Low stamina

[Greg a]

:biggrin2:

Hi Scott ....i am 12 months post op next month......i read your post and it rang a bell.......i walk 3 miles every morning.....i am usually done by 9am.....then as the hours pass i get more and more fatigued.....by 4pm im really fading and by 8pm...i am in bed and asleep in 5 minutes.......I do check out fine.....just went for my pacemaker interrogation and all looks great...so not sure why im so tired..I see my Cardio again in July..........I read your later post and saw you were on Metoprolol also....i take 25 mgs daily...1/2 in the am and the other 1/2 at nite....did you conclude that the metoprolol was the main cause??

Any thoughts of getting a carelink home monitor ....gives me a LOT of peace of mind and confidence....also you may want to review your meds with a pharmacist AND your primary as to the time of day you take what meds ....many work better when taken at night as the body is going into a rest phase

 

[scott.eitman]

Hi Scott ....did you conclude that the metoprolol was the main cause??

Yes, it was absolutely the Metoprolol!!! I felt so bad on it, I was thinking about going on disability leave. I was wondering about additional surgery to thje point of wondering about transplants. It was awful! It was depressing!

I am now feeling normal, however out of shape. Getting off of it was the best thing for ME. Please work with your Cardio before making a change, I did.

 

[scott.eitman]

This is my first time here. I joined to see how other people feel after surgery. I had my pulmonary valve replaced 5 months ago and have also hit a wall. I did so well after surgery, but now just can’t get past this point of frustration. I will have 1 great day and am down for 2 days after that. I go steady for 7 hours at work, but when I get home there is nothing left in me. I have always had so much energy. I am also tired of everyone telling me how great I look and I should feel more energetic than I do. They are not in my shoes and don’t know what I am feeling inside. My husband has been very understanding, but other family, not so much. How did some of you handle this? I just stay home and avoid social situations as much as possible. Plus, I don’t have the energy to deal with them. I have always had a bad pulmonary valve. I had surgery when I was six to open it up more. I have lived that way for 40 years without major complications. Last fall my cardiologist said it was leaking more and putting too much pressure on my tricuspid valve. I wasn’t surprised, but was disappointed that I had to have surgery again. It is just this energy problem that has me concerned, but it looks like all of you are going through or have gone through the same thing. I just need more patience!!!

Are you turely on no meds as your profile states? You sound very similar to me when I was on Metoprolol.

 

[realkarl]

Scott: I am happy to read about your improvement without the beta blockers, as this has been my experience as well, initially going against my cardiologist's opinion and advice.

I have been on a full dose of Carvedilol (25mg/2x daily) most of the soon 2 years since my surgery, as that has been what my cardiologist has recommended. However, I have felt it has severely limited my exercise capacity and general well being - in particular aching neck muscles from mild static activities.

On my own initiative I decided to halve the dose, and it has worked wonders. My max pulse has increased from 125 to 165, with almost no increase in resting pulse, and significantly improved exercise capacity. I used to be very active on the bicycle in particular, bike commuting to work every day for 5 years prior to diagnosis. Whereas on the full BB dose I felt weak and unable to exercise anywhere near past capacity, causing bouts of depression, now I have finally almost started to feel like my old self. I am taking part in this year's May bike commute challenge in Seattle, 100% participation so far, and well in the lead at my company.

My recent echo showed that my EF is still only 45%, practically unchanged since a few months after surgery. Fortunately, my cardiologist somewhat reluctantly agreed to the dose reduction, provided I go in for another echo in 3 months. He has no other reason for the continued BB recommendation except the somewhat lower than normal EF. I have the impression I am an exception in his patient base, both age and exercise-tolerance wise. Unfortunately, my insurance is not flexible in letting my choose a cardiologist, just as it did not cover cardio rehab.

I hope to be able to stop the BB completely, but the dose reduction has been enough to give me renewed optimism and motivation, and I can finally enjoy bicycling again, which was the implied goal when choosing surgery sooner rather than later.

-Karl

 

[epstns]

Scott and Karl - Thanks for the insight. I am early in recovery and have been prescribed metoprolol (timed release) at 100 mg once/day. I have already discussed with my cardio the fact that I will want to revisit this med to see if I still need it at some point in the not so distant future.

 

[Bryan B]

I am afraid I can't help you because at 12 weeks my stamina is still quite low. I notice that it gets a little better each week but it is a very slow process. I am also on beta blockers so it seems like the more I push myself the crappier I feel. When you push yourself hard but your heart rate won't respond that is where you will hit the wall. What I do is less intensity but more frequency when that happens. I play golf and usually walk, but walking 18 holes really wears me out now where it used to be no problem. So now I may walk 9 and ride 9, or take a cart (playing with my friend) and walk to my ball after my tee shot and then after my approach shot ride to the green. This way I get some walking in but don't overdo it. Many golf courses are 6-8 miles long, so even though it is a start and stop walk it is still a long walk.

 

[epstns]

I'm sort of in the same spot as Bryan - when you want to push it but can't get your heart rate up high enough, you feel lousy. For me, the limiters are probably both the beta blocker (metoprolol extended release, 100 mg daily) and the fact that my pacemaker is presently set for a maximum HR of 130. Something tells me that 130 isn't going to get me to where I once was. I discussed this with my cardio and he suggests that we see how rehab goes and when they note that I'm limited, he will write the order to set the max higher (as long as I'm in normal sinus rhythm, no afib).

So here we all are, chomping at the bit, each with our own limitations. The good thing is that we can vent to each other and we can maintain our good attitudes until the limitations are either removed or clarified. I'll get there, and I'm sure you all will, too.

 

[scott.eitman]

So much to respond to at once!

Bryan and Steve: both of you sound like you are being effected by Beta Blockers. I was having similar low inensity issues as well. Heck, in Dec I was woking on the house. I would work for about half an hour and then rest for an hour. It sucks.

Karl: I am glad to read two things: you are working with your Cardio and that a reduced dose is working. That is not something that I considered. If I can help it, I will keep not considering it.

Scott