I finally have a name for my Echo results.
I'm wondering what treatment others are getting for this diagnosis.
So far I'm on metoprolol, but about to go to another Dr.
Wondering how the metprolol is working for you. We've tried O2. We've tried other means of treating the metabolic acidosis...I actually threw away giant trash bags full of the empty bottles from some of the things we've tried - a number of physicians were involved along the way. In the end? Rest, rest, and more rest. Anti-inflammatories, painkillers, and a minimal dose of adderall to keep my brain functioning at least part of the day so I can do the most basic life-support stuff.
There is one doctor, Paul Cheney, who feels this is at the root of most of my problems, but I have not been able to see him in person owing to time, money, and energy constraints. (I also have yet to meet anyone he has 'cured'.) He says that diastolic dysfunction is not picked up on the usual ECGs? He also speaks of O2 toxicity under unusual circumstances not typically noted. But...my stress testing revealed the low VO2-Max expected, every lab shows way more O2 in my bloodstream than should be there. Muscles are screaming for O2 because it never gets from my circulatory system to them - not because I can't breathe! And the idiot who wrote the stress test report failed to read my history and assumed I was just grossly out of shape. Doh! At least my primary doc gets it...
Apparently, there is a surgeon in Germany who can fix diastolic dysfunction permanently. I have not investigated this further, as I'm not sure I entirely buy Cheney's idea anyway. It's like a mechanical fix for something that was chemically caused, and I'm way into fixing things at the source whenever possible. But I think I am at a point where I may have to reconsider and just go with whatever might work. I'm sure you can google it up, if interested. It's all internet-published.
Serena, what is 02 toxicity?
The way that I found out I had this condition (DD) is that I asked for diet pills, and was told 'ok, but an EKG is required first, well, that was abnormal, so next was the Echo, which showed the DD with high EF (70). Oh, no problem, just take Metoprolol to lower blood pressure and that will take care of the DD. I must say I don't feel any better, it has been a year, so I am going to make appt with Cardiologist. The other Dr was an Internist. Btw, I also showed my Echo results to a Dr. at the Vein Clinic and she said too that lowering blood pressure with Metoprolol was the correct treatment.
I am tired a lot, can't do too much, I am just not my old self.
Also weigh 20 lbs too much due to low sugar eating. Don't know if that is connected to this.
I'm still learning about O2 toxicity. Extreme example would be a deep sea diver with the bends (different cause, different result).
Cheney's work is all on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) which they call CFIDS for some ungodly political reasons in the US. Mine was chemically caused when I was poisoned, layered on top of a connective tissue disorder (read-I'm fairly screwed). I would not wish that dx on a dog. Insurance hassles, social hassles, medicolegal blather, etc. If you have an objective dx of something else, it's good for you economically, if not medically.
Still, you might want to investigate it and read what Cheney has written. Even if that is not the case for you, his explanations of how everything works are very helpful. He explains the difference between diastolic heart failure and diastolic dysfunction really well. (Heart failure will kill you outright. Dysfunction will just keep you in a near-death state a lot of the time, and you'll never have a heart attack because your heart just isn't in it, lol. Think I'd prefer a heart attack. They know how to treat those.)
He's not the last word on ME. There are others. A lot is still unknown. But he's been around a long time, and is (get this) both a physician and a heart transplant recipient himself. So he has a clue.
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