out of me
  • I do not drive for longer than about 45 minutes at a time
  • I haven’t had to quit driving, but I take a lot of time considering if I’m doing too much. How medications are affecting me that day. Am I short of breath? Too tired to make good decisions? Most days I don’t drive, but I can.
  • After I drove home from work on several occasions feeling extremely unwell, my husband started taking me to work
  • Symptoms are so unpredictable that I never know when it can go from being okay one minute to being unable to stand it the next
  • I drive to work as it’s only 10 minutes away
  • I have not mentioned it to the doctors, afraid they will take away my license
  • I love my truck and my family… I wouldn’t want to ruin any one of them, or ruin somebody else’s life!

Let’s consider a commonly imposed post-op driving restriction: if you have just undergone open heart surgery, for example, it’s likely that you were told you cannot drive for 4-6 weeks now, depending on your physician’s assessment of your recovery.

I’ve heard from a number of heart patients who question this guideline, arguing that they “need” to drive, or that they felt well enough to drive long before that time restriction expired, or that driving is their “right”. (EARTH TO DRIVERS: driving is a privilege, not a right). Many heart patients express frustration about arbitrarily strict rules imposed on them by road safety bureaucrats.

But consider the perspective of this patient who shared an opposing view on an online open heart surgery patient community:
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“Six weeks with no driving is not unreasonable!
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“Some of the drugs you’re now taking for post-op pain even warn right on the label: “Do not drive while taking this medication”.  After your surgery, your sternum is healing. You wouldn’t pedal a bike after breaking your leg, would you? Driving a car requires you to be alert, mentally and physically. Many heart patients can have complications in the early weeks after surgery ranging from heart rhythm problems to high blood pressure, low blood pressure, balance issues, nerve damage problems, and even severe cardiac complications like heart attack. Do you want to discover you have any of these issues while operating a 3,500-pound land missile on a busy highway?
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“To drive in the first six weeks despite being told NOT to drive by a physician places you in huge legal problems if you do have an accident. You’re putting not only you but other innocent people around you at risk – and you would be wholly responsible if you cause an accident!
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“Lastly, consider this. Let’s say you’re a recent open heart surgery patient who lost consciousness or became disoriented while driving, slammed into my family’s car, and managed to survive. As soon as my lawyer learned that you were less than six weeks post-op, that lawyer would grind you into pulp, financially and legally! Your insurance company might not even cover you because you were not supposed to be driving. Your doctor could be called to testify that you should NOT have been at the wheel, as would any other expert witnesses.
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“If I sound pretty harsh, it’s for a reason. We recently had a neighbour who had surgery, behind the wheel just two weeks after his procedure. He blacked out and slammed into the rear end of a car, killing two little kids and seriously injuring their parents. What kind of an idiot does this after being told by a doctor not to drive?  This is why you don’t drive in the first six weeks!”
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* Recommended wait times before driving after a cardiac event may vary depending on where you live, but here are some representative examples from Québec of general guidelines for specific cardiac conditions:
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  • Angioplasty, stent: 24-48 hours after hospital discharge
  • Heart attack: 4 weeks
  • Open heart surgery: 4-6 weeks (longer if your sternum has not yet healed)
  • Heart failure, congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy: can vary depending on ongoing symptoms – consult your physician about the specifics of your diagnosis
  • Heart transplant: 6 weeks, depending on your physician’s assessment
  • Pacemaker: at least one week
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD): 3-6 months (plus you must report to your licensing regulator if your defibrillator has fired due to a cardiac arrhythmia, after which your driving restriction time will likely start over again)
  • Heart rhythm disorders: 1-6 months according to your physician’s assessment; depends on if your symptoms are under control, but driving is not advised if your condition causes you to lose consciousness or otherwise impairs driving ability

If you’re a commercial driver (e.g. a professional taxi, bus or truck driver), you will likely face even longer periods of driving restrictions following a cardiac event. In the UK, for example, where they appear to be very serious about this, guidelines updated in 2017 called Can I Drive if I Have a Heart Condition? warn of personal fines of up to £1,000 or legal prosecution if a patient fails to notify the local Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about a recent cardiac diagnosis before driving commercially.

