I am a 28 year old body builder that has a heart condition. Only 28% of my heart was actually functioning when I went into the doctor for a swollen ankle in a year and a half ago. I managed to get that up to a very close to normal 58%. I truely believe that bodybuilding saved my life and helped me to recover. This seems to be a genetic problem in my family since all the males suffered from it and I am the only one to recover I really thank the years of bodybuilding before and after it.

Right now I am sitting at 286lbs of pretty much solid muscle at 5'9". However lately I have been having a hard time in the gym. Since my heart has recovered my blood pressure when working out is 150's/50's. Does any one think the medication (mavik and bisopropolol) might be too strong? or too weak? Other medication I sometimes take is over the counter sleeping pills (Diphenhydramine Hydrocloride) could this be causing an interaction? (and there are no steroids involved...I am sure a lot of people would think of that)

Any thoughts... I can't keep working out with this blood pressure... I feel terrible and weak during the workout with cold sweats. Can someone explain to me how this type of blood pressure would effect a person?

Thanks in advance.

I checked your meds and the sleeping pill you use on a website for drug interactions and found no problems listed.

Diphenhydramine which is Benadryl really should be used with caution (if at all) by anyone with with narrow-angle glaucoma, enlarged prostate gland, hyperthyroidism, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and asthma unless cleared by your doctor.

It's pretty sedating which can carry over to the next day, so it's possible that could be making you feel tired and weak while working out.

Alternatively, the biggest side effect of bisolol is fatigue. It can also raise your potassium levels, which can cause serious side effects such as muscle weakness or a very slow heartbeat. When is the last time you had a blood panel done to check your potassium levels?

Or for that matter, checked in with your doctor? The difference between the systolic and diastolic #s (known as the pulse pressure) should be around 40. Yours is 100 when you're working out. This is called a widened pulse pressure and sometimes occurs in people with cardiovascular disease, which you know you have.
What is your BP at rest?

zuzu xx

Hey Thanks for the feedback! :wave:

I did a search on widen pulse pressure and found a tonne of articles. So I will be well prepared when I go see the doctor on the 4th (that is the earliest he can see me). I have stopped with the sleeping pills... I will be a wake for a few days that is for sure. I get tired but I get into more of a trance state and can't sleep without them. I have tried Ativan but it doesn't seem to help.

I also bought a new blood pressure monitor - an Omron wrist blood pressure monitor. I have to go with the wrist since the arm bands don't fit at all (even the extra large). I am going to monitor the pressure through my workout and see if it continues. I am thinking the other wrist one I had might be faulty.

I am going to a GP to get a blood test on my Potassium levels so I also have that when I see him.

My resting heartrate by the way is 95-105.

Is there anything else I could prepare for before seeing him?

Thanks again guys I really apprieciate it!!!!! :D :D :D

buffstuff,

Nothing can really be learned from BP readings taken during hard resistance exercise. There simply are NO standards for comparison. A systolic over 150 seems perfectly reasonable.
A resting blood pressure of 152/51 is virtually impossible.
It is very important to find out your RESTING blood pressure...after sitting quietly in front of the TV for 5 minutes, preferable in a reclining Lazy-Boy!

I am supposing that those 28% and 58% numbers are EJECTION FRACTIONS; the 28% is scarily low but the 58% is low normal...you should probably have it run again to be sure, becaue the 28 is a strong indication of heart failure. How were these numbers gotten?

I am AMAZED your resting heart rate is so high; with serious athletes it's usually VERY low but it might be a compensation for the lowish ejection fraction...not sure.

I'd like to see a picture of those guns that don't fit into an extra large cuff!:D:D but alas, the board doesn't allow it:D!

(I think your weight is too high for good health in spite of your being hugely muscled, but I understand the demands of body-building competitions...super-big gets rewards!)

Oh, that bisopropolol is what's causing your draggy workouts...it's a beta-blocker which is antithetical to good exercise!