Ended up in A & E on Monday - did the heat get the better of me!!!

[cassie46]

I mentioned days ago the I seem to have a bad head cold this was the 26th July and over the following days this got worse, then I was very breathless, wheezing and feeling dreadful, could only sleep propped up and did not get much sleep and my AF was very all over the place.

Come Monday morning breathing was very bad and could not catch my breath and was choking quite a lot. The noises in my chest sounded like a couple of cats having a fight. Called 111 and ambulance was sent. It was decided to take me in.

Arrived at A & E, all very quiet compared to my last visit. so they got on with tests very quickly. ECG done by an agency nurse who seemed totally confused by it. Xray done, stats low, bloods done and a new blood test to me, a deep vein blood test to see oxygen levels. It had to be done by a doctor who informed me that it was quite painful - it was but not to bad. Nebulizer started, antibiotics given, steroids tabs given. During all this AF (I have permanent AF) was bouncing around all over the place. And me coughing for england. I really sounded like someone having a serious asthmas attack.

Saw consultant but he did not know what was going on and did not have all the tests back so would talk to me then. Another sleepness night, coughing so much I could not get my breath many times (I never sleep in hospital to noisy and too much light) and consultant does his rounds.

Results were, no infection but they would carry on with the antibiotics as a precaution because people did get infections from coming into hospital!! I asked about the chest xray he said absolutely fine, no fluid, no congestion, all clear and could not explain all the wheezing, crackles ect. I was kept in for another day, next day not much better but asked to go home so was allowed home my extra med is an inhaler Salamol.

Nothing has improved much I have felt very weak, still struggling with breathing but a little better and still have what seems like a head cold, still cannot lay down to sleep, just starts of the coughing. I am up at the moment because I cannot sleep.

So this all started off with what seems like a head cold, lot of clear mucus irritating my lungs, could it be the very dry heat from the 30+ degrees that we have been having for several weeks here in the East has caused this irritation, I do not normally suffer from hayfever. I still feel very weak, was doing so well before all the hot weather. Sorry for long post.

Cassie

[Hidden]

Hi Cassie,

So sorry to read of your drama and hope you are improving. My AF (paroxysmal AF) has been tamed with meds and diet change and some lifestyle change and I have only had one AF event since April 2015. I would also say that back in the beginning when I first was diagnosed with AF my initial symptoms were that i was going down with flu. Some hours later my blood pressure went haywire, then by 9 hours from onset I was in hospital and diagnosed with AF and treatment started.

That said however, I have always been a bit 'sniffly' BUT this year I've had simply the worst hayfever I've ever known ..... THE WORST ! Sleeping at night is OK (thank goodness), but as soon as I wake up in the morning and start moving around I start with a nose that runs for England, and coughing is beyond belief. I have some inhalant and cough mixture and that tames it for a while. I live and work in Cornwall, right down the far end 10 miles out of Penzance, and so it is a large rural community, a combination of moorland, woodland, ocean shores with a very strong agricultural heritage - home for all the pollen in the world.

But what really lays me out is the coughing and the breathlessness. Never had anything like it. For heavens sake its like I've run the London marathon. The thing is though, every day is different and some days I get nothing at all.

I think if you go onto the University of Worcester website and search around you'll find that they are doing a study into pollen levels in various parts of Britain and they publish it. Must say I'm concerned that the coughing fit itself will trigger an AF event - hopefully, that's an unnecessary worry.

Hope things improve for you.

John

[Vonnieruth in reply to Hidden]

Hi just read you reply I to have proxysmal AF What diet and life style changes did you make I'm on medication only

[Hidden in reply to Vonnieruth]

Hi,

About 9 months or so after I was diagnosed I began to see the onset of AF with food I'd eaten. Symptoms were similar to IBS and/or Coeliac Disease. Got checked out for these but all normal. So I went to a nutritionist who put me on a course of probiotics. After that suggested I go gluten free. I am now gluten free, wheat free, oats free. My diet has now been considerably widened and in fact if I followed the health mantra of eat 5 to 7 fruit and vegetables a day and I spend most of the day in the bathroom.

Following this diet now for many years I have only had 1 AF event in the last 3 & half years and the trigger for that was sleeping on my left side. I've lost a bit of weight and get regular exercise.

Hope that helps , if you click on my username it should take you to my past posts many of which deal with diet and my AF journey.

John

[Vonnieruth in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Will do

[jennydog]

Hi Cassie,

On Easter Sunday I was taken to A&E because I had developed a dreadful cough and my mobility had deteriorated dreadfully. The Ambulance Man said he'd had the coughing virus and he'd been ill for a fortnight. Subsequently a nurse told me that she'd had it and was bed ridden for a week.

I was in hospital for 8 weeks. I still haven't a proper diagnosis but am on a 36 weeks North Wales waiting list to see a Neurologist.

I never coughed anything up and apparently my lungs were clear, but I did & still do have a runny nose. Excellent bp, 99% O2 but like you, I coughed for England.

There are some awful viruses about!

[Buffafly]

Hi Cassie, I have had similar but not nearly so bad in the last year and my husband had it at the same time so assumed a virus. Very distressing, I hope you feel better soon 💖

[doodle68]

Hi Cassie sorry to hear of your problems and hope you will be better soon.

I am struggling with a bad chest and cough at the moment and hoping it doesn't trigger an episode of P-AF .

I didn't know if it is due to an infection or the dry heat and dust from the fields. I have avoided a visit to the Doctor so far and just increased my inhaler.

I find eating chillies and ginger helps to clear my chest when I cough, they seem to loosen things up.

[wilsond]

oh poor you Cassie that sounds horrible.My husband has had a nasty cough since this heat began,cant shift it. I do wonder if its added to our AF burden.I hope you feel better soon