Lunar Threads

Hi, guys. I recently went to the doctor about not being able to breathe well. Wasn't my lungs. So they did some heart test thing with stickers stuck on your chest with the wires. Forgot the name of it. I have irregular rapid heart beat. I wasn't nervous or moving around... so it was not from that... Then they got a blood test and chest x-ray... now I have to wait two weeks for results... then depending on those I might need a stress test.

I'm only 26. I'm vegetarian but I'm somehow 350 pounds. I have liver disease and gallstones. I take a meal of pills at morning and night. I know it's a bunch of complaining... but does anyone have any advice at all? I've been moving around a lot before the breathing issue... most people wonder how I weigh this much. =w=; I'm really not sure what to do. Maybe I just need someone to chat to... I'm in the dumps.

Well, the liver and gallbladder issues are certainly not going to help in the weight department. Also, some of the pills you could be taking could cause weight gain.

As far as your breathing problems, I'm unfortunately just a medic, but I do know we'd seen someone in our ER while I was overseas that came in for breathing problems. We'd discovered heart problems in him after doing an EKG, much like you had done. Not sure what happened after that, because he'd been sent to Germany due to the risk.

All the advice I can give you is maybe you have an underlying thyroid problem that's causing all these problems. Have you ever been in for a CAT or MRI on your head?

I had a test on my head a few months ago. It was one like the chest test they gave me. With the sticking wires on. ._. I think it was an "E" something. Also they checked my thyroid multiple times and didn't see anything wrong.

The doctor gave me a rescue inhaler.... but I'm scared if it's my heart it won't be enough. I can walk across the house sometimes and I can barely breathe... that just started a few weeks ago suddenly. It didn't progress over time.

An EEG, I believe it's called.

That's pretty scary though your inhaler should at least help some. It'll open up everything in your lungs essentially and allow you to breathe. What might be happening is a constriction of vessels in your lungs due to heart problems, not enough blood getting to them let's say. But with the assistance of an inhaler, it could wind up helping.

Good thing I got the inhaler then. My mom is a nurse and she wondered why I needed an inhaler for my heart. You explained it pretty well. Sometimes I think she needs to go back to nursing school....

Ardent Fox wrote:An EEG, I believe it's called.

EEG is "electroencephalogram," which monitors brainwaves. I believe you're looking for EKG, or "electrocardiogram." I dunno why there's a K instead of a C, but that's how it goes. I'm good with acronyms!

Heart business is serious business. I've had two close relatives (my father and aunt) die relatively recently, both of heart problems. No pun intended, I swear. My recommendation is that you see a cardiologist frequently and stick to what he/she/it says like glue! My dad would probably still be around today if he hadn't been so stubborn about seeing his doctor.

I'm no medical student (by which I mean, student of medicine, examplis gratis practicing doctor, med student, house enthusiast, et cetera,) and in fact I avoid icky stuff like anatomy and medicine like the plague. But it sounds to me like if your doctors could figure out why you aren't losing weight, a lot of other issues would clear themselves up.

Above all, though, stop worrying and relax a little! It's not helping your blood pressure, I assure you. I understand it's scary. I once got to ride in an ambulance because of my own breathing problems. But the way you should be looking at this is, if you were in any imminent danger, you'd be in the hospital right now. The fact that they let you go home means everything is alright for the moment.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya. Best of luck!

chiiruchan wrote:I had a test on my head a few months ago. It was one like the chest test they gave me. With the sticking wires on. ._. I think it was an "E" something. Also they checked my thyroid multiple times and didn't see anything wrong.

Ardent Fox wrote:An EEG, I believe it's called.

Just to clarify, I do believe Chii was talking about an EEG there.

Ardent Fox wrote:

chiiruchan wrote:I had a test on my head a few months ago. It was one like the chest test they gave me. With the sticking wires on. ._. I think it was an "E" something. Also they checked my thyroid multiple times and didn't see anything wrong.

Ardent Fox wrote:An EEG, I believe it's called.

Just to clarify, I do believe Chii was talking about an EEG there.

Durr, you're right. I'm stupid is all. I suppose it would help if I read things more carefully.

In that case, why an EEG for heart issues? Or are the two events unrelated and I'm missing something?

Vyse of Arcadia wrote:Durr, you're right. I'm stupid is all. I suppose it would help if I read things more carefully.

In that case, why an EEG for heart issues? Or are the two events unrelated and I'm missing something?

The brain fires electron signals to all parts of the body to tell it to work. The same is also true of the myocardiac muscles that help pump the heart. It's possible that they'd thought there was an interruption some where along the line that was causing the heart to not pump as regularly.

Vyse of Arcadia wrote:EKG, or "electrocardiogram." I dunno why there's a K instead of a C, but that's how it goes. I'm good with acronyms!

A lot of medical terminology has German roots, since pre-WW2 there were a lot of advances made in German medical science. So heart = kardio- instead of cardio-. (Early medical terminology in Japanese also borrow more from German than English, until you get into postwar terms.) (German roots are still third behind Greek and Latin, though.)

Ardent Fox and Pottle (who doesn't post so much anymore...) are the only physicians who post here, I believe. I'm no expert in medicine, only in terminology and etymology. KF

If you have solid insurance, or the means to afford it you may want to see if you can get your regular physician to suggest you get that stomach surgery where they make your stomach all small. You can often make a health case for it.

Do cardio exercises, carefully, and practice breathing techniques.
Wait for the tests to come back.

:3 Thanks for all the posts guys. I'll definatly keep doing what the doc says. My grandpa was stubborn as a mule and didn't see his heart doctor often. Sadly he died of a massive heart attack. My dad had an artificial heart his was so bad. ;_; Sadly he died too.... but of other causes believe it or not.

Chiiru I am no doctor but I do have a couple of questions for you.

When you went to the doctor originally did they ask about your family history? There may be some valuable information that could help assist the doctors.

Also you mentioned being a vegetarian. When I was a vegetarian I still wasn't that healthy. It is easy to miss a lot of nutrients as a veg which I am sure you are already aware of. Maybe you should track your food intake on a website (thedailyplate.com, sparkpeople.com, fitday.com etc) to see if you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs to function properly.

Also did they do any blood work?

I hope everything goes well for you.

They did a blood test. I get the result sometime this week. I tried Spark People but I got way too much mail from them... I think I may have had a FitDay account a while back. I should go check. The doctor did mention she was checking for any type of anemia.

I told them about my grandpa and dad's heart problem. I think it would be more related to my grandpa's. My dad was always drinking alchohal and I think that's what messed up his heart. O_o; I don't drink or smoke.

sounds like men in your family are genetically pre-disposed to this...

The women in my family generally are fine heart-wise. I just had to be the weirdo. O_o; The women get Diabetes a bunch.... but I luckily don't have it. (yet?)