Even physicians know that they too can be involved if their patients who are not competent to drive because of a medical condition or treatment cause death or injury to another person while driving because the physician involved has failed in what the law calls the duty to warn. For example, in The Medical Malpractice Survival Handbook, Dr. Sandy Sanbar writes(3):

  “The failure of a physician to warn the patient or a third party of a foreseeable risk is a separate and distinct negligent act. Failure to advise the patient of known, reasonably foreseeable dangers leaves the physician open to liability for harm the patient suffers and injuries that the patient may cause to third parties.

“The courts have imposed on physicians the duty to warn when medications with potentially dangerous side effects are administered. The same duty is owed to patients engaged in any activity that may be hazardous, such as driving a car or operating machinery.”

.Generally, before you drive again, you should always get your physician’s advice. You will probably be able to drive as long as:

  • you’re recovering well from your cardiac event or hospital procedure
  • cardiac symptoms are well under control
  • you don’t have any other condition that could also affect your driving
 ♥
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  • 1. Ysander L. “The Safety of Drivers with Chronic Disease.” British Journal of Industrial Medicine. 1966;23(1):28-36.
  • 2. Veldhuijzen et al., “Effect of chronic nonmalignant pain on highway driving performance”, Pain, 122(1-2):28–35. 2006.
  • Sanbar, S.,  “Etiology of Malpractice”, The Medical Malpractice Survival Handbook, 2007.

Q:  Has your diagnosis affected your ability to drive? Have you ever had a close call while driving because of ongoing symptoms?

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NOTE FROM CAROLYN:  I wrote much more about practical day-to-day issues facing recovering heart patients in my book “A Woman’s Guide to Living with Heart Disease” . You can ask for it at your local library or favourite bookshop, or order it online (paperback, hardcover or e-book) at Amazon – or order it directly from my publisher, Johns Hopkins University Press (use their code HTWN to save 30% off the list price).

See also:

British Columbia Medical Standards for Drivers guide

How soon are heart patients safely fit to fly?

37 thoughts on “How soon are heart patients safely fit to drive?

  1. Just found this site looking for info on ICDs as I’m getting one in less than 30 days.

    I had a widow maker heart attack in mid-May, had a couple of stents put in same day, and was released the next day. No one mentioned anything about not driving.

    Since I brought myself to the hospital on my 125cc scooter, I took myself home the same way. I am concerned about the defibrillator – as my other mode of transport is my motorhome I live in full time. The scooter hitches on the back.

    And I did make it safely halfway across the country last week to be closer to family to see doctors here, and confirm the need for an ICD . Now I just need to make it back to the Southwest afterwards to my winter home.

    Doctor here said my driving would not be restricted. However, I won’t be driving it until I feel it’s safe for myself and everyone else on the road.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Janet – I’m surprised that “no one mentioned anything about not driving” before you were discharged from the hospital post-stent/heart attack. And I’m even more surprised that a physician who knows you’re scheduled for an ICD told you that your driving “would not be restricted”.

      It’s important to consider the reasons that driving restrictions for heart patients exist in most (all) jurisdictions worldwide. They exist not only for the driver’s safety, but to protect the public safety of people near these drivers – both other drivers as well as pedestrians. Many patients with ICDs implanted are known to experience complete or partial loss of consciousness, for example. This can happen anywhere of course – including while driving.

      The least-impacted driver would be one whose ICD is implanted for primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest – a person who has not yet experienced sudden cardiac arrest, but is still considered at enough risk to warrant an ICD. Even this patient would have a one-week driving restriction, post-op. But if you experience an ICD shock at any point because your device detects the threat of sudden cardiac arrest, the resulting driving restriction will be understandably longer until both your device and your cardiac health can be assessed – typically 3-6 months after the date of the shock.

