Think I permanently damaged my heart, I dont know what to do anymore

Weontv

Weontv

Jedi
Hello everybody, I was hoping I could share a little information with you and possibly get some feedback..

To start, I am a 27 year old caucasian male, living in Canada. I started the ketogenic program from this website around 2 years ago, after completing the transcripts, and everything was going well for the first year, the results were nothing but incredible, it seemed like I had gotten rid of most of my negative symptoms through keto and supplementing the right things, yadda yadda yadda...

I have been in to fitness since I was a teenager, and I have always been in good physical shape. I attempted to put on some weight after losing a bunch doing keto and being the idiot I am, decided to do some Anabolic steroids. Now, I had also found a source of very cheap grass fed beef, and I was eating around 3 lbs of 70/30 fat/lean ground beef a day, along with some vegetables and fruit and bone broth and organ meats. I was doing this diet for around 8 months before I did the steroids, and I was also smoking additive free tobacco during this time. When I started the steroids, I was in a very good state of health and obviously I didnt need them (it was the worst mistake of my life), I took them for around 10 weeks, and then did the whole Post Cycle Therapy thing and never touched them again.

During the latter part of the cycle and ever since then, I have been experiencing some very bad heart behaviours, including palpitations and a very heavy and hard beat, it honestly feels like my heart has grown in size or something. I do have heart disease history on both sides of my family, the worst case being my father who has had a few major heart operations, including a quadruple bypass, and growing up I had minor issues with what I thought was my heart, but I was told it was anxiety related. My resting heart rate as a 27 year old male is 80-90 BPM, and I am supposed to be in very good shape.. I exercise regularily and my diet is full of organic/grass fed/non gmo/etc food. When I run, for example, my chest begins to get very tight, as though blood is not circulating properly, and I can feel it practically burst through my chest cavity.

I do not know what to do from this point.. I got my cholesterol checked and it was double the average for my age group, which is very alarming, although I have mixed feelings obviously because of the information on this site, high cholesterol is apparently not that big of an issue. My doctor is telling me to not eat red meat and to start eating more grains and legumes and fruits, which generally contradicts the information on this website, I live in Canada, so getting ANYTHING done from a doctor is a herculean effort, they take one look at me and say oh you look healthy, and you are young, im sure its nothing(take these painkillers!! ;))

I am at my wits end, I am fully aware it was my own absolutely idiotic choice in all of this that has caused my condition, and I feel like its caused permanent, irreversible damage, which is bringing me in to a very awful, often suicidal state of mind. I try to remain optimistic, but between this, dealing with this country being turned upside down by these freak organic portals, having The Work on my mind constantly, dealing with psychic attack, being attacked in my dreams constantly, I am feeling like the "chaff being separated from the wheat", I do not know what to do anymore. I feel like all this effort and money put in to my health has now all been for nothing, obviously due to my own choices, but all the same it is demoralizing to the extreme.

Is anyone able to give me any kind of advice or suggestions as to what I can do? What sort of tests should I be asking the doctor for specifically? Is there any supplement or food I can incorporate in to my daily routine that will help my heart?

Sorry if I have come across as whiny or emotional, This world is absolutely relentless, I just dont know what to do anymore :(
 
Weontv said:
Hello everybody, I was hoping I could share a little information with you and possibly get some feedback..

To start, I am a 27 year old caucasian male, living in Canada. I started the ketogenic program from this website around 2 years ago, after completing the transcripts, and everything was going well for the first year, the results were nothing but incredible, it seemed like I had gotten rid of most of my negative symptoms through keto and supplementing the right things, yadda yadda yadda...

I have been in to fitness since I was a teenager, and I have always been in good physical shape. I attempted to put on some weight after losing a bunch doing keto and being the idiot I am, decided to do some Anabolic steroids. Now, I had also found a source of very cheap grass fed beef, and I was eating around 3 lbs of 70/30 fat/lean ground beef a day, along with some vegetables and fruit and bone broth and organ meats. I was doing this diet for around 8 months before I did the steroids, and I was also smoking additive free tobacco during this time. When I started the steroids, I was in a very good state of health and obviously I didnt need them (it was the worst mistake of my life), I took them for around 10 weeks, and then did the whole Post Cycle Therapy thing and never touched them again.

