My family has a very rare brand of familial dilated cardiomiopathy. We're one of 5 families in North America the has it. If you've been to a heart doctor conference, you might have just heard about us.
My brother is in his early 40s, has been diagnosed with this cardiomyopathy since he was 18. Last year he stopped taking his meds without talking to his doctor and this summer had a major Arrhythmia and almost died. He thinks he had the major heart issue because of the vaccine. I'm a laymen, but I think that's BS.
A little bit more about him - Male, 40, 6 feet tall, healthy weight, he smoked 20 years ago and as far as medications I think he's on Amiodarone and he has an internal defib.
Now I know that some rare cases people have gotten myocarditis from the vaccine (and of course I understand that you're more likely to get myocarditis from the virus), but my brother be a candidate for a medical exemption for a covid booster shot?
Myocarditis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy are similar, but are they similar enough where he should not take a booster? (Also, yes, he should ask his doctor, but he's a real idiot).
symptoms: left side chest pain that gets worse in the evening, palpitations, irregular heartbeat, occasional fluttering in my chest, occasional dizziness, ectopic beats. I get random muscle twitches (which started a bit after my heart symptoms) too, although idk if that's related or not.
had ecg and echo done back in July 2021 which both came back normal. first heart symptoms (palpitations, fast heart rate episodes) started around March 2021
no family history of sudden cardiac death as far as I know, but I am pretty sure that my mom has a heart murmur (but she only experiences symptoms once every few months)
should i still get re-evaluated?
Unvaccinated. Had to tell his wife, parents, and brother that he died. This one was hard.
Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.144.suppl_1.10712
Now of course the spin will be that this is also caused by Covid, as both covid and the vaccine introduce the toxic S protein that apparently is causing these issues, but then there's this:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcibr2113694
Which is also explained here:
https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/a-frightening-new-potential-explanation
TL:DR - The vaccines produce significantly more S proteins than natural infection. This was originally thought to make the vaccines even more efficacious than natural infection, but now it's appearing that this overwhelming of the system with S proteins is driving the increase in heart inflammation issues.
Mother nature has entered the chat.
Hello all! Found this forum while researching HCM. My boyfriend was diagnosed in 2020. He has recently been experiencing symptoms similar to angina. Yesterday he was explaining that he felt sharp pains that were unusual and something he never felt before (he has felt mild heart pains since being diagnosed, but nothing like recently). He has been seen by specialists at the Cleveland Clinic before as well. I told him that it's crucial to inform the doctors of this but he doesn't think it's a big deal. I feel like this is something that needs to be talked about with the doctors and he needs to be seen and examined ASAP. Can anyone else let me know if they've felt similar symptoms and if they did what did you do? Or if you've felt any other issues with this heart condition. I am scared for him
I have to get the vaccine for my job but I’m scared. My brother passed unexpectedly at 29 due to a heart muscle disease and I have been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I want to get vaccinated but can I get prescribed a lower dosage?
I have never been able to tell the difference. Is constrictive peri a TYPE of restrictive cardiomyopathy or am I wrong here? How to tell difference in a question or on test day
Since the pathway in which AAS cause cardiomyopathy is multi-factorial, I thought I would add to the conversation again with another possible mechanism. This time I am going to speak about Tachycardia Induced Cardiomyopathy (Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4711573/).
Essentially it is enlargement of the heart through a constant elevation in heart rate. This is not a new concept but it is not well researched.
How does this relate to steroids?
I am sure most of you may have noticed on cycle that your heart rate becomes elevated. There are multiple ways steroids may influence one's heart rate. One common theory is through is via sympathetic nervous system stimulation. Steroids seem to stimulate the pathway via activation/up regulation of the RAAS pathway. The RAAS pathway also stimulates the nervous system and in particular the sympathetic nervous system. There are most likely other mechanisms through which steroids induce a higher heart rate (please let me know of any other possible ways - water retention possibly?).
Good thing is the phenomenon is completely reversible on correction of the heart rate.
Therefore, the addition of an ARB/ACE-I, might assist in reducing tachycardia induced by AAS by interfering with the RAAS pathway. (obviously the best solution is removal of the offending agent). Beta-blockers might also be necessary in this case. It is well known that low dose Telmisartan and Nebivolol are synergistic.
Obviously, this opens up the discussion of Fat burners / stimulants and how they could contribute to this phenomenon. Personally, fat burners should not be used unless needed to achieve, since weight loss is simple with caloric restriction. As this phenomenon is reversible, if you cannot stop the fat burner for some reason, on cessation your heart should return to normal size.
Please let me know what you think.
Made a video on it also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nye7pqin11A&t=194s
Hello all,
Like many of you, I have been dealing with post-covid symptoms for a little bit now, and have been hard pressed to seek answers and relief since getting ill. After a rather mild infection, I resumed my life again relatively quickly, but found I was pretty intolerant to exercise; so much so that I was having debilitating chest pains, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and the like after trying to lift weights, run, and especially hike. The pain is now more a regular occurence. It comes and goes, and ranges from sharp and intense to dull and mild. I got an EKG, Chest xray, several blood pressure tests, blood tests for troponin, CBC, d-dimer, and other inflammatory markers, and all came back clean. My doctor said it could be a temporary cardiomyopathy. Despite this, my pain persists, and is manageable, but ultimately pretty maddening and life is very different now. Anyone with similar experiences? Insight?
