Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with heart

Cat just starting Lasix - how long before I should see effects?

giddygirlie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:55:42 -0800

Cat just starting Lasix - how long before I should see effects? My 9 year old cat developed allergies about 3 months ago and the vet treated him with antihistimines and a round of antibiotics (the x-rays showed some spots on his lungs that she thought could be bronchitis) and he got much better.

About 2 weeks ago, he started having difficulty breathing and asthma attacks, so I took him back to the vet. After several additional tests, it was determined that he has heart/lung problems, most likely an early symptom of heart disease (causing fluid to build up in his lungs). He has just started Enalapril and Lasix (Furosemide). These are the same medications used to treat humans as well, so I am hoping someone here might have some experience with how long it takes to see results. The vet said it varies by animal and can take days or weeks. But I am hoping for a few first-hand experiences. And I'm crossing my fingers that the poor guy can breathe easy soon.

What sort of heart rate monitor should I buy?

Jack Alucard — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:19:06 -0800

Could someone please give me advice on buying a heart rate monitor? I’m thinking of buying a heart rate monitor. I used one on an exercise bike once, where there was a clip which attached to the ear and the bike then displayed the heart rate. Is there a standalone version of that sort of technology?

If so, how does that type of hear rate monitor compare to ordinary heart rate monitors with a chest strap? I’ve read somewhere that there are strapless hear rate monitors which don't attach to the ear. Are they as accurate as those heart rate monitors that do have a chest strap?

Thanks for any advice you can give me on the above.

Name that chord!

sergeant sandwich — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:16:51 -0800

What is the guitar chord being played by Nancy Wilson at 0:44-0:47 in this Heart video? I cant for the life of me figure out what the hell that is or which fingers are on what frets; doesn't look like any of the moveable barre shapes or open chords I know. But I'm absolutely sure I've seen that (or similar) before on other videos, and I'm thinking it must be something fairly common. Anyone care to clue me in?

HRM With Interval Timer?

forallmankind — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:42:45 -0800

Shopping for a heart rate monitor which includes an interval timer - this is the cheapest Timex ($78), this is cheapest Suunto ($115) and this is the cheapest Polar ($140). Does anyone have experience of any of these, or have other recommendations to offer? The Timex has only 4 reviews on Amazon and 2 of them are bad (how much can you trust an Amazon review?) - average = 3*s. The Suunto has mixed reviews and averages 3.5*s. And the Polar has better reviews - averages 4*s. Also in it's favor, the Polar has the soft Wearlink strap. But there again, it's nearly twice the price of the Timex.

Any advice/ suggestions/ recommendations? This is for cycle training at home (unfortunately hrm cycle computers with interval timers are crazy expensive).

My heart is breaking

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:04:50 -0800

Can this relationship/marriage be saved? Here goes, my wife and I have been married 8 years. Over the last few years we have both been more focused on our educations, professions, and friends and less on the couple part of being married. My wife is/was very much a caretaker and I am a real slacker and I let her carry the load when in retrospect I should have jumped in with both feet and done whatever I could to help out. We were just puttering along with not much real passion when I get the shock of my life. I’m on a business trip and my kid calls me at 3 in the morning to say mom is banging some 22 yr old in our bedroom! Needless to say I was totally shocked and devastated. When I returned we talked about the incident and she said it was because she was drunk, etc, etc, and feels horrible about it. But then I find out that she is still seeing him after she fabricates a work outing and comes home at 4 am. I found out that she had been out with the same kid again and when I confronted her about it she said that she really enjoyed the fun attitude when they went out with no expectations afterward. Needless to say I’m failing apart at the seams and don’t know what to do. I’ve got a session with a counselor this week and she is in therapy also. I look back and really do think it was partially my fault for not showing how much I loved her on a daily basis. Now she says she doesn’t know what she wants to do. Her ideal scenario is to have us both. She wants me for the friendship and emotional attachment and him for the excitement. I just don’t think I can survive and stay sane like this for too long. I really do love her and have drastically changed what I do and the way I show her how much I appreciate her. But I fear it may be too little too late. Has anyone been in a similar situations and have some advice. Any insight would help. Anyone can respond directly at dormin78@gmail.com

Searching for a heart of glass

killerinsideme — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:46:01 -0800

I'm desperately trying to find a particular jewelry designer online. The medium is primarily blown glass. I'm 80-85% sure I saw an ad for her (I think it's a her) designs in the back pages of BUST Magazine a couple months ago. A lot of what she has on her website is blown glass heart pendants - some with black glass "stitching" around the edges holding them together - generally a pretty tattoo/rocknroll aesthetic. I've looked around on etsy, but no dice. I have googled to no avail. I'm ashamed to ask the hive mind for shopping help, but I am, as I said, desperate. Rest assured, if I have learned nothing else from this, it is "buy it when you see it." Or at least bookmark it.

