hi everyone. I have been having problems with missing heart beats, bad breathlessness, dizzyness, palpitations, fluttering and chest pain. I had a ct angiogram a couple of months ago which showed a bit of blockage but nothing to bad. my symptoms didn't change and i was putting on weight because of not exercising due to the chest pain and other symptoms that happened when I tried to exercise. my cardiologist suggested I have a stress test to put my mind at rest and see if there was anything wrong. I also had some aura migraines which was a bit scary.I had the test today. it was an echo stress test. they put all the stuff on me then had me on a bed to do the echo. she had some issues I think because I was overweight. she got the pictures she wanted then I got onto the treadmill. we got started and I felt OK. I began to get breathless. they pointed some things out but nothing to worry about. the increased the speed. as soon as my heart rate went to 130 my blood pressure shot right up to 200 over 100. they nearly stopped the test but they increased the speed and had me carry on. by this time I was out of breath and had some pain but I thought that was the costochondritis kicking in. the next BP came up and it was 250 over 130 I think. they then stopped the test and did the next echo. there was a lot of voices and they seamed to be in a hurry. I was just trying to breath.
I was told that I needed to lose weight and it was hypertension that I had. they kept telling me to talk to my gp about losing weight. they said that my heart was fine and I just needed to sort out my lifestyle. that was it.
I am a bit confused. I am going to talk to my gp. they said I could do aerobic exercise but no weights. they also said to carry on with the bisoprolol.
the thing is, if my heart is ok then why the bisoprolol.
also the fluttering, palpitations, breathlessness etc is all still there. is that just because I am overweight.
if any one has any ideas then that would be great. I am more worried now to do exercise than I was before.
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Spedyrecovry50
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you’re being told repeatedly to lose weight. If you do you will be helping your heart with every pound lost . I’d like to suggest Slimming World , no calorie counting or weighing anything , but lots of cooking from scratch and being organised. Go every week , you’ll find encouragement and help . Good luck
Hello hope your okay, I was experiencing some of the above. I have had ventricular ectopics, palpitations for many years. I was never told I was overweight. I can exercise so that helps. I was told by my GP, if they get too much she would put me on betablockers. I refused for now as I had no symptoms. It will be because of your symptoms they will have given you the Bisoprolol. I am sure your heart will be fine. If any problems or concerns, make an appointment with your GP. Take care. I have also had the Aura Migraine for many years too.
When I joined this forum I was overweight, pre-diabetic with raised BP and cholesterol. I was advised to follow a Mediterranean diet with plenty of veg and salad, and lean protein. These days everything back in range although I do take low doses of a statin and a ACE inhibitor. One thing to be wary of advice to eat lots of fruit as it can lead to high intake of sugar, as fructose, and hence calories. I was also recommended Robin Ellis' cookery books which are excellent.
thanks everyone. I might have a look at the Mediterranean diet. not sure about weight watchers only because I suffer from panic attacks when I am in new situations.
Bisoprolol is a cardiac-specific beta blocker. There are also non-cardiac-specific beta blockers which are prescribed for panic attacks (one of my daughters is on a daily dosage of propanalol for prevention, while the other only takes it in acute situations as needed).
Anyway, you might ask your GP if swapping the bisoprolol for propanalol (for instance) might kill two birds with one stone for you....
Losing weight is all about food, calories in versus calories out, whatever eating regime you choose. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, but of course you should do as much as you can that will aid your fitness. You will find people suggesting different diets that have worked for them which may be useful to you too. For me it was My Fitness Pal which is an app and is a very useful tool to calculate calorie intake. It is free (no need to pay for the premium) and has a huge data base of foods and a forum full of supportive people. Finding the right tools for you that help you lose weight is key. Losing weight can make a huge difference to your health in many areas. Mine was my knees. Awful pain, hard to walk, lost 30lbs and the pain went away completely. Do not ignore the weight loss advice, taking the strain off your heart could really help your symptoms.
thanks. I have lost weight before. I just find it hard to get motivated. I am very tired all the time. I have started to change some of the things I eat and I am making small changes. I have lost 4 pounds already in this last week. I love exercise but I just get so out of breath. I think I am going to start small and just go for a small walk some where flat. as I live on a hill.
start small with exercise and build up. No need to go to a gym, just walking is wonderful for your health. The minimum amount of moderate walking (that is, getting a bit out of breath but able to talk) is only 150 minutes a week as recommended by the NHS for the over-sixties, so half an hour each day is even better. build your way up, slowly but carefully.
and the same with your diet. Start by making smallish changes each day or couple of days. So in two weeks time you will have made five or six improvements to your diet. And in a month, you’ll have made twenty improvements!
Do you have a smartwatch or fitness watch? Some are quite inexpensive online, and although the accuracy varies according to quality, you may find tracking your non-exercise specific activity a helpful tool too. Some people can get loads of steps in a day doing hoovering, washing the car, mopping the floor, etc. I know exercising is easier said than done at first and can be overwhelming, but this could be the baby steps you need to start out with. There are also exercise videos on youtube for mobility impaired people, which are very gentle and encouraging as you don't have to be impaired to use them but many of us with heart conditions can get the benefit. Start gentle, slow, and go at your own pace. x
I do have a smart watch. I was thinking of seeing if there is one with blood pressure monitor on it. not sure how good it will be. I will have a look at YouTube. thanks.
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Year on from ablation
Dobutamine stress test.
MRI Stress test 
Heaviness on chest cause?
So confused! Angina? Early heart failure? 
