Heart rate

[Maydayuk]

I have a heart condition. In March had covid, I was ill but shielded until end of May. Returned to work. I still didn't feel well. In Sept I was ill at work and have been struggling with breathing. I've been admitted into hospital a couple of weeks ago, they thought I'd got a clot. For months my oxygen was intermittently dropping, my heart meds slow my heart. I'm always bradycardic. They thinned my blood, couldn't find clot. Still can't breath. They didn't think it was my heart, did a lung function test. Shows restrictive lung. They gave me a peak flow, trialing me on forstair. My max peak flow is 200 the next 2 reads are lower. This is my second week, the first week I could only get 150 max. I cough up water and froth. They were unsure if its heart failure, or long covid my discharge says can't diagnose. I'm at a loss. I have leaky heart valves, high blood pressure, and left bundle branch block. I'm concerned what this can do to my blood pressure and heart rate. My resting heart is usually around 50 now its nearer 70 is this the norm on this medication. I can't lie flat, I can't breath,I've been sleeping upright since March, when I've been able to drop off, is this the norm if you have asthma. I'm just wondering if someone outthere can comment.

[twinkly29]

Have they referred to you to a heart specialist?

To address a couple of points, yes it's common for heart rate to increase in Fostair, but you're smack bang in the middle of the normal range according to the British Heart Foundation (60-100) with a rate of 70.

The Fostair won't increase your peak or improve your symptoms overnight - it often takes 8 weeks to kick in properly. So if your peak flow has improved since you started it (am assuming this was a week ago?) then that's a promising start that it will continue to improve things for you. If your phlegm is asthma related it should help that too (again over a couple of months) - bit if the stuff you cough up is heart related then it won't I wouldn't have thought.

It must be very frustrating to be at a loss at the moment. Keep going with the Fostair but if you haven't had official heart investigations it sounds like you could do with a referral.

[Maydayuk]

Yes, I have a cardiologist, my gp got my review brought forward but unfortunately, his secretary phoned morning of my appointment to say he was in isolation. Awaiting another appointment. What I'm trying to say I have to take medication to slow my heart down because my valves leak blood but this Fostair seems to be speeding it back up, so I'm thinking they are working against each other. Frustrating....

[twinkly29 in reply to Maydayuk]

Oh very frustrating! Both bits, with the delayed appointment (but I'm glad you're in the system) and the meds clash. Sorry for misunderstanding before. Your query makes sense - obviously the one to ask would be the cardiologist when you can see or speak to him. I know that doesn't help now though.

[Poobah]

Are you on treatment for your blood pressure as this may need tweeking while you're on Fostair. My asthma consultant had my BP treatment changed to Losartan as it doesn't produce a cough. I was on Amlodipine then Ramapril but developed an irritating cough that affected my breathing. I have no cough, including watery phlegm, since switching to Losartan. My sister has heart problems and rheumatoid arthritis and her two consultants have to talk to one another as treatments for the heart can affect the RA and visa versa. At times it means she can't have the stronger RA meds as they affect her heart health. I suspect that your doctor will need to consider how all your meds interact. A review of your treatments could be beneficial.

My sister also had covid early 2020 and it's affected her heart, which was already struggling. Her second covid hospital admission resulted in her being transferred to the heart ward where they identified sleep apnea. It appears she may have developed this thanks to covid. But since she's had a sleep apnea machine overnight at home her breathing has improved so much. Before that her oxygen levels were all over the place and she struggled to breath 24/7.

I hope you find a good balance of treatments that help your recovery.