[mukey]

Part of my plans since selling up Inspiration/Trojan Diving a couple of months ago is to get Dive fit and start 'proper' diving again (as opposed to the odd dip when I go abroad on holiday). The fitness part is (or WAS) starting to come and I'm getting my kit back together, but on Friday, I had a bit of an 'episode'.

I was working over at the marina preparing for the weekends 'Boat show' when I started experiencing Chest pains, lightheadedness and neck pains. At first I tried to shrug it off but it kept going. I managed to get a lift to the local hospital and before I could say 'How many people in that waiting room ?' found myself in the acute coronary card unit with as many wires coming off me as a BT switchroom.

Following stacks of ECG's and heart monitoring I was told I had an irregular heartbeat at 170bpm which needed to be slowed with drugs and Cardioverted (?). Don't know the technical details but they gave me Saltanol, a Magnesium infusion. This was followed by a large dose of Valium and they then Defib'ed my heart to get it back into sinus rythm (Scarey stuff). They let me out of hospital yesterday morning with BP and heart rate back to normal and now I have to go back for tests to see if there is an underlying cause.

Notwithstanding any such underlying cause, does anybody know if having had the AF episode in itself can cause a problem with diving ?

Should I put my plans to get back in the water on hold ? Is there anybody on the boards that has experience of either one off or regular episodes of AF ?

I'd really appreciate any diving related information.