Any doctors in the room?

[Zeb Camper]

So, I realize this is likely the wrong forum  but figured I'd ask anyway (you guys surprise me with all your knowledge). 

You wouldn't tell by looking at me, but I like to run. I run 4 miles twice a week every week religiously. I've always struggled with my weight, and got almost up to 300 lbs in the winter and from late April to now I've gotten down to 246.

I was running earlier, at a pretty mild pace for me. I was about 1.5 miles in and all of a sudden I felt my heart stop, then felt it hit hard, then slow way down and then it started to pick back up significantly hitting pretty hard at times. It felt like it was time to replace the spark plugs. I stopped right there and tried to check the rhythm and it returned to normal. After that I just continued on with caution. I had no more problems.

And another thing I've noticed is how I've lost a lot of my strength in these last few months. But my vitals are great. I went to the doctors office not long ago. I've got a heart rate of 56, respiration 16, (but I was talking to the nurse during the reading) my oxygen saturation is 99% my temperature was 97.2, my blood pressure was 140/66. 

I know I maybe should see a doctor, but the town doctor is a total quack who adds everything up to be stress (until bloodwork is finally done). And it's not yet justifiable to take a trip to the hospital. 

What do you think? Am I a hypochondriac? 

[Vern Wimmer]

Just from problems i am familiar with I would have the doc check for Afib (atrial fibrulation) and check your thyroid function. A temp like that an i inability to lose weight are signs of hypothyroidism.

[Ross Vosloo]

mind if i ask your age? can have a lot to do with this sort of thing. also, drink? smoke? all play a role in health 

but when it comes to heart stuff you dont really want to mess around. ive had a few people of varying ages in my life just up and die bc there heart just gave up. my gran, who was very active and not at all sickly, went from being on the phone siting on the edge of her bed to collapsed dead on the floor in just a few minutes. i forget the exact medical term but basically her heart gave out. 

[Troels Saabye]

You might have experienced heart palpitations, but doing this sort of diagnose over internet is a bit of a crab shoot.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Troels Saabye

[Zeb Camper]

7 hours ago, Ross Vosloo said:

mind if i ask your age? can have a lot to do with this sort of thing. also, drink? smoke? all play a role in health 

but when it comes to heart stuff you dont really want to mess around. ive had a few people of varying ages in my life just up and die bc there heart just gave up. my gran, who was very active and not at all sickly, went from being on the phone siting on the edge of her bed to collapsed dead on the floor in just a few minutes. i forget the exact medical term but basically her heart gave out. 

I'm 21. My only vice is alcohol. But I'll only drink a beer a night or a shot of something on the rocks. Sometimes on Friday night's I'll let loose. I could cut out the alcohol... The only other thing is maybe my diet. I eat lots of protein, leafy greens, some carbs, no sugar of any kind, I don't eat fruit, drink a ton of unsweet tea and water. 

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. 

6 hours ago, Troels Saabye said:

You might have experienced heart palpitations, but doing this sort of diagnose over internet is a bit of a crab shoot.

Yeah, I figured as much... I thought twice about posting. 

7 hours ago, Vern Wimmer said:

Just from problems i am familiar with I would have the doc check for Afib (atrial fibrulation) and check your thyroid function. A temp like that an i inability to lose weight are signs of hypothyroidism.

Thanks man! But I can loose weight. I lost 20 lbs in one month in May. But then it slowed to a crawl. I suspect the alcohol may have some contribution to all this. I'm not a doctor, but is 140/66 a little high on the upper end? 

Maybe I should quit drinking for a month or so and take observations. I was just at the doctor, so I feel a little shameful going back for something that might be nothing. 

Thanks guys! 

[Ross Vosloo]

never be afraid to go to a doc. learnt that the hard way. i had a combo of tick bite fever and malaria last year and my stubbornness kept me from the doc for 2 weeks. my immune system is only now starting to get back to normal 14 months later.

