Just An Update.

[jangle]

Glad to hear you're feeling better.

I'm trying to motivate myself to start a rigorous exercise regimen, but have been too scared to start because of the tachy, chest pains and BP fluctuations I've been experiencing lately.

Guess there's only one way to find out what's going to happen - get "moving" and go from there on ... I mean, how bad can it get?

Out of curiosity, Jangle, were you able to reduce any meds once you started exercising? I've read that a bunch of people were able to gradually reduce their meds once they started exercising regularly, and i just wonder if you are in a similar situation.

All the best

Alex

Well the only actual medication I'm on is the Losartan, and it hasn't been the miracle cure for me but it has reduced symptoms under stress and alleviated some of my lightheadedness. Basically what I'm saying is that if I went without it, it wouldn't be dramatically different so I was never dependent on it in the first place.

As for the supplements, the vitamin D and Lipoic Acid have led to the main symptomatic reductions but nowhere near what exercise has done.

I don't plan on reducing any of the medicines except of course for the turmeric.

[Lenna]

Jangle,

An inexpensive way to take tumeric is to buy it in the spice isle of the store. I fill my own capsules

Issie

Issie, where do you get the empty capsules? And how do you know how much of the spice to put in?

[issie]

Jangle,

An inexpensive way to take tumeric is to buy it in the spice isle of the store. I fill my own capsules

Issie

Issie, where do you get the empty capsules? And how do you know how much of the spice to put in?

The health food store sells the empty capsules and there is a capsule filler that you can purchase that you stand the capsule in and then scrap the spice into the capsule and then put the top on. You fill it to the top and then kind of bump the filler so it packs it down and then fill to the top again and then top it. Then you have to pay attention to your body as to how many caps to take. I order all my supplements online from a place called "HiLife Vitamines" out of NJ. They save me 30-50% off of retail and can get nearly and brand or supplement you could want and also organic foods/nuts/oils etc. I've done business with them for years and if you order on line there is even more discount. You can get the empty caps and filler thing from them too. I do a lot of my spice/herb things this way and save myself a whole lot of money. It doesn't take very long to do it either. I put a piece of paper under the filler and the leftover that doesn't go into the caps - pour back into the bottle and don't waste anything.

Issie

[Guest Alex]

the only actual medication I'm on is the Losartan, and it hasn't been the miracle cure for me but it has reduced symptoms under stress and alleviated some of my lightheadedness. Basically what I'm saying is that if I went without it, it wouldn't be dramatically different so I was never dependent on it in the first place.

As for the supplements, the vitamin D and Lipoic Acid have led to the main symptomatic reductions but nowhere near what exercise has done.

I don't plan on reducing any of the medicines except of course for the turmeric

Thanks for getting back to me Jangle.

[redoctober]

Jangle:

I've been jogging a lot as well...5-6 mi. in about 40 minutes. It definitely does help. I felt horrible yesterday, but still went out and ran 4mi.

How is your HR recovery after jogging? Mine stays elevated for a bit...90/100bpm, then gradually settles down. My peak HR is around 180 when jogging, but I try to keep it between 140-150. I think this has been key to increasing my stamina.

[E246]

Great to hear your improvement is ongoing. It has inspired me and I now exercise and think it has helped. My problem is chest pain so even before i knew I had pots and could swim for miles I couldn't understand why I found running so difficult. But cycling and rowing seem fine.

My doc says I should rest but I can't think exercise is doing anything but good.

Glad you are feeling better.

[jangle]

Jangle:

I've been jogging a lot as well...5-6 mi. in about 40 minutes. It definitely does help. I felt horrible yesterday, but still went out and ran 4mi.

How is your HR recovery after jogging? Mine stays elevated for a bit...90/100bpm, then gradually settles down. My peak HR is around 180 when jogging, but I try to keep it between 140-150. I think this has been key to increasing my stamina.

Yours follows mine, my peak HR is about 185-190 depending on how fast I go. It also stays elevated for many hours afterwards.

Honestly I think it's best to not use the HR as a measuring device of how well you're improving. My symptoms have improved steadily but my HR has only mildly changed and certainly doesn't reflect the degree of improvement.

The HR will recover with time, but that is a much slower process I believe. The main objective is symptom reduction.

The mind is willing to go exercise, but you do have to pace yourself and make sure you don't overdo it. Allow your body to regenerate and work different muscle groups so that you're not continuously shredding the same group everyday. Not that you were, I was just phrasing that sentence as an abstract statement to an abstract audience.

[redoctober]

Honestly I think it's best to not use the HR as a measuring device of how well you're improving. My symptoms have improved steadily but my HR has only mildly changed and certainly doesn't reflect the degree of improvement.

I actually think a HR monitor helps me...I can feel fine one moment, but can get suddenly out of breath and fatigued without even realizing it if my HR is sustained above 160-170bpm. So, the HR monitor allows me to keep my HR in check...so as to keep it in a target range. Using this approach has allowed me to ramp-up my distance & time without getting overly fatigued too early in my run.