About 11 days ago I wrote on this subject and in my last para I mention I was seeing my GP on 6 Dec 2024.
Well the consultation went better than I expected. We discussed each item of my blood tests .... of which there were 6 in total including the NT-PRO BNP. There is definately no sign of heart failure ! (Phew - relief !) .... no sign of AF either, but I knew that anyway.
One thing did emerge (remember all these tests were ordered as my original complaint was based around my breathlessness) that I do have an undeniable feature normally associated with either Asthma or COPD - and accordingly she prescribed me Easyhaler Salbutamol (basically a puffer thingy which I inhale containing the drug Salbutamol - it contains a powder - not a gas).
The shoulder pain issue will be deferred until my next review on 14 January when she has finally agreed to give me another steroid injection into the left shoulder.
Onwards and upwards .... hopefully.
John
Written by
BenHall1
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Isn't it strange how we sometimes find that doctors appointments which we expect to be rather a waste of time, turn out to be so helpful and productive. I once went to a doctor when I was getting awful pains with my gallstones. The lady doctor actually told me a few recipes avoiding fat and about dry frying. Now for a doc to give information on recipes - I thought that was really helpful!
Glad to hear your appointment was successful John. It would be interesting to hear how you get on with your salbutamol and it seems you can now take 'heart failure' off your related tags section.
So if I'm right when you get puffed, say walking up a hill, you use the salbutamol and get less breathlessness?
Dry frying ............... ?? is that like using an Air Fryer ?? Not that I have a driving licence for one of them 😱😱
Well, I am progressing with the Easyhayler, however, today I got an NHS letter telling me to go to Plymouth on 19 December for Lung tests ( Spirometry with Reversibility Lung Function ). It seems these will determine who's who in the zoo and whether I'm to be treated for Asthma or COPD.
We don't have hills where I am, everything is dead flat, That said, these 'onsets' of whatever occur anytime, any place, doing anything. Nowadays, I can almost set my watch as to when these events will occur and so I take a breath of inhayler at the start of an event or during. So, it either settles my breathing down or minimises the impact of it.
However, my heart is doin' just fine, just keeps plodding away 😂😂💓💓💓
TBH Jean, I didn't really believe the concept of heart failure ... but these breathing issues are a bit hard to take. Watch this space. 😊
I can't remember a thing I was told by the lady GP about dry frying. I'd say to you to Google it.
My memory is absolutely dreadful these days. Friends came around this afternoon and I didn't offer them a drink all the time they were here. Once they'd gone I went into the kitchen, then thought I'd make myself some tea - that's when it hit me! I rang and apologised and said next time they're here please ask 'When is the tea lady coming round'.
I'm really surprised they didn't say something as I've known them for years and we meet up just about every other week. So embarrassing!
John that’s good to hear that no heart failure was seen. Hopefully that stressor is now out of the way and you can continue to improve on your breathlessness.
so glad you mentioned steroids and their issues it lowers your immune system and it will extremely raise your blood sugar most of the time. It was a necessity for me to get one recently and then on Celebrex anti-inflammatory for a month. I have to say I am walking better than I have in several years, but there is a price to pay.
today, I was placed on several medications, including a steroid prednisone and an antibiotic as well as prescription antihistamine. I have been sick for a month now they have not been able to knock it out, even though I am negative for Covid or flu. I don’t just feel really lousy. I’ve been very sick with a cough that just won’t stop and hurts everything. I think they rely on their testing much too much. What surprises me as they do not even take your temperature now. Oh, Steroids will also bloat you to what I call a moon face that’s how round your face can get. It can make you crazy and you will end up gaining weight most likely because it gives you an appetite. You just won’t believe even when you are full, you are starving everything looks good. I have had limited appetite for quite a while now but last night I not only ate all of my dinner and a piece of pumpkin pie, but I was looking for something else, even though it would’ve distressed me to have more in me. It’s a mental thing from the pill. Some people also get horrible mood swings. I am on a short term. It is a pill pack. Today I had to take six of them two before each meal. It decreases each day I think it’s for about five days but it’s a long five days tough on your body.
