medications and "stiffness" of heart muscle

[cynthiaG]

Re: medications and "stiffness" of heart muscle

yup...thanks guys. I plan on having a talk with my PC doctor next Tuesday when I go for a physical. He teaches and lectures about HCM at UMASS hospital. I've been kind of wondering if I should drop my local cardiologist. Seems like you have to have severe chest pains for you to be seen. I've been having more funny beats and can feel it beating at times more forceful. I called a week ago and the nurse told me to have my thyroid checked (I'm on a med for that). It came back normal. That's the second time I was told to go to my primary care doctor. I still see (every 3 months) the docs at Tufts-NEMC...

[Sarah]

Re: medications and "stiffness" of heart muscle

medication isn't going to make the actual muscle softer, but beta-blockers reduce the strength of the contraction and that is good as it makes the blood flow through the heart better and closer to normal than it would if the heart was beating as hard as it could.

am I explaining the difference between the soft tissue and the soft contraction well enough?

s

[shirleymahoney]

Re: medications and "stiffness" of heart muscle

well i don't know about meds for a stiff heart but, the dr. i was going to said he was trying pacing me to try to get my heart to relax, he said he was pacing me at 60 beats per min, but my icd reading said it was pacing my heart 99% of the time, i know beta blockers help relax the heart and makes your heart beat better, but he said it would be a slight possibility that it would work, and it hasn't so far, but maybe with the right combonation it would work, i don't know, i left that cadio doctor, i couldn't trust him anymore, Cynthia take care, maybe someone else can answer better than I



p.s THEY HAVE BEEN PACING ME FOR 6months now
Shirley

[cynthiaG]

are there any meds that help or improve stiffness of the heart muscle?