Unconditional Love? Altruism? Can You Learn it?

watercarrier — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:10:28 -0800

How to Cultivate Altruism and Love the Hard to Love? I'm looking for biographies of people who went from being entangled in their ego to undergoing a spiritual awakening, seeking the light, so to speak and with a new awareness cultivating altruism and unconditional love for who some would deem as being the very hard to love. Mother Theresa comes to mind, as well as Peace Pilgrim and Byron Katie. I'm seeking out less-known stories of ordinary people who turned their lives around 180 and reached a state of higher consciousness and wisdom and used their experience in forgiveness and loving the hard to love. Sites, books, movies - all greatly appreciated.

Controlling weight with heart problems.

bunnytricks — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:38:15 -0800

How does one keep their weight down when to exercise is to risk sudden heart stoppage? Two years ago I lost about 70 pounds through diet and exercise. I did a good job of keeping it off until a couple of months ago when I was stricken with cardiovascular problems and have since been in and out of the hospital with a BP of 70/50 and a week erratic heartbeat with no diagnosis on the doctors part. Today I'm quite a bit better but even light walking will send my heart rate to around 145. Yesterday, after being recruited to help push a car. After 20 seconds of moderate effort my HR approached 200 and my knees buckled. Cutting calories isn't really an option as I only take in about 1200 a day. Is there any sort of exercise I can do that keeps off the pounds but won't send my heart into a death spiral?

Will my heart explode?

bonheur — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:26:10 -0800

When I jog, my heart rate goes to 195 beats per minute. Is that bad? I've recently started jogging, following the couch to 5k program. I've led a moderately active life thus far, but I've never been an athlete and I'm about 30 lbs overweight. I bought a heart rate monitor and wore it during my last run. I was surprised to see some very high numbers on the monitor. My resting heart rate (HR) is 65. I thought my max was 185. Brisk walking brought my heart up to about 140, and when I started to jog (slowly!) the monitor hit 195! I can jog for about three minutes at that level before I have to walk again.

I'm definitely huffing and puffing and sweating and red in the face at that level, but I don't feel like I'm going to barf or die. Now, here's my question: According to the materials that came with my monitor, I should be training in the 65-85% zone. Does this mean I can't run at this fitness level and should just be walking? Am I harming myself in some way by pushing my body and heart too hard during exercise? How long will it typically take for my heart to adjust to the strain of running and slow down a bit? Tips, thoughts, experiences all welcome. Thanks!

Looking for information and possible causes of asymptomatic cardiac enlargement

elpapacito — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:09:13 -0800

Looking for information and possible causes of asymptomatic cardiac enlargement : details inside. Hi , I am acting as a relay for an italian friend that doesn't speak english and is looking for information around the world.

Local specialists are befuddled and so far diagnosed "asymptomatic cardiac enlargement". Global left ventricle enlargement, significant reduction of the cinesis (ipocynesis) of the left ventricle, important reduction of the systolic indexes, reduced diastolic functionality

The patient is a 60 years old female with an extremely stressing lifestyle, easily pulling 12 hours a day of intellectual work for the last 30+ years.

In 2003 she started suffering some very occiasional episodes of tachycardy. She was subjected to an ecodoppler test that proved to be inconclusive. Doctors expected leg swelling and breathlessness, but the patient didn't show any of such symptoms.

The patient was prescribed beta-blocking drugs and cardioaspirin and so far show a significant reduction of tachicardy (from 100 beats down to a max of 80 and a lower average) and a reduction of asystolic events, which almost disappeared.

She is looking for information about causes, genetic or viral still not being excluded, cures and procedures that could be useful in finally understanding what is causing her heart problems.

Thanks for your time :)

Does a 33-year-old in good health need a daily aspirin?