      Whether you’re driving a car, a motor home or on your scooter doesn’t matter – you’ll be sharing public roads with other people. And drivers cannot possibly be the ones who get to decide if they “feel safe” enough to drive. Sudden cardiac arrest is just that: SUDDEN!

      Please re-read this article, and double-check with the cardiologists who are doing your procedure about the driving restrictions in your region. And given your recent cardiac history, it might also be a good idea to start making a Plan B for your future road transportation arrangements – particularly if you’re facing a six-month driving restriction.

      As one study on ICD driving restrictions wrote: “The privilege of driving is cherished, but driving restrictions are necessary when it poses a threat to others.”

      Take care – good luck with your ICD procedure next month. . . ♥

      Like

  2. The driving situation is a major factor in me refusing Aortic valve and Aortic aneurysm surgery (unicuspid valve dysfunction at 30).

    Unfortunately, in the U.S. I am only guaranteed 12 weeks by the Family and Medical Leave Act before I lose my job and by extension my health insurance. Can’t imagine putting my family into complete bankruptcy due to being unable to get back to work quickly enough.

    It’s a shame that my family will be better off financially due to life insurance, than if I had the surgery.

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    1. Alexander, that seems a horrible choice to make. I’m guessing that you’ve been told by a doctor that you’d be unable to return to work or drive for three months following your surgery, or perhaps you’re already taking medical leave – so the clock has started. . .

      I sure hope you’ll be able to do both: have successful surgery and recover uneventfully long before your 3-month medical leave is up.

      Good luck to you. . .

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      1. It is an unfortunate choice to make, but I haven’t been able to find an alternative.

        I have Psoriasis, while that may not sound like a big deal it almost killed me 13 years ago at 17.

        I had my appendix out and the day after had a case of erythrodermic psoriasis which kept me hospitalized and bedridden for almost two months. The cause of it wasn’t specifically mentioned, and no one really seems to understand this version of psoriasis but if a relatively minor surgery brought it on, I hate to think of the state I would be in post-sternotomy.

        I read one study that put the fatality rate of erythrodermic psoriasis at 64%! I would like to believe it won’t happen again, but I have all the markers for it (male, unstable plaque psoriasis, Koebner phenomenon, and most importantly a history of it following trauma).

        It’s strange to feel completely healthy, weightlifting and running 5 days a week, but be diagnosed with moderate/severe aortic stenosis and an aortic aneurysm at 30. Worse is being stuck choosing a procedure that has a very high chance of outright killing me due to the psoriasis, or possibly sending me into the legions of people financially ruined by medical bills.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I see what you mean, Alexander. . . This sucks!

          With that rare medical history, it must be impossible to choose one evil over the other, and especially scary at such a young age.

          Take care, stay safe out there. . .

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  3. I had a Double Bypass 7 weeks ago and can drive short distances and find that if I try drive longer my sternum hurts when I turn. I’m going to give it at least another 4 weeks before I attempt longer trips ie 100km or more.

    Open Heart Surgery is a massive operation and I lost my Grandfather/Father and Brother all to Heart Failure. Don’t take chances.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Very smart decision, Craig. Your sternum should not hurt while you at the wheel, turning or otherwise (a very significant distraction while driving!!!)

      Take at least the four more weeks off and see how it feels then, and if it’s still hurting then, mention it to your doctor.

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  4. While I realize that microvascular coronary angina is not equivalent to the more serious heart issues discussed in this post, when it is happening, a patient can understandably be confused about whether it is the “big one” or just a “rehearsal.”

    Now that I have experienced it many times, I find myself feeling less “What in the cat hair is happening?” and more “Oh, you again; I bet you are just faking me out. Go away.” However, after having driven myself to church not long ago, the weird manifestation of angina that masquerades as jaw pain surfaced during the homily. No chest pain. Just jaw pain. Mild, not jolting. Did not seem dental in origin. Hmm. The sermon, while not exactly riveting, did not deserve a response of angina.