21, your younger than me xD im 26, and although i used to be a fitness freak (would swim on average 5kms a day), ive really let myself go. trying to fix that. i have perrty much the same diet as you, but im super hevay on the protein (steaks only come in 800 grams of higher, 1.7lbs to you guys states side) and i take 3 sugars in my 10 cups of tea a day. but i do have one advantage. my alcohol intake is maybe half a shot of Captain Morgans spiced gold every other month. 
 

[Mike Ward]

I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about Zeb. I have the same weird heart stutters, I describe it as mine like skips a beat then tries hard to get back in pace, but I think yours is better. This happens every couple of months or whatever and the first time it happened I kinda freaked out too. Almost thought one of those facehugger alien freaky things had got me . It happens at the randomist times also: washing dishes, running, watching TV. I don't know what is happening, all the physicals I been to for sports havent said anything about my heart.

I'm 20, going on 21 in the winter and this has been going on for years. Other than this past spring/summer, I've been very active with working out whether it was through football or track or just weightlifting. Eating wise, i pretty much cut the carbs out by eliminating grains from my diet and having a lot more meat, greens, veggies and fruit. I probably lost at least 25 lbs of fat and replaced it with muscle and have stayed at 190 +-5. Went from slightly chubby, unathletic kid to gym rat in about half a year. Didn't help my coordination at though, I still trip over air.

I've always I kinda wondered if that was normal, I guess not, I probably need to go to the doctor also. 

[JeffM]

Vern's right....I had similar issues in my early 40's...no matter how much time I spent in the gym or kept running my weight kept climbing

Doctor just kept chalking it up to aging and stress....finally I pushed back hard enough that I get scheduled for an appointment with an endocrinologist

turns out I had virtually no thyroid function and that was the source of stress in my body....fixed that over a period of 2 years by gradually introducing increasing doses of synthetic thyroid hormone and the other issues resolved themselves....weight dropped, energy levels returned to normal, blood pressure dropped ...ie....life became fun again

but it took 5 years of arguing with the local general practitioner doctor....and another 2 years of working with an endocrinologist to get things sorted out

[Zeb Camper]

1 hour ago, Mike Ward said:

I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about Zeb. I have the same weird heart stutters, I describe it as mine like skips a beat then tries hard to get back in pace, but I think yours is better. This happens every couple of months or whatever and the first time it happened I kinda freaked out too. Almost thought one of those facehugger alien freaky things had got me . It happens at the randomist times also: washing dishes, running, watching TV. I don't know what is happening, all the physicals I been to for sports havent said anything about my heart.

I'm 20, going on 21 in the winter and this has been going on for years. Other than this past spring/summer, I've been very active with working out whether it was through football or track or just weightlifting. Eating wise, i pretty much cut the carbs out by eliminating grains from my diet and having a lot more meat, greens, veggies and fruit. I probably lost at least 25 lbs of fat and replaced it with muscle and have stayed at 190 +-5. Went from slightly chubby, unathletic kid to gym rat in about half a year. Didn't help my coordination at though, I still trip over air.

I've always I kinda wondered if that was normal, I guess not, I probably need to go to the doctor also. 

Maybe not. I found this on the interweb:

There are several possible causes of heart palpitations.

Trouble from above. Some palpitations stem from premature contractions of the heart's upper chambers (atria). When the atria contract a fraction of a second earlier than they should, they rest an instant longer afterward to get back to their usual rhythm. This feels like a skipped beat and is often followed by a noticeably forceful contraction as the lower chambers (ventricles) clear out the extra blood they accumulated during the pause. These premature beats are almost always benign, meaning they aren't life-threatening or the sign of a heart attack in the making.

 

That makes me feel better.

Hey Mike, don't you need grains to promote heart health? Don't you need at least some carbs or else your body will kick into ketosis? And ketosis is when your kidneys turn fat into ketones to burn in place of carbs, but it's supposedly hard on your insides and makes it easy to gain weight back once you return to a carb diet. But you're eating fruit, so your burning at least some sugar, and not eating a high fat diet, so maybe you arent in keto ? I dont know, I know I'm totally against keto and eat at least some carbs. 

 

[Kreg Whitehead]

I had acid reflux bad enough once it felt like my heart was gonna come outta my chest.

I ended up running up and down my stairs to see if I would die....glad that was a once only experience....knock on wood.

