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Heart Age

Saw my cardiologist today for a 6-month visit. Her tech checked my BP and HR and said she was entering the data along with my cardiac history into a program that would calculate my “heart age”. Found out that I have the heart of an 80+ year old guy. Good thing they already have me scheduled for a stress echo and coronary calcium scan in 10 days! Am planning to stop heart meds for my own private stress test before then.

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A poppers session audio file. I stopped taking heart rhythm and slowing meds a few days ago and noticed a sharp increase in rate, frequency of PVCs and PACs, and blood pressure (even though I continued on BP meds as they don’t affect my heartbeat). Rate has been in high 80’s and 90’s and BP 175-190/95-98 for two or three days.

The first couple of minutes are baseline with a few PVCs. BP at start of recording was 189/95 and rate was 89. Just before first inhale of poppers the BP was 207/108 and rate 93. My BP didn’t drop much after the first fit. When the rate hit 140 the BP was 151/133 and only got down to “normal” toward the end.

I was hoping for a higher rate than 140, but there were several runs of bigeminy including one at the end that continued for 15 minutes after the recording ended. Just before, there was a point where I thought my heart was stopping as it stumbled for what would have been several beats.

Note there is a technical error silence toward the last part at 6+ min.

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A few people asked for a recording of my heart on the meds I usually take. My BP was 176/93 and HR 47 at the start. The murmur is still prominent--always is when my BP is that high--and the ecg showed a constant rate in the mid to high 40's and a more regular rhythm that when off meds.

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After a year of non-use, this is a cardiac stress test using poppers. As usual, I stopped taking a beta blocker a few days before and my heart was beating hard and skipping a couple of beats per minute for the 48 hrs before the session. The resting rate rose to the 90′s and my blood pressure was around 160/95 for a couple of days.

A quick exam (auscultation, BP and ECG) immediately before using poppers showed my BP at 240/130 with frequent PVC’s and PAC’s. My heart rate topped out at around 160 bpm after four hits from the poppers bottle and my BP fell to 105/60, but the rhythm became increasingly chaotic with what looked like short runs of vtach following something close to R-on-T. It felt like I was about to pass out during these brief runs.

The new aspect was that the arrhythmia happened during the poppers rather than afterwards. Everything seemed back to normal after about an hour.

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It had been some weeks since my last poppers session and I eagerly anticipated the way my pounding heart would feel with the first hit from the bottle. After slipping on the blood pressure cuff and attaching the ECG and stethoscope to my chest, excitement kept my heart rate well above 100 no matter what I tried to slow it down. The rhythm was steady with an occasional PVC, but my BP was around 220/105 on several measurements. My usual murmur was quite audible.

This audio starts a few seconds before the first inhale and you can hear the pounding begin as the poppers takes effect. The ECG showed a maximum rate of 161, about the fastest I think my heart has beat in recent years. Some PVC’s start at about 1:25-30, unusual for me as the really irregular stuff tends to hold off until the cool down. Then, with another inhale, my heart didn’t speed up but seemed to struggle even to have a systole. At a couple of points it sounded like my heart wouldn’t resume normal beats, so I stopped the session and a more normal rhythm and much more noticeable murmur returned after cooling down.

Planning another session next week and will try to share the ECG.

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My heart on poppers with ecg. This file immediately follows my previous post and begins just before my first poppers hit. It goes up to a peak rate of 151 and a later post will have the cool down and irregular beats as it slows.

The baseline rate at the beginning and in the previous file is quite high—95 to 100—but this is normal when I stop my heart meds suddenly in preparation for a poppers session. The rebound effect is very pronounced and I can feel my heart beating hard constantly for a few days. This file was about the middle of the rebound period.

The file was too large for Tumblr, so I had to break it down and reduce the quality a bit. Hope it’s ok.

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I pulled off my shirt after getting into my hotel room to check my vitals before doing a more thorough cardiac examination. Poppers sessions put a lot of stress on my heart and I wanted to check that it was pumping well before starting.  My pulse was 70 and regular but my blood pressure was 185/95. The BP was not a big surprise given that I was very excited about what was to follow and had stopped one of my meds a couple of days earlier. The med was the one that suppresses my heart rate and keeps the rhythm regular in addition to helping lowering blood pressure. Using poppers with atenolol on board seems to defeat the purpose.

Next, I wired up to do a baseline ecg and auscultate the main listening places. My ecg showed normal ST waves and steady rhythm at 86 bpm. I heard one pvc on auscultation and other than a blowing systolic murmur best heard over the apex my heart sounded fine. My carotids were clear of bruits. Giving myself the green light for a poppers session I rechecked my BP and it had risen to 215/105.

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My heart before, during and after poppers. Was in tachycardia even at rest because of anticipation--ECG said 112 bpm--and it went up to 148 with poppers. Rhythm became chaotic as it slowed with lots of skips and pauses. My murmur is very noticeable toward the end.

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New files coming soon! Plan to upload a super new popper file going from resting tachycardia to my max heart rate and back. Lots of PVC’s and PAC’s along the way. I find that I have to limit how much I inhale and how often or it takes a toll on me. As it is, I keep an eye on my ecg and blood pressure while using so I don’t faint or inadvertently have a heart attack. Don’t want to make my heart problems worse.

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My heart on poppers. First 0-1:35 or so is regular rhythm standing up. Fast because I was so excited. Then a few hits of poppers and much faster! Blood pressure was insanely high at the beginning, 209/121, and fell to 88/66 (lowest I have measured) near the end. Rhythm became seriously irregular as it slowed and I though my heart would stop at a couple of points.

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Heart stressed by high blood pressure and then poppers.

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My BP and heart rate before using poppers are at the top and then right after the first big inhale. Audio file to follow.

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My ticker back to regular rate after a few poppers hits. Some bigeminy and pauses. Will upload the audio of what caused this in the next day or so.

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My heartbeat on poppers. Starts with a normal rate and rhythm (with a few pvc’s) and then takes off with the first hit. I go through four or five hits and then the rate slows (but not the pounding) and it becomes more irregular. My bad valves and murmur become more apparent once the nitrites hit.