Heart problems

[kalipup]

I was diagnosed with PMR a year ago and started on 10mg pred with an instant improvement. I reduced by 1mg a month to 5mg but symptoms returned so back up to 7mg for a few weeks. I reduced again to 4mg and was feeling exhausted with pain in right shoulder and pelvic area. I saw GP who checked my pulse and my heart rate was really low (37) so I spent the weekend in Hospital wired up to a monitor. When the Cardio came in on Monday he asked me to walk up and down a few times and as my heart rate rose he sent me home! Hospital advised upping dose to 8mg and returning to GP for PMR management. My heart rate seems to be back to normal now though I'm still feeling shattered. Has anyone else experienced Pred having an effect on heart rate?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The autoimmune part of PMR is considered by the cardiologist to be the underlying cause of my atrial fibrillation by having damaged the cells in the sinus node. I had severe bradycardias following tachycardias during atrial fibrillation episodes which they sorted by giving me a pacemaker. The arrythmia has definitely been worse during a flare - and part of the reason I was stuck at a high dose of pred was to help manage the arrythmia.

I find arrythmia causes extreme fatigue which can last a few days after it goes back to normal service and you also spent a few days in bed I assume? There was a study many years ago in Scotland - Marines did an assessment on the Friday then spent the weekend on bed rest in a hospital ward. It took these immensely fit gents 6 weeks to get back to peak fitness again.

I'm a bit surprised at such a cavalier attitude by the cardiologist but they do have very different ideas here in northern Italy! I have a pulse oximeter which I use if I feel a bit bleugh to assess how much or how bad it is.

[piglette]

Your fatigue may also be due to the adrenal glands having to come back into action. That really can make you semi comatose.

[Kendrew]

Hi kalipup,

My experience is far less serious than Pro's was but just to say I had a pre-existing condition where I would experience periods of frequent palpitations. These were diagnosed as ectopic beats....harmless, but uncomfortable and sometimes a bit alarming.

I'd been free of these episodes for quite a few years, until I began taking prednisolone, and then they returned again. I now take a low dose of beta blocker (propranolol) and everything is good again.

The only other 'trigger' I've experienced since then, that caused another re-emergence of them, was my last covid booster jab.

Everything settled down again though after two weeks.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The vast majority don't have problems - you only hear the complaints and not about the hundreds of thousands who have no problems. The effect lasts a lot longer than 3 months - the level of antibodies falls after 3 months, or at least, they did with early jabs and having more improved that aspect, but the antibodies are only one aspect of the immune response and the long term memory for the virus structure lasts a lot longer.

[Kendrew]

I think as Pro said, that undesirable complications as a result of the vaccinations are in the minority.

My own personal situation was that my cardiologist was certain my palpitations had definitely been triggered by the particular vaccine I'd been given. He said that he'd seen a larger incidence of patients with either a re-occurrence of previously diagnosed arrhythmias or new patients that he then newly diagnosed with an arrhythmia.... all had been given this same vaccine.

Thankfully, my palpitations diminished within two weeks with no long lasting effects.

I still feel that developing serious illness from covid is a risk for me and as the strains are ever changing, it's probably still sensible to protect myself as much as possible.

It is most definitely a difficult choice to make though and as individuals we have to decide for ourselves what course of action is right for us.

[Hidden in reply to Kendrew]

Absolutely true Kendrew...we all have to make up our own minds. Whether it ends up a good choice or a bad one.

[Karenjaninaz]

What was the source of this info you just posted? There has been so much disinformation, by rogue physicians, to make a buck on YouTube— who talk about “both sides” and the scarier it sounds the better it sells.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Is that the nutritionist? Is she a nutritionist or a registered dietician?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

That doesn't really count as a "Health Professional" - and complementary therapists do not generally practise evidence-based medicine. Some of the things you have said she has said in the past are rather questionable in the evidence based medicine world.