After I got my ICD week before last, a nurse told me that I was never to allow my blood pressure to be taken in my left arm or to have blood drawn from there. Both Ed, my husband, and I heard this. But I cannot find anything online or in any of my materials that says this. I normally take my own BP in my left arm and the vein there is really a super easy one to hit, so I would like to know if this is really true.
My second question is about cardiogenic vs. bronchiogenic beta blockers. My allergist told me to ask to be on the beta blocker that has the most effect on the heart while having the least effect on the bronchi. I told her I was having a very hard time distinguishing the cause of my wheezing between asthma and chf. I am on 100 mg of Toprol XL and was told by the cardiologist who originally prescribed this that he would not prescribe more because it would be bad for my asthma. I looked online and found this site:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Compari...,19-17,00.html It compares beta blockers and lists metaprolol (Toprol) as one of a number that have more effect on the heart than on the bronchi, but did not find anything that would indicate which was best of this group. Does anyone have access to this info? I am rooting for Toprol because neither I nor Dr. Gilligan want to change my meds when I have so little time to adjust or check them out during my trips home.
Finally, my allergist also said that one way to tell the difference between chf and asthma was to use a peak flow meter. I asked whether chf wouldn't have the same effect on peak flow as asthma and she said that it would have some, but not as much. Does anyone know anything about this, like how much would really make the difference.
Rhoda
My second question is about cardiogenic vs. bronchiogenic beta blockers. My allergist told me to ask to be on the beta blocker that has the most effect on the heart while having the least effect on the bronchi. I told her I was having a very hard time distinguishing the cause of my wheezing between asthma and chf. I am on 100 mg of Toprol XL and was told by the cardiologist who originally prescribed this that he would not prescribe more because it would be bad for my asthma. I looked online and found this site:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Compari...,19-17,00.html It compares beta blockers and lists metaprolol (Toprol) as one of a number that have more effect on the heart than on the bronchi, but did not find anything that would indicate which was best of this group. Does anyone have access to this info? I am rooting for Toprol because neither I nor Dr. Gilligan want to change my meds when I have so little time to adjust or check them out during my trips home.
Finally, my allergist also said that one way to tell the difference between chf and asthma was to use a peak flow meter. I asked whether chf wouldn't have the same effect on peak flow as asthma and she said that it would have some, but not as much. Does anyone know anything about this, like how much would really make the difference.
Rhoda
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