PMRGCAuk

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Changed dose - heart pounding / faint

So could this be adrenal insufficiency?

I am in A&E - heart was pounding for 3 hours and kept wanting to pass out whether sitting, lying, standing.

Still on 5 & 1/2mg (have been for over a month) - I was taking 5 x 1mg tabs and 1 x half mg tab - because I had so many 1mg tabs over.

About 3 days ago I started a new batch of meds - different brand and started taking 1 x 5mg and 1/2 of a 1mg tab.

I am ok now - just a headache.

Ate breakfast at 10:30 (liver and a big salad) took my pred.

Went for a walk.

Came back and watched an episode of a series on Netflix.

Ate some pecan nuts.

Had about three big glasses of water

Sat at my desk at about 1:30pm and was emailing a client when I suddenly felt very faint and then my heart started pounding - went on for 3 hours until I decided to get to A&E

Could this be adrenal related

57 Replies

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It could well be an arrythmia - and they can be due to poor adrenal function, especially if you were under stress. Let us know what they decide - been there, done that!!!

They are concerned about my blood pressure. Have given me 10mg of Pred. (Over and nice my 5.5 this am.

Waiting for consultant and eat of blood tests.

Is your BP low ?

Very

Another sign of potential adrenal insufficiency.

Oh ok. Thanks - thought so.

That's why I asked ...

Can I ask how low. Mine is always low anything between 92 and 110

Has come up.

Good

Hope you feel better soon

Thank you!

Thank you

Will be thinking of you and hoping you'll feel a lot better soon. 🌸

Thank you so much

hello slosh what a great name. sorry to hear you are going through this, and hope you're soon back to normal at home. I have PMR on 8 mg Pred reducing on the DSNS method. on 1st Dec firs time in my life I has an arrhythmia attack from 2am till 6.30 am approx. heart beats per minute down to 27 and up to 165!!! Oxygen levels down to 89 so vvv light headed at times. Later after the event, Dr ordered ECG and bloods , all ok, been referred to cardio possible 24 hr heart monitor. Anyway, Slosh just wanted to suggest you get an oximeter off amazon because during the 4 hr attack I was able to monitor by heart, pulse, bpm and oxi levels, and video'd readings as the happened, e.g. when I went to the loo my bpm shot up to 165! but at rest plummeted to 27... By the time Dr appointment it was all over, but I was able to show him my recordings and he was able to take appropriate action. It's a great tool and handy when you ring 111 to be able to give your accurate readings, it's given m confidence to know what and how serious my situation is.. I do hope this is of help and wish you well really soon, take care, keep safe. best wishes, Polly .

Did they not tell you that if it happened again you should call 999? Those bradycardias after tachycardia could have resulted in a cardiac arrest even lying down - and had a brady happened during the time you were up you could have fallen, hit your head and been knocked out. I'm not just theorising - it happened to me. Luckily my husband found me. My bradys were only under 40 most of the time but I was having odd pauses of up to 7 secs. That is a long time without a heart beat and I wasn't allowed out of hospital until I had a pacemaker.

Yes 999 if it happens again. Always Very grateful for your guidance and experience. What a nightmare for you and thank God you are still with us! Best wishes Polly.

Did phone 999 to begin with. Said my symptoms warranted an ambulance but they had none and said that I should get to an A&E.

Oh wow!

So the latest is:

I’m ok - just tired!

Just saw Cardilogist. She is going to review the monitor I’ve been on all night.

Says my thyroid is over medicated and that could have contributed.

So more blood tests.

Also is considering adrenal insufficiency.

Troponin was 15 (14 is limit) so they tested again - next was 26 so they tested again and it went down to 19.

Not sure what those levels mean.

Would also like me to change my doctor and my address to where I am now so that follow up is easier.

Xxx

Troponin is a marker for cardiac events including heart attack but other things will raise it too. Not sure at what stage they conclude heart attack though - other than at 10 times the normal maximum.

Oh ok - well that reassuring then.

Such a great idea. Thanks

Don’t know if it would be any help for the future but I am waiting for my delivery of my smart watch. Getting it from Amazon and it takes blood pressure oxygen levels temperature and heart readings. It’s was 39.99 so not to much. Will be trying it soon I hope x

That’s a good idea - thanks.

