Then, Ovaltine is not the only reason. But in my case, it definitely triggers it. Recently, decaf coffee started to affect my heart!
As for magnesium, try (if you like) the powder! You can find it at Costco “CALM”. My new GP prefers it to pills!
Back on the merry-go-round, or just caffeine?
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As for magnesium, try (if you like) the powder! You can find it at Costco “CALM”. My new GP prefers it to pills!
No Lasix -- my heart (thanks to the new pacemaker) is pumping enough blood that my kidneys are able to do their job.
I've seen the powdered magnesium but haven't tried it. This actually DOES calm you -- my wife used it for a while years ago. I don't remember why we stopped using it.
I've seen the powdered magnesium but haven't tried it. This actually DOES calm you -- my wife used it for a while years ago. I don't remember why we stopped using it.
I've been getting short of breath, I can work for 20 minutes then have to rest for 30. It's no fun -- and I have a LOT to get done (house flooded, looking for valuable stuff before crews tear everything apart).
I saw my Cardiologist on Friday - he synchronized my heartbeats (by modifying my pacemaker settings), but now I'm getting short of breath more easily, and his 'fix' to my pacemaker may not have been the fix I needed. I'll call him today, and see if he has time to talk to me.
This heart thing has been a roller coaster ride -- I'm fairly OK with it, but it scares the crap out of my wife.
I saw my Cardiologist on Friday - he synchronized my heartbeats (by modifying my pacemaker settings), but now I'm getting short of breath more easily, and his 'fix' to my pacemaker may not have been the fix I needed. I'll call him today, and see if he has time to talk to me.
This heart thing has been a roller coaster ride -- I'm fairly OK with it, but it scares the crap out of my wife.
He saw me today (Monday). He turned the accelerometer on my pacemaker 'on' - it speeds the pace when I move.
He took a chest x-ray, and we'll do blood work.
It probably doesn't help that the temperature outside is around 100, and the indoor temperature is also climbing.
I'll do what I can for now, then probably quit a bit early.
My advice for anyone -- don't get a leak in your plumbing (as if you can stop it).
He took a chest x-ray, and we'll do blood work.
It probably doesn't help that the temperature outside is around 100, and the indoor temperature is also climbing.
I'll do what I can for now, then probably quit a bit early.
My advice for anyone -- don't get a leak in your plumbing (as if you can stop it).
Things may be getting worse.
I saw my cardiologist yesterday because I was so short of breath on Sunday.
He didn't make a big deal of it after he looked at my chest X-Ray but it looked like there were white masses in my right lung. He then ordered a battery of tests that I'll have done this morning. I know he was probably thinking Cancer. If this wasn't just an artifact on the X-Ray, I'm thinking that it's a fungal infection from the mold in my house -- probably treatable with antifungals.
I'll update this when I know more -- if I'm not hospitalized quickly and don't come back...
I saw my cardiologist yesterday because I was so short of breath on Sunday.
He didn't make a big deal of it after he looked at my chest X-Ray but it looked like there were white masses in my right lung. He then ordered a battery of tests that I'll have done this morning. I know he was probably thinking Cancer. If this wasn't just an artifact on the X-Ray, I'm thinking that it's a fungal infection from the mold in my house -- probably treatable with antifungals.
I'll update this when I know more -- if I'm not hospitalized quickly and don't come back...
Crossing fingers for you that this is something easily treatable.
It took a day for me to finally go to the lab for testing (I know, I should have just wasted Monday waiting for the lab to take me). My discomfort from the lack of respiratory efficiency appears to have been compensated for by an increase in blood pressure. Unless I bend over, I don't even feel any respiratory difficulty.
Blood cultures may take until tomorrow (I'm not sure if they take two days or three).
I'm trying to finish things up (as much as I can) today -- bringing stuff that I've already gone through to the hotel, writing instructions to my wife on how to do certain things that I've been taking care of (paying bills, etc)., signing over pink slips in case she wants to sell one or both cars, and other things, just in case things don't go well once I finally have myself checked out at the hospital (I fully expect to be admitted, to possibly have a bronchoscopy to confirm what the hell it is), and a round of antifungal - if I'm lucky, I can maybe get a prescription for antifungal meds (if the lung spots are caused by what I think is causing this fast growing thing (my lungs were clear in July - the stuff has invaded my lungs quite a bit (if my glance at the CXR was correct), and will continue its invasion until I get this taken care of.
