6th October 2004
Crabbyroad,
Thanks for responding to my thread.
No other meds except Theophylline which is to help reduce the shortness of breath while under strenuous physical work and or just walking. Albuquerque is at nearly 5300 above sea level and in the summer the air gets pretty thin. I have also experienced similar symptoms while living in California near Riverside which is much lower in elevation. There the docs wrote it off as the smog. Here they think it is the altitude. My O2 saturation is OK but my lung capacity is only about 80 % of normal. I am a non-smoker and no lung problems other than capacity were noted.
As for the blood work, every thing is with normal limits and all other systems seem to be working fine.
The beta blockers were supposed to have some sort of extended value for "Toning up or conditioning" the blood vessels which is a positive side effect for this type of drug. Of course as you mentioned the BP goes way down as well as the pulse. That is why I could not tolerate them.
I have worn halter type monitors several times for one to two weeks at a time and no major events were noted. Also have had the nuclear scan of the heart back on the day 9/11 happened. Those results prompted further testing.
I have also had several doppler ultrasounds of the heart, the latest being several weeks ago and I have not yet seen the results of this test. I am scheduled to see the cardiologist at the VA near the end of the month. The tech seemed very adamant that I needed to see the doc that afternoon but no one called from his office so I would guess the test results were not life threatening. I have been told by a staff doc at the VA while doing a disability evaluation that it appears according to my records that I have had a heart attack. I then told the doc that I was never informed of that before.
I eat enough salt to make normal people or those with heart problems fearful.
I have had resting BPs of 60/40 while recovering from knee surgery. The tech asked me if I had any heart pains and I said no. Either that time or the other time I had knee surgery, while getting ready to "Leave" the operating room, my BP dropped big time but this was attributed to releasing the tourniquet and blood rushing into the lower leg. I was flat on my back and nearly passed out.
Another time while feeding the cats at around 0300 hours, as I was reaching into the dishwasher for a spoon, a small but extremely sharp pain hit me in the back as I leaned forward. In less than two steps, I was on the floor passed out. I awoke in a cold sweat and could not move without feeling dizzy/light headed for about 10 minutes. I also had some difficulty breathing but did not gasp for air as asthmatic patients do. It seems that pain can also trigger this syncope in a "Heart beat".
Most of my problems seem to come either in the middle of the night and or early morning. Numbness only in the left shoulder and down to the finger tips but after having several shoulder surgeries, it is hard to tell if those problems are not related to the ortho work or not. No unbearable chest pains although at times while under absolutely zero stress, I do feel what I call an achy feeling in the left chest.
I personally believe that while none of the above or before mentioned symptoms/conditions are serious, when combined they seem to make things a little interesting at times. That is why it seems so hard for the docs to come up with a good treatment plan.
Terry
Thanks for responding to my thread.
No other meds except Theophylline which is to help reduce the shortness of breath while under strenuous physical work and or just walking. Albuquerque is at nearly 5300 above sea level and in the summer the air gets pretty thin. I have also experienced similar symptoms while living in California near Riverside which is much lower in elevation. There the docs wrote it off as the smog. Here they think it is the altitude. My O2 saturation is OK but my lung capacity is only about 80 % of normal. I am a non-smoker and no lung problems other than capacity were noted.
As for the blood work, every thing is with normal limits and all other systems seem to be working fine.
The beta blockers were supposed to have some sort of extended value for "Toning up or conditioning" the blood vessels which is a positive side effect for this type of drug. Of course as you mentioned the BP goes way down as well as the pulse. That is why I could not tolerate them.
I have worn halter type monitors several times for one to two weeks at a time and no major events were noted. Also have had the nuclear scan of the heart back on the day 9/11 happened. Those results prompted further testing.
I have also had several doppler ultrasounds of the heart, the latest being several weeks ago and I have not yet seen the results of this test. I am scheduled to see the cardiologist at the VA near the end of the month. The tech seemed very adamant that I needed to see the doc that afternoon but no one called from his office so I would guess the test results were not life threatening. I have been told by a staff doc at the VA while doing a disability evaluation that it appears according to my records that I have had a heart attack. I then told the doc that I was never informed of that before.
I eat enough salt to make normal people or those with heart problems fearful.
I have had resting BPs of 60/40 while recovering from knee surgery. The tech asked me if I had any heart pains and I said no. Either that time or the other time I had knee surgery, while getting ready to "Leave" the operating room, my BP dropped big time but this was attributed to releasing the tourniquet and blood rushing into the lower leg. I was flat on my back and nearly passed out.
Another time while feeding the cats at around 0300 hours, as I was reaching into the dishwasher for a spoon, a small but extremely sharp pain hit me in the back as I leaned forward. In less than two steps, I was on the floor passed out. I awoke in a cold sweat and could not move without feeling dizzy/light headed for about 10 minutes. I also had some difficulty breathing but did not gasp for air as asthmatic patients do. It seems that pain can also trigger this syncope in a "Heart beat".
Most of my problems seem to come either in the middle of the night and or early morning. Numbness only in the left shoulder and down to the finger tips but after having several shoulder surgeries, it is hard to tell if those problems are not related to the ortho work or not. No unbearable chest pains although at times while under absolutely zero stress, I do feel what I call an achy feeling in the left chest.
I personally believe that while none of the above or before mentioned symptoms/conditions are serious, when combined they seem to make things a little interesting at times. That is why it seems so hard for the docs to come up with a good treatment plan.
Terry