Exercise

[Zeusy512]

I’m 2.5 years post quadruple heart bypass and type 2 diabetic. Things are going pretty good overall I think / hope but I have no basis for comparison. I’m 57, I do circuit training weights x3 per week and run x1 pw and can run up to 10k which I do once per month and my other runs are 6k. But this is where I’d like some feedback… I’m really slow. 14 - 15min miles and throughout it all my legs ache like mad. I’m on the following meds: apixiban, bisoprolol, atorvastatin, dapagliflozin, metformin, lansaprozole, sitagliptin. Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone know if any of those meds can result in this rotten achiness. I ache when I don’t run. I’m not complaining, I feel pretty lucky overall to be able to do what I do, I just want to get better. Thanks…

[Lowerfield_no_more]

One of the more publicised side effects from taking statins are muscle and joint aches and pains, although all side affects usually only affect less than 10% of users. If you believe you might be suffering from statin side effects then talk to your GP, who should be able to trial you on another statin, of which there are several, and you may not get any side effects, although that is not guaranteed. Rosuvastatin seems to be a popular alternative to atorvastatin that works for some on here. But if you are statin intolerant there is other medication available to control your cholesterol and your GP should be receptive to you finding something that does the job and doesn't interfere with your quality of life. All that said you are 57 years of age and (fortunately) are able carry out what I would consider to be extensive and regular exercise and so it must be expected that you will feel the after effects of this and perhaps you are not giving your body long time enough to recover. I understand that we are all different, but when I was capable of regular exercise when I was a lot younger than you I used to feel the after effects for a day or two after and I considered myself fit. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

[Zeusy512 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Appreciate it 😊

[Stentsandrun]

In contrast to the reply you have had so far, I don't consider that 57 is old by any standards, including exercise wise, there are hundreds of people of that age and above still competing in running races to a good standard. The mile time you have mentioned would give you a 46 min Parkrun -sure it's not fast but if you look at any parkrun results for veteran males (VM55) there will be plenty of people doing it around that time and beyond. You are doing the right thing and if your legs ache when you don't exercise I would suggest it is not the exercise if you are doing it as regularly as you say, unless for example you were particularly overweight in which case things should ease over time. I am 10 years older than you and have just done 14km and my legs are fine, exercise done regularly should not cause this aching to the extent you describe.

The important thing is to keep going and not let this aching result in you stopping exercise, which is very important. You need to speak to your GP and try and get to the bottom of any Med's that may be causing this as they should treat exercising as a priority, even above some medications which may be restricting you - the bisoprolol for example, as there seems to be an increasing view that the use of these like smarties may not actually be helpful for some people, they certainly were not for me. You may benefit from trying a different dose of Statin or a different type.

Good luck try not to get discouraged and keep going with your exercise.

[Zeusy512 in reply to Stentsandrun]

fair points - well received and encouraging. Thanks 😊

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Stentsandrun]

To be clear as the one giving the earlier reply you referred to I didn't say he was too old to be doing what he was doing. What I said was, and on the contrary, was that fortunately he was able to undertake regular extensive exercise but with the qualification that perhaps he needs to take time to allow his body to recover, with an inference that age may necessitate this. Whereas each and every one of us ages at a different rate, which means some are more capable of physical exercise at a certain age than others, irrespective of where we are on the curve, what we were capable of at 30 is less at 50 and then at 70 and so on. I am in my mid 70s and only wish I could do some of the things I could do before I was 50, and it has been that way for some time, but my body simply won't let me, so I accept that, and in some cases it is necessary, for if I tried I would do myself more harm than good. So for anyone who is able to do 5k park runs in a creditable time when they are 75 that is really good, and I envy them, I only wish I could do it.

[Zeusy512 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

thanks again . The ‘slowness’ issues have arisen post surgery and medication. I was exercising faster than this up until the point of needing surgery pretty much. I’m not after ‘creditable’ times per se, rather I know I’m capable of better times. Or was. Age will be playing a part as well as recovery but something else is going on I fear. I’ll keep trying and speak to the Dr 😊

[happyrosie1]

I expect you are familiar with the website of Diabetes UK - but there might be something there which you’d find helpful.

You say you are really slow. Is this in comparison to other people your age and medical history? Or to what you were ten years ago? Is this a fair comparison?

Is your diet good?

There’s been a lot of newspaper articles over the last ten or twenty years blaming statins (which you are on) for muscular pains. So it might be worthwhile you talking to the pharmacist employed by your doctor’s group of surgeries. Pharmacists are the ones who have their fingers on medicine inter-reactions and so on, and they might advise your doctor on tweaks.

[Zeusy512 in reply to happyrosie1]

Thanks. I’m not comparing myself to other people my age or from my times 10 years ago. Rather my times and how I felt pre my bypass and pretty much right up until I needed my operation. I have a good diet, I warm up, stretch and try to do the best to maximise my ability to run and to run better. I know I’ll never be the fastest and do t want to be. I want it to be ‘easier’ and therefore to enjoy it more. Thats all. I’ll chat to my Dr re the medications I’m on. Thanks again, 😊