During the latter part of the cycle and ever since then, I have been experiencing some very bad heart behaviours, including palpitations and a very heavy and hard beat, it honestly feels like my heart has grown in size or something. I do have heart disease history on both sides of my family, the worst case being my father who has had a few major heart operations, including a quadruple bypass, and growing up I had minor issues with what I thought was my heart, but I was told it was anxiety related. My resting heart rate as a 27 year old male is 80-90 BPM, and I am supposed to be in very good shape.. I exercise regularily and my diet is full of organic/grass fed/non gmo/etc food. When I run, for example, my chest begins to get very tight, as though blood is not circulating properly, and I can feel it practically burst through my chest cavity.

I do not know what to do from this point.. I got my cholesterol checked and it was double the average for my age group, which is very alarming, although I have mixed feelings obviously because of the information on this site, high cholesterol is apparently not that big of an issue. My doctor is telling me to not eat red meat and to start eating more grains and legumes and fruits, which generally contradicts the information on this website, I live in Canada, so getting ANYTHING done from a doctor is a herculean effort, they take one look at me and say oh you look healthy, and you are young, im sure its nothing(take these painkillers!! ;) )

I am at my wits end, I am fully aware it was my own absolutely idiotic choice in all of this that has caused my condition, and I feel like its caused permanent, irreversible damage, which is bringing me in to a very awful, often suicidal state of mind. I try to remain optimistic, but between this, dealing with this country being turned upside down by these freak organic portals, having The Work on my mind constantly, dealing with psychic attack, being attacked in my dreams constantly, I am feeling like the "chaff being separated from the wheat", I do not know what to do anymore. I feel like all this effort and money put in to my health has now all been for nothing, obviously due to my own choices, but all the same it is demoralizing to the extreme.

Is anyone able to give me any kind of advice or suggestions as to what I can do? What sort of tests should I be asking the doctor for specifically? Is there any supplement or food I can incorporate in to my daily routine that will help my heart?

Sorry if I have come across as whiny or emotional, This world is absolutely relentless, I just dont know what to do anymore :(
Click to expand...

Hi Weontv, first of all I'd say you should try to relax a little and don't jump to conclusions, working yourself up over this will probably just exacerbate the symptoms you describe.

I say that it is unlikely that you have done any serious damage to your heart. What you describe sounds more like a hormonal deregulation problem, which is not surprising after taking steroids.

How often do you have the heavy heartbeat and palpitations?
 
Joe said:
Weontv said:
Hello everybody, I was hoping I could share a little information with you and possibly get some feedback..

To start, I am a 27 year old caucasian male, living in Canada. I started the ketogenic program from this website around 2 years ago, after completing the transcripts, and everything was going well for the first year, the results were nothing but incredible, it seemed like I had gotten rid of most of my negative symptoms through keto and supplementing the right things, yadda yadda yadda...

I have been in to fitness since I was a teenager, and I have always been in good physical shape. I attempted to put on some weight after losing a bunch doing keto and being the idiot I am, decided to do some Anabolic steroids. Now, I had also found a source of very cheap grass fed beef, and I was eating around 3 lbs of 70/30 fat/lean ground beef a day, along with some vegetables and fruit and bone broth and organ meats. I was doing this diet for around 8 months before I did the steroids, and I was also smoking additive free tobacco during this time. When I started the steroids, I was in a very good state of health and obviously I didnt need them (it was the worst mistake of my life), I took them for around 10 weeks, and then did the whole Post Cycle Therapy thing and never touched them again.

During the latter part of the cycle and ever since then, I have been experiencing some very bad heart behaviours, including palpitations and a very heavy and hard beat, it honestly feels like my heart has grown in size or something. I do have heart disease history on both sides of my family, the worst case being my father who has had a few major heart operations, including a quadruple bypass, and growing up I had minor issues with what I thought was my heart, but I was told it was anxiety related. My resting heart rate as a 27 year old male is 80-90 BPM, and I am supposed to be in very good shape.. I exercise regularily and my diet is full of organic/grass fed/non gmo/etc food. When I run, for example, my chest begins to get very tight, as though blood is not circulating properly, and I can feel it practically burst through my chest cavity.

