Dr's Orders...not happy

[skinnyman]

TweetSo I had my annual visit with the cardiologist and went to discuss the results of an echocardiogram. Been seeing this Dr. for a few years now. This Dr. is very candid with no bed-side manner but that’s fine as he is supposed to be one of the best. He is also VERY conservative.

He cut to the chase and told me my heart became weaker based on the results of a prior test conducted in January. Said the muscle fibers had become stretched which can create scar tissue. The shocker is that he told me to STOP lifting weights all together. Mind you I’ve been lifting weights since I was 15 yrs. old and I am now 46. However, Dr. said I can do as much cardio as I want. Seemed a bit contradictory so I asked why that is. Dr. told me that when you lift heavy weight your blood pressure can go from normal (which mine is) to over 300 in a manner of 2 seconds. When doing cardio, the blood pressure is a much more gradual increase.

As I mentioned I am 46 yrs. old, 5”11”, weigh 210 with not much body fat and all blood work is fine. Still very physically fit. Have been cycling on-off for over 10 yrs. now so I don’t understand why this change. However and possibly the reason is that I came off a fairly long spring/summer cycle about a month ago. Thinking this cycle had something to do with it.

I do have a follow up with him in two months so hopefully this will change.

Overall this is very depressing and am trying to cope with not lifting and will go nuts if life changing.

Any thoughts?

[adwal99]

Tweetdamn bro i'm sorry to hear about the bad news.. have you ever thought about getting a second opinion or do you trust this guy with your life?

[MrzDiva]

TweetI understand how you feel. I started training for power lifting and 3 months before the competition I got told I had cancer and had to do treatment and chemo. Ever since my health hasn't gotten better. Because of the chemo and no immune system I can't work out or power lift because my bones got weaker.

Again I understand your pain and frustration . Things will work out.

[skinnyman]

Tweethey thanks fellas and YES i will get a second opinion. Either case and no matter what the second opionion brings, i will take his advise. As i mentioned, this Dr. is VERY conservative and VERY good at what he does. Know this as my mother is a nurse and worked with him for many years.

Yes i shouldn't stress about and trying not to. Already started planning a complete diet makeover to compensate for lack of weights and more cardio

[Dzone]

TweetDang bro. Hope you can keep lifting weights. Ask your dr if he has had patients with hearts like yours who harmed their heart from lifting weights. Yes, I would get a second opinion.

[whitetail]

TweetObviously listen to dock for now but maybe he will approve a slow pace ,high volume resistance rountine to keep your muscle muscle you have been earning since you were 15.
Good luck

[skinnyman]

TweetYa know Whitetail i did ask whetehr it be OK to just do low resistance, high repetition as opposed to the heavier weight. At first and from his expression, thought he was going to say sure. but went against my thought and said just wait a bit.

So, not being medically inclined and more so in shock when Dr. was telling me this so it was hard for me to absorb, i asked my mother to call the Dr as she is a nurse. Dr. said this is not that big of a deal, he just wants to ensure the heart does not CONTINUE to get weaker and for which i will get bad symptoms.

As the heart is a muscle and if I was cycling, wouldn't it seem logical that the heart, along with other muscle groups, gets stronger? And, as you come off cycle, the muscle will get a bit weaker?

Does this make sence?

[skinnyman]

Tweetto continue from above.....

when i saw the Dr. this past January, I was cycling at the time. So, the Dr. is comparing the strength of my heart from January and when cycling to more recently when i am not cycling.

I know, grabbing at straws here but think this could be the issue?

[unclem]

Tweetu sound like me when i had a echo they told me my heart was enlarged. i say fuk it keep training. everything gets stretched when lifting and when jogging, cardio ect i call it bs. i think he might not know bbing. i was told i had enlarged heart 15 yrs ago and stoped as i fx my femur then started wright back up again. my echos always come back with svts. this is my opinion now dont take wat i say as true but i have the same bs dr told me. iam still alive and i never stop cycling hardly. just be careful with your lipids, hdl, ldl, tigs, total cholesterol, liver, kidneys, ect . just take omega3 fish oils, organ protectors and if your worried do what dzone said get second opinion. i take it as tafu, but iam no dr. good luck to u brother!

[O2BESOHUGE]

TweetTAKE CARE OF YOURSELF MAN!

[skinnyman]

TweetThanks for the info unclem.

I too was told, by the same Dr, i had a problem with my heart last dec and just before Xmas. This, yet again, scared the crap out of me and resulted in me immediatly getting angioplasti done to check out the inside of my heart. EVERYTHING was just fine. Better than fine.....Dr who performed the procedure said i had a heart of an 18 yr old. I was like WTF!

Then again better safe than sorry and as i mentioned earlier, this Dr. is VERY conservative.

For now gonna take the advice of the Dr. for the two months and come back like a madman.....

[unclem]

Tweetgood choice, i never listen to drs anyhow as medicine is not a exact science. i say when u come back start by using 250mg to see. your heart will get enlarged with 250mg as it will with 2 grams. but listen to the so called money takers. i cant believe you had a angiogram that can kill you while your on the table. see there you go that cost insurance 5 k if not more.

[skinnyman]

TweetProcedures are BIG business taking advantage of insurance companies while, in turn, they pass the cost back to us. The heart hospital i went to was quite big and the procedure took place along side 15-20 other folks getting the same thing done.

Your right....this procedure could be life threatening as, think about, they're sticking a tiny tube in thru your inner thigh area and up to and into your heart.

[skinnyman]

Tweetoh and BTW, i go tomorrow for a second opinion. for these test however, the cost will come of of my pocket

[FUZO]

TweetI was told my heart was over sized but when they did all the tests it all came out fine,EKG,STRESS TESTS ,SIZE OF THE VALVES.So I cant even get a straight answer either