Made some changes

It's been almost 3 full days since I stopped taking Metoprolol. I'm not yet convinced it was the correct decision, but neither am I convinced it's of continued benefit to me at this point either.

My cardiologist told me I would be taking Metoprolol the rest of my life, something I wasn't delighted to hear, but he wasn't so adamant about it when I complained of fatigue which I attributed to the Metoprolol.

So since there hasn't been any improvement in the amount of fatigue I've been experiencing, nor have I been dissuaded from the belief it is a limiting factor in my ability to increase my endurance, I decided it was time to quit. Plus, I'm taking such a low dose, 12.5 mg twice a day, any effects I may be experiencing, good or bad, could simply be a placebo effect.

Still, while it's probably too early to come to any conclusions, I have noticed some changes.

First and foremost being, it seems much easier to get my HR up when exercising, but without exceeding my max, or experiencing any negative side effects, such as tiring more easily, or increased chest pain, and without my resting HR being effected.

Not sure about the effect on blood pressure. It seems my blood pressure varies so much, it's hard to know what effect if any there is. When I think it should be low, like when I'm completely relaxed, it's high (systolic pressure between 130 and 140), and when I think it should be high, like just after walking upstairs or exercise, it's low. My diastolic pressure rarely exceeds 80, but on occasion will get to 82 or 84.

Another negative is I've become more aware of the occasional missed heart beat. A sensations I've had even while on Metoprolol, but they seem more pronounced now, and occur more frequently.

I've also experienced the sensation of a skipped heart beat long before there was any indications of coronary artery disease. Back then, I attributed it to excess caffeine, and after cutting back on the caffeine (I used to be a big coffee drinker), it would go away. So I've decided to cut back on my green tea consumption, from 5-7 cups a day to 4-5 cups, and limited the brewing time to 5 minutes max, hoping to get similar results.

I'm confident I'm taking the right approach, despite what my cardiologist says, but only time will tell for sure. I just hope nothing sudden or unexpected occurs making me regret that decision.

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...

LIVING WITH MCL

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