Pain in the B---t?

[Bucky]

I have something strange going on and I need some advice.

This condition is so variable....


Sometimes I can walk around the block with little huffing and puffing and no muscle problems. I have to walk pretty slow, but I make it.

Other times my muscles cramp up (burn really), early in the walk and, even though I am not out of breath, I can go no faster, being limited by the burning muscles in my legs and posterior.

I get around the house fine, but put me outside and it is very problematic on a given occasion whether I will easily be able to walk to where I want to go.

Does anybody else have these"burning" leg muscle problems or am I "special"


Thanks,


Doug I.

[Reenie]

I have a couple of thoughts on this but I'm not an expert. My first thought is that your electrolytes might be out of whack. If you drink Gatorade or orange juice it might help relieve this. My other thought is an irritation of your sciatic nerve. If it's the electrolytes, some medications can deplete these. Magnesium and potassium are the two you need to keep an eye on. Since this appears to be a new development for you, I guess I'll stick with the old standby, talk to your doctor.

[Bucky]

Thanks Rennie:


This has been going on for a few month actually. It is very strange to say the least. I'll try the Gatorade route and see if this helps. Thanks alot for your reply.


Doug

[Midge Rollins]

Doug, working for a physical therapist my first thought is you need to do stretches before and after any walking. Stretch your calves, quads, gluts, and hamstrings. One of the best exercises is squats it will build overall core strength. Muscle burning is usually a sign of muscle fatigue and it sounds like you need to build up strength. As Reenie said though you might want to make sure your electrolytes are in good shape. If you need know how to do these stretches, check google. I just googled lunges as I wanted to start doing those. I found it helpful. Good luck

[gfox42]

These (sciatica, tight muscles, electrolyte imbalance) are pretty much the candidates that occur to me. I'm no MD, but I think sciatica is pretty unlikely to be occurring in both legs -- is it in both or just one?

I think it may be important also to try to distinguish between cramping and burning -- they're likely to have pretty different causes.

The only caution I'd mention is that many Gatorade-like drinks also have a lot of sugar; you may want to look for some that are lower in sugar content if you're going to be drinking a lot of it. A jolt of extra sugar isn't going to hurt now and again, but you probably don't want to dramatically increase your regular intake rates.

Gordon

[Bucky]

Thanks for the input....yes, I don't think its sciatica. My first thought is that my heart just isn't pumping out enough oxygenated blood to get enough oxygen to the muscles, thus the same kind of burn you might get when you run long and hard and really stress the system (heart and lungs) to get oxygen to the muscles. The main pain is not in my legs, but in my b.... (ops) posterior.....and it is a burning not an ache or twinge like you get with a muscle pull. The funny thing is it kind of comes and goes. When I took my last stress test, I only got through 5 minutes on the treadmill, not because I ran out of breath, but because my posterior muscles just wouldn't go any faster or longer. I've always been a semi athlete and I am not overweight (well just a little to be truthful, but not much), so I am mystified by this.

My lung function checks out fine...so I immediately jump to end stage HCM...(the glass is half empty????). Optimist that I am.......

Oh well, just curious....for some reason I've got the burn of a finely tuned athlete.....just returning from a long and productive workout (Walking through the grocery store!!!!)

Thanks for all your input..I am sure more will be revealed as I move forward on this. I am in the process of scheduling another stress echo, this time with an HCM specialist at UCLA who wants to get more specific readings than we got in Las Vegas. I am sure he'll come up with something.

In the meantime, if anyone has any ideas.....I am open for counseling, consolation, kick in the posterior for worrying about it or any other thing that comes to mind to motive me. Thank again.

Take care all.

[Cynaburst]

I have a different theory as I, from time to time, have also experienced fatigue in my legs which was much in excess of the degree of exercise would seem to have called for.

I think that the symptoms are caused by the lack of oxygen being delivered to the large muscle groups. If your heart isn't working as efficiently as its supposed to, then it isn't delivering the oxygen to the places that is needed around the body. I noticed a huge improvement to this symptom after my myectomy, and then lately since I have had the rate response turned on on my device, it has improved even more. Because in my case, my HR is being kept down by BBs and my heart cannot expand to allow more blood to fill and be pumped around the body, my only option is to increase my heart rate so my heart pumps faster and therefore sends more blood around my body to oxygenate my muscles.

