At it again.... Like many of you, I don't have a lot of energy for exercise, though I do try to walk a little on the treadmill or outside. But, with all the snow over here in NJ, I have had to shovel the driveway, and sometimes it is heavy stuff.
I don't know if it's from going to very strenous exercise after hardly any, but the past 3 times I shoveled snow the following happens:
I will try pushing a heavy load of snow along the ground out of the driveway, causing a strain, and then my heart will feels weird / tight / pounding out of whack.... like I am going to have a heart attack or something. So, I stop and wait for it to pass, and then finish up slowly. I will have some lingering mild tightness in the chest afterwards, but nothing major. The thing is that "regular" exercise doesn't seem to cause this. Only very strenuous exercise that I don't usually do.
I had a nuclear stress test this year (fine), and even a CT Angiography a month ago (high-speed scanner with contrast, not a cath) - Also fine. Echocardiogram was fine too.
The only thing abnormal is that I keep testing low DLCO (diffusion) on a pulmonary function test.
Could this be lyme (or possibly babesia) weakening my heart? Or something else?
I am sick and tired of this
- JB
Posted by Slappy3243 (Member # 7889) on :
Not sure what exactly you are suffering from but I know what a pain in the but the heart can be. I suffered from A-fib when I was 17 which sucked, and ever since then, I suffer from PVCs. It feels like somebody punches you in the chest then your heart skips a beat and is back to normal like nothing happened. Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
With Mg levels low = possiblity of MVP...mitral valve prolapse. Sounds bad...ISN'T. Fairly common.
Symptoms of MVP listed in lots of places, here's one:
Easily remedied with Mg...ideally IV or IM with B vits.
Re: lungs
Are you: Asthmatic (Mg given to stop status asthmaticus - life threatening asthma attack)? Smoker (depletes vitamin C)? Job where you breathed fumes (welding) -> lung damage?
How are your electrolytes...K, Na, Ca...Mg (is very difficult to test for because it is attached to ATP)?
Hire the snow shoveling done to play it safe.
Posted by StuckonLyme (Member # 8196) on :
Hey Jonny,
Just to let you know your not along, i been have the same problem since last march. We still dont know whats causeing it.
All my heart test come out fine and not only is it annoying but also scary. Iknow mine is from eithier the lyme, bart, or babesia because before i got sick last year i was a healhty athletic 17 year old.
I would place a bet that are problems are coming from babesia. Even though i tested negative, there are many strands that they cant test for. Its the only thing i havent been treated for yet and i have other symtoms of it to. I plan on starting babs tx soon becaus i hate feeling like this.
Keep searching and i hope you can find an answer soon, This disease just wont give anyone a break.
stuck
Posted by newdurham77 (Member # 7815) on :
JonnyB,
Did you even have a monitor (holter or event monitor) to try to capture these moments? I would try to get an event monitor (you wear these for about 1 month). With the new ones, you can press a button and record a 10-20 second stretch every time you feel something (and it records in a continous loop, it will capture a few seconds BEFORE you pressed the button). In additon, the new models capture abnormal stuff even when you don't press buttons (or are asymptomatic).
Posted by johnnyb (Member # 7645) on :
Hi, Marnie. Yeah, I did the DD urine analysis, remember? I also experience this weird heart pounding one night when I got out of bed and stood up quickly. Felt "flooded" and then got the weird pounding, felt like I was gonna drop dead (the usual), so I layed back down and it passed. This stuff might not have happened before I started the IM Bicillin, but I can't say for sure.
No smoking, Asthma, welding maybe some brief asbestos exposure (removed insulation in basement years ago), but high-res CT of lungs was ok a year ago.
Hey, Stuck, we'll see how the babs test goes. Never had this stuff before the tick bite. As you say, no heart problems before then. I just wish they would find whatever it is... had enough EKGs, stress tests, etc....
Geeeze!
- JB
Posted by johnnyb (Member # 7645) on :
ND,
I have used the 24 hour holter and the event monitors (heart cards) before, but they have never shown anything. My heart is "smart enough" to not do anything odd while I have one.
If I got a 24 hour holter again, I would probably have to shovel some heavy snow while wearing it to get a recording of what happens. Sounds insane, but at least I would get a recording of the event that way.
- JB
Posted by David95928 (Member # 3521) on :
Johnny, I have had both palpitations and a flutering sensation, like a VERY rapid heartbeat but actually normal. Both have gradually become rare and mild over the course of long term treatment with standard antibiotics (Biaxin and Bicillin LA). Lymies get all sorts of paraesthesia (Pains that migrate and have no immediately visible cause). Last sunday my left hand and forearm were excruciating. Monday it was completely gone. I attributed it to herx. David
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
Anemic? Oxidative stress can cause this. Happens to our astronauts too...PFK levels drop, anemia.
Indication: for babesia...according to Tincup eons ago...look at your blood work. Find the RDW...this is red blood cell distribution width. If the red blood cells are far apart = maybe babesia co-infection.
I didn't make the Johnny B - JB connection...flying too fast...so much to do, so little time.
Posted by johnnyb (Member # 7645) on :
Marnie, I'll take a look at my most recent bloodwork and see if it's in there. Might follow up with you via email if I'm not sure of interpretation....
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maybe some brief asbestos exposure (removed insulation in basement years ago), but high-res CT of lungs was ok a year ago.![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)