I am new here, is fast heart rate normal in this heat

[Ambulance55]

Hi i was diagnosed with PMR almost 3 years ago and now with hindsight and the experience you pick up as you go along i realise i had been struggling with it for some time, during which time i had my first episode of paroxysmal AF. More episodes followed, i hadnt realised the link between PMR and AF,so in february i had a cardiac catheter ablation, and have been pretty good since, all i have to is keep clean eating,exercise and taper off the pred right? Well i am alternating 2mg then 1mg,feeling pretty smug then i get wierd leg pains at night,bad shoulder pains, neck pain travelling up to my ears, generally feeling rubbish, so tired beyond exhaustion. So i research to find out is this a flare or have i got a virus, or is it withdrawal symptoms, who knows? My temp has been up and my CRP is up, even aĺl this i can handle but this heat is killing me, i know i am not the only one but my head is sweating so much, every little effort is too much and my heart rate stays up in the heat, not irregular just high, anyone else feel like this too, oh and i forgot to mention mood swings from hell

[SheffieldJane]

Oh dear poor you and the heat does not help anything. Really, I would give myself a break and try 5 mgs. You sound in danger of flaring which would be a big shame because you’ve done wonderfully well. Side effects are negligible at these low levels and 3 years is around half of PMR’s average stay. Check it all out with your doctor but that is what I would do.

Tell me about the mood swings!! Mine have been vile, I’ve had to apologise to my husband and son - the act of doing so has given me some self control. I have had PMR since March 2016 and am currently tapering to 6 mgs. I am in awe of how low you got, it’s miserable.

[polymy]

Hi there,

It depends how high your pulse is. Our hearts all have to work much harder to keep us cool and consequently I suspect most people would have a higher heart rate in this extreme heat. I think you may be having a flare of the polymyalgiab too and I would increase the pred to 3 to see if it makes a difference. I have come to Scotland for a few days and it’s delightful to get in cooler temperatures.

Liz.

[Hev1964 in reply to polymy]

You are fortunate Liz as our summer has been very hot right through from mid May it has been very warm. This week the temperature has dropped a little and even had to put on a cardigan - shock horror!! :). Hope you enjoy this cooler week - apparently the sun is coming back with a vengeance a bit later in August! xx

[polymy in reply to Hev1964]

the Heat has been extreme in the south. My home is near to Nottingham so I appreciate the cool in my short break with my sister in the west of Scotland. Back home to the heat on Friday. I am on the same dose of steroids as you are and so far coping well. Liz.

[Hev1964 in reply to polymy]

:). Glad you are dealing with steroids well so far - will make a huge different not to be riddled with (some awful)!side effects. Hope the sun calms down a bit for you soon! 💕 x

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"all i have to is keep clean eating,exercise and taper off the pred right?"

I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that! You are not reducing relentlessly to zero - you are looking for the lowest dose that manages the symptoms. I'd say you have reached it, probably at 2 or 3mg every day. That is a very low dose and isn't going to cause you any problems however long you take it. The bad news is that PMR has a median (average) duration of 5.9 years - as long as the underlying autoimmune disorder that causes the symptoms we call PMR is active you will need some pred. That same a/i disorder probably caused the a/f - it did for me. The pred does not cure anything - all it does is manage the inflammation caused so you have a better quality of life until the autoimmune part burns out and goes into remission.

I find that below a certain dose of pred I develop tachy/bradycardia and even a/f episodes - just 1mg more controls it pretty well. Ablation doesn't always provide a permanent cure - which is why where I live they try to keep it for later - and my a/f is well managed when I am on enough pred. The alternative would be to mess with the other medication or even add another and at present the extra 1mg of pred is far preferable!

[Ambulance55]

Many thanks to all who answered my post, all very reassuring, I am now wondering if there is a link between the fast heart rate and an increased dose of calcium and vitamin D ??

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ambulance55]

It depends on the blood level - a high blood calcium level can cause raised heart rate but it usually needs to be very high. If you are concerned do ask your GP to check - it is a very easy blood test and one that should be checked every so often when we are on pred and calcium supplements.

[Ambulance55]

Sorry didn't mean to be replying to myself, my brain is having a day off !!