Mayor Curley — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:37:39 -0800

Do I need a second medical opinion regarding an aspirin regimen? I can't figure out if this is minor or something I should look into. My new Primary Care Physician recommended that I start a low-dose (81 mg) aspirin regimen. This was based on a family history of heart disease (both my Paternal grandfather and paternal uncle died of heart attacks in their early 50's, my dad had a heart attack at 50 but is still here and hasn't had another).

But here's the rub- I'm 33 and a vegetarian, with normal cholesterol and really low triglyceride levels. Blood pressure is normal. I generally run 15-20 miles a week (doing more at the moment, see below), do some weight work and don't smoke. I am 10-15 pounds overweight currently, but I'll be at fighting weight in a month or so (I weighed 205 at 6'2" at the visit over a week ago and immediately cut back on food intake and added some miles).

The reputable-seeming aspirin therapy sites are cagey about age, and seem to be more about people with pre-existing heart problems. What really bugs me is that some of them mention GI problems, including bleeding, and I have IBS. I mentioned this to my doctor, and he barely seemed to hear me, said "don't worry about it" and moved on to telling me to take an Omega-3 fish oil supplement as well (which seems fine).

So do I need a second opinion about whether I should be taking aspirin, or should I just shut up and do it? If I get side effects from taking aspirin, are they just going to go away if I cease taking it, or am I potentially setting myself up for long term complications?

I know-- it's just aspirin. But I want to keep my current level of health as well as potentially stave off future problems.

Feel my heartbeat

cabingirl — Wed, 23 May 2007 15:36:48 -0800

Is there some way I can view the data I'm recording on a 30-day heart event monitor? I just got fitted with a 30-day event monitor to attempt to capture some arrhythmias that I've been experiencing. I have electrodes on my chest attached to a little device I put in my pocket, then I push a button on the device when I feel the palpitation. If I record an "event," I have to call in and transmit the data over the phone. Literally, I put the mouthpiece of the phone to a little speaker on the monitor and it produces a high-pitched tone for several minutes, just like the acoustic modems of yore.

So, what I'm wondering is, is there any way for me to capture the data on my PC and actually look at it? There aren't any extra jacks on the device that might support a data cable. Could I record the beeps and whirrs and look at it somehow?

Should I take betablockers?

stormygrey — Fri, 18 May 2007 07:58:22 -0800

What should I expect from betablockers? I have had a high heart rate since I was about 10. Nothing seems to be wrong with me, I am no more anxious than the next person, I take some asthma meds that my doc. seems to think might be causing the tachichardia.

Maybe I am a little anxious, but its nothing that hinders me. My doctor is worried that all this high rate will be detrimental to my heart in the long run. So now I have a prescription for betablockers. She said to see if "they made my life better" and it they didn't to quit taking them, especially if they made me tired or foggy. Now, I am not really interested in laying out a lot of money to "see if it makes my life better" when I personally do not notice my heart rate, but if its a "protect your heart thing" I am all for it.

I am healthy with bp that runs 106\67 the last couple of times in. We also discussed the asthma/betablocker issue and she seemed to think I would be ok.

I love my boyfriend, but feel tense near him. Why?

Anonymous — Wed, 09 May 2007 07:30:54 -0800

I love my boyfriend and enjoy his company. He loves me a lot. Why then do I feel on edge when I'm near him? [this will get long long looooooooooooooong...]

My boyfriend and I have been together nearly nine months. He is my first relationship; I'm his third. We've had typical ups and downs, but we've always enjoyed being with each other and we care for each other. We both live on campus and see each other nearly every day (barring holidays). We do enjoyable things together, we're very comfortable with each other (physically, mentally, emotionally, etc), and we respect and support each other.

I have had a history of panic attacks and depression, and lately they have been getting worse. I took BC pills for four days in February (Mercilon) and stopped because they were making a mess of my mind and body. As soon as I stopped, things got better, but the anxiety and depression remain. My boyfriend is SUPER supportive of me: he relaxes me, gets me what I need (usually water), calms me down. He'd wake up in the middle of the night and relax me if things got bad. I have not received this level of support from anyone else and I really appreciate that.

