So a few weeks ago I went to the doctor because my right knee and left ankle were both sore and had been for long enough I wanted to see if I should stop C25K training. I also asked about the possibility of finding out if allergies or asthma was what keeps me from running for more than a minute at a time even though I have been doing C25K for months.
While there she informed me that my resting heart rate was abnormally low. I did an EKG and it was at 44. I also was diagnosed with Hypertension and placed on a low dosage of meds for that. After doing a blood panel everything else looked good so at the follow up she rechecked my pulse, still low. So she referred me to a cardiologist for a stress test.
I leave for the Cardiologist in about 40 mins and I am starting to freak out. I read an article for class recently about anorexia that said that anorexics often have low heart rates and if they are in the 40s they are usually admitted to the hospital because they fear the rate will drop lower in their sleep and they will have a heart attack. Now, I have NEVER been anorexic. But I am still worried what is going to happen. My husband has been freaking out so I have kept calm until now to try to keep him calmer.
But now the appointment is almost here and all I can think of is what might happen and what other things might be caused by the slow pulse. Always being cold? Feeling drained? My inability to breathe while running? Idk
Hopefully they will tell me I am just abnormal lol I have a feeling I have had a low pulse rate for years, I had dental work done under IV sedation in 2008/2009 and at a few appointments they had to have a nurse monitor my heart rate because the alarm would go off every time I started to go under. So if I have had it for this long without it effecting me horribly it stand to reason it shouldn't be dangerous now right? Or that I have just been lucky up til now
IDK but I'm gonna stop my babbling now. I'll let y'all know what happens
I was 281lbs and had high blood pressure and the heart rate of a tennis player.
(For those not in the know, you are not supposed to have a low heart rate with high BP and obesity! It's "expected" to be normal or high).
My doctor flipped.
They did an EKG and found no problems.
They then sent me for a heart ultrasound and found no problems (well, a slight thickening of the heart...you can expect that as a heavier person). No biggie.
Bottom line is that some people "tick" a little more slowly because of genetics. I am not saying this is necesarily you, but it is me and could be you as well.
So take a deep breath and relax.
You must be careful with any BP medication you take. I could not take beta-blockers, for example, because they would lower my pulse.
But with my weight loss I am off of BP and cholesteral medications now.
But my pulse remains firmly in the 40s!
Don't worry too much.
PS Running gets a lot easier with weight loss. I had all the symptoms you have and I did not start running until I was down to 220lbs. You will find the pains change. My knees hurt first. Then my groin. Now my muscles. Just listen to your body as to when not to run. And buy good running shoes! My first run I was out of breath and a sweaty mess at 0.5 miles. Now I do 6.2 miles a day, sweaty but with more to spare.
And yes, I get cold. A common weight loss symptom. For me, especially after eating. I just turn the heating up.
I started running in Jan and the knee pain started in Aug lol. but the symptoms match runners knee. The x-ray on my ankle indicated a small foreign body, she said likely a sliver of bone from my foot? IDK she doesn't wanna worry about it til after we figure out the heart stuff. She said after that she would refer me to an ortho if my ankle still hurts. ok, I am outta here.
I hope the appointment went well. I applaud you for going to the doctor with your concerns from running - it sounds like she did a good job of picking up on something that needs further investigation. It sounds scary, but it's so important to address it and to know what's going on - much better than letting more serious consequences come out of nowhere. It probably sounds really weird that this reads as "good news" to me, but it is. If you've been living with an underlying condition that can be treated, then it's fantastic that you reached out and are getting an appropriate medical response now.
(Still, sounds very stressful. )
Last edited by Desiderata; 11-06-2013 at 02:36 PM.
Thanks guys! This appointment was pretty boring, he asked a bunch of questions then told me to come back to do the stress test next Wednesday. Yay, a stress test on my birthday lol but that was the first available with nothing for awhile after so its all good I guess. On Tuesday I go in and they are gonna strap a monitor on my chest to wear for 24 hrs and bring back the next day when I go in for the stress test.
Glad it was boring - eventful medical appointments are rarely a good thing
Count me in the group of cold, low blood pressure, fatigued, etc. Some of it is weight loss related, some is caused by persistent low iron, despite the fact that I supplement and eat a diet primarily of iron rich animal foods! Our bodies vary in chemistry and makeup, a low pulse is not necessarily a bad thing if it is inherent to your body and not caused by damage to the heart muscle. The symptoms means little when disassociated from the cause (ie: yes Ian and an anorexic patient may both have a low heart rate, but the cause is completely different and risks of it are, too!).
Pixikat, I hope the low pulse is just a normal state for you and is not dangerous in any way, but until you have your stress test, I do hope you are laying off any strenuous exercise. A nice easy walk will do!
I told both my doc my normal exercise schedule and they both gave me the ok to continue with it so I've still been doing C25K as before. But I have cut down just because it has been freezing and I don't have thermal running clothes so I end up coming back in after less than 20 mins lol
Has your doctor run a full thyroid panel on you? Hypertension + slow pulse + constantly being cold + no stamina/endurance are absolutely classic hypothyroid symptoms.
Normal blood panels (usually a CBC and/or BMP) do not include any hormone testing unless the doctor specifically orders it to be included. If you don't know what studies were done, ask your doctor if a thyroid panel has been done. FYI, you should always request copies of results of testing done and retain them for your own records.
I requested a basic thyroid panel be done, I was in the normal range, lower end of normal but not the lowest possible. I was hoping it was thyroid originally because it explained so many things I have issues with. But alas it doesn't seem to be lol
I requested a basic thyroid panel be done, I was in the normal range, lower end of normal but not the lowest possible. I was hoping it was thyroid originally because it explained so many things I have issues with. But alas it doesn't seem to be lol
Absolutely get the cardio evals, can't hurt and it's peace of mind but take a look at the article and look at your labs. I can tell you for a fact if you have any sort of hormonal imbalance it can wreck your life and make you think you're dying.
Renewme Thanks for the link I'll read it next! So this morning I picked up the Holter monitor and I will be wearing it for 24 hrs. tomorrow the stress test... happy birthday to me :s lol
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,393
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReNew Me
Has your doctor run a full thyroid panel on you? Hypertension + slow pulse + constantly being cold + no stamina/endurance are absolutely classic hypothyroid symptoms.
Normal blood panels (usually a CBC and/or BMP) do not include any hormone testing unless the doctor specifically orders it to be included. If you don't know what studies were done, ask your doctor if a thyroid panel has been done. FYI, you should always request copies of results of testing done and retain them for your own records.
Going to a cardiologist :(
)