    I discreetly took out three baby aspirin and slipped them into my mouth (I can’t take nitro due to very low BP, and my doctor said baby aspirin would be wise to take in case it turns out to be the beginning of a heart attack). I survived the angina (and the homily), but the jaw pain lingered after mass. I had only a seven minute drive home. I waited until I thought the jaw pain was decreasing and finally headed down the road.

    Was I being irresponsible since this odd jaw pain was still present, although much weaker? Jaw pain seems less scary than chest pain, but it is probably foolhardy to rationalize it away. My question: should a patient experiencing angina (whether in an odd place like the jaw or classic chest pain) never get behind a wheel during an episode, even if it has diminished considerably? Mine can last for fifteen minutes to several hours. The jaw pain usually lasts no more than an hour. Chest symptoms can go on even longer. It is usually mild–sometimes just chest pressure—not always pain. I normally would totally avoid driving, of course. But what if a person is kind of “stuck” and the symptoms are very mild? I would never forgive myself if I harmed another person while driving when I should have stayed off the road.

    I think I know the answer (stay off the road/call a taxi/wait it out). But it is easy to minimize my variety of angina now that I have had time to get to know this unwelcome intruder in my life. It comes without exertion–just very randomly. It makes me wonder if I should not drive alone on long trips. I am still getting used to this “new abnormal.” I know others have it way, way worse than I. But I do not want to be cavalier and harm anyone.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Marie – when people ask questions like yours, I find it’s often helpful to flip it around and ask what your response would be to your daughter, mother, sister, close friend who asked you the same question. I’m guessing that you might be far less likely to minimize symptoms in others.

      For example, re not driving alone on long trips – what do you think your very loud advice to daughter/mother/sister/close friend would quite likely be?

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      1. Mea culpa. You got me on that one!

        Of course, prudence is the best course. You bet I would advise my family to be cautious. It is easy to minimize my own symptoms precisely because they are actually mostly very mild, especially compared to those of you with angina that would make driving impossible due to intense pain. I am clearly guilty of telling myself that maybe it is not worthy of concern. I often feel like an imposter in this community of heart patients. While I have a presumptive diagnosis of MVD, I have not undergone the more refined testing yet. My mild symptoms make me wonder if maybe I have a less troubling degree of MVD. I honestly feel fine most of the time. But something is going on, and as much as I would like to wish this away, the episodes are increasing. Sigh.

        During my first episode of nighttime breathlessness last December (nothing scary–just odd) and after awakening with chest pressure (not pain), I had to be persuaded by a doctor friend on duty that day at the hospital that I really should go to the ER. He said if I were his mother, he would be taking me to the hospital. I did not want to make a fuss, especially on a Sunday. So I called my cardiologist and he returned my call an hour later, asking if I had any nitro around (nope–can’t take it, remember?). He mulled it over, clearly not sure I even needed to go to be seen yet. Finally he said to go ahead to the ER and that the hospital would call him if he were needed. He seemed casual about it, so I took a shower first. Ah, vanity. I was rather out of breath from that shower, which was odd, but still, no rush, right? Ha. When I got there, the ER doctor was concerned about my EKG, pointing out the problem area right after the big spike on the mysterious set of lines. So they kept me overnight, even though I was still thinking this is probably nothing. I had an angiogram the next day. Verdict: endothelial dysfunction/coronary microvascular disease.

        No one has really given me guidance about angina. The interventional cardiologist who made that MVD diagnosis said he did not need to see me again. Go hiking, do whatever. Eat a Mediterranean diet. That’s it. I was so relieved not to need a stent that I felt like I had a “get out of jail free” card. It later dawned on me that actually, I probably need to see someone with a lot of experience diagnosing and guiding MVD patients, which means a trip out of state (still pondering where to go).

