Category: heart-letter

Lately when I climb the stairs or get really stressed, my jaw starts hurting. Is that just an oddity or something I should worry about?

I recently began treatment for macular degeneration in one eye. My retinologist said that PreserVision might protect the other eye. But she cautioned that it contains vitamin E, which could cause a bleeding problem with Coumadin. What would you suggest?

I am due to have a colonoscopy. My cardiologist told me that I will need to stop taking Coumadin, which I take for atrial fibrillation, a few days before the procedure and get some injections. Is that really necessary?

What are the differences between atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation?

I have rheumatoid arthritis, and my doctor wants me to take prednisone for it. Will this drug be bad for my blood pressure, which is already high?

I work out regularly, but suffer from exercise-induced angina. If I start exercising without warming up, my chest starts to feel “tight” quickly. If I warm up properly, I can walk for several miles at a pretty fast pace without any pain. Can you explain?

After my heart attack, my doctor told me that damaged heart muscle cannot be replaced. If this is true, why am I walking on a treadmill five days a week? Is this helping repair the damage or strengthen what’s left?

I’m a 79-year-old man with atrial fibrillation on Pacerone. I also take warfarin and aspirin. I plan to have a tooth pulled next month and wonder if it is safe to go off the blood thinners. How are these medications handled when serious surgery is needed?

Six months after having my knee replaced, I developed an arrhythmia. I know of this happening to others, including a friend who developed an arrhythmia after having his hip replaced. Does joint replacement surgery often cause heart rhythm problems?

Can muscle damage from a statin, or from strenuous exercise, elevate creatinine even after I stopped taking the statin and exercising but continue to take Zetia and Diovan HCT?