Ejection Fraction

[missyflip]

Hi everyone , I had a HA last Oct and had a stent fitted , I attended the rehab programme where the cardio nurse informed me I had an ejection Fraction of 35-39% as one of the lower chambers was damaged , she said this may or may not improve , I am discharged from the hospital and rehab , I am still experiencing very low energy levels so much so I have reduced my hours at work from full time to part time , on the advice of the occupational health Dr as my job is fairly physical , does anyone know how I would know if things have improved , my GP doesn't seem to want to know , I have been given no advice , and I am also experiencing constant aches and pains in my legs .

[IanMK]

Hi Missy

Firstly, keep up with the exercising that you were shown on the rehab program. Gradually increase the exercise level but don’t overdo it - “listen to your body”. Are you still on medication (e.g. beta blockers)? If so, these are likely to sap your energy. Let your GP know that your aim is to come off the medication as and when it is possible to do so. I imagine that you will only know if your ejection fraction is improving if you have another echocardiogram.

Sorry - I’m not able to help with your legs.

[missyflip in reply to IanMK]

Thankyou IanMK , yes I am on Ticagrelor ,Atorvastatin ,Epierenone, Bisoprolol, Ramipril , Aspirin , I went to my GP a few weeks ago because I had an enormous nosebleed in the night , he said one of my medications could cause that and to contact cardio unit , they ping ponged me back to GP , sent for blood tests , something was slightly raised , he sent results to cardio unit and still waiting for a reply . As I said my job is physical and Occupational health said it wasn't the ideal job for me but to decrease my hours which I have , so I know I am getting enough physical exercise , but I am usually in bed and asleep by 8pm everynight

[IanMK in reply to missyflip]

Some people don’t tolerate bisoprolol very well; it knocks them for six. You could have a discussion with your GP about an alternative beta blocker.

If you’re not comfortable with your GP, is there another one in the same practice that you could see? Many people find it difficulties to see their choice of GP these days so you could always ‘blame’ this difficulty for seeing another GP.

[stevejb1810]

Usually you will need an echocardiogram to get a reading for your ejection fraction. Usually you would be prescribed an ACE inhibitor like Ramipril to improve your ejection fraction. Pains in your legs might be fluid retention which can result from poor cardiac output, but I’m no medic so you’ll need to seek advice on that. Basically you need to talk to your GP and make him/her listen.

[missyflip in reply to stevejb1810]

Thankyou very much , I will certainly be paying another visit to my GP.

[DavidOverton]

Hi Missyflip,

I feel your pain and I can share some insights. My EF was about 35% when I left hospital and only 40% 6 months later. It can and normally does improve a bit. Exercise, not too much, but not too little helps your heart, what is remaining, improve. I don't know your age, but they say that in 40's and 50's the elasticity of the heart can be improved with exercise, which will give you a better outcome providing you really do exercise well. Some research showed that those who did 250 minutes of exercise a week did better than those who did the minimum 150 minutes a week (5 x 30 minutes).

I had the same fatigue issues, so on speaking with the doctor, I swapped my ramapril and bisoprolol around, so I take Ramapril in the morning and the bisoprolol in the evening. This reduced my daytime tiredness. At one point, I stopped working, but I am back full time now!

I also had leg cramps, and I was told this was due to the poor circulation I was experiencing. It has improved over time, but I used to give my legs a little massage before I went to bed on colder nights and that seemed to work.

All I can say is keep up the work and it does help.

[missyflip in reply to DavidOverton]

Thankyou DavidOverton , I will definitely try swapping my meds around , I am 54yrs so hopefully a few more years in me yet

[jimmyq]

I am going to try taking my Bisoprolol in the evenings to see if that reduces my fatigue and lethargy.