        I will take the advice I would give others and proceed with caution regarding driving. Does everyone with angina pretty much need to stop whatever they are doing at the time, even if it is not very painful?

        Thanks for the wake up call. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with this novice in the land of heart disease.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I had double bypass surgery, it’s been only 9 days and although every day I’m feeling a little better, driving is the last thing on my mind . My Health and the safety of others come first. If it’s 4 weeks or 6 so be it, don’t be stupid, listen to your Dr and your body

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Hi! This post seemed quite relatable, as I know someone with a pacemaker who died while driving.

    It’s important to take precautions and safety measures while you have been diagnosed and undergoing treatment for a major ailment, rare condition or transplantation.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for your comment. Most people living with pacemakers can safely drive, but stories like your friend who died while driving remind us that a heart condition can impact not only our own personal safety but that of innocent people on the road.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. The restrictions don’t sound too harsh. I waited some time to drive after my heart attack, not just for my safety but for all the other people’s safety on the road. After my angioplasty I waited for about 2 weeks cause I was really tired and my right leg groin was still sore.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You were very smart, Johanna, to respect the signals your body was sending you. You likely intuitively knew that – in case you’d have to slam on the brakes suddenly by moving your sore right leg quickly – you’d be less competent to do that safely (for you or for whoever was needing you to brake!)

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  8. It took me a while after open heart surgery to feel comfortable in the driver’s seat. It was due to the sensitivity of my sternum. I would advise anyone to be careful after open heart surgery until the sternum is healed. For me, it was about 6 months.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. YES! Good example, Judith – just because the doctor says “six weeks” doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll feel ready to drive again in six weeks. We need to pay attention to what our bodies are telling us, individualy, not just to the calendar.

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  9. You’d be surprised what altitude changes can do to people with heart damage. At sea level, I function as my new normal and driving is ….well…just the aggravation of gridlock.

    Except for the knowledge that if I were to have another heart event while stuck in gridlock on the highway, the ambulance will have a difficult time getting me into the heart cath facility to spare further tissue damage. So, I usually avoid heavy traffic – who needs it anyway!

    I found that while visiting cities at a higher elevation, I didn’t have chest pains or shortness of breath…but I did have an attention deficit. I found myself looking for oncoming traffic – as normal – but the delay in processing the information meant that it was easy to be too slow to pull into traffic. Being aware of the altitude impact meant that I needed to slow down and be more cautious with how I drive while at altitude. You kinda feel a little foggy thinking.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hadn’t thought about altitude while driving, Anne! We do know that high altitude can increase both blood pressure and blood levels of stress hormones, so it’s not surprising that it might be associated with that “fuzzy thinking” too. I too prefer not to drive in heavy traffic (but it’s often easier to avoid predictable peak rush hour traffic than it is to avoid unexpected gridlock caused by road construction!) Maybe best to have a nice calming Enya CD in the car, I think…

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        1. That’s what I’d expect, too, Anne – except that most guidelines on driving restrictions following diagnosis tend to be short-term while the patient’s body is adapting to new meds and healing (both physical and psychological, depending on the cardiac event) no matter what the altitude. If the “weakened heart” was a permanent situation, I’m guessing that would be a whole other issue.

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  10. I had a major heart attack on a hiking trail where I lay for over an hour expecting to die before help arrived. I did not have surgery, only a stent, but I did not drive for a few weeks because my mind was not “present” a lot of the time. I was continually re-living the heart attack and did not have the concentration required for driving or many other things.

    My ability to concentrate and pay attention was the gauge I used to decide when to get behind the wheel of a car again.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hello Lisa and thanks so much for bringing up this very important point. Being able to assess our own ability to concentrate – and then making the decision NOT to drive while impaired – is the key.

      By the way, I’m curious if your frightening heart attack experience while hiking made you hesitant to go hiking again?