Right about that time I have been having nagging thoughts of breaking up with my boyfriend. They don't seem to have any rational explanation. The closest thing to that is one incident in early February (before the BC) where my boyfriend did something that made me feel very uncomfortable. I don't want to get into details, but suffice to say things nearly ended but we have worked through that and he has been very apologetic, working hard to ensure that it doesn't happen again. We did speak to people about it and they've all agreed that it was a misunderstanding and that he didn't wish me harm.

We have a policy of not keeping things in lest they blow up in our faces, so whenever we have issues with each other, we bring them up and discuss them maturely. We both have things to work on, but we ARE working on them and the effort shows. My boyfriend is aware of these nagging thoughts and supports my decision no matter what.

Things got worse a few days ago. We had a pretty good weekend, getting out of college and going around the city. on Monday night he came up to my room and chatted for a while. For some reason, though, the whole time he was talking I had this really strong bad feeling in my heart going "GO AWAY SHUT UP SHOO". I tried to fight it but after a while I relented and told him I was feeling that way. I started to doubt whether I really loved him, and that scared me. It was like I wanted to love him but my heart isn't letting me express that. He still said he supported me, he'll do what he can to help, he doesn't hold this against me.

The next day the feeling wouldn't go away. I went up to his room to snuggle for a bit (like we usually do) and I felt the strong urge to get away. We went to get breakfast and I could barely stand being in the same table. It felt terrible and awful. Here's someone I really love and now I can't stand next to them!

Indeed, that feeling made me so upset I spent the whole day crying and talking to three different counselors about it. (I also talked to my sister the night before.) I had classes that day but could barely concentrate. I wanted to know if it was still possible to love someone if you can't really feel it inside (it felt like something had possessed me), how do you tell you love someone? The common threads that came up are:

a) It could be biochemical - the BC hormones, my general anxiety/depression (I used to be medicated years ago), sleep deprivation, stress (we both go to uni and I'm very very active elsewhere, which is getting me down a little)

b) It could be emotional exhaustion; nothing necessarily wrong with my relationship

c) Around the 6-9months stage, the relationship evolves from twitterpatted bliss to companionship and friendship; not being used to this transition, I may have interpreted this as "relationship gone bad" when really it's "relationship adjusting"

d) Seeing my boyfriend everyday could get tiring on me

e) I'm overthinking things (which I am prone to doing)

Talking to three counselors and crying the whole day didn't make me totally better though. I was dying to get home. By the time I got home, I went to my boyfriend's room and begged for help. I felt very weak, tired, and on the brink of collapsing. He brought me up to my room, got me food and water, and tried his hardest to relax me and calm me down. He let me cry; I haven't cried so hard in a long time. I let out everything I'm feeling. I ask if he's tired of me being like this. He says he's fine, that he supports me. After a while I do relax, and sleep.

This morning I feel a bit better; however that "on edge" feeling I got near him is still there. It's not as strong but it's still there, a little. I'm fine with talking to him on the phone, or being at arm's distance. Even hanging out in his room is great. I feel like I'm in good company, that I'm safe and fine. But when he holds me or is generally very close I felt cagey. I go back to my room all alone and I feel better, but then I worry about whether this can survive, do I really love him if I'm feeling that way around him, blah blah. I can't win either way!! Even with this breakup thing, it's like:

Side A: Break up with him! Relationships shouldn't have pain!
Side B: The only reason it is in pain is because you're so obsessed with breaking up, dumbass. And there's no guarantee breaking up would make the pain go away.
Side A: BREAK UP! Just...because.
Side B: -_-

When I am around him, I am still happy, but I feel split in two. One side is happy and content, and the other side goes "but are you REALLY happy or just tricking yourself, hmm?" I haven't managed to be totally happy in a long time; I'd get pleased over small things but the anxiety sets in again. He's been absolutely wonderful to me, I feel his love for me so strongly, and yet I can't seem to muster the energy to show that love back. It's like the tables are turned; I used to be more effusive with my emotions while he'd hold back, but now he's more open with them and I'm the one unintentionally holding back. I WANT to show them, I just can't seem to bring myself to do so.

One time, in the midst of my anxiety and depression and obsessive thoughts, I asked for a break. AS SOON as I said that, I KNEW it was the wrong choice. I felt terrible the next day and went "ah, fuck it". I'm glad we didn't take that break, but I'm wondering if I need one now. The idea of breaking up with him is heartbreaking though. I can't stand it.

