The Metoprolol can also contribute to SOB and fatigue in some cases.
Lisinopril at that dose shouldn't really cause you to feel any different at all, really.
I'd get another echo and another opinion.
When I have my stress test done. The doctor (head of the department) was not happy with my picture. He dosed me with a lot of strong coffee to make my heart looks better. Asked me to walk around the hospital before the second day scan. When I went back to my cardio, I prepared to hear for the bad..... but a great suprised! My cardio said, "all good. The rest were artefact!" Few months later, I got a heart attack (bad chest pain). The ER diagnosed anxiety.
Run an echo few months later. It showed MI, severe hypokinese.... but my LVEF was 59%. Angiogram performed. There were no blocked artery. All arteries are opened wide. Dr said, he made a mistake on my echo. It was no MI!
Mistake could be a typo, the doctor or the tech. All possible. Go for how you feel.
Thank you so much for the reply, comments and the advice. Your comments and advice seem like good sound common sense.
I am going for a second opinion this week and I am going to ask if I can go back on the coreg instead of the Metoprolol. As far as the lisinopril, I was only on 2.5mg per day and the cardiologist would prefer I take it, I am going to go back on it starting today, I am sure it will feel better once i get used to it. The dose of coreg that I took was 6.25 mg twice a day. The metoproloI I am taking is a one a day 25mg. I agree with what you said, I am confident that the afib can be controlled specially since it is only a very occasional flutter lately. Apart from that I am feeling quite well too. There is no dought that I still have a weakened LV heart function left over from the myocarditis, however, like you, I think that it is too early for the ICD.
Again, thanks for the reply.
The Major
Well, first of all, your doctor should never have taken you off the Coreg. It has been proven that one needs to stay on it forever, and POSSIBLY a slightly lower dose may suffice. I know what you are saying about the EF varying between what the tech says and what the actual physician reading it says. But remember, the tech is just that, a tech. I had one the last echo who confided in me that she was actually a student tech, which left me with zero confidence. Anyway, I would ask for a MUGA scan. Next to a cath, it is supposed to be the most accurate for estimating EF. It CAN be way off an echo. Also remember, that one doctor reading an echo can say one thing and another 10 minutes later something else. It is a +/- 10 %. I would certainly hope that the physicians do not ask for input from the techs. What they do is measure the left ventricular diastolic dimension and the systolic and the EF is derived from that.
As for the Lisinipril, keep trying. My bp has always been low....90's systolic and I started on a dose of 5 mg./day of the drug, and had to be lowered to 2.5 mg. which is a baby dose. The target dose for that drug is 20 mg./day. BUT, I was still on the drug. I am just super sensitive to cardiac drugs. After several years I have been able to raise it to 10 mg./day, and still run 90's mostly and sometimes high 80's. It is important to be on some kind of ACE or an ARB. Your doctor should also know that! Also, what dose of Coreg did you eventually hit? The target dose is 25 mg. twice a day. Until you are maxed out on these drugs, you should not be getting an ICD, IMO. Those are the guidelines from the heart association.! I didn't make any of this up.
Ok, lastly, intermittent afib can cause shortness of breath and fatigue. You lose the *atrial kick*. Your cardiac output is thus reduced. Your doctors need to get that under control as well before they rush into an ICD, IMO. There are a number of drugs out there that may get rid of the AF. Soooo, I would ask for a MUGA scan if I were you. Hope this helps!