elevated heart rate

Terry T
Terry T Member Posts: 42
in Kidney Cancer #1

I am 3+ weeks out from a full kidney removal.  Tumor was stage 1; grade 2 and i walk about 5 - 7, 000 steps a day but sometimes, my heart rate is hyper elevated - > 120 (normal resting for me is ~60).  Anyone else experience this?  I am meeting with my surgeon tomorrow and will bring it up.  If it wasn't accompanied by chest pains and shortness of breath I wouldn't be too worried but I have some level of both of those frequently as well.  I must say, so far, the 3rd week out is worse than the 2nd week out.  For me, the recovery has not been a matter of "feeling stronger everyday".  It has been good days followed by bad. 

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2

    Terry,

     

    If the second number in your BP is over 120 get it checked out ASAP as that is way too high. First have it checked out by your GP and if possible by a Cardiologist. Because of the Kidney issues you may also want to see a Nephrologist (they also specialize in Hypertension). High Blood pressure over time causes damage to your Kidney function independent of and in addition to RCC.

    As for feeling worse the third week out, progree generally occurs slowly every day and it is not abnormal to have temporary setbacks. Do discuss this with your doctor.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    Terry,

     

    If the second number in your BP is over 120 get it checked out ASAP as that is way too high. First have it checked out by your GP and if possible by a Cardiologist. Because of the Kidney issues you may also want to see a Nephrologist (they also specialize in Hypertension). High Blood pressure over time causes damage to your Kidney function independent of and in addition to RCC.

    As for feeling worse the third week out, progree generally occurs slowly every day and it is not abnormal to have temporary setbacks. Do discuss this with your doctor.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    I had that too, in fact, I

    I had that too, in fact, I posted a thread on racing heart beat. Turned out I was terribly anemic and iron deficient. Hemoglobin was 6.5 or something like that instead of the normal 12 - 13, and my iron reserves were practically zero. Get that checked, especially if you're also feeling tired and draggy. I didn't have chest pains so that's definitely something to discuss with your doctor, but I did feel shortness of breath.

  • Terry T
    Terry T Member Posts: 42
    #4
    APny said:

    I had that too, in fact, I

    I had that too, in fact, I posted a thread on racing heart beat. Turned out I was terribly anemic and iron deficient. Hemoglobin was 6.5 or something like that instead of the normal 12 - 13, and my iron reserves were practically zero. Get that checked, especially if you're also feeling tired and draggy. I didn't have chest pains so that's definitely something to discuss with your doctor, but I did feel shortness of breath.

    thanks all

    meeting with my surgeon tomorrow and with a cardiologist on Monday

  • avdoty
    avdoty Member Posts: 62
    #5
    Terry T said:

    thanks all

    meeting with my surgeon tomorrow and with a cardiologist on Monday

    Post Surgery Cardio Recovery

    I think I had a very similar experience as you although the heart rate difference pre and post surgery does seem worse in your case. So your situation may be very different.  FWIW, I'll give you my 2 cents. 

    I’m an avid long distance runner and religiously monitor my heart rate.  I often check my resting rate to give me an indication of my cardio fitness level.  Prior to my partial neph earlier this year my resting heart rate was high 40s.  After surgery it seemed to stay in the mid 70s or higher.  I started to try to run again a little before 4 weeks into my recovery.  My heart rate spiked to the 180s (close to my max heart rate) after only 1/2 a mile.  Can’t run very far with that kind of heart rate.  I kept at it and I eventually could do a slow jog for 3 miles after a few weeks but my heart rate still spiked to near max in those runs. It literally felt like running a marathon.  Then, at about 7 weeks post surgery, I was driving to participate in my first triathlon and my heart rate was in the high 50s in the car.  I knew at that time that the 5K portion of my run was going to be easier than my previous post surgery 3 mile runs and I was right.  After the run portion, I felt like I could have gone further.  Although I did terrible in the race I knew that my cardio fitness was finally recovering.  My theory is that the surgery definitely messes with your cardio.  The good news is that it just takes some time to come back.  I’m now 10 weeks post surgery and ran 13 miles last weekend.  My legs muscles gave out before my cardio.  That’s progress.  I’m looking forward to hear what your doc says.  Good luck in your recovery.

     

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #6
    Kidney Removal

    Losing a kidney really messes with your body. Do you know if you lost your adrenal gland also?

    Over time I'm discovering that the kidneys do a lot for the body, and loses one throws everything off. The kidney processes Vitamin D into a usable form. It also regulates red blood cell creation somehow. Watch yourself for anemia, Vitamin D deficiency. Keep after your blood pressure and make sure you're keeping it regulated with medication if necessary (although weight loss and exercise are the preferred method).

    Do you know what your kidney function is now that you've lost a kidney? What's your creatinine level?

