Cardiomyopathy blues

[Darcy2000]

Since being diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy ( Ejection fraction 45) which really isn’t that bad I have felt so light headed and nauseated .Put on the usual heart meds beta blockers ,plavix and BP med as protection for any event . BP is checked by me regularly and is not too low .My question is if it is the meds themselves and I assume I will have to stay in then indefinitely will I have to feel this crappy indefinitely? I also wonder if it is the heart meds or the cardiomyopathy itself that makes me feel really out of sorts.I am very active 73 year old woman normally ,slim non smoker and feel frustrated about my future.I want to get back to real living .Any thoughts on this good people?

[0163SLH]

From what I've read on here it takes a while for them to get the cocktail of drugs right . Hopefully with the help of your cardiac team and GP they will find the right meds to suit you . Good health to you 😊

[Danceawaytheblues]

I was diagnosed April 2020. It took about 4 months for me to feel like the `old me` again. I still have the odd rough day, but life is good again. I am looking forward to celebrating my 76th birthday tomorrow. Good luck Darcy2000. x

[Putterguy]

Hi Darcy, I too was diagnosed with the same but my EF was 15-20%. Mine was diagnosed late Dec 2020 just in time for my 66th birthday!!!Whilst I don’t know if my EF has increased since then my lifestyle has. When I was admitted I could only manage 100 yards at the best. Couple of Days previous I walked the golf course! It has taken some time and lots of anxiety attacks but my meds are just about right now. I now walk at least 3-5 miles every day with hills play golf 3 times a week( I have a buggy now) but you can get back to an active life. Just don’t rush it. Take it easy to start with and build up your stamina which helps to build up your heart again. There is life after heart issues. Keep going make sure you listen to your heart team, take the rehab if offered. Hope this helps you.

[GracieOS]

Hiya, it took a while to get my meds right, had to change from one completely due to developing a cough, a common side effect of this drug, also had my blood pressure medication cut in half because it was causing me to be very light headed. Things have stabilised now. I still get tired and have to manage that but it feels like I have things back under my control. Just keep talking to your medics they can and will swap things around as needed. Also think about how you manage your day, I for instance try and do the most demanding things in the morning and allow myself some downtime in-between things.

I got really down in my early days, the first year was really tough, I think that's normal. I'm nearly three years into my journey now.

I was 55 when diagnosed and my EF was low to mid 30s. I had a healthy active lifestyle previously, its taken some adjusting to but I don't feel crappy all the time now, like I did to start with. Also my EF has improved significantly. Mostly I feel fine and am definitely living fully now. In fact I'm retiring in a few months and hope to go travelling in my campervan, go walking, cycling and snorkeling around Europe and the UK.