[Kreg Whitehead]

2 minutes ago, Zeb Camper said:

Maybe not. I found this on the interweb:

There are several possible causes of heart palpitations.

Trouble from above. Some palpitations stem from premature contractions of the heart's upper chambers (atria). When the atria contract a fraction of a second earlier than they should, they rest an instant longer afterward to get back to their usual rhythm. This feels like a skipped beat and is often followed by a noticeably forceful contraction as the lower chambers (ventricles) clear out the extra blood they accumulated during the pause. These premature beats are almost always benign, meaning they aren't life-threatening or the sign of a heart attack in the making.

 

That makes me feel better.

Hey Mike, don't you need grains to promote heart health? Don't you need at least some carbs or else your body will kick into ketosis? And ketosis is when your kidneys turn fat into ketones to burn in place of carbs, but it's supposedly hard on your insides and makes it easy to gain weight back once you return to a carb diet. But you're eating fruit, so your burning at least some sugar, and not eating a high fat diet, so maybe you arent in keto ? I dont know, I know I'm totally against keto and eat at least some carbs. 

 

I have always had sleep disorders. About six months ago it had reached new heights. I would pretty much have a full blown anxiety attack right as I would fall out....felt like someone was squeezin my Adrenalin  gland and would be wide awake at 3 am like clock work.

SOOOOO I googled blood sugar and sleeping disorders.

From what I took away from the articles is that when you blood sugar drops.....your kidneys gave glands that release stress hormones to raise your blood sugar.

I think the hormon is called cortizol......and I think its very unhealthy.

Serotonin is healthy/anti cancer. Pretty sure cortizol is the opposite of that.

Now when I wake up at 3 am I have a half a protein bar and a shot of OJ....and with in minutes I can feel a calm come over me.

IMO ketosis is unhealthy.....

[Mike Ward]

 

55 minutes ago, Zeb Camper said:

Hey Mike, don't you need grains to promote heart health? Don't you need at least some carbs or else your body will kick into ketosis? 

That would be a nope, Zeb. Humans aren't actually evolved/designed to eat grains, we just decided that hunting and gathering was to much work one day and started to grow crops. Grains like wheat, buckwheat, millet and rice actually throw off your digestive system, hormones, and brain function. We can eat grains (evidence of several thousand years) but they aren't that great for you, kinda like we aren't really supposed to dairy after a certain age but we do. I think I get carbs from fruits and what not, but I'm probably 12-14% body fat which allows me to have fat on my belly. In school because it's a buffet cafeteria, I get on average 1.5 plates of food piled high, 3 meals a day. It's too much for my metabolism to get ahead of even with constant exercise. I love food too much to care though haha.

Our energy is supposed to come from the meats, fruits/vegetables and nuts that are actually compatible with our bodies. Grains have a bacteria or something like that that block our bodies from using all of the energy in the grain. That excess energy is then converted into fat to be used later, but if we don't exercise enough to burn all of the fat, more and more biulds up and we get fatter and fatter. It also helps many old people ailments. (Disclaimer: I explained that really badly and probably slightly wrong. I'm an engineer, not a doctor.)

I learned all of this from several books by Dr. William Davis. He's a cardiologist who has done extensive research into effects of grain on our digestive system, brain and overall bodily functions. He has a blog that you can find by googling him. There are also other research papers and such on grain elimination.

I've personally have done this for I think 4 years since July, my mom has done it for probably 7-8 years. Both of us have experienced large amount of fat loss, far more energy, smoother digestive system (provided it is unspoiled by sugar or relaspe), clear minds, better skin health and other good things. People have said it's impossible to do, so either I'm a vampire or it works.

Also, my sister's boyfriend has celiac and first time he ate with us, he noticed that he didn't have any digestive issues. He is now following this way of eating and is feeling much, much better.

Here's a link by Dr. Davis on ketosis.

https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2018/02/be-ketotic-but-only-sometime/

Edited August 10, 2018 by Mike Ward
More info

[Mike Ward]

It also helps with mental issues like depression and anxiety by balancing hormones and other brain chemical thingies.

