Another trip to the hospital

SkiWhiz

Elite Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
8,601
Location
upstate New York
Hi all, as many of you know back in March I wasn't feeling good and ended up having to get stents in my heart. For the last little while I haven't been feeling very good again, very light headed, flopped stomach, tired all the time. I went to the hospital and my heart rate was too slow. It should be in the high 60's to the low 70's and mine was in the 30's. I have been taking a pill called Toporel (forgive the spelling), Toporel slows the heart down so my doctor took me off it. He says some people can't tolerate it, I asked him why I was on it & he told me that it is standard procedure. I am hoping that once it is out of my system that my heart rate will be normal and I will feel better. I just got home today and when I left the hospital my heart rate was at 55. I am still not feeling the best but am feeling better. I apologise to the person that bought my Lesche digger and the person that wants my Ace 250 for not being able to get back to them until now. I did tell my wife how to log onto the forum and hope that she pm'd you guys that wanted my items. Good to be back, thanks! Steve.

P.S. I had alot of tests while at the hospital and they tell me that there is no damage to my heart, that's a relief.
 
Steve 2 Steve

The best news is no damage. When I had my triple bypass 4 years ago I also had no damage to my heart - just a plumbing problem basically. Sounds like changing the pill intake is good for you. I sure will pray for your better health, Steve in so az
 
Hey steve! you get better. i'm the one who purchased the lesche and dorsey did in fact pm me. don't worry about it - whenever you get around to it will be fine. its just a back-up for me anyway.
 
I asked him why I was on it & he told me that it is standard procedure.

Standard procedure? Why would they give you something not knowing whether or not you need it?

I'm am so glad you found out what was causing the problem.
 
Standard procedure? Why would they give you something not knowing whether or not you need it?

I'm am so glad you found out what was causing the problem.
Thanks for your concern everyone & Carol I asked my heart doctor the same thing. He said that back in the 70's and 80's everyone that had any heart work done were put on Toporol, now many places do the same thing. I had my stents put in at a hospital about 200 miles away and the heart doctor their put me on the medicine along with Plavix and a baby aspirin. My heart doctor up here at home did have me cut the Toporol dose in half about the last month. I am hoping that it is the medicine that caused the problem, I asked why it didn't bother me until now since I have been on my meds. since this March, he said that I wouldn't notice it at first, little by little it kept building up and slowing down my heart rate I am thinking. Another thing I have noticed in the last week is that I have been getting bruises here and there, he said it is the blood thinner (Plavix) I am taking, he said that I would be on a blood thinner for a year. Thanks again everyone your kind words really means a great deal to me! Steve.
 
Hey steve! you get better. i'm the one who purchased the lesche and dorsey did in fact pm me. don't worry about it - whenever you get around to it will be fine. its just a back-up for me anyway.
Thanks for your understanding Flyerdog. Steve.
 
Back in the 70's and 80's? That is some old time prescription.
It makes no sense to me. Toporol slows your heart beat, aspirin thins the blood, and Plavix thins the blood too.

So if your blood is thin then your heart would be a normal beat wouldn't it? Why would they want to slow that? Because of the stints? Because your heart wouldn't know how to react to a quicker flow of blood?

I don't know. I don't like doctors or drugs as you can tell. My dad died of (what they called) congestive heart failure, and to this day I have no clue what went wrong.

Anyway, I'm glad you are feeling better. I want you to be well.
 
Back in the 70's and 80's? That is some old time prescription.
It makes no sense to me. Toporol slows your heart beat, aspirin thins the blood, and Plavix thins the blood too.

So if your blood is thin then your heart would be a normal beat wouldn't it? Why would they want to slow that? Because of the stints? Because your heart wouldn't know how to react to a quicker flow of blood?

I don't know. I don't like doctors or drugs as you can tell. My dad died of congestive heart failure, and to this day I have no clue what went wrong.