I do not know what to do from this point.. I got my cholesterol checked and it was double the average for my age group, which is very alarming, although I have mixed feelings obviously because of the information on this site, high cholesterol is apparently not that big of an issue. My doctor is telling me to not eat red meat and to start eating more grains and legumes and fruits, which generally contradicts the information on this website, I live in Canada, so getting ANYTHING done from a doctor is a herculean effort, they take one look at me and say oh you look healthy, and you are young, im sure its nothing(take these painkillers!! ;) )

I am at my wits end, I am fully aware it was my own absolutely idiotic choice in all of this that has caused my condition, and I feel like its caused permanent, irreversible damage, which is bringing me in to a very awful, often suicidal state of mind. I try to remain optimistic, but between this, dealing with this country being turned upside down by these freak organic portals, having The Work on my mind constantly, dealing with psychic attack, being attacked in my dreams constantly, I am feeling like the "chaff being separated from the wheat", I do not know what to do anymore. I feel like all this effort and money put in to my health has now all been for nothing, obviously due to my own choices, but all the same it is demoralizing to the extreme.

Is anyone able to give me any kind of advice or suggestions as to what I can do? What sort of tests should I be asking the doctor for specifically? Is there any supplement or food I can incorporate in to my daily routine that will help my heart?

Sorry if I have come across as whiny or emotional, This world is absolutely relentless, I just dont know what to do anymore :(
Click to expand...

Hi Weontv, first of all I'd say you should try to relax a little and don't jump to conclusions, working yourself up over this will probably just exacerbate the symptoms you describe.

I say that it is unlikely that you have done any serious damage to your heart. What you describe sounds more like a hormonal deregulation problem, which is not surprising after taking steroids.

How often do you have the heavy heartbeat and palpitations?
Click to expand...

Hmm, I sure hope you are right. I am getting a little emotional over it, reason being it is constant, I wake up in the morning and the first thing I feel is a heavy heart beat, and when I lie down in bed I feel it as well. The symptoms skyrocket when I do any sort of aerobic exercise. Thanks for the reply, I am going to drink some tea and try and relax.
 
I concur with Joe - it’s unlikely you have a serious heart problem.

A few suggestions:

1. You might want to try to get to see a cardiologist, to rule out any organic heart disease, as unlikely as this is. Then you know the facts and can calm down. Not sure how feasible this is, but if you tell a doctor repeatedly that you have chest pain, eventually he will be forced to take that more seriously.

2. 3 lb. of meat is way too much for a ketogenic diet. Remember, too much protein will trigger your mTOR-pathway, which isn’t a good idea. So 0.8 - 1 g of protein per kg of lean bodyweight is enough for most, if you do heavy work/ heavy gym sessions, you might need a bit more, maybe up to 1.5 g/kg. This is way less than you have at the moment (like around a third of what you eat now). So it is very likely that you are not in ketosis at all. I would try to get into ketosis - maybe even pruchase a glucometer that is able to measure blood ketones (optimal range is between 1 - 3 mMol/l - because that is good for the heart, just in case you do have a heart problem (which again I think is unlikely).

3. Your resting heart rate of 80 - 90 BPM is a bit high - there are several possibilites (eg anxiety, inappropriate sinus tachycardia), so again, a cardiologist could give you more information about that. But I would also be very surprised, if there was something problematic with your heart rate.

4. Palpitations and feelings of “heavy heart beats” are very common, most of the time they are benign (albeit uncomfortable), and again, a cardiologist could sort that out.

5. I wouldn’t worry about the cholesterol levels - especially not if you are in ketosis. The only thing that the docs want is to put you on statins, which is not a good idea (especially if you see a cardiologist - just take the script and don’t buy the stuff).

So all in all - slow down, take a deep breath, sort your stuff out, and move on.

Hope that helps!
:)
 
I have been experiencing some very bad heart behaviours, including palpitations and a very heavy and hard beat, it honestly feels like my heart has grown in size or something
Click to expand...

What you describe seems similar to what numerous users of steroids have experienced.

Steroids are anabolic molecules, they stimulate muscle growth, including the heart. When the heart grows in size, it has less room space (pressure against the rib cage), as a consequence the pulse is less efficient: the heart can't fully expand. To compensate for the incomplete pulse, the heartbeat frequency increases.

In addition, steroid users increase their total muscle mass so, when they exercise (and to a lesser degree even when they rest), their heart has to provide more blood, compared to a person with limited muscle mass.

A cardiologist will easily assess the size of your heart. Also palpitations are a very common thing and, in most case, it has no adverse reaction.

