Not like me to be asking for advice. Brief history. HA and 2 stents 5 yrs ago; no further problems until around Oct 2022 when I developed a bad arrhythmia which lasted 3 days. There was a cause for it that I can't mention on here. Rang my GP but before they could arrange a holter or tests, it had stopped. Fine then for 8 months up to June last year when It started again; BP sky high, heart jumping fast then slow; BP monitor couldn't record it. Paramedics were fascinated watching the monitor. In patient on a monitor for 4 days. Diagnosis was Extrasystolic arrhythmia. I was given diltiazem but came out in a rash so they were s topped and not replaced. They said it was likely to happen again.
Another 8 months went by then yesterday it started again but this time I also several times got a dull ache on my breastbone. The longer it went on the more anxious I got and the higher my BP went of course to 181/87.` I have an excruciatingly painful disc at exactly the same level so I couldn't tell if it was referred spinal pain or heart or costochondritis . It did hurt when i pressed on breastbone. It's very sore today. Stupid thing was I saw my own lovely GP yesterday afternoon about a different concern with my heart and mentioned the soreness on my breastbone but he was really ill himself and just didn't seem to register what I'd said.
Our hospital is almost an hour away and, having spent over 16 hours there the last time in A&E I really didn't want to go back there on my own. Ambulances won't ever take my little mobility scooter so I end up unable to even get to the loo. I can't propel a wheelchair and can only walk a few yards. Husband is not at all supportive and gets very annoyed even if I mention my BP. He's autistic and can't cope with illness. He went back to bed when I had the HA so I'm pretty much on my own. .This morning BP before getting out of bed was back at 140/69- still slightly raised for me but nothing like yesterday when it went up to 168/90. Pulse rate was fairly normal around 88.
These attacks normally last a couple of days and I've been told they're not harmless. Was I stupid not to ring 111?
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Qualipop
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I would definitely not say you were stupid, of course not.I think that it may be wise to alert your GP though and if you still don't feel well then call 111 if it happens again. You know within yourself when you don't feel well and hopefully someone else on here may have suffered in the same way and offer more specific guidance.
Do you have friends or family members you can confide in?
As at the moment - I feel you feel quite alone in this situation?
Yes I have an adult son at the end of the phone. I know today that the chest pain is definitely costochondritis but it was impossible to know yesterday. A relief to know the arrhythmia was exactly like the previous two times. I thought it had changed and included the chest pain. BP's down to normal 131/72 today.
You weren't stupid, no not at all.
Was I stupid waiting 3 days this weekend, with chest pains , 2 months after HA to phone 111. No
What we are is we want to wait and see for some reason, but it's wiser not to wait and call 111.
Makes no sense what I've said but if in doubt use 111
I know I could have refused to go to A&E. It was the chest pain that worried me. I knew the arrhythmia would settle down. Our local hospital is like a war zone and beings stuck with extreme spinal pain on a plastic chair, not able to even walk to the loo is horrific. They've even called the army in to help at times. We have an urgent care centre in what used to be our local A&E. I don't see why they can't use that for the less urgent cases.
Felt bad to me! I spoke to a BHF nurse today; really really helpful with explanations and possible triggers. It seems highly likely that the badly damaged disc is very close to the vagus nerve.
Hi QualipopI had the same experience with Diltiazem, high BP, 186/98, soreness on my breast bone, pain in the chest and breathlessness ,I tried to convince the doctors that is not good for me, went to A&E many times and I stayed in hospital 4 days to be monitored , but they wouldn't understand. I went to a private clinic and they changed my treatment. In around 4 weeks my symptoms dissapeared.
I suffer with microvascular angina, Mitral Valve regurgitation and Right Bundle brunch block.
You need to tell the doctors about the side effects that you experience and to tell them to read the side effects recorded in Diltiazem's leaflet information. Sometime the cardiologists can be very stubborn .
Oh there was no problem getting it stopped. They decided not to replace it with anything. The rash was enough for them but my problem is that we can't work out what it is I'm allergic to. It's not necessarily the active ingredient. We think it's a colouring, preservative or even a filler. I was very allergic to oramorph but I'm fine on oxycodone but only one specific brand. I Know within 10 minutes if I've been given the wrong one. I can only have two specific brands of simvastatin. It's notthe simvastatin it's the fillers or colours.
Hi Qualipop, you’ve been in this club the same amount of time as me. 5 years! Aren’t we doing well. You know you should have phoned 111. I acknowledge your reasons not to. Let the “professional” ( 🤞) on the line decide . Contact your doctor. Stick your hand up and be noticed . Nobody else will. Keep well. ❤️
If I'd really thought the chest pain was heart I would have rung but it did hurt to press on although not bad- until the next day when it was obvious what it was. Costochndritis could have been diagnosed at our local urgent care just 15 minutes away.
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Health anxiety
BP readings way out of kilter!
symptoms 
Could I be harming my heart & vascular system with my consistently high BP, despite being on lots of cardiac and BP meds?
Do I have High Blood Pressure? Or not?