I had those same symptoms when I had adrenal problems so could be, but then I have similar symptoms from some food reactions so could be that too - or somethng else entirely. Hope the experts get you sorted - they can do various tests for adrenal problems such as electrolytes.

Seems like my thyroid was over medicated too.

Not uncommon when you are on pred - but they forget about it ...

Oh really - it can change the amount of thyroxine one needs?

As a regular on the Thyroid UK board, I’m used to people being told they are over-medicated when they are definitely not. This is usually because of doctors relying on TSH, which isn’t even a thyroid hormone! As someone who has been on Levothyroxine all the time she has been on Pred, I’m now intrigued.

They did a T4 and T3 as well.

@PMRpro - I have been pretty stable on my thyroid meds for quite a while. I do suspect though that I am reacting to them - especially after this morning - taking the new brand at s lowers dose of 75mcg.

Does Pred cause the need for less thyroxine?

It does suppress the TSH - so it can look normal when really it should be showing higher indicating a need for more medication rather than less. Honestly don't know if if there is any other interaction. Who adjusted the thyroid medication? A GP or an endocrinologist?

Hospital - cardiologist said that the endocrinologist looked at it.

After this mornings dose though - I feel like I was reacting to the actual tablets (3 x 25mcg)

Not nice ...

A bit tired of it all. It’s scary and feel out of control and can’t take an antihistamine either.

Why not? Did I miss something?

I react so badly to antihistamines - have tried 5 different ones that my Functional doc prescribed. One landed me in A&E.

Wonderful!!!!! NOT!

Yeah - such a pain!

I have had the same for a few weeks. Started with the occasional bout then increased until Monday last it went on all day. It was waking me at night too. I had just tapered to 5 1/2. That Monday it was relentless so I decided to take a half mg extra and it calmed it a bit. Following day it started again so I looked at the Adcal, I had been told at my Dexa scan that I didn't need calcium because my dietary intake was 1042 and their target was only 500. I left off the Adcal and thing improved dramatically. I haven't taken the Adcal for a week now and have had very little racing heart or feintness. I want to discuss with Dr but it is a nightmare trying to get thru to surgery .

I have had an email about the Covid vac and am due to be called anytime.

Should I get some Vit D in the meantime

I would - but I am a believer in vit D ...

Yip me too - Vit D3

I have been discharged. On my way home.

With a letter for the adrenal insufficency test (can’t spell it right now) and a 24 hr heart monitor.

They’ve also lowered my dose of Thyroxine.

Thanks for all the advice.

It was so awful. My blood pressure was like 84/56 and that was after being stabilised. Can’t imagine what it was in the throws of the episode.

Xxx

Blimey - just a tad low!!!!! Hope the 24 hour monitor is long enough - is that ECG or BP?

synacthen test ...

24 hour ECG type monitor.

Had 2 ECG’s in hospital and they were ok. Also was on a heart and breathing monitor all night and today.

Just think how well you will sleep without all that lot around you!!! I kept having tachy episodes or a bit of arrythmia - was like Piccadilly Circus ...

Hardly slept at all!!! It’s non stop and the beeping of equipment! 😂😂

And that is just ECGs - think of what ICU is like!!!!

Phew yes!!!!

well done slosh, exhausting worry time for you so feet up and rest, you're a survivor! well done, night God Bless. Polly. p.s. Don't forget your oximeter ...

Yes and thank you!

What a scary adventure. Hope everything gets sorted very quickly and you have no recurrence. 🌼

Thank you. Took the lower dose of Levothyroxine this am and I am having a reaction to it 😳🤗. Different brand.

A few years ago I had some episodes of atrial fibrillation. This was before PMR. It turned out that because I had changed brands of thyroxine from Levoxyl to Unithroid (due to side effect of shortness of breath) and I took the same dose of Unithroid that I had been taking of Levoxyl, 100 mcg. After 5 months the atrial fibrillation started. My TSH was down to .12 so I was slightly overdosed. I cut back on the Unithroid a bit to 87.5 mcg and haven't had an arrhythmia since. My endocrinologist has noted certain side effects witheach of the brands of thyroid replacement which he says are due to the different fillers

of each brand.

That’s very interesting. Thank you.

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