So, as suggested by other members, a visit to your heart doctor should provide more data and make the picture clear. By then, don't worry to much, your case is not uncommon and usually it is benign.
 
nicklebleu said:
I concur with Joe - it’s unlikely you have a serious heart problem.

A few suggestions:

1. You might want to try to get to see a cardiologist, to rule out any organic heart disease, as unlikely as this is. Then you know the facts and can calm down. Not sure how feasible this is, but if you tell a doctor repeatedly that you have chest pain, eventually he will be forced to take that more seriously.

2. 3 lb. of meat is way too much for a ketogenic diet. Remember, too much protein will trigger your mTOR-pathway, which isn’t a good idea. So 0.8 - 1 g of protein per kg of lean bodyweight is enough for most, if you do heavy work/ heavy gym sessions, you might need a bit more, maybe up to 1.5 g/kg. This is way less than you have at the moment (like around a third of what you eat now). So it is very likely that you are not in ketosis at all. I would try to get into ketosis - maybe even pruchase a glucometer that is able to measure blood ketones (optimal range is between 1 - 3 mMol/l - because that is good for the heart, just in case you do have a heart problem (which again I think is unlikely).

3. Your resting heart rate of 80 - 90 BPM is a bit high - there are several possibilites (eg anxiety, inappropriate sinus tachycardia), so again, a cardiologist could give you more information about that. But I would also be very surprised, if there was something problematic with your heart rate.

4. Palpitations and feelings of “heavy heart beats” are very common, most of the time they are benign (albeit uncomfortable), and again, a cardiologist could sort that out.

5. I wouldn’t worry about the cholesterol levels - especially not if you are in ketosis. The only thing that the docs want is to put you on statins, which is not a good idea (especially if you see a cardiologist - just take the script and don’t buy the stuff).

So all in all - slow down, take a deep breath, sort your stuff out, and move on.

Hope that helps!
:)
Click to expand...

Whew. It certainly does help, thank you so much. I am going to look in to getting a glucometer and I will see if I can get in to see a cardiologist.

I think I had some preconceived bias's in regards to keto, obviously I am eating way too much protein, I was hoping that the 70/30 split of fat/lean would counteract the high protein content, but looking back this is obviously not the case. Also going to get a hormone panel done just in case the steroids have done something there.


Thank you all for the feedback, I am feeling a hell of a lot better than I was, definitely need to do my diligence and learn more about the physiological aspect of all of this. As usual this is the best place to come to for advice on practically anything. ;D
 
Messing with your Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testes Axis in this way is, as you now know, not a good idea, lesson learned I'm sure!

If it's possible to get your own blood tests done, you could test your hormone and thyroid levels just to see. Some of your symptoms could also be due to temporary thyroid issues, which as you probably know can be aided (depending on condition) with iodine supplementation.

If you want to bring down your cholesterol levels naturally, a very effective method is to take Berberine and Niacin once every day.

I'd also add that, if you want to avoid the weight loss thing, ease off on the keto. Eat more carbs. What works for me is a keto breakfast, then meat and some carbs for lunch (gluten free crackers with pate or meat) and then meat and carbs in the evening. You might also consider trying to give your digestive system as much time to 'rest' every day as possible. So try to eat your final meal as early as you can, aiming for at least 12 hours of no food overnight, for example, last meal of the day at 7pm, breakfast the next morning after 7am. If you feel a bit hungry in the evening, a glass of warm salted water helps. You'll also get better sleep if you are not digesting food while you are meant to be sleeping.

Also, if you're a kind of 'high energy' person with a fast metabolism, always 'on the go', consider adding in some 'quiet time' every day. Sit down somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed, in a meditative pose of whatever, and just close your eyes and relax, focus on your breath, use a 'seed' phrase to repeat. Just 10-15 minutes of this can help you 'chill' and reduce the 'angsting' which can have overall benefits, psychological, emotional and physical (not to mention spiritual (probably!). It takes conscious effort to do it, especially for a 'go go go' person, but we're all about building will in big ways and small. ;)
 