My Questions (FINALLY):

a) Why do I feel on edge when I'm near him? And why the sudden switch from "he relaxes me" to "he tenses me"? It really is like a switch.

b) Do I love my boyfriend less if I want to spend some time alone? How do I show him that I still love him? He says he knows I do, but *I*'m not even sure. Does seeing him nearly every day for nearly a year have a role in this?

c) How do I get these obsessive thoughts away? They've lost all basis and are just bothering me.

d) I've been told that BC hormones take about 6 months to get purged out of the system. The timing fits (The obsessive thoughts came after the BC) but since I only took 4 days' worth, does that matter? I did react very badly to it.

e) I've been told that I may not have totally forgiven for what happened in February. I thought I did, but could that be a concern? I don't think about that incident much, just as something that happened; right now I'm just more worried about these obsessive thoughts.

I may see a counselor again but right now I'm all counselled out. I did sign up for a program that involves regular psychology sessions but I haven't heard anything from them since.

The idea of not wanting to spend time with my boyfriend because my heart's being tense and anxious is just breaking my heart more. I want to spend time with him; I just don't want to feel tense just by being in the same square centimetre with him. If it wasn't for this anxiety, things are going very very well. It's all my self-doing. What can I do?

Will Adderall kill me, and can I take it on occasion?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:13:43 -0800

Two questions about ADD medication, especially Adderall: 1) How dangerous is it (for me)? 2) Can it be taken "as needed"? Since I was young child I've had problems concentrating; I started school early but was held back a year for failing to pay attention, and then switched back and forth between "gifted" and "troubled" programs, etc. I'm still constantly forgetting and losing stuff and often unable to focus on tasks until after the last minute. I've nevertheless managed to cope, more or less, and should soon manage to complete a doctoral degree at a major university (they've been remarkably kind, letting me finish my degree in almost twice the time it usually takes--I'm now 35).

I'm tempted to ask about medication for ADD. This summer I have to finish and defend my dissertation, and while I'm quite close to completion, I'm nevertheless afraid that I might fail to do this, which I'm not sure I could bear.

Getting to my first question, then: the reason I've never really pursued the possibility of using ADD medication is that I think I may on occasions have benign heart palpitations. When I started to notice these, perhaps a decade ago, an EKG reveled a partial right bundle branch blockage which, they say, is supposed to be a pretty insignificant and common condition.

Here's the thing however: I don't even know that I *have* had palpitations. If I do on occasion have these, they never involve more that a few skipped beats, and have never produced faintness or other symptoms (I've never had a holter test). Additionally, these events seem to have become less frequent than in the past (or perhaps I don't notice them so much any more). All the same, the possibility of "sudden cardiac death" as a result of using stimulants has been a powerful deterrent to my asking about using Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, etc.

Now however (as more and more of my students attest to the effectiveness of Adderall) I'm wondering whether an excessive paranoia about sudden cardiac death or etc. has kept me from trying medication that could make a major difference in my life, and I wonder: how dangerous *is* ADD medication (especially Adderall) for someone in my state? How much worse is it, for example, than caffeine, which I drink all the time? Mightn't I try it, in a controlled setting at first, and discontinue use if anything worrying occurs?

Also, I wonder whether it's possible to get a prescription that allows one to take ADD medication "as needed"? I hate the idea of long-term use of stimulants, which I suspect can't be good for one's cardiac system. I've (almost) managed to cope for a long time without medication, and on days when I'm just running errands or etc., I can manage fine. I'd like to take a medicine that doesn't give me the heart-damage of long term use of stimulants, or flatten my creativity, or my usual spacey digressiveness, except when it's necessary to do so. I think that people with real ADD can *sorta* get by without medication---I'm pretty sure that many can, and that I'm one of those people. Therefore, if it's not inadvisable, I'd like to try taking a low dose of Adderall on occasions when I need to fix my concentration on something and it just won't happen.

So, how likely is stimulant-type ADD medicine to kill me, and is it possible to legally take these medicines only "as needed"? Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

I | <3 ?

lostburner — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:52:44 -0800

What is the origin of the "I | ___" phrasing? I've seen this cropping up with increasing frequency on the web. It seems to be the same usage as "I (heart) ___", but with a bar instead (shift-backslash on a US keyboard). It doesn't make sense to me. "I bar New York"? "I caret New York"? "I or New York"? This question may not make a lot of sense if you haven't seen it, and I can't exactly search for examples, but maybe you folks have seen it around.

