3rd opinion?

[mlni]

I'm 37 and I have been diagnosed with nonischemic cardiomyopathy caused by a virus that they said I might not even had known I had. I'm so confused I went to a top cardiologist where I live and he told me that since my lv function was so bad that if the meds didnt work I would eventually need a heart transplant and a pace maker wouldnt help me due to my actual heart problem. Meanwhile I had gone back to my regular cardiologist and he tells me that my lv function is 31% which I guess 30% is a candidate for a pace maker he told me that if it went down I would be a candidate for one. Now how can I have 2 totally different diagnosises like that. I called my insurance co and they will cover a 3rd opinon. The doctor put me on beta blockers and I read the side effects and wow my heart is slow now and the pills are suppose to make it slower? How can they check to see if my lv function is getting better another ultrasound? My doctor wants me to come back in March since I have been on these new bp meds since November isnt there a way to tell if I'm getting better or not. I'm so confused as to what is going on my family has heart problems but nothing like what I have and I have noone to discuss it with :(

[ed34]

Beta blockers, if given in the right dosage, should not slow your heart down. What they should do is prevent it from going too fast, i.e. over working. They work by blocking certain receptors on the heart which respond to hormones such as adrenaline. Your resting rate should not be affected. Getting the correct dosage can be a bit of a pain tho.