Worried about physical health.

[Crumblebee]

Hi I have been struggling with shortness of breath for a while.
Now I don't know if I'm worrying about nothing, because I have been through the works. I was struggling with breathlessness before I had my gallbladder removed, and they checked that I was all healthy for the operation, so I'm trying to not get worried as the operation was only 4 weeks ago.
Leading up to the surgery getting around was difficult as I would become breathless and nauseous, I'd feel unwell and generally crap.
Now with the gallbladder removed I have more energy, way less nausea, much more sensitive to insulin, but i find that I'm still getting breathless with walking, and I'm slow, like old lady slow, I'm 37, and I keep trying to move faster but my legs have a heavy feeling and I begin to struggle.
I don't know if it's because I've been unwell and lost my fitness, but it was only in November 2022 that I lost my job, and I was really active at my job. I don't know, I'm just worried about something being hidden. They did a ECG before the surgery and all was fine, so I don't know, but heart disease is rampant in my family.

Any advice, reassurance much appreciated.
Thank you

 

[MikeyBikey]

I went to my GP when I got to the age range where all the male side of the family died. He said I had nothing to worry about as my BP and cholesterol were fine. Some years later I went back with what I was sure was angina. I was referred to the Urgent Chest Pain Clinic witn nothing to help like GTN spray or Isosorbide Mononitrate tablets. To cut aong story short I ended up having a triple bypass. Prior to surgery I had a normal resting ECG, BP and cholesterol. The exercise ECG was a very different story. Tell your GP you want an exercise/stress ECG! Don't take any excuses - it's your body and you feel it is not right!

 

[Eddy Edson]

Hi I have been struggling with shortness of breath for a while.
Now I don't know if I'm worrying about nothing, because I have been through the works. I was struggling with breathlessness before I had my gallbladder removed, and they checked that I was all healthy for the operation, so I'm trying to not get worried as the operation was only 4 weeks ago.
Leading up to the surgery getting around was difficult as I would become breathless and nauseous, I'd feel unwell and generally crap.
Now with the gallbladder removed I have more energy, way less nausea, much more sensitive to insulin, but i find that I'm still getting breathless with walking, and I'm slow, like old lady slow, I'm 37, and I keep trying to move faster but my legs have a heavy feeling and I begin to struggle.
I don't know if it's because I've been unwell and lost my fitness, but it was only in November 2022 that I lost my job, and I was really active at my job. I don't know, I'm just worried about something being hidden. They did a ECG before the surgery and all was fine, so I don't know, but heart disease is rampant in my family.

Any advice, reassurance much appreciated.
Thank you

Have you had a detailed discussion with a cardiologist?

Nobody here is an expert or any kind of substitute for an actual medical professional, but fwiw I'd have guessed that with a family history of heart disease and yr symptoms they might have investigated with eg a echo test and/or a stress test or whatever, in addition to an ECG and whatever blood work they performed.

Can you quizz them about this? In yr situation I'd really want to have a discussion about possibility of CHD/CAD.

Coronary heart disease

Find out about coronary heart disease (CHD), including the main symptoms, causes, treatments and prevention. CHD is a major cause of death in the UK and worldwide.

www.nhs.uk

 

[MikeyBikey]

Have you had a detailed discussion with a cardiologist?

Nobody here is an expert or any kind of substitute for an actual medical professional, but fwiw I'd have guessed that with a family history of heart disease and yr symptoms they might have investigated with eg a echo test and/or a stress test or whatever, in addition to an ECG and whatever blood work they performed.

Can you quizz them about this? In yr situation I'd really want to have a discussion about possibility of CHD/CAD.

Coronary heart disease

Find out about coronary heart disease (CHD), including the main symptoms, causes, treatments and prevention. CHD is a major cause of death in the UK and worldwide.

www.nhs.uk

Any diabetic with a risk with a risk of CAD is also at high risk of PAD (perifreral arterial disease) and should be checked with a Doppler /ABPI (ankle-brachial pressure index) test. Someone checking pulse with their fingers is not good enough. My DSN said my pulses were fine six weeks before I was diagnosed with PAD. Thereafter I referred to her as my Diabetes Silly Nurse!

 

[Eddy Edson]

Any diabetic with a risk with a risk of CAD is also at high risk of PAD (perifreral arterial disease) and should be checked with a Doppler /ABPI (ankle-brachial pressure index) test. Someone checking pulse with their fingers is not good enough. My DSN said my pulses were fine six weeks before I was diagnosed with PAD. Thereafter I referred to her as my Diabetes Silly Nurse!

Absolutely!

And the other way around? I still don't really understand why I didn't have any CAD test apart from an ECG after my PAD diagnosis.

 

[Birdwatcher]

Hi! I am 60 years old now and had diabetes since 1974. The ECG at rest tells only about ongoing heart attack or a heart attack experinced in the past plus some valve problems. My CAD was diagnosed only during excercise ECG while ECG at rest is still normal. Somebody already recommended it and I would do the same. Please consult your doctor. Sorry for my English, it is not my native language.

 

[rebrascora]

I wonder if it could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency. I note you are LADA. Have you been on Metformin for any length of time? Metformin can inhibit the absorption of Vitamin B12 and that can cause fatigue as can vitamin D deficiency..... I assume your BG levels are OK and this is not likely to be DKA? Do you have a means of testing for ketones?

You do really need to speak to your doctor about how you are feeling, especially at such a young age and get more things checked out. Have you had Covid? Is it possible that you have long Covid as that can certainly cause breathlessness. Could it be asthma? Lots of possibilities apart from heart issues but they all need checking out, so a medical professional is the person to take it up with..... Good luck getting an appointment. 🙄 and let us know how you get on.

 

[Crumblebee]

Hello so I managed to see my GP, she referred me to get a 24 ECG thing, but she doesn't think it's to do with my heart ect. She ordered some blood tests and phoned me but I missed the call, she left a message saying that she wants to speak to me about my blood results, but nothing to worry about and it's not urgent.
I'm thinking I might have pernicious anemia, as all my symptoms lean that way as not just the fast heart, weakness in legs from walking, but also the nausea, appetite loss, fatigue, weight loss... That's all I can remember symptom wise.
I'm so used to feeling ill because of my gallbladder but now that's been removed and I felt better, just with symptoms that I didn't realise were happening as gallbladder was hiding them.
Either way I'm hopeful it's something that's easily treated. Hopefully Dr will call tomorrow.


Will repost updates as they happen and I remember, NHS is slow but thank f*Ck for it.