[Alan Longmire]

It does sound like it could be thyroid-related.  A friend of mine who used to be skinny as a rail started blimping up for no apparent reason every winter, and started having major heart palpitations along with it.  Totally thyroid.

Then again, my wife has always had an irregular heartbeat, and stress recently caused an episode much like what happened to you.  She's had every test known to cardiology and all came back normal.  She had bloodwork done, and thyroid levels are fine.  Blood pressure couldn't be better.  For her, it's just stress.  That said, I have no idea what issues you're dealing with in life, but if there's nothing stressing you out, or even nagging at you (other than palpitations!) it's probably not stress.

Finally, I totally back Jeff about standing up to your GP.  I have always been healthy as a horse (well, a bit of arthritis in my right hip from an old injury), even if a little overweight and as active as your average slug.  Never got sick.  Two years ago I had the flu in a major way for the first time ever, which did some nasty stuff to my immune system.  First, I got psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder that causes dry flaky skin.  No biggie, just cosmetic and a little itchy.  Then one morning I woke up and the first knuckle in my right forefinger was the size of a golf ball.  Doc said "Oh, it's nothing, you probably just got some inflammation from all the filing and engraving you've been doing.  I knew that wasn't right, and since rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family I asked about that or the possibility of psoriatic arthritis (same basic thing as RA, just with dry scaly skin for extra kicks, plus it eats bone faster), and he told me it couldn't be either of those, since they always present bilaterally, i.e. on both sides at the same time, and they don't just appear literally overnight.  One minute of Googling proved that to be totally wrong.  Doc still didn't admit it, said my blood showing no evidence of rheumatoid issues, and referred me to a hand specialist.  Hand guy talked to me for five minutes and said "That's psoriatic arthritis.  Hey, my favorite nurse just took a job with a rheumatologist, I can get you in next week instead of the six months it would take you otherwise."  Of course I did go, got the official diagnosis, and started treatments immediately.  Took about a year to get back to what passes for normal for me.  If I'd waited until it got bad enough for the GP to agree it was something, I might have lost the use of my right hand entirely, or at least gotten enough joint damage that it would be permanently crippled.  Don't google images of untreated psoriatic arthritis if you're squeamish.  It's not a good look on anyone.

Summary: Don't be afraid to tell your doc what you're feeling, it's your body.  You are the one inside who knows better than anyone what it's doing.  And check out what Mike's talking about, that sounds interesting...

 

[Joël Mercier]

The natural fructose in fruits is quite low on the glycemic scale(for a sugar). Don't be afraid to eat fruits, as long as you eat the fibers. When you eat large amount of proteins, the extra proteins you don't need will be converted to fat by your body. But I agree the issue here is probably your metabolism is slow.

[Gary Mulkey]

With no disrespect to anyone who has responded here but please don't rely on advice from non-professionals.  I have had heart disease for many years and it ALWAYS is a good idea to see a specialist.  Make an appointment with a cardiologist to be on the safe side.  

[C Craft]

Yep, take it from one that hated doctors! Three heart attacks, two stent operations and finally a quadruple bypass about 8 yrs. ago. Take your but to the doctor and don't wait too long.

 

I never felt but one of the three heart attacks I had! The first one I had no idea I had, (I used to have horrible indigestion and probably passed it off for indigestion).

The second I was working my second job (working 22 hrs every weekend) for myself. I had to go to the big box store to pick-up something. Couldn't figure out why I was sweating bullets and couldn't think. I then called the lady I was working for that I wouldn't be back today something came up! Called my wife and told her I thought I was having a heart attack and to be ready to drive me to the hospital when I got there. Of course I told her exactly which way I was coming home and after auguring about calling an ambulance I told her I was two blocks away!

The last one I had my heart had done its own bypass. I was doing what my doctor had always warned me about, sitting up at night cause I couldn't breathe!! That was the one before the bypass!!

Do yourself a big favor. Call your doctor,  relate your symptoms, and they can cut all the red tape to get into see a specialist!! You need to see a heart doctor!!