Now - back to work for as long as I can.
Blood cultures may take until tomorrow (I'm not sure if they take two days or three).
I'm trying to finish things up (as much as I can) today -- bringing stuff that I've already gone through to the hotel, writing instructions to my wife on how to do certain things that I've been taking care of (paying bills, etc)., signing over pink slips in case she wants to sell one or both cars, and other things, just in case things don't go well once I finally have myself checked out at the hospital (I fully expect to be admitted, to possibly have a bronchoscopy to confirm what the hell it is), and a round of antifungal - if I'm lucky, I can maybe get a prescription for antifungal meds (if the lung spots are caused by what I think is causing this fast growing thing (my lungs were clear in July - the stuff has invaded my lungs quite a bit (if my glance at the CXR was correct), and will continue its invasion until I get this taken care of.
Now - back to work for as long as I can.
Praying for you and your wife.
Maybe I was just being an alarmist about the X-ray and my self-diagnosis. My cardiologist looked at the X-Ray - which looked to me as if there was a large, cloudy, lighter area than what I considered to be the look of 'normal' lung tissue.
I connected the rapid growth (my CXR was unremarkable a month earlier) to my exposure to mold while I cleaned out my house.
My blood pressure is rising - and I attributed the rise to my heart working harder to compensate for decreased lung function.
I run out of breath more easily - but this might be related to higher blood pressure.
My thinking now is that if the doctor saw the same thing that I did, he would probably had me go straight to the hospital to check things out.
He should have seen some of my lab reports yesterday, but they were probably normal enough that there was no reason to call me about them.
Maybe I'm being too much of an alarmist.
Thanks for your messages of support.
I'll update this if things change.
I connected the rapid growth (my CXR was unremarkable a month earlier) to my exposure to mold while I cleaned out my house.
My blood pressure is rising - and I attributed the rise to my heart working harder to compensate for decreased lung function.
I run out of breath more easily - but this might be related to higher blood pressure.
My thinking now is that if the doctor saw the same thing that I did, he would probably had me go straight to the hospital to check things out.
He should have seen some of my lab reports yesterday, but they were probably normal enough that there was no reason to call me about them.
Maybe I'm being too much of an alarmist.
Thanks for your messages of support.
I'll update this if things change.
New update - 9/25/23 - TIA two weeks ago - no known cause. Five days ago -- two broken ribs.
Isn't life fun?
Isn't life fun?
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
yep ...
because I'm curious:
- what was your INR
- are you taking aspirin (if yes in what dose and frequency)
INR was 3.7 -- a bit higher than usual (for some reason, I may have taken an extra dose of warfarin - and I NEVER do this). The extra anticoagulation may have helped protect me from clots.
I take 81 mg of aspirin nightly -- the rib break was around 5:30 AM
(Did that 'Indian fella' know something that we don't?)
I take 81 mg of aspirin nightly -- the rib break was around 5:30 AM
(Did that 'Indian fella' know something that we don't?)
I am so sorry about all the stress you are having to deal with right now. I pray that things smoothe out and you’re able to find your peace again.
ATHENS1964
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2019
- Messages
- 457
Have you been tested for osteoporosis?
I don't think so - but even without osteoporosis, a fall from four feet into the side of a steel bathtub would probably break ribs. I suspect that if I had osteoporosis, my injuries would have been much more extensive than just a pair of ribs.
Thanks
I keep this old thread alive (and me, too) and update my journey - in case my experience is of value to any of you.
My recent TIA might have been due to a cholesterol plaque dislodging (certainly NOT my INR)-- before I was stuck moving to this extended stay facility and able to prepare my own food (oatmeal in the morning, for example), my wife and I have been stuck with food being brought in - little of it with low levels of cholesterol. Maybe THAT will help explain my TIA.
I saw my echocardiologist yesterday. He told me that the echo in the hospital and the nuclear echo show my ejection fraction to be around 30. (No wonder I'm so damned low on energy). He asked me to raise my INR target between 3.1 and 3.5 - an impossibly tight range -- I'll shoot close to 3.0, with some wiggle room - because the INR didn't cause the TIA, I don't know about making much of a change to my target INR.