the very good doctor that gave me the injection in my hip for a form of bursitis, made it very clear not to even consider trying to get any other injection like this for at least four months the shot was a better alternative than all the other doctors who said I needed back surgery and it’s not even my back. In fact, this doctor even told me my hips looked really good. There’s no need for replacement. I never asked about my hip and yet another doctor had jumped to the conclusion. I needed one. Who’s watching the fox at the henhouse not only is it the money issue but it is what they are doing to our bodies when we already are dealing with a fib we just don’t need anything extra like high sugar, etc.
sometimes we just have something they are not sure about it treating symptoms because they just don’t know. FYI, we rushed two of our 5 mo old puppies someone abandoned at our place yesterday. Long story short I’m telling you this because serious disease was rolled out so they did the same with the puppies as with treating the symptoms possible poisoning or just eating something bad. Point is in this day and age. I really believe big Pharma causes all of this. It seems like everything they give us you have to counter balance, because of what it does to you. By last night I had a different kind of really bad headache and I started with flutter. I have no doubt one of the is to blame possibly the antihistamine but without I have a nose running like a two-year-old child. There is one that I use over-the-counter without getting flutter. I think I might try that instead. My guess is as good as there is in my estimation.
joy to the world thank you again for bringing up about steroids. It seems like doctors will hand them out like candy at times. There is a non-steroid that you can get similar. It is fast acting and if they get the right spot, it’s very helpful. Toradol, I think is the name of it. Sorry I’ve only had it once but my cousin gets it often. It seems to help him. I’m not asking for anything else right now. I have too much garbage. I’m already taking.
I could have my flutter because of the way I ate but right now I can still feel it normally it would’ve subsided a while ago instead, I am awake at 4:30 AM. Another side effect of the steroid they said it could keep me from sleeping so they have me taking the antihistamine at night to help me sleep. I find it all ironic and disgusting. They make us dependent. It’s almost as bad as someone on illegal drugs, they just get the OK so they can make lots of money.
a few of the things they gave my puppies are human type meds over $300 and what I realized is anti-emetic, one is acid reduction Another is an antibiotic and I forget what the fourth is so I am pretty much being treated like my puppies were. Once they rulled out Pavo and distemper, and of course they want me back with them to run other testing. FYI, my female was looking at food last night and was up my poor little boy who is the runt I think is still feeling very sick but yesterday he could not walk and my cousin found him in the woods hiding.
I was in at the surgery. 28 November and a lady hobbling - very overweight was being told "Come in on Thursday and I will give you a Cortisone injection"
Not explaining the ins and outs. She was of a very mature age!
Nor did Dr Boyle Auckland Orthopaedic Surgeon to me.
When I heard the word I said NO THANKS. "Well then, you will be on anti-inflams for the next 2 years". My shoulder was done 3 years later.. around covid and guess what they found after fall no.2 (which did relieve the pain but not the restriction.
1. Full thickness tear t my right rotor cuff
2. Burred a 1/2" off my shoulder bone which was very restrictive (they grow in inactivity
3. Reattached bicep muscle
and now I can raise my arm. But I've got tennis elbow... I said that I will try the brace first. Damaged in 2nd fall.
Reading your comments ............. maybe I'll settle for the way I am. I'm rather hoping that maybe I haven't given it long enough to settle naturally. Hope so, .......... heart of hearts, I really don't want to go down dramatic routes 😱😱
My steroid use has - so far - been very, very limited (well I think so - you may have another view). So far, only in the shoulders. One injection of steroids into right shoulder on 1/4/22 ... all sorted. Injection by my GP.
Left shoulder one injection on 17/4/24. Second injection on or around 26/7/24. GP unwilling to do another but is considering it for 14/1/25. Neither of these have really sorted pain problem, although it does seem to be a bit more settled of late. If by 14/1/25 the left shoulder becomes even more settled and less painful then I will not proceed with it.
No, I have never been educated about Steroids, only red wines 😊
Try the McCols Dark Red Grape Juice - no added sugar and you will find it refreshing, and who can tell that that is what you are drinking.
Healthier, more apertising than wine and you don't get drunk.
Wine not good for AFers so you shouldn't push it on this forum Benny. Now be good.
As for allyour steriod injections - you are a walking ? something.
None in my body.
cherio JOY
Have a H a p p y Season greeting to you all from little ole me! NZ sumer here it comes. But awfully muggy this week. They are researching AC and fans! Why!?