Anyway, I'm glad you are feeling better. I want you to be well.
Epi would know more than me about this but from my understanding they have me on a blood thinner so my blood will flow easier and also not clog up my stints. I don't think having thinner blood has anything to do with the heart rate. My Dad was never sick in his life and he went out to the barn one night as he always did to check everything out and he didn't come back and he didn't come back so my Mom went out to check on him and she found him on the milkhouse floor passed away. He was 57, we never did have an autopsy because we felt he wouldn't of wanted one but we are figuring that he had a massive heart attack. My Grandparents on both sides lived to they were very old. My problem was my arteries to my heart were clogged due to high cholesterol. Thanks! Steve.
 
the doc said it was 'standard therapy' because it is. For patients with coronary artery disease (stents) many studies have proven that giving these drugs reduces the likelihood of dying. The same for the anticoagulants. I think it is a good thing...

Glad you are better Steve.
these drugs reduces the likelihood of dying. You are scaring me Epi, do you think that I should be taking a beta blocker. Remember my heart rate was in the 30's. Thank Epi. Steve.
 
You're so smart Epi! ;) Glad to see you feeling a bit better Skiwhiz... I've recently started on Actose and Chantix... I've been nothing but sleepy and somewhat dizzy all the time since I started... I liked it better when I wasn't on any Rx's... I just don't like how they make me feel at all!
 
Glad you're still with us Steve. (You too Beef - hang in there.)

I wonder if it might not be a bad idea if you got a blood-presure checker. It might help you see a trend before you feel the effects of the trend and might help your doctors tune your med's a little easier. (Just a wild guess.)
 
Glad you're still with us Steve. (You too Beef - hang in there.)

I wonder if it might not be a bad idea if you got a blood-presure checker. It might help you see a trend before you feel the effects of the trend and might help your doctors tune your med's a little easier. (Just a wild guess.)
Thats a good thought Rich but even though weird my blood pressure has always been good even when I am feeling bad. The nurses said if I were to check my heart rate when I was having a bad spell, my heart rate would be really low. Wish I or a family member knew how to check my pulse. Steve.

P.S. I went out to the barn this morning milked a few cows,done alittle tractor work, got alittle winded went into the house. I feel much better but doesn't take much to get me winded.
 
I do my mom's blood preasure. I use a stethascope and a bauameter (one of those bags they put on your arm and pump-up.) To do the pulse, you can either do it my feel, or with a stethascope. (It's easier with the scope.) Even a cheap $15 scope can let you hear your heart beat. (But that can be scary at times - I wouldn't want to hear changes in my heart beat.)

You can also get the electronic kind. I don't think they're as accurate at taking the preasure, but they should be able to tell you your pulse rate.

Sounds like you better take it slow for a while. Maybe your rate is still climbing slowly back to normal. My mom takes Toprol XL twice a day. I can see it hit her. And it does keep her heart from kicking into high-gear when it should. But at 83, and with 8 other meds, I'm just happy she's still around and sure don't want fiddle with the current medication mix.

Hang in there.
 
We use bet blockers to reduce chances of future events and to reduce workload of the heart. Some people cant tolerate them however. Plavix is usually used for year after stent placement but the aspirin is usually for life.
Paul

Thanks for your concern everyone & Carol I asked my heart doctor the same thing. He said that back in the 70's and 80's everyone that had any heart work done were put on Toporol, now many places do the same thing. I had my stents put in at a hospital about 200 miles away and the heart doctor their put me on the medicine along with Plavix and a baby aspirin. My heart doctor up here at home did have me cut the Toporol dose in half about the last month. I am hoping that it is the medicine that caused the problem, I asked why it didn't bother me until now since I have been on my meds. since this March, he said that I wouldn't notice it at first, little by little it kept building up and slowing down my heart rate I am thinking. Another thing I have noticed in the last week is that I have been getting bruises here and there, he said it is the blood thinner (Plavix) I am taking, he said that I would be on a blood thinner for a year. Thanks again everyone your kind words really means a great deal to me! Steve.
 
Plavix should be used for about three years after receiving a stent.... then slowly taper off.. (i.e. one every second day for two month, one every third day for two months etc...).. and stay on a daily aspirin. RickO
 
Plavix should be used for about three years after receiving a stent.... then slowly taper off.. (i.e. one every second day for two month, one every third day for two months etc...).. and stay on a daily aspirin. RickO
Hmm sounds like your are in the medical field RickO. Remember Epi is my #1 online doc :lol:. Check your pm's RickO, I sent you a question. Thanks! Steve.
 
Back
Top Bottom