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      1. Yes, it sure has. I didn’t realize until you asked that I have avoided hiking since the heart attack. I finally joined a gym and I am going 3 mornings/week at 6AM (before I can wake up and think of an excuse not to go). The owner is also a trainer and he has given me a routine that is half conditioning and half strengthening. Now I don’t feel so guilty that I don’t want to hike right now. Maybe next year?

        Your scary driving experience reminds me of being an exhausted mother of young children and trying to think and drive while they were fighting in the back seat…. If people really knew what motherhood does to us, we would never be allowed to drive!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. First of all, congrats on your early-morning gym workouts – good for you, and good for your heart. One of the reasons I asked is because of a study I read years ago about post-traumatic stress disorder following a catastrophic health crisis; researchers suggested that it is worsened if there’s an element of abandonment (e.g. you lying there believing you will die before help arrives). So, no wonder you’d prefer to put off hiking for the time being.

          I had to laugh out loud at your motherhood driving story! Reminds me of my sister who, many years ago when her three kids were little, kept a wooden spoon in the car so she could use it to reach back to whack one or more of them in the back seat when they started fighting – WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. I know that smacking your kidlets with a wooden spoon is not at all funny, but honestly, that image of the harried Mum at the wheel trying to keep one eye on the traffic while one arm is waving indiscriminately behind her trying to make contact with screeching children now makes our family roar with laughter!

          Maybe we should extend these driving restrictions to exhausted mothers, too…?

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  11. When I consider the first six weeks after my open heart surgery, I know I wouldn’t have been able to do it: A-fib, very low blood pressure at one point, and other oddities. These all sorted themselves out and I went back to driving but I wouldn’t have dared doing so in the first six weeks. The main issue seems to be convincing some patients to keep off the road.

    BTW, I’ve heard that one of the reasons why we’re advised not to drive until the sternum is healed is because airbags can cause horrendous injury if they’re deployed. The scenario is: you pass out, hit the car in front of you and cause who-knows-what, then get injured by your own airbag. Have you heard this Carolyn or is it an urban myth?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Deborah! Thanks for this – your own story illustrates nicely how those 6-week driving restrictions might be only the starting point as long as debilitating symptoms persist!

      In answer to your airbag question, YES we do know that there at least three major cardiovascular problems linked to airbag deployment: aortic transection, tricuspid valve injury, and delayed cardiac rupture (not to mention an unhealed sternum – ouch!)

      I once read about the case of a women injured in a car accident who was then diagnosed with myocardial infarction (heart attack) because of significant changes to her EKG readings consistent with STEMI, that later turned out to be just a cardiac contusion caused by her airbag, not a heart attack at all. That’s how significant the damage caused by airbags can be.

      But to me, these cases just reinforce the real danger here, and that’s to the public. I think drivers should be at least as worried about hurting the poor innocent schmucks out there as they are about hurting their own unhealed sternums.

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  12. I was never given any driving restrictions, either after developing severe congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms, being placed on new meds that greatly affected blood pressure and cognition, after my ICD (implantable defibrillator) surgery, or after receiving a total of 6 stents in two procedures.

    But those meds caused unpredictable near-syncope episodes, particularly 10-15 minutes after eating lunch, so I placed myself on driving restrictions: Didn’t drive at all if it was in the 2 hours after a meal, and drove only very short distances at other times – and we live in the country, where there’s no highways or busy roads to contend with. My husband or a friend would drive me when needed, but I did stay home a lot!

    Thankfully I’m no longer on beta blockers (the cause of the near-syncope episodes), and my cognition and energy have improved as a result of that and other meds changes, plus my CHF is totally controlled for now. I’m enjoying being able to drive on good days, but I know it could change, and if so, I will make the responsible decision to not drive again. I don’t want to be the cause of an accident, even if no one is hurt.

    Holly

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Holly! It’s almost impossible to believe that not one physician gave you any instructions on driving restrictions given your significant diagnoses and symptoms! You were a responsible self-aware driver, but what about all the patients who aren’t like you? I’m happy to hear that your HF is nicely managed these days – enjoy your drive!

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