Thanks
Hi guys, I’ve been part of this group since my last pregnancy. It’s been really helpful to read all your posts and learn things and feel less alone in my feelings.
Three months ago I gave birth to the sweetest little girl at 36 weeks. I was induced after I went to the hospital with chest pain and shortness of breath. I had been getting extremely swollen legs for weeks but the doctor’s office I was going to never seemed concerned. I brought it up often but in a way that wasn’t assertive enough. “I think my legs are very swollen” and didn’t insist when they brushed me off. Let’s all promise to advocate for ourselves from now on. I learned I needed to the hard way.
Anyway, at the er my bp was 173/99. It’s normally really low around 90/60.
They admitted me, put me on magnesium and induced me. It was really dramatic because the baby hated the pitocin and my heart rate was in the forties and fifties despite the elevated bp. Once I saw it in the high thirties and thought, this thing must be broken.. because why am I alive.
Anyway, I had to stay in the hospital after my baby was discharged to figure out the heart thing. They basically said they didn’t know why it happened. Postpartum cardiomyopathy was the diagnosis and I’m still going to the cardiologist now. He said everything seems normal now but to do a stress test and we’d go from there.
Now I found out I am going to have two babies less than a year apart. I know they’re going to suggest an abortion. I don’t want to get one. I’m not against it, I’ve had one, I just can’t this time for some reason.
I suppose I was just wondering if anyone else had preeclampsia or postpartum cardiomyopathy with their first baby and was okay with their second? I know the lack of spacing makes it worse for me. I know I should have gotten birth control. I know how irresponsibility I behaved. Please don’t judge me too harshly.
Hello people!
In the past month, I've created an informative video about a cardiovascular disorder known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (abbr. HCM) for a school project. The video has a focus on its impact the disorder may have upon senior patients. If you wish to learn more, please visit the link below and make sure to read the description!
Hi, 28 M here, suffering from PVCs for 7 years. I usually have an ECG and echo done almost every year to rule out any structural abnormality. Last month had an Echo and it showed all normal. EF of 62% and all other dimensions were normal. However, even with so much assurance from almost 10 different cardiologists, I'm still unable to get rid of this fear. Can someone give some insights on how many PVCs a day can lead to Cardiomyopathy and also after how many years or months with PVCs does this happen?
Can someone explain to me why we can find dual upstroke carotid pulse on physical examination?
When my past relationship ended, (when I found out about what the person did) I experienced a huge pain in my chest from the sadness, pain and grief I was feeling. Definitely the most saddest time I have been through in my life but the physical chest pain has stayed with me. I think this might be Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or the 'Heartbreak Syndrome'
Everytime I think about the ex partner, what they did to me, what happened - that same chest pain comes back again. It's been 3 years but I still feel that pain and it has made it difficult for me to confront the experience to heal because of that pain coming back.
How can I heal from this? Has anyone experienced/experiencing this too?
I show signs of a dilated left ventricle and atrium so I'm scheduled for an electrocardiogram on New year's Eve. I also have the sickle cell gene so I'm even more at risk. Neither of the two diseases have a good prognosis and I could be dead before or during my 30s if diagnosed, I'm 22. Not including the fact I won't be able to stand on my own and eventually even roll over in bed on my own.
I'm scared, not just because of the fear of death but mainly because of who I am. My friends are barely my friends, social anxiety has taken control of my life, I can't make meaningful connections, I've never been in a relationship, and I might not have the time to change that. I can't change it now even if I wanted to, I just need more time.
I haven't been able to express what I'm truly afraid of to anyone. Most of the people who know assume I'm mainly scared of dying and I'm not close enough to anyone to tell them the true reason. I'm hopeful I'll turn out ok but I can't take my mind off the worst outcome.
Hello!
A family friend of mine is a surgery resident in Dallas, TX. He is a runner but has been diagnosed with a congenital cardiomyopathy which has been found in multiple members of his family. After finding this out, he has changed his career ambition to becoming a pediatric heart surgeon and taking care of these children and their families in more ways than surgery.
The link below will take you directly to his fund raising page. Additionally, all funds he raises will go directly to children’s families with congenital heart disease to help them financially as these kids usually require multiple weeks to months in the hospital especially right after birth.
Yes, this is also associated with the Boston Marathon to which he is being paired with a young teenager with CHD and will be running together (though not the entire marathon for the child, as obvious reasons may be).
Thank you for reading and considering.
His fundraising page: https://secure.childrenshospital.org/site/TR/ActiveEvents/ActiveEvents?px=2612538&pg=personal&fr_id=2180
I have had a cardiac arrest due to this condition too, if that helps you get more questions
