compared to some of you!
just had a cardio visit yesterday...doc wants to switch and up my drugs, so I was just browsing around, looking for some info, and I found this!
reading your stories prompts so many questions. I guess I didn't realize how "in the dark" I am about this disease, even though I've known about it for 16 years. everything I've seen or read or been told is oh so vague.
considering my depth of knowledge on other nerdy pursuits, some medical in nature, I'm aghast to learn how ignorant I am of my own situation in this case. live and learn, eh?
well, I don't know where to start. I guess whats bothering me today is the prospect of increasing my beta-blockers, when I generally feel that this treatment is worse than the disease itself. I've had a love/hate relationship with ccb's and b-blockers since I started taking them...reluctantly, many years ago. at times, I went "drug-free", and felt much better, overall. yet now, this doc has somehow convinced me to not only stay on the meds, but actually go UP, thinking that I'll feel better on a higher dose. seems to me that if a little bit makes me feel bad...more makes me feel worse....even more still is going to pretty much put me to sleep!
I know...I dont' think we're supposed to talk about specific issues in this particular forum. so let me just tell you that my disease was not diagnosed as the result of an inquiry into any sort of symptomatically prompted complaint on my part. it was accidentially "discovered" in a very thorough career-ending physical exam. I never would have known I had anything wrong with me, otherwise. yeah, I get winded when I run up a flight of stairs. who doesn't? I had occasionally noticed a racing heart beat. too much caffeinne, right? skipped heart beats...same thing. well...apparently not. LOL!
(who knew that you aren't supposed to be constantly aware of your heartbeat? nobody ever told me that. thump, thump, thump,....). So anyway, I've been faithfully going to my routine followups over the years, getting my echo's done, etc. But I have no idea what my "gradient" is. I have no idea what the thickness of the septum is. I am told that nothing has changed over the years, and that's a good thing. I do know that there is obstruction (how much, I don't know), and some mild mitral valve regurge. (tiny amount..doc says). no family history.
What I do know is that I am not particularly pleased with the meds, and I'm not looking forward to taking more. I am looking forward to chatting more with you folks, and learning.
I will offer this one jewel of information: if you're male, and interested in child bearing...avoid the calcium channel blockers.
mention this to your cardiologist, and he'll look at you like you've got 2 heads. but ANY reproductive specialist will tell you the same thing. why they don't print this in BRIGHT RED LETTERS on the bottles...I can only theorize....
-Chuck
clueless no more....

just had a cardio visit yesterday...doc wants to switch and up my drugs, so I was just browsing around, looking for some info, and I found this!
reading your stories prompts so many questions. I guess I didn't realize how "in the dark" I am about this disease, even though I've known about it for 16 years. everything I've seen or read or been told is oh so vague.
considering my depth of knowledge on other nerdy pursuits, some medical in nature, I'm aghast to learn how ignorant I am of my own situation in this case. live and learn, eh?
well, I don't know where to start. I guess whats bothering me today is the prospect of increasing my beta-blockers, when I generally feel that this treatment is worse than the disease itself. I've had a love/hate relationship with ccb's and b-blockers since I started taking them...reluctantly, many years ago. at times, I went "drug-free", and felt much better, overall. yet now, this doc has somehow convinced me to not only stay on the meds, but actually go UP, thinking that I'll feel better on a higher dose. seems to me that if a little bit makes me feel bad...more makes me feel worse....even more still is going to pretty much put me to sleep!
I know...I dont' think we're supposed to talk about specific issues in this particular forum. so let me just tell you that my disease was not diagnosed as the result of an inquiry into any sort of symptomatically prompted complaint on my part. it was accidentially "discovered" in a very thorough career-ending physical exam. I never would have known I had anything wrong with me, otherwise. yeah, I get winded when I run up a flight of stairs. who doesn't? I had occasionally noticed a racing heart beat. too much caffeinne, right? skipped heart beats...same thing. well...apparently not. LOL!

What I do know is that I am not particularly pleased with the meds, and I'm not looking forward to taking more. I am looking forward to chatting more with you folks, and learning.
I will offer this one jewel of information: if you're male, and interested in child bearing...avoid the calcium channel blockers.

-Chuck
clueless no more....
Comment