Did the dentist almost kill my grandma?

Scram — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:52:25 -0800

Dentist yanked grandma's ten remaining teeth; a few days later, massive heart attack. Connected? Inappropriate? Thank goodness, my 90-year-old grandmother survived the major heart attack she suffered last weekend, while recovering from having all her remaining teeth (which she said felt loose, and which she wanted to "deal with" while she still has all her marbles) pulled and dentures made. Needless to say, I was not consulted before she embarked on this cockamamie scheme.

Because she has been in the hospital, she was not able to wear the dentures, and now when she tries they are quite uncomfortable, and she's worried the $7500 cost has been wasted and she will not be able to wear them at all.

Me, I am concerned that a dentist did this kind of major oral surgery on an elderly patient with a history of heart attack and stroke, rather than trying to save her natural teeth. There are studies showing links between oral bacteria and heart attack, but she was not warned of any risk--in fact, she felt bad for some time before asking grandpa to take her to the hospital.

Mefites with medical/dental experience, does this sound like she received inappropriate treatment? Does she have any recourse (complaint, new or adjusted set of dentures)? Should the family be furious?

What's the vid?

rocco — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:07:15 -0800

Can you help me find this music video? I can vaguely remember a music video from 5/6/7 (?) years ago. It's bugging the hell out of me that I don't know what it is... It's most likely for an electronic music track:

A girl is walking around a large city (NYC? London?) holding a really huge red heart. As she walks around, the heart gets smaller and smaller to the point towards the end of the video she can hold it like an apple. At this point she meets a guy who is also holding a tiny heart. Ahh.

So... Know it?

THANKS!

frequent heart palpitatons

white light — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:59:58 -0800

How many heart palpitations are enough to warrant a trip to the ER? Every once in a while, maybe every few months, my heart will stutter a bit - pause for part of a second then beat quickly a few times as if "catching up".

This morning, it happened 4 or 5 times over the course of half an hour or so, then stopped. Now it has been happening off and on irregularly for about an hour. Once every 8 minutes or so (a guess).

Google says main causes for palpitations are stimulant use such as caffeine, anxiety, and diet.

I use caffeine to stay awake at work (anywhere from 200 to 1000mg a day depending) - I know this is horrible and am starting to cut back. Today I had 200mg.

I had social anxiety disorder a few years ago and took meds for it for 2 years, but have been off those for about 4 years. But lately I've been anxious (not anxiety attacks, just a general proccupation/worry about my future).

My diet is horrible.

The frequency of these palpitations is really worrying me, but I can not at all afford an unnecessary trip to the ER.

Should I go, or just try to change my habits, exercise, etc?

I'm leaning towards "sleep on it and go to a cheap clinic tomorrow if it continues".

Wanna race?

Acetylene — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:03:49 -0800

What can I do to lower my heart rate by Monday? I'm thirty years old, healthy, slim, reasonably fit but not particularly athletic. I've had a relatively fast pulse all my life -- about ten years ago, it kept me out of the military. I've been checked out by a general practitioner and a cardiologist; I had chest X-rays and thyroid tests and walked around with a halter monitor for 24 hours, and no one found anything worrying. The GP said I have tachycardia, but didn't prescribe any medication or recommend any lifestyle changes. He said I just happen to be "at the far end of the bell curve," but am otherwise healthy.

These days it's slowed down a bit from what it was back then, to the point where I'm able to donate blood every eight weeks without raising any alarms during the screening. Still, if I'm the slightest bit nervous about something, it jumps back up again. Recently I was offered a job pending a pre-employment physical, and as I sat in the doctor's office this morning, memories of the results of my military physical came back. The doctor took my pulse twice -- the second time after having me relax for a while in the waiting room -- and both times, it was well over 100bpm.

I also had a TB test, which needs to be "read" on Monday. The doctor talked to me for a while about my medical history (I honestly explained all of the above), and told me not to worry about it. But she also implied that she'll be checking it again when I come back on Monday.

Obviously, I won't be drinking any caffeine between now and then (I did have some coffee this morning). I also plan to get as much sleep as possible, and generally try to relax. But is there anything else I can do that might bring my heart rate down a bit? Should I skip sugar as well? Should I go for a jog, or avoid physical exertion? (I rarely jog, but it's not unheard of -- or difficult -- for me to do so.)

