Heart Disease and Heart Attack Forum - Trouble breathing...lungs or post-bypass symptoms?

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Q: Trouble breathing...lungs or post-bypass symptoms?

asked by: DoctorQuestion on August 4th, 2006

I am a 57 year old male.In august last year I quite unexpectedly had severe chest pains, which after a angiogram was told it was severe angina. I had one artery totally blocked, one 90% blocked & one 70% blocked. It resulted in me having a triple bypass. Before this I was very active & was a keen runner. I had smoked up until I was 30 & in later years I smoked 40 a day. I have not smoked for 27 years.
I attended basic rehabilitation classes at the hospital & then went onto a further rehab course at my local gym, with an instructor especially qualified in taking patients with heart related problems. I finished the 10 week course & still go to the gym. I have within the last 3 months started running again, under supervision from my instructor. I have gradually progressed to being out for 50 minutes. I walk for a total of 35 minutes & jogged on & off for 15 minutes. Now I am having problems in being able to run for more than 2/3 minutes without getting very breathless. I stop & walk for a couple of minutes & then resume my running.
My question is....Now as my arteries are working 100% & the blood etc is flowing as it should. Am I having problems with my lungs (due to having smoked for all those years) but is only just coming to light since my bypass?

Users who thank DoctorQuestion for this post: rubyice

Replies(4)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on August 17th, 2006

Heart Disease & Heart Attack Answer A1328

Attention! You can’t expect to run so soon after surgery! Previously, you exhibited 3 of the 4 major risk factors for developing angina pectoris: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. At the moment, you can’t be sure that your new heart arteries are working 100%. By-passes can also occlude in time. Nonetheless, a possible lung disorder can be excluded by performing peak-flow-methry, spirometry and lung X-ray image.

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andyan2

replied on June 22nd, 2009

New User

Lung Damage

I had mitro-valve prolapse surgery in 2000 at age 34. I was an avid runner before that. My sympton was I was completely out of breath within a half a mile of jogging and my heart was beating much too fast. After surgery, I had the same symptom. After working with a great cardiologist, we couldn't figure out the cause and presumed the enlarged chamber was 'pinching' the part of the heart that regulated the heartbeat rate (he explained it much better)and was put on a beta-blocker to control the heartrate. Well, after 9 years, my heartrate is controlled, but like you I can't run 1/10 of a mile without being completely out of breath. I have wondered, like you, if lung damage of some sort can affect my ability to run. I'm only sorry the answer you were given above was so poor. If you found a better answer, please write me. Thanks.

davide50

replied on August 31st, 2009

New User

DEAR FRIEND, DO YOU TAKE NEW MEDICATION???
90% PATIENT POST CABG TAKE group of Î²-blockers, AND MANY PATIENT HAVE fatigue, weakness or lack of energy, because of THIS TREATMENT!!!

rubyice

replied on November 17th, 2009

New User

Hi i had a problem with the middle of my chest when i was only 23 only started to happen when i was in the gym or walking up a hill. I was very fit and slim and couldnt understand why my chest was like this? Pain started in the middle then i had shortness of breath where i had a few inches of in and out breath if i surpass this few inches i was in so much pain and felt as though the whole of my rib cage was hurting very badly. The only thing that helped was rest for 24 hours then after that it just felt like bruising? I have avoided the gm for 8 yrs now and now im 31 i have experienced high heart rate high blood pressure, and now im 5stone overweight so i asked the doctor that they have to sort it out now. They have asked for a treadmill test so i can prove to the doctor that i have this pain and symptoms in that order. Can this be the heart if so how and why the nhs have waited so long to do this? why do i have to PROVE that i have chest pain the signs are there!

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