Frightening Feeling Today

[DawnTX]

you all may think I’m crazy but I have to ask hoping someone knows what I’m talking about.

it is very cold here right now it was about 30° when I stepped outside earlier today. Long story short I suddenly felt as if some thing had attacked my chest and neck stinging me in several areas. It took my breath away. I ran back inside the house and ripped off my shirt. There was nothing there I swore it felt as though 100 red ants had attacked me and I still had burning pain near my carotid artery and on several spots of my chest although no marks. This continued for well over an hour feeling these burning spots. I also had pain in my upper back between my shoulder blades as well as the left front of my chest it felt like my heart. Eventually it went away but I still am feeling yet often on especially on my neck. I was about ready to go to the ER because of the other pains I was feeling besides this burning pain. My heart rate remained normal.

I actually pulled my medical alert necklace off in the beginning thinking it was the metal for some crazy reason. I had a failed cardioversion on Tuesday they shocked me three times. The other cardioversion I had was successful they had only shocked me once. I am just wondering if this is some type of an after effect. Thank you. If no one has ever had this I guess I better check into the hotel with padded walls. I do not panic easily but this scared me

[Threecats]

Hi Dawn

I’ve never had a cardioversion so can’t comment from experience but I know it’s very cold where you are at the moment and that you’ve only recently had three shocks in a failed attempt to get your heart back in rhythm. I do wonder if the nerve endings in your skin responsible for sensation in the areas where you’ve been shocked are still feeling frazzled and it’s some kind of reaction to the exposure to the very cold air you have there at the moment.

Whatever it is, you’re not going mad, what you feel is what you feel and I would suggest that if it continues even once you’ve warmed up again, or if you get pain or breathlessness you get yourself checked out.

[DawnTX in reply to Threecats]

I have a feeling you are right. More and more I wonder if it was static. No doubt the top I had on probably had some type of nylon in it along with cotton. The air is very dry. I hope I never feel it again it was frightening

[Gumbie_Cat]

That sounds scary, and do get it checked out if things don’t settle.

I had some shocks as part of the ablation procedure to get me back in rhythm - didn’t last long but still crossing fingers.

I did get a lot of itching at the front, and some weird feelings in my back that I put down to that. Like tiny static shocks. Nothing very dramatic, but it was happening a few days later.

[DawnTX in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

yes right after the procedure I felt as though all of my skin was extra tender like from a sunburn. Also itchy. That did not last more than a day. This was four days later out of the blue I even ripped my medic alert chain off thinking somehow the metal caused it. Getting the pain in my upper back and chest afterwards was scary I didn’t know if this was some new way of having a heart attack. I was shocked three times on Tuesday without any luck. This felt as though I had thousands of red ants stinging me under my shirt Yes I pulled my shirt off of course there was nothing. It is very cold and very dry here right now. I see my IEP on 4 January and I spoke with his nurse about something else the other day she made it clear to call me with any questions. My heart rate is in the 70s for the most part now since starting digoxen Tuesday. I am still very tired yet feel like there’s energy or something in my body that has not been there for a while so I am happy about that.

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to DawnTX]

That’s so good to get your energy back! I’m finding that lack of energy is one of the worst things about A Fib. Although I’m back in AF again since the ablation, it is somehow a bit more settled and I’m not getting quite as much dizziness on standing.

[DawnTX in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

I found that as well when my cardioversion stopped working. I still felt better than I had prior to it. My heart rate was much lower also even though still tachycardia. I don’t know maybe it’s because no matter how long our heart still got a chance to rest. My energy is more like a sprint and then I am tired again. So frustrating because that is where the loss of quality of life is. I don’t want to run a marathon I just want to be able to do more than walk around the house for a few hours and then be exhausted.

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to DawnTX]

Definitely! I just want to be able to walk up-hill and up stairs again, without my legs feeling too tired.

[Samazeuilh2]

it does not sound as if you are crazy at all. This probably has something to do with the cardioversion. What exactly it was needs to be determined by a doctor. Although its the Christmas period, you could ring 111 to get advice and, hopefully, information which will set your mind at rest.

[DawnTX in reply to Samazeuilh2]

I could’ve gone up to the ER I did not feel it was that urgent however yes it was disturbing because I have never felt anything like it before. My EP Dr is back tomorrow. I will call his nurse in the morning. I will let everyone know what it is in case it can be considered normal. I definitely believe the cardioversion and weather had something to do with it. Thank you for responding I hope that you are doing better now.

[bassets]

I hope you are feeling better now. Best wishes x

[DawnTX in reply to bassets]

thank you I am. I do notice I have a sensitivity to my medic alert necklace that I got in the past month. It is stainless steel I should not have a problem with it but I have a feeling I’m going to have to replace it with another bracelet. Mine had broken.

[Auriculaire]

It sounds like nerve pain. It might have been brought on by the cold.

[DawnTX in reply to Auriculaire]

That’s what I’m hoping. It was only a few days after the three shocker cardioversion attempt. My skin is sensitive anyway. I just never expected or felt anything like it before.

[BlueINR]

Don't think you need to check into a hotel with padded walls! It sounds like a scary experience.

From what I've read, heart attacks can present differently in women than they do in men, with the typical pain in the left shoulder. Women can have pain in all sorts of different places, though since your heart rate was normal, that seems like a good sign nothing too drastically wrong.

I've had 17 cardioversions, and they've all worked, thankfully. Don't know if I was ever shocked more than once, as I was well sedated during all of them, and afterwards, they had all worked getting me back into NSR.

Maybe you could call cardiologist, and ask to be seen ASAP or if you should go to ER. Sounds like what's going on shouldn't be ignored.

[DawnTX in reply to BlueINR]

Thank you 😊 obviously with the holiday weekend other than the ER there were no options. I will call my EPs nurse tomorrow. They are not in today. The shock feelings have stopped. I have very sensitive skin that does not take much for me to feel some thing. A friend on here suggested it could’ve been static electricity. With the extreme dryness and possibly the clothing I had on maybe that’s what got it going but it was scary. Then again it’s less than a week since I had the cardioversion and was shocked three times. It was just some thing I have never felt before. My skin being sensitive I expected and it was immediately upon waking. This strange thing happened several days later. My next appointment with my EP is January 4 anyway. I am still exhausted I don’t know if that’s me getting used to digoxin or what. My heart rate was good again this morning it is staying well below 100 for the first time except for after the first cardioversion. Wow, you have had many cardioversions. I don’t think my doctor will do another on me. Just having my heart rate down like it is right now is making me happy. I was very happy to know also I did not have red ants all over me lol they are much smarter and they were hiding from the weather. That is what it was feeling like all over my chest.

Thank you for writing

[ChiMan62]

I’ve had ablations and cardioversions. Lately in Chicago it’s been below 0. I haven’t felt anything like that when I stepped outside. Sorry to hear about your frightening experience.

[DawnTX in reply to ChiMan62]

Oh yes your weather there is insane. It may have just been an oddity. I live in a rural area and had just stepped out to the backyard for a moment off the back porch. Conditions must’ve been just right for something. I had only had the cardioversion a few days before with 3 shocks. My skin was still feeling sunburned and sensitive. Only science can probably tell me what happened that day lol thankfully I have not felt anything like it since. Thank you for your reply