I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure a month after I turned 24, and as far as my doctors can tell, my heart was attacked and weakend by a virus and the heart failure was misdiagnosed for three months so my heart function was 10-15% when I was finally diagnosed correctly. I've been living with it for about two years now, and a year ago (I go back to the cardiologist in a week) my echo showed that my heart function was still about 30-35% unchanged from October 2008. My problem is that I am really really struggling with getting enough exercise because I am absolutely terrified of cardiac arrest/heart attack. I've actually gained 40-50 lbs since getting sick. But I know that I have to exercise to help my heart and lose the weight that's so hard on my heart too. I don't have anyone who can be an exercise buddy with me, but I'm going to ask my cardiologist if there is any type of cardiac rehabilitation program I can join. I can't find anything about it on the hospital website and I live in a fairly small town, so I'm not thinking that there will be. I was doing well with exercising a bit everyday, but I ended up in the ER one night with high protein markers for a heart attack. After staying the night in the ER, they let me go without knowing exactly what was wrong but said it wasn't a heart attack. So I associated that with the exercise I'd been doing everyday. When I asked my doctor how much exercise was safe for me, he just said that I need to sweat. Does anyone have experience with heart disease and exercise? What did you do? Did your doctor give you good advice? Thanks so much for reading and your help.
I don't have heart disease experience, but my parents do. As far as breaking a sweat goes, I don't know, but walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do. It won't raise your heart rate too high hopefully and you can do it whenever you feel up to it. It will keep you going and is better than doing nothing. It will not make you drop weight at an astronomical weight, but it will burn some calories and make for a steady and regular weight-loss. And any form of exercise is better than none.
Both of my parents have been advised to do this and also some swimming that is not too strenous.
I hope this is of help and you can get on top of things soon.
Oh Love.... In April of 1999 I was diagnosed with dialated cardiomyopathy and an arrythmia... Like you, my heart function (Ejection fraction) was around 15% (normal levels are 45-55%)... 6 months later I went into full blown cardiac arrest... Leading to an ICD implant.
Prior to my condition I excerised twice a day aerobically and took a yoga class twice a week... I was also a dancer... So you can imagine my heartbreak when I was no longer able to do any of those activities... I tried but everytime I tried my heart would have a "meltdown"...
I gained a massive amount of weight over the next few years afterward... I tried very hard to lose it... and lost about 70lbs in a very short amount of time by cutting meat out of my diet (but not protein - beans, etc) not drinking ANY kind of carbonated beverage or having any sugars (except in fruit) and still attempting to do yoga in short spurts... Also walking wherever I could.. Such as the corner store or to the nearby post office...
Of course, once I lost the weight I stopped the diet and look where I am now... LOL... However, I'm picking it back up...
Modified Yoga in short spurts (make sure your head is always above your heart) can help burn calories without burning out your heart... But it is usually a very slow process for those of us with heart conditions simply because we can't just start excercising...
Don't be afraid to take your time and work up to things...
***I cut out meat because I realized it was a sort of "trigger" as when I ate meat I wanted things like mashed potatoes and gravy... So cutting out the meat factor allowed me to experiment with new foods and spices and really opened up my palette to some wonderful things I hadn't experienced before***
Sometimes it can be a really simple start like doing away with the remote and having to get up every time you want to change a channel or turn the volume up or down... Walking around your yard or building... Making sure you walk to check your mail even on Sundays... Every step counts
Ohhhh (I know... third post... lol) and even "chair dancing"... My doctor said "wigglers" usually lose more and weigh less than other people... So if you have issues with your legs or climbing (as I do) sometimes just sitting and dancing to good music can help!
One of my best friends was born with a heart defect. He had his first open-heart surgery when he was 7, and he's been near or in congestive heart failure many times. There are times he can exercise, and times he cannot (based on his heart function level). It's really essential that you talk to the doctor about it, because diet can affect how much he can do. For example he has to be very careful with dark green veggies, because they react with the blood thinners. They can adjust the levels based on what he's eating, but he can't suddenly decide to have a big salad. It interacts with the exercise too, I think because I remember him postponing exercise, because he had eaten more dark greens than usual.
His exercise routine even included running sometimes, but I know he had to monitor himself very closely (he takes his pulse alot, even when not exercising). Even doctors have different advice for him though. Until he had a cardiologist with a super reputation, most told him to do what he could, as best he could, and stop if he became uncomfortable. That's pretty vauge advice, and how do you tell a cardiac problem from a panic attack brought on by FEAR of overexertion. His new cardiologist helped him alot with more suggestions for exercise and more specific ways to monitor himself during exercise.
I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy about 10 years ago. Due to the increased risk of sudden death after exertion, I've been restricted from exercising. This is very tough for me, and I imagine it is for you as well. Losing weight without exercising is very difficult. I've found myself telling total strangers about my heart condition as a way of explaining my weight because I didn't want to be perceived as lazy or lacking self control. It's a terrible cycle. My best advice is walking and accepting that you have limitations. What works for others won't necessarily work for you. I used to feel bad about myself when I couldn't walk for two hours at 4 mph like my best friends. Now, I'm proud of myself if I do 20 min at 2.5 mph. It's what my body can handle and I'm alive.
As for your raised proteins indicating a heart attack, let me ask you this... when was your last echo? The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) often don't present themselves before the mid-20's. I was 31 when I was diagnosed. But, when I was 22 I had test results that indicated I'd had a heart attack even though I didn't. I was sent home without an answer. I'm not saying you have HCM, or even that you could, I'm just saying it's important that those types of tests be followed up on. The only way to diagnose HCM is though an echo, or gene study. If you haven't followed up on your tests, please do so. Heart health is something you don't want to ignore. I wish you well in your endeavors!
Heart Disease and Exercise
