anorexia: have I damaged my heart? - Heart Disorders Message Board

aiysha · 08-11-2005, 12:38 PM

I was diagnosed with mitral regurgitation twenty years ago and developed anorexia thirteen years ago. Apart from a bad reaction to some meds about 5 years ago (BP so low I kept passing out and had trouble walking) I'd not felt any heart problems until about a year ago. For about the past year I've had intermittant chest pains, random bouts of irregular palpitations and non-stop exhaustion. The pains are worst when I'm active and whilst exercising I've often been getting very breathless that has meant I've had to cut down on a lot of physical activities.

Do you think that through anorexia I may have damaged my heart? If so, how?

Thanks
aiysha

Lenin · 08-11-2005, 03:32 PM

aiysha,

Is your anorexia well behind you or a recurrent condition? What is your weight and are you having menses (what a silly latinism!)

The "whether" is far more important than the "how."

Have a stress test to see how your heart holds up to exertion. THat's a good first step.

aiysha · 08-12-2005, 08:29 AM

Thanks Healthy and thanks Lenin. Anorexia is behind me in everything but my inability to gain the final 20lbs or so that would take me to a normal weight... and I don't purge (ie make myself throw up) either. That's really what concerns me. That all these symptoms began once I reached a relatively healthy weight and ceased to struggle with anxiety - when I was much thinner and more stressed I felt physically fine. And yes, I do menstruate and pretty much always have. Despite the textbooks telling me I shouldn't :-)

Thanks for your stress-test recommendation. I was going to have one as part of an Occupational Health assesment for a job last year... but the job fell through for other reasons so I never had one. I'll talk to my GP about whether I can get one done anyway...

Thanks
a

Lenin · 08-12-2005, 10:07 AM

aisha,

Twenty-pounds below "normal" is nothing to worry about...normal is pretty frightfully high these days and millions are walking around a hundred pounds HIGHER than THAT!