[Zeb Camper]

Thank you guys for the replies. I was in a place with really bad service for the weekend, I tried to like your replies to show thanks earlier, because it wouldn't let me reply, but got super frustrated and had to quit. 

Thanks guys! 

[Jon Cook]

Gonna have to disagree a bit, @Mike Ward 

If you're eating raw grain, sure,  some kind of bacteria could be a problem. If you can't make the enzymes that break down gluten or lactose, by all means stay away from grains and milk. Otherwise, we're kind of good at taking advantage of anything with calories and storing the extra for lean times. life expectancy and birth rates went up, and infant mortality went down with the advent of agriculture. So, I'm gonna say it was a good thing.

If what you're doing is working for you, great. But for general advice, limit sugar and overall calories (alcohol is a very dense source).

@Zeb Camper I'm a little lighter at 210, and my heart does the same thing. It's on my list of things to check on, especially given a family history of heart issues. Here's hoping it's a minor issue. 

[Zeb Camper]

Yeah, I dont know...

I half way answered the other day because at the time i was a bit stressed. I had a family member pass away and my truck was breaking down every chance It got. Nothing seemed to be going according to plan. I tried to keep working on things so as not to over think. 

I haven't went to the doc yet, but been keeping close watch on everything especially during exercise.

I'm pretty sure I almost killed myself Friday via alcohol, so if that says anything about how much I really "cut out"... That was the lowest I've ever been, and i thought I'd touched rock bottom before. I won't touch the stuff for a loooong while. Been detoxing pretty hard, drinking a gallon + of water a day. I went running on Monday; despite my post migraine headache. It was cooler than average and overcast and I seemed to truck right along a lot better than usual. I barely broke a sweat and had plenty of gas left in the tank at the 4 mile mark. I have to run again to marrow and I expect even better results. I might run another mile up to my grandfather's and back. 

I think its safe to say it was just a palpatation caused by a few given factors. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Zeb Camper

[MichaelP]

Hey Zeb, new guy here. I know I'm a little late coming to this post and I am definitely not a doctor!!! The only reason I felt compelled to chime in is because I am a long time runner. My running program has always been based on LSD. Long, Slow, Distance! I've never been fast but once I lock in my pace I'm good thirty five to fifty miles. Marathons are warm ups Average nine minute miles these days on the long ones but on a 5k I can still crank out seven minute miles, with a lot of huffing and puffing All I have are a few helpful quips that have motivated me to go when it was 105f or -10f with a 40mph "breeze". One doctor told me once, "If you want to live for the next hour, guaranteed, go lay down. If you want a chance at living a lot longer, go for a run" That doesn't address your specific concerns and you Do! need to listen to your body. I have a condition called Coronary Arterial Spasms. No blockage, but my big arteries can contract so severely that they can limit me to just about ten percent blood flow for short durations. It never lasts very long but when it happens you know it. If it's mid run it feels like the power cord was just cut and you're going down! Then it's over and you recover. This started in my late twenties and now at age 48 it has never yet caused me to actually fall, it's just a scary little stutter. Not life threatening, just something I deal with. It happens much less often when I'm sleeping well and stress levels are low. It actually happens less as I get older, go figure. Mine is a very specific ailment, diagnosed by a real MD and treated with medications. I'm not suggesting that you have what I have, but rather that you chart your vitals, pre and post run, and take that info to your primary care physician. As to your most recent post I will leave you with one other quip that applies to everyone, not just runners. "How you perform today depends on what you drank yesterday!"

    Stay safe and Happy Trails.....-M-

[Zeb Camper]

Welcome aboard Micheal! Thanks for The reply. 

1 hour ago, MichaelP said:

Hey Zeb, new guy here. I know I'm a little late coming to this post and I am definitely not a doctor!!! The only reason I felt compelled to chime in is because I am a long time runner. My running program has always been based on LSD. Long, Slow, Distance! I've never been fast but once I lock in my pace I'm good thirty five to fifty miles. Marathons are warmups  "How you perform today depends on what you drank yesterday!"

    Stay safe and Happy Trails.....-M-

Very impressive! I think I'm still too fat to be able to do half that lol. I would like to think I could do 10 miles, but usually I start to self destruct if i push it.