Doug - this is a symptom that should be described to Dr. Lee when you see him, and hopefully once you have your stress test and you have a better defined treatment plan, things will start to improve for you.

[Bucky]

Thanks Cynthia...I'll catch up with you when I get to LA.

Doug

[Linda]

You also need to consider peripheral vascular disease. It affects the circulation in your legs, and here again, just because you have HCM, doesn't mean you can't have something else. All the above suggestions are good to check out, just make sure your doc is aware of the symptoms you are having and when. He can order more tests to check out the cause and come up with a plan.

Most people would be complaining a bit more about the calf muscles with PVD, but everyone is different.

Good luck figuring it out - Linda

[Bucky]

Thanks Linda:.... I am thinking the good Lord gave us too many parts....more parts = more chances for things to go wrong. I am an engineer so I think in terms of systems and parts of systems.

If you ever get a chance to see one of the touring "Bodies" exhibits or see the permanent one they have here in Vegas........ you will be amazed....so many "things" inside one body............It's amazing we get up in the morning without parts falling off.

I had a PAD check recently so I think we've ruled that out, but I'll ask the Doc.

Thanks again.

Doug

[Linda]

One of those tours is in Baltimore right now - I even got a free ticket - I forgot all about it till you mention it. Now, to find the ticket - Linda

[Bucky]

Hi Linda:

When you first walk in to one of the "Bodies" exhibits you kind of catch you breath....Yes these bodies were real, alive people who are now "platisized", but, once you get past that you'll find that we (humans) are amazing. Many systems, many moving (operating) parts and computers control everything. The most amazing thing to me was the network of blood vessels in our bodies.....fantastic.
It made me appreciate the poor frog I had to dissect in Biology when I was a sophomore in HS. I didn't like the frog too much, but my lab partner (female) became my buddy during HS....what a bonding experience...cutting up a frog. I"ve NEVER had FROG LEGS and I am surprised anyone eats them.

By all means go to the exhibit... you will be impressed by humans.


Take care.

Doug

[Pam Alexson]

This was a study that was done

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00074880

This issue has always come up from time to time and the studies pertaining directly to HCM subjects are limited and when I do find them they are often restricted and out of my reach. Can our doctors help get us access?

When we see an elderly debilitated CHF patient we often find them suffering from asthenia, cachexia and they have also often become anorexic from their disease. These issues are common among long term chronic diseases and heart disease is one of them. I do not think it would be unreasonable to assume that in the long term of this disease we call HCM any one of us could have a variation and degree of any one or all of these conditions on any given day depending on the variety of our HF as caused by HCM. Does not mean we are there yet but, practicing. I think our cardiologists could share countless stories about individuals whom they have seen and treated suffering from these most discouraging extreme end stages of heart failure induced wasting .

Another very important reason to remove the offending papillary muscle that is further injuring the heart health...... That is for those of you who have an obstruction and are candidates for surgery.

http://uimc.discoveryhospital.com/main.php?id=3141

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthenia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cachexia

Pam

[Reenie]

Doug, Linda:

I saw the Body World exhibit in St. Louis a couple of months ago and it was amazing! My daughter and I went with her anatomy & physiology class and we both had a great time. There was even an obese man who has been cross-sectioned and they had cut right through his pacemaker.

Linda, thanks for letting us know there's one in Baltimore right now. I'm going to look into taking her again. Maybe some of her friends will want to go. They were talking about this just a week or so ago and her new friends were jealous she had seen such an amazing exhibit!

[Linda]

It's at the Maryland Science Center - Baltimore's Inner Harbor - Feb 2 thru Labor Day

www.marylandsciencecenter.org

www.bodyworlds.com

looks like you have time to get there -

[Reenie]

I told me daughter about this and she's super excited! Hopefully we'll be able to go. Would you like me to let you know when we go? Maybe we can meet up there. :)

[Midge Rollins]

This sounds so awesome. I hope I sometime get the opportunity to see it. Nowhere near me at the moment. Does anyone know how long it will be in Milwaukee?

[Pam Alexson]

Doug,

Here is some info: read the part{ Heart Failure also a skeletal muscle disorder?}

http://www.escardio.org/NR/rdonlyres/36085E1E-CA90-46F7-A83B-1B2457AF32E4/0/ESCCongressReports2003.pdf