Posted by Phil on February 15, 2004, at 8:07:35
In reply to Re: wellbutrin,ADD,?add ritalin SR?, posted by PsychoSage on February 15, 2004, at 3:48:10
I've gotta say first, I'm no drug expert but I try to repeat what I've learned here and by my own history.
I'd say an EKG is fine but if you are worried about your heart, have a stress test done. That's where they wire you up and you walk progressively faster and higher on a treadmill as they monitor everything.
If there's heart disease in a family, I urge people to have one, meds or not. The author of running and other books, Jim Fixx was the wake up call. His father died very young of heart disease. Fixx was overweight and began running and turned himself into a guru of sorts for running and is why you see so many people doing it(to a large extent) He was a good marathoner and 100 mile a week type of guy. The famous heart surgeon in Dallas, Cooley was it, urged him to have a stress test but Fixx didn't listen. He went out for a run one morning and was dead before he hit the ground. A tragic loss that could have been prevented if he would have listened.
The meds we take aren't great for the heart but it's not like we're shooting speed either.
Have blood work done and ask your pdoc to request a liver panel and EKG.
The best thing any of us can do is walk 30 minutes a day and drink lots of water. Am I doing it? No.... but when I did, it was incredibly helpful. Matter of fact, I can't walk distance well because of developing anterior compartment syndrome. The outside muscle on my calves(sp?) seizes up and says stop. It's a condition where your muscle outgrows the sheath around it, which doesn't stretch. An operation where they slit the sheath can fix it but I can't afford it but I could be swimming or biking.
I heard Magic Johnson say, when he was on all the drugs for HIV, that he still worked out hard to 'sweat out those meds.' I think he must be the most optimistic person I've ever seen.
I don't know when it happened, PsychoSage, but if you ask me what time it is, I'll tell you how to build a clock. Sorry for this long response.
My mothers' last words to me were take care of yourself and, of course, I love you. I could have just said that.
Phil
poster:Phil
thread:313435
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/313519.html