    My kidney function is quite a bit worse since I lost a kidney. They say you'll be fine with 1 kidney, but you want to take care of it. That may mean altering your diet as well (restricting protein, salt and possibly potassium and phosphorous).

    I tried to go back to just doing everything (wrong) I was doing before and it hasn't worked out very well for me. My BP has been rising and I've started having issues with edema in my hands. My BP was just fine before my surgery. I'm 18 months out now.

    My Vitamin D leve was low before my surgery, but went really, really low after my surgery so now I take a supplement regularly. I have had issues with slight anemia at times. I don't know what causes it, other than I'm missing a kidney. Since my surgery, I'm either on the low edge in terms of RBC, Hemoglobin and HCT, or slightly below normal sometimes.

    Excess potassium can cause the heart to race. The kidney plays a role in that as well.

    I go through periods (I'm 18 months out now) feeling like I have shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate, but when I measure it, it's usually only in the 70's/80's but that is resting. I used to be solidly 60. All of that makes me feel anxious, and sometimes I think my anxiety makes the problem worse.

    The kidney processes fluid removal. Fluid built up in the lungs can cause you to feel short of breath.

    With regards to whether you get better in a straight line, I'd say no. It's up and down.

    In addition to my surgeon, I've seen a nephrologist and a dietician. My creatinine is 1.8. This means I have Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3.

    Hope you keep getting better.

    Todd

  • aamdsi
    aamdsi Member Posts: 284
    #7
    me too

    I had a partial in March.  I had gone into the eye doc. which lead to long story, but the short of it is that they found I had a blood pressure of 210/120.  I am quite athletic so they were stunned (that I hadn't exploded they told me later).

    Since the surgery I am having to moniter my BP every other night (am on meds) and it has gone up and down in the weeks and months since the surgery.  I have had chest pains and shortness of breath-but they actually turned out to be anxiety attacks!  They happen mostly in the early early morning hours. 

    Not sure if yours could be those too - but it was a real relief for me when I found out that's all they were.  Worth asking.  I mean, it's not like you have anything to worry about right? (not being serious here)

    As others have said, recovery is different for all of us.  Avdoty is a distance runner and at 10 weeks out is doing great. I am a triathlete and at nearly 5 months from an open partial am back to form and doing my 2nd race this Sunday.

    Hope that it is all resolved with your visit and the good days start to really out number the bad.

     

    Laurie

     

  • JoanneNH
    JoanneNH Member Posts: 115
    #8
    icemantoo said:

    Terry,

     

    If the second number in your BP is over 120 get it checked out ASAP as that is way too high. First have it checked out by your GP and if possible by a Cardiologist. Because of the Kidney issues you may also want to see a Nephrologist (they also specialize in Hypertension). High Blood pressure over time causes damage to your Kidney function independent of and in addition to RCC.

    As for feeling worse the third week out, progree generally occurs slowly every day and it is not abnormal to have temporary setbacks. Do discuss this with your doctor.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    Terry is talking about his

    Icemantoo:  Terry is talking about his heart rate not his blood pressure.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
    JoanneNH said:

    Terry is talking about his

    Icemantoo:  Terry is talking about his heart rate not his blood pressure.

    Cardiology

    Sorry I flunked that in Law School.

     

    Icemantoo

  • avdoty
    avdoty Member Posts: 62
    #10
    aamdsi said:

    me too

    I had a partial in March.  I had gone into the eye doc. which lead to long story, but the short of it is that they found I had a blood pressure of 210/120.  I am quite athletic so they were stunned (that I hadn't exploded they told me later).

    Since the surgery I am having to moniter my BP every other night (am on meds) and it has gone up and down in the weeks and months since the surgery.  I have had chest pains and shortness of breath-but they actually turned out to be anxiety attacks!  They happen mostly in the early early morning hours. 

    Not sure if yours could be those too - but it was a real relief for me when I found out that's all they were.  Worth asking.  I mean, it's not like you have anything to worry about right? (not being serious here)

    As others have said, recovery is different for all of us.  Avdoty is a distance runner and at 10 weeks out is doing great. I am a triathlete and at nearly 5 months from an open partial am back to form and doing my 2nd race this Sunday.

    Hope that it is all resolved with your visit and the good days start to really out number the bad.

     

    Laurie

     

    Anxiety

    Interesting Laurie mentions anxiety attacks . . . since surgery I've been to the emergency room because I thought I had blood clot symptoms (on my wife's birthday no less) and have been to my PCP to check out a lump based on fears that it was a tumor.  Neither of these concerns proved to be correct.  Knowing that I have cancer has turned me into a hypochondriac.  I'm sure this will pass with time but it definitely causes increased anxiety. I'm hoping your issue is only anxiety and that ultimately goes away. 

    Allen

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