posted
Been tachycardic all day, had a lot of chest pain, and it was getting really bad, so I decided to drive for help. I was heading towards E.R. (which I hate) because it was the closest. Half way there I had to pull over because I was swerving and my heart was beating through my throat. I had panic at 200 bpm, but never felt it in my throat like that. I think it was well over 200.
I took 1 mg of Xanax and 2 mg of ativan an hour before the attack because I get panic attack auras, which psychiatrists tell me doesn't exist. They are wrong.
Well, that did nothing to control it, and the E.R. Doc gave me 4 mg of Ativan injected even though I told them that more wasn't going to help. It did make me feel a little more relaxed, but it would have calmed down without all those extra benzos.
Well, it didn't really help physically like I predicted. Heart rate went from 130s to 120s with it occasionally dipping close to 100. When I sat up in certain positions it would drop randomly to 80, and when I was flat on the bed, it would race close to 140. I told him it was bartonella, showed him my rashes and stretch marks. He told me that I should have a dermatologist look at this (haha). He didn't seem to know anything about bartonella, but isn't it a fairly common disease?
I do think I need to see a new cardiologist though, so we both agreed about that. I don't think my heart is behaving right.
Oh, and I specifically asked him if my potassium was low. He said it was fine, but when I got copies of the labs it was low! Sodium was borderline low. I loaded up on a lot of coconut water. Is there any supplement I can take to indirectly keep my potassium and sodium up?
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
Geez, you probably should go to a cardiologist just to get checked out. How scary!
Are you still taking the HH capsules?
I know, I hate going to the E.R. too. What did they say about your heart?
Posts: 490 | From TX- Go Cowboys! | Registered: Aug 2009
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
When your pulse is going up and down and all over the place, what is your blood pressure doing? Does it drop when you stand up? Did they even check it while you were standing?
I use to get the crazy pulse going all over the place and the same with my blood pressure. For me, it was part of the orothostatic hypotension and tachycardia problem that so many of us have.
I had a similar situation with my pulse going up to 200. I actually parked outside the emergency room but couldn't bring myself to go in. Had my pulse not calmed down I would have had no choice though. These episodes used to make me very tired, sometimes for days.
Have you been checked out for dysautonomia? So many of us have it that you should consider being checked for it. When my pulse is acting up, my blood pressure is acting up and this will bring on the anxiety. It is a physiological response in my opinion. Your body is letting you know that there is a problem.
The only other time my pulse goes up and my heart starts acting weird is when I've eaten something that I'm allergic to.
Terry I'm not a doctor
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I know, I know. I think it is Bartonella also. Crayhon Research makes electrolyte mixes that have sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc. You may want to try them. Oftentimes our LLMD recommends the one called Sports Synergy Electrolyte Concentrate which is $38.00
You may want to try Calm Plus from the health food store which has electrolytes. I have never had panic attack with heartrate as high as yours but I will often use my Lorazepam at max dose, Soma(muscle relaxer), and if a family member can just touch your shoulder and reassure you and rub your back until you settle down. Valerian might help? Also, it might help to get on ashwaghanda and adrenal essence. And to not drink coffee/caffeine. I have found that when my Adrenals are bad off I will often have more and intense panic attacks. Best to you, Robin
Posts: 103 | From California | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I will admit, I do believe my mind partially activated the attack, but holy crap! My mind did the thing where it goes back to memories you had before you die. That was creepy. I honestly feel traumatized enough to get on some PTSD meds or something.
What happened is I looked at my reflection, and I saw dark streaks under my eyes. I don't usually have those dark streaks, so obviously I was feeling pretty terrible. My throat felt swollen and itchy too. I was already on my way driving with panic, but when those couple thoughts went through my mind, I had no choice but to pull over (on a red curb) and had some random person take me the rest of the way. I would have kept driving it it felt possible.
Maybe some biofeedback therapy will help me. I am really stressed out right now because of the incidence last night. There has been no panic attack and no hospitalization that left me feeling this stressed out.
I don't feel safe now, and I am scared.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
I am still taking the HH capsules. I don't feel like I want to this morning to see how I feel. I'm not sure if it was directly related to last night or not, but in my mind, it all feels related.
The E.R. said my heart was fine. I just had some SVTs and then he said it didn't seem normal how it was staying so tachy after all the sedatives. This is not new information to me.
I've been diagnosed by a endocrinologist with orthostatic hypertension. It's a quick and exaggerated vasopressor response to standing I believe. As my endo put it, some people with POTS have that type of response. He said it's common, but understudied. He had a friend of his doing a study on it, and it may be published by now.
And I've been checked for anything that could be surgically corrected already as defined on that site.
They don't check for dysautonomias in the E.R. it seems, but I don't see why they don't. It's not hard.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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