Any advice at all would be appreciated. I really want this job.

What's the best way to lower my resting heart rate?

Geoffh — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 22:19:38 -0800

What's the best way to lower my resting heart rate? I'm slightly overweight, and exersice just a few times a week. I've read a ton of literature that says a lower heart rate leads to a longer life. Any tips? Exercises that'll help? I'm slightly overweight, and exersice just a few times a week. I've read a ton of literature that says a lower heart rate leads to a longer life. Any tips? Exercises that'll help?

How quickly should I expect to be able to lower my resting heart rate and blood pressure through exercise?

KathyK — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:33:07 -0800

How quickly should I expect to be able to lower my resting heart rate and blood pressure through exercise? I just met my personal trainer last night and one of my goals for the next 1.5 months while she is with me is to lower my blood pressure from 138/83 to 120/80 and my resting heart rate from 77 to 72. Is this a realistic goal for this time frame?

I plan on doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 times a week and strength training twice a week on a daily caloric intake of 1,750 calories for the next 1.5 months. I want to be realistic in my expectations for achieving this goal.

Oh, and she just took the one measurement at the gym after work. I know it's not the ideal way to take blood pressure or resting heart rates.

Heart murmurs and diving etc...

Rufus T. Firefly — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:15:53 -0800

Whilst at the quack's for a check-up to do a diving course, he informed me I had a systolic heart murmur. I've googled (of course) but wondered if anyone else had experience so I can set my anxiety 'defcon' level appropriately! I have to have an 'echocardiogram'- potential problems for SCUBA? Thanks mefiers...

Will suing a lousy doctor do any good?

ultraultraboomerang — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:35:48 -0800

Medical malpractice suits: What actually happens to an MD when they're sued? In terms of disciplinary actions against the MD, is there a difference between being found liable in civil court versus a settlement? A couple of years ago my 6-month old sister died after heart surgery (aortic stenosis). At birth the pediatric cardiologist discovered a murmur, but wasn't alarmed as those usually clear themselves up in the first few months of life.

What became clear only after she died, pretty unexpectedly, was that the initial tests done the day she was born showed a severe defect we weren't informed of. In fact, the technician conducting the EKG circled things and made notes, which the cardiologist ignored completely. She saw the same cardiologist at 3 months but again there was no concern. At 6 months she said the baby might need surgery soon. This is when my stepmom took her to a private children's hospital, where they said "this baby needs surgery IMMEDIATELY." She survived the surgery but coded overnight. The surgeons appear to have done everything right, as far as we can tell.

Needless to say, this has been a complete nightmare. I'm trying to help my stepmom with some decisions about how to proceed legally. She places a lot of stock in my opinion, for whatever reason, so I don't want to steer her in the wrong direction.

A medical review board found the cardiologist's care to be "substandard." Now the question is whether to proceed in court. We're not talking about a crooked car mechanic here. I figure when we're talking about this level of trust - putting an infant's life in an expert's hands - we have to do what we can to get it on record that this cardiologist ignored what a technician clearly saw, and while we'll never know if it would have saved her life, the point is we deserved that information.

Is there a benefit to taking this to court? Will just being sued affect anything like the doctor's malpractice insurance, license, etc? What about a liable verdict versus a settlement? Is it better to actually go to court, in terms of what the consequences are for the doctor? I'd really like to spare my stepmom the witness stand and cross examination about why she didn't take the baby to more cardiologists (there are 2 pediatric cardiologists within 50 miles, incidentally).

What, in short, is the deal with these kinds of things?

Sorry for all the context, I don't know enough to know what's important. Thanks for any help.

Film about the girlfriend of a heart donor

flutable — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 03:26:25 -0800

Do you know this film? A girl whose dead boyfriend's heart has been transplanted, tries to find the transplant recipient. She arranges a meeting but the recipient turns out to be a fat, middle-aged man. She stays hidden, but follows him for a while, then eventually steps off a tram/streetcar and walks off. The film might be Italian. ...I saw this on SBS TV in Australia many years ago, and have been looking for it...but none of the film buffs I know, know anything about it. It's very tragic, as the woman seeks to be with the one part of her boyfriend that is still alive.