Ejection fraction of 44%...

[MzKeyton]

I recently started having shortness of breath and feeling of pressure in my chest, especially when I lie down or lean on my left side. When I lie down or lean on my left side, my heart beats so hard that it literally feels as though it is going to beat right out of my chest! One day it was so bad that I almost passed out; so my husband took me to the ER. They did an EKG which raised some concerns so the doctor admitted me where I was confined for 4 days in ICU. They ran alot of tests including a treadmill stress test. What they found is that I have a 44% ejection fraction of the heart. I also have uncontrolled BP and  I am on currently on 2 meds for the high BP plus a beta blocker.

My PCP scheduled me to see a cardiologist but said that it is okay for me to return to work as long as I am not lifting or doing any physically strenuous work. I work in a call center handling claims issues which, in our case, the stress level is extremely high! We literally have an ambulance taking someone out on a stretcher every week! I am concerned about returning to work under these conditions.  Is this something that is aggravated or worsened by stress?  Should I be concerned?

[mammo]

I would avoid stress right now completely.  It plays such a huge role in our heart health.  Maybe once you are at a level with beta blockers that you feel much calmer, you can return to work but why push it?  

[ed34]

You should find the beta blocker will protect your heart because it prevents the receptors reacting to hormones such as adrenaline. When I started on beta blockers I was amazed at how difficult it was to get angry. Rather than shake with temper, I would be totally relaxed. If you become stressed and you feel a tightness in your chest and breathing becomes harder, take deep breaths and relax and it will quickly pass. Then speak to your Doctor about increasing the dosage slightly. It can be difficult to get the dosage correct and I was speaking to my GP about this today. She was saying if you give too little then the heart isn't protected properly, if you give too much then the heart slows down too much. So, it's a bit of trial and error.