He gave me a prescription for a new medication - apparently out last month - called Inpefa. He described it as 'Farxiga times 10.' I expect it to be extremely expensive, and hope my prescription plan will cover it. If I can't pay what I expect to be hundreds of dollars a month, I may have to stay with Farxiga.
Because this is so new, I suspect that none of you have had any experience with it (or maybe not even be aware of it).
I'll check the manufacturer's site, and do a bit of reading up about ejection fractions 30% or lower.
I know that some of you feel for me, and some may even be praying. I appreciate this.
I may update this later.
My recent TIA might have been due to a cholesterol plaque dislodging (certainly NOT my INR)-- before I was stuck moving to this extended stay facility and able to prepare my own food (oatmeal in the morning, for example), my wife and I have been stuck with food being brought in - little of it with low levels of cholesterol. Maybe THAT will help explain my TIA.
I saw my echocardiologist yesterday. He told me that the echo in the hospital and the nuclear echo show my ejection fraction to be around 30. (No wonder I'm so damned low on energy). He asked me to raise my INR target between 3.1 and 3.5 - an impossibly tight range -- I'll shoot close to 3.0, with some wiggle room - because the INR didn't cause the TIA, I don't know about making much of a change to my target INR.
He gave me a prescription for a new medication - apparently out last month - called Inpefa. He described it as 'Farxiga times 10.' I expect it to be extremely expensive, and hope my prescription plan will cover it. If I can't pay what I expect to be hundreds of dollars a month, I may have to stay with Farxiga.
Because this is so new, I suspect that none of you have had any experience with it (or maybe not even be aware of it).
I'll check the manufacturer's site, and do a bit of reading up about ejection fractions 30% or lower.
I know that some of you feel for me, and some may even be praying. I appreciate this.
I may update this later.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
sometimes finding aetiology is vexed ... but I hope you don't suffer any more strokes.
Vexed, indeed.
Who knows?
Thanks for hoping that I'll go through life with only two stroke in it. I plan to always keep my INR in range. I will probably try to drop my cholesterol (if that is really a factor), but I can't change my genetic heritage.
It's heart failure, or maybe walking in front of an old lady in a runaway golf cart that'll probably get me. (I don't think I'm within 20 miles of any old ladies with golf carts, but I'll keep my eyes open).
FWIW - I have a friend whose car was rear-ended by a golf cart.
Who knows?
Thanks for hoping that I'll go through life with only two stroke in it. I plan to always keep my INR in range. I will probably try to drop my cholesterol (if that is really a factor), but I can't change my genetic heritage.
It's heart failure, or maybe walking in front of an old lady in a runaway golf cart that'll probably get me. (I don't think I'm within 20 miles of any old ladies with golf carts, but I'll keep my eyes open).
FWIW - I have a friend whose car was rear-ended by a golf cart.
slipkid
Well-known member
Wow, that ejection fraction (30%) is way too low.
Hope they get to the bottom of that real soon for you.
I was that low prior to my heart attack/double bypass/AVR. Constantly out of breath with simple exercise. My heart wasn't getting the blood supply it needed plus overtaxed with a bad valve. After surgery got back up to around 50-55%, but dropped back to 40% a few years later when I had another blocked artery (fixed with some stents, then got up to 60% last echo). I work out now all the time in hopes of keeping my EF up, heart in better condition. Am cursed with high cholesterol though which is going to do me in eventually.
Again, hope they get to the bottom of things for you real soon and you get back on the mend!!!
Hope they get to the bottom of that real soon for you.
I was that low prior to my heart attack/double bypass/AVR. Constantly out of breath with simple exercise. My heart wasn't getting the blood supply it needed plus overtaxed with a bad valve. After surgery got back up to around 50-55%, but dropped back to 40% a few years later when I had another blocked artery (fixed with some stents, then got up to 60% last echo). I work out now all the time in hopes of keeping my EF up, heart in better condition. Am cursed with high cholesterol though which is going to do me in eventually.
Again, hope they get to the bottom of things for you real soon and you get back on the mend!!!
