Heart stress or what?

[Katlee]

I'm not able to walk but a short distance and I start sweating profusly,
and it's making it hard to exercise. I just turned 53 on the 7th and there's
nothing like walking to make me feel every bit that. I was up to walking
a mile a day, but the sweating gets to me, and I end up meaning to lay
down for just a few minutes, but I fall asleep for two hours after I complete
my walk. The last time I saw an associate of my cardiologist, she suggested
that I have a standard treadmill test just to see how my heart handles
stress. I questioned the need for this test at the time, but went ahead
and scheduled one, only to cancel it a few days later. Reason being, I had
a Thallium stress test in Feb 2005, and aside from evidence of an old
anterior infarct, the test was negative for CAD. I thought I made the right
decision at the time___maybe not?

Kat

 

[Phyllis]

Katlee- could it just be your age- hot flashes and all??? If in doubt, talk it over with the cardio again or even your pcp.

 

[Superbob]

Kat,

What time of day are you walking? If it's safe to do so, walking in cool of morning or early evening might help. But I'm not sure what you mean about sweating getting to you. Sweating as a result of walking can be a good healthy thing -- as long as you drink sufficient water or other replacement fluids. Sometimes I wish my exercise was generating more sweat.

Finally, are you saying 53 is "old"? I beg to differ. I walk along mountain trails with my dog and I am just a few months from the big six-five (65). And I don't feel old.

I say this without knowing about any possible medical conditions. You should talk to your doctor about the right exercise program for you.

 

[Nancy]

Kat-

I think you should call your cardiologist and see if you can get that stress test done.

Sweating is one thing, but you stressed that you were sweating "profusely", and it sounded like new thing for you. It might not be anything. But then some folks with heart problems can have swaeting "profusely" on exertion as a symptom. I know that Joe did.

When in doubt, check it out. Then if it's nothing at all, you will have a wonderful summer.

 

[Superbob]

Kat,

On reflection, I think Nancy is right. Get it checked out; maybe a stress test. I was just trying to give a positive perspective -- bit of a pep talk, I guess. But profuse sweating could be a symptom. Take the advice of someone wiser than this old codger.

 

[Katlee]

Heart stress or what?

I want to thank everybody for responding and I will get it checked out.
I forgot to mention that I suffer from pulmonary hypertension secondary
to a congenital heart defect. I try to forget about the defect because I
"missed the boat" in that its too much of a risk (kidney wise) to have any
kind of corrective surgery now. Every day is a blessing to me. Truly.

Kat
ASD, ASA, Rheumatic fever at 16,
connective tissue disease (RA)
A-fib, pulmonary hypertension

 

[Nancy]

Well, with a diagnosis of PH secondary or not, I am very relieved that you are going to get it checked out. Maybe you should be asking about having them schedule an echocardiogram and then a right heart cath to see just where your pressures are. There are meds that can help with the PH pressures.

And with PH, it is not a good thing to stress your body by trying to "push through" any exertion based symptoms. That doesn't work with PH.

Joe also has PH.