Went to the doctor

and it doesn't mean your life is over if that's what you have.
I want you to read this; it comes from the forum for the book Younger Next Year:

exercising with heart failure
I'm almost all the way thru the women's version pf Younger Next Year and just wanted to say I love the book and that this plan can work for for those with heart failure. I rarely see exercise mentioned in relation to heart failure (heart muscle mediated not coronary artery disease) but following the heart rate work out plan, working within my limits, and working closely with my cardiologists I have completed 2 triathlons and several 5 ks. Also I think exercising has has increased my recovery confidence and changed my definition of myself from a chronic cardiac patient (which I still am) to an athlete. I just wanted to say that and see if there are others out there exercising with cardiomyopathy.

It got hard when you got fat :(. I *hate* it, but I see it every time I'm around my mom. People (including doctors) will interact with me in preference to her all the time. And trust me, it feels wrong to have the doctor listen more to me than to their patient.

Whatever you do, don't panic. All the things which seem likely are treatable. You can and will find a doctor who will listen to you.

The health care system is in a really sad state. It seems that we as patients are required to take a more active roll and essentially become advocates for ourselves. It is good that you are doing research. I can understand the loyalty that you feel toward your DR. 20 yrs is a long time. The reality is that your DR is betraying your loyalty by not actively listening to your concerns and proactively treating your health. You are right when you say you should not diagnos yourself, you can't treat yourself so why bother. It is really important to educate yourself so that you can guide your DRs toward your better health. You say you have symptoms more like hypo-thyroid, maybe your thyroid is getting ready to blow, maybe you are having endocrine problems. I imagine that you have really scaried yourself with the thought of congestive heart failure. What I really want to know from you is WHAT is the name of your new DR and WHEN is your appointment. If I seem a bit harash please understand that I am speaking from experience, my SO has a life altering disease and I can not sit silent we have to fight so hard to get DR to listen but once one does good things happen.

Definately get this issue checked out. See if your present or new dr. would run a BNP, not a BMP panel on you. Its beta natriuretic peptide, something we use to determine if and how bad a person is in CHR (congestive heart failure) and how to properly treat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

I don't want to scare you, but CHF was my first thought.

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Same here--I didn't want to say it, but that is exactly what popped into my mind with those symptoms.

What about caffeine? I had a period of time in my life where I was drinking Diet Coke like nobody's business, and I also had a stressful job. The caffeine was doing a number on my heart rate. Do you consume a lot of caffeine? And, if not that, do you stay hydrated? A fast heart rate could be about dehydration, too.

Karen

Well, I don't think I consume a huge amount of caffiene. I drink usually 1 to 2 cups of coffee in the morning, then I will drink usually 3 20 oz bottles of water and then in the evening I will have a glass of tea.
That is my normal intake, when I go on bike rides you can add a couple of water bottles of iced water with that.
Of course lately with the down pours of rain we have been getting bike riding has been out completely. I'm sick of rain.

ah well, it was a shot, anyway.

Karen