Joy, thank you for your healthy recommendations both drinks and exercise. I've spent most of my life living and working in Sydney and Melbourne, and a short stint in Canberra. I miss the life down under. I've even been to NZ. On one of our TV Channels at the moment is a NZ Police drama .... The Brokenwood Mysteries. Great - really enjoy it. My January summer days in Sydney were often spent at the Cricket at the SCG.
Way back in April at the end of one of my visits to my Cardiac guy he suggested getting more exercise .... which I did and now for my troubles I have acquired breathlessness and I'm off for tests next week to have some lung function tests - the two suspects are Asthma and/or COPD. Just what I need ........ still ... the heart is working so far so mustn't grumble.
Hope you guys down under have a great Christmas and enjoy your weather - here in Cornwall, UK it is about 8 degrees, daytime with much cloud and quite a bit of rain.
Cornwall I l o v e d. I hope to do a return 'training' about before the heavens open!
I'm just afraid for every cortisone shot you are weakening the muscle.
Then operating on your shoulder is ruled out. Were you the fellow who tossed the hard ball was red then got into silly white!????
That would be a stretch to your arm. I was a discuss throwe and 100yds was my fast thing.
Best time to come to CORNWALL.
What was that nice little place near our YHA Hostel which had a pub with a sunk in roof. Had concrete walls to protect heavy seas but it didn't stop the time when sea went over the top of wall and swept away the house and pub.
It was where in snow I asked a man to drive out my 3=wheeler Reliant Realtor with folks pushing behind, dog inside, we made it. A 4-5 day away time. Such fu with the Exeter Walking Group all YHA members. Sadly YHA here has just been liquidated. I am a member of 58 years most of which a Life Member.
I had a successful right shoulder done 30 October 2024 after 2 accidents 1-car accident and latter a fall. Because I did not have cortisone jabs my original muscles were OK to put right.
A cortisone injection just gives orthopaedics sometime to get you off their backs. ACC paid for mine, now done through two holes and no bruising specialist was brilliant.
I paid heaps of money as a surcharge with ACC untilI decided it was not helping. Acupuncture is better than the steroid. Have you thought about that but mine was frozen when I threw a brick at a dazed rat! Later he went into the trap box and snap.
It must have been a rat poisoned. I'm anti- that with the box with trap more civil.
The other shoulder was done by slashing and then manipulating later to get full rotation - inner rotator cuff. I have plate and screws in that shoulder. But I can raise both arms now. He cut through the entire joint to see if anything else needed attention.
FREEDOM.
More exercise would hardly give you asthma or COPD. Asthma Privet trees in blossom made asthma show in our 3 yr old adopted son. COPD is complications to cold eg bronchitis, flu or my POA got cryptogenesis - organising-pneumonia, terrible disturbances in the brain. Weird thinking.
What did the MRIs read about your shoulders? Restrictive?
Tears never mend themselves, mate.
cheri JOY
Like me, have a fall and manipulate each one by itself. I was so relieved where that happened. One way to stop the pain.
There are another 2 which we can get in NZ on Demand. A Comical one where the lady joined the investigators and always in her way solved the crime. Greyhaired and aged.
The other was a Who it too, I'll remeber later. Cheri JOY
Just interested in what your NT Pro BNP showed? Several people here have expressed their concern about very high readings from that which indicates heart failure but often with AF they can be 'falsely high'. What did your cardiologist say about that or was your NT Pro BNP analysis normal?
Just looking at my results on my NHS App my NT Pro BNP result shows 66 pg/mL which is at the low end of the normal range. Normal range is described as 0 to 400. The Healthcare professionals comments are ... Normal, No Action. Other comments are ....... Heart failure unlikely, plse investigate alternative causes for symtoms.
Basically - all well. no further cause for action.
Yes, that is normal and no concern. I asked as some of us here have got readings of 2000 or 1000. I was very worried at the time but when I saw my GP he said it was nothing to worry about (if you have permanent AF and don't get other symptoms like swollen ankles and hands etc) and said I did not need to be referred to the cardiologist.
In my blood test a year later it was more than half that at only 800, still double the 400 'target' but it did convince me it was no source for real anxiety as I don't think heart failure (or cardiac insufficiency to give it a better name) is something that improves in that way.
Glad yours is fine anyway and I hope the breathlessness continues to improve for you.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Af and heart failure 
Af and heart failure 
Paroxysmal AF 
AF and Heart Failure
AF, heart failure and Digoxin
