This is getting old...

[Machaon]

Originally Posted by Rydog2345

Hi!

I'm a 30 year old white male who is about 75 lbs overweight

Over time, when you eat more calories than your body can handle, your body becomes Insulin Resistant. This is a pre-Diabetes condition, however it can still take decades before the onset of Diabetes.

Basically, with Insulin Resistance, your body's hormonal system is messed up, making your immune system malfunction, causing nasty over-reactions to stress, anxiety, allergens and other irritants.

As long as your body's hormonal system is out-of-balance, all of the king's horses and all of the king's men, cannot put Rydog back together again. Medications and all of the heart tests in the world will only lead to frustration and cost.

The cure? A healthy, balanced, low calorie diet.

If interested, do research on Insulin Resistance, or Metabolic Syndrome.

[Rydog2345]

Machaon,

Thanks for the post! That's probably the most informative yet calming post that I've read in the 8 years that I've been struggling with my weight/tach/pvc issue.

I'm scheduled to see a family Dr. in the morning. I guess I'll treat it as my yearly checkup and not go in looking for the magic pill or for him to refer me to someone with the magic pill. Yes, I don't like doing excessive testing due to the costs especially since I've already had a heart workup 7 years ago.

My gut feeling (no pun intended) has always told me that my various symptoms were because of my weight (since I never had any problems before my extra weight), yet I've always been confused by seeing people equally overweight and far more overweight than me who don't have the heart issues that I do, which caused me to doubt my weight as the cause in the first place.

So, basically, you are saying that my weight has caused my body to get out of whack thus triggering my symptoms (tach, pvc's, allergies, etc.). Will the insulin resistance reverse once I start eating correctly? Also, can you recommend a place to start with a heart healthy food plan?

Note: I don't know how to cook! Thanks again for picking me up off the ground today!

[Machaon]

Originally Posted by Rydog2345

I'm scheduled to see a family Dr. in the morning. I guess I'll treat it as my yearly checkup and not go in looking for the magic pill or for him to refer me to someone with the magic pill.

Not so fast!

Let's say that I am right, and that your body has become Insulin Resistant, which is a high probability, IMHO. That means that, until the Insulin Resistance is corrected, your immune system is going to continue to over-react, resulting in heart rhythm and blood pressure problems, among other things.

You probably still need to take a medication, or two, to quiet your heart, and to reduce your blood pressure, until the Insulin Resistance is corrected. I say "probably" because I am neither a health professional or a health student, just a fellow patient.

Even after you experience major improvements to your Insulin Resistance, you could still have some heart rhythm problems, requiring medication.

Will the insulin resistance reverse once I start eating correctly?

I started on a diet targeting Insulin Resistance in December, 2004. Within a short period of time I experienced improvements to my health, but it took me a couple of years of an Insulin Resistant diet before I felt almost fully recovered, and was able to significantly increase my calories. In my case, though, I don't think that I will ever fully recover.

Here is a link to the Healthboards thread that I started back in January, 2005, when I first started on an Insulin Resistant diet.

Thread: Does an "Insulin Resistance" diet improve blood pressure?:

[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=242229[/url]

[aether4]

Originally Posted by Rydog2345

I had almost every heart test done in 2001 that I can think of except for these: holter monitor (but I wore a 30 day event monitor which gives the same results I believe if not better), catheter (though I did have a stress test and echo which both rule out clogged arteries also I believe), didn't get put on the table where they flip you upside down (I think this is only if you fainted before), and last but not least I didn't have an EP study done.

Are you referring to a tilt table test? If so - they don't tilt you upside down. You lay down on the table, they put an IV in, BP cuff on, and strap you in. Then you're tilted up to around 70 degrees and left there for however long that particular lab tests for, blood pressure and heart rate are checked and any symptoms are noted. If you don't faint they give you something to force it - usually isoproterenol but can be nitroglycerin, edrophonium, adenosine triphosphate, ephedrine, or nitroprusside. (I had got a nasty little nitro tablet) Then they watch and see if it knocks you out or does anything weird - such as an excessive response to it.
...Combine that with not being allowed to eat or drink anything for several hours before the test and I'm convinced that it's actually a form of torture. lol

And you're right, your symptoms don't really match those that would make a doctor consider such a test as being needed.


Blood work isn't so bad, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have your electrolytes checked.

[Rydog2345]

What does it say that in the few times in the past 8 years that I was able to shed 30 or so pounds that my symptoms got way better?

Doesn't that, in combination with my previous workup, suggest that weight (and it's associated issues) is in fact the leading culprit? I just don't want to repeat my experiences from 7 years ago to only find out what I did then which was nothing was found and it was due to stress and/or weight issues. Shame on me for not keeping the weight off!!!

Thanks again for all of the advice and suggestions!