I ran through shin splints when I was in the 290's-270's it sucks when every step has to be thought about like that, but at the same time I kinda like to play mind games with myself; pushing through mental inhibitions like pain, discomfort, fatigue, disregarding the impulse to stop. 

I think running and bladesmithing directly help your mental health and fortitude. Both teach discipline, patience, and give meaning and purpose along with a great sense of gratification, and self control....... Something I sometimes lack it seems...

And it must not be true about the drinking! Cuz all that Jack Daniels, Glenlevet, untaxed whiskey, Evan Williams, and the 3 glasses of red wine ran out real quick! Came back up pretty fast too, and I passed out pretty quick, so it must be a fast beverage right?  

 

[MichaelP]

10 hours ago, Zeb Camper said:

 

I think running and bladesmithing directly help your mental health and fortitude. 

 

 Indeed! running and smithing are Spiritual endeavors for me. The numbers,ie vitals, time etc can tell us a lot but don't get bogged down by the numbers. Don't focus on your body weight, speed, distance, just run. I had a running partner years ago who never charted anything. It drove me crazy because I charted everything! Back in "Ye Olde Days", the most high tech equepment we had was a Timex Ironman wrist watch. It had such features as, telling time and recording splits/laps. That was it. No heart rate etc. Still, I logged all my splits and recorded every mile, total distance and duration in a journal. I felt as though I didn't "own" the run if there wasn't a written record of it. One Saturday morning we were going out for a quick ten miles. My friend convinced me to leave my watch behind. I panicked at the thought but agreed to leave it. As we started out I asked how he would know if we ran ten, or five, or eight. He just smiled and kept us moving at a comfortable pace. It was liberating in the extreme! It was a turning point for me and even now some of my most rewarding runs are when I leave everything behind! 

   At the anvil it's the same. Some days it's nice to pick out a piece of steel and start hammering without a plan. It wont produce a museum quality reproduction but then again you may unwittingly re-invent something based on your tooling and experience. I have "created" blades that I thought must be purely novel and all mine only to run across a historical example so similar that it only really differs in material! It's rewarding at that point to find out that when I was hammering "free", I was walking in the footsteps of someone who came before.

[Zeb Camper]

11 hours ago, MichaelP said:

 Indeed! running and smithing are Spiritual endeavors for me. The numbers,ie vitals, time etc can tell us a lot but don't get bogged down by the numbers. Don't focus on your body weight, speed, distance, just run. I had a running partner years ago who never charted anything. It drove me crazy because I charted everything! Back in "Ye Olde Days", the most high tech equepment we had was a Timex Ironman wrist watch. It had such features as, telling time and recording splits/laps. That was it. No heart rate etc. Still, I logged all my splits and recorded every mile, total distance and duration in a journal. I felt as though I didn't "own" the run if there wasn't a written record of it. One Saturday morning we were going out for a quick ten miles. My friend convinced me to leave my watch behind. I panicked at the thought but agreed to leave it. As we started out I asked how he would know if we ran ten, or five, or eight. He just smiled and kept us moving at a comfortable pace. It was liberating in the extreme! It was a turning point for me and even now some of my most rewarding runs are when I leave everything behind! 

   At the anvil it's the same. Some days it's nice to pick out a piece of steel and start hammering without a plan. It wont produce a museum quality reproduction but then again you may unwittingly re-invent something based on your tooling and experience. I have "created" blades that I thought must be purely novel and all mine only to run across a historical example so similar that it only really differs in material! It's rewarding at that point to find out that when I was hammering "free", I was walking in the footsteps of someone who came before.

I want to thank you my friend. I just got back from my run and i did just that ^^. 

As i reached the stop sign at the end of my road where I normally turn around at, thought about what you said, and I turned left instead. Took the highway up to another backroad and ran it to a gravel road that hooks back onto the other end of my road and ran that to my driveway. I normally drive my truck down the driveway to keep the dog at home. Instead of getting in my truck i ran up the driveway and ran back down to get the truck. 

I have no idea how far I ran, but it was very enjoyable. 

Thanks again man!