My wife has been struggling with anxiety and heart issues for a few years now, and it wasn't until this past spring when we learned about the importance of magnesium in the functioning of the heart. The laxative effect that conventional magnesium so often produces is because magnesium is a super relaxant for muscles, including the muscles in the colon. Moreover, because magnesium is a metal it is very difficult to get it to be effectively absorbed so it must be taken in compounds, and as a result, only 4% to max of 20% of the magnesium in these compounds is absorbed, thus resulting with much magnesium being flushed out through the colon. So because of the poor absorption rate of conventional magnesium compounds, and the depleted soils in which our foods are grown, the vast majority of today's population is severely magnesium deficient.
Moreover, the heart is the largest consumer of magnesium and it will suck up whatever magnesium there is in the body. This then affects all organs, muscles, bones etc as they all loose their magnesium stores. It also known that every cell in the body requires magnesium to regulate the amount of other minerals in the cell, especially calcium, in the production of ATP. When magnesium is deficient, calcification occurs thus opening the door to cysts, nodules, tumors etc. Very simplisticly, calcium tightens the muscles and magnesium relaxes the muscle, all muscles including the heart.

The Magnesium Miracle by Dr Carolyn Dean, second edition (2017) is an invaluable resource and her website will explain more at drcarolyndean.com
 
Just wanted to let you guys know I took all of your advice to heart and implemented it, and it seems to be working!

I started to watch my macros and, lo and behold, a lot less protein and more fat and some carbs and I am feeling much better, and slowly gaining weight. I had been taking magnesium and iodine regularly for a long time after starting keto but just kind of stopped, I figured I didn't need them anymore, which has been another harsh lesson. Pretty much a few minutes after I took the magnesium, my heart rate slowed down a bit and my heart stopped beating so heavily, it was almost like my heart gave out a big sigh of relief :lol:. I guess their really is no way around supplementation with all of the detrimental variables we deal with, at least not for me.

I have also started taking Niacin and Berberine and noticed positive effects within a day or two, so I think that will sort my cholesterol out. Overall I would say my average BPM has dropped around 5-10 beats, which is relieving, and hopefully that trend continues. Still need to see a cardiologist for some tests, easier said than done in Canada, but things are looking good.

Thank you Joe for reminding me how important regular mediation is, as well as why its not a good idea to wing any of this stuff without educating myself on it first, some of the things you are talking about I am like a fish out of water reading, so more diligence is needed on my end I would say.

Cheers, everyone, for the insightful responses, they are always appreciated. :D
 
You might find this book interesting and useful: Human Heart, Cosmic Heart, by Thomas Cowen. He also recommends a plant extract, and gives much instruction for how to use it. According to him, and Rudolf Steiner, and Arnold Ehret, and others, the heart isn't a pump at all, it's a sort of valve, that charges the blood, which moves by a fluid intelligence, like the lymphatic system. He's a contemporary practitioner who has studied and worked much to solve the riddle of his own troubled heart, so it's a good read, and the beliefs about our own physiology, coupled with the practical tools, can really support healing, in my experience.
 
Hello Weontv, I'm happy to see you on the mend. I am not qualified to give advice, but I have a question for you: Are you in the habit of taking energy drinks, such as 'red bull', or are you addicted to cola/pepsi?
My youngest son was into body building like yourself, but he was also consuming those types of drinks, and he came down with similar symptoms to you, so much so that he had to give it up, and it has really affected him psychologically.
I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it all.
 
Thank you for the book suggestion. I have actually read some of Rudolphs comments on the heart, and I believe lactic acid played a role in his whole theory as well. I am going to get the book, hopefully I will learn some beneficial information.

As far the energy drinks, MusicMan, I have not had anything processed, or packaged in over 2 years now, I am fully on the ketogenic program that a lot of members of this forum are on(albeit, I had been doing it improperly). I learned a long time ago to stay away from soda and energy drinks, as they are clearly stocked full of chemicals and harmful compounds. I really think the biggest error was taking the steroids.. I am fairly certain my heart has been enlarged in some way because it just seems to be beating harder and heavier no matter what I do. Hopefully your son has not taken anything anabolic and if he needs any information in regards to his health, this website is the best place to start in my opinion. Thanks for the felicitations, I have a long way to go, but I am on a better road now thanks to the community here. :D
 
https://im4.ezgif.com/tmp/ezgif-4-8699086f11.gif

I made this in hopes that someone could tell me if this was normal or not. I am standing in front of a mirror fully relaxed and I can see my heart beat through my solar plexus.

The protocols ive implemented do seem to be working, but I just cant help but notice my heart beats harder than it ever did before. Thank you for any feedback.
 
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