ER visit vomiting and diarrhea and heartbeats

[Mstiles]

Addition to earlier post about ER, etc.

Before the ER visit I I had been experiencing pounding heart after some regular activities. EKG didn’t show anything the doctor didn’t talk to me about any tests they did. At the ER the rate was slightly above 100. They kept me until it was below 100. Discharge instructions ordered following up with a GP the next day, (urgent) and a Holter monitor which I got the next day. It came off during the second day. I’m still shaky from the whole experience. I’m still having some of the pounding heart but the heart rate has kept below 100.

I’m looking for sick day rules on the site but can’t seem to find it about increasing pred. I don’t have a rheumy right now. GP referred me back to to 2 horrible previous rheumies but she has been prescribing my pred. I saw a different GP at the day after appointment.

Back home in the stressful living situation and Overwhelmed with it all.

Thanks for your help.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

SDR rules here -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk....

PDF can be download to your device. so maybe save it .. so you have to hand.

Hope you soon feel better 🌸

[Mstiles in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you

[tangocharlie]

Just a thought, I don't know what dose of Pred you're on but D&V etc can be signs of adrenal problems (as well as lots of other things) that can happen at lower doses of Pred.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Did you have an episode WHILE the monitor was on? If you didn't - they have learned nothing! I'd had a few monitors and never had an episode that was recorded - the fancier one was a patient reactive one and by the time it switched on, the episode had passed. I was waiting for the one with a continuous loop so it always has 4 minutes recording stored to report when events overtook them.

But as TC says - a lot depends on the dose of pred you are on.

[Mstiles in reply to PMRpro]

I don’t think I had an episode while the monitor was on. It came partially off the second nite when I was sleeping, (supposed to be on for 48 hours) so I took it off. I was basically just lying around and not doing much as I was wiped out from the ER and being sick 2 days before. I haven't heard back from anyone about the monitor.

Is there another way that’s less uncomfortable to measure heart beats and arrhythmias? I’ve got left over adhesive all over that I haven’t been able to get off. It’s doing a number on my thin tissue paper pred skin.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mstiles]

A fitbit or smartwatch is a good way - anyone in the family got one they could lend you?

Have you tried icing the adhesive? That sometimes works.

myamericannurse.com/adhesiv...

is a bit of a read but you may find something and at least understand the principles of what to do.

Vaseline and cooking oil have been suggested.

And you could always ask at the pharmacy if they have any adhesive tape removing products.

[Mstiles in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks pro. I will check out the article. If you don’t mind sharing, how did they diagnose your heart issues? Did they use a monitor?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mstiles]

I was in hospital for a back problem and they used i.v. diazepam as a muscle relxant - I have a massive reaction to that and it set off a massive episode of atrial fibrillation on 2 consecutive nights. That was how the a/f was identified. That was all sorted with medication but a few years later I was having dizzy spells which never appeared on monitors except once when I was wearing a 24 hour BP monitor and a dizzy spell coincided with a massive drop in BP for no apparent reason.

Eventually I collapsed during one, hit my head and was taken to hospital where they gave me i.v. diazepam because I was agitated - which caused more atrial fibrillation which meant I was on an ECG monitor. And then they noticed it was alarming after I'd had an episode of tachycardia (fast heart rate) because my heart was then going very slow, bradycardia. And occasionally it was pausing for up to 7 seconds, that is a heart rate of 9 per minute!!! That was what was causing the dizzy spells if I was standing at the time because my BP plummeted. Rather an extreme way to get it monitored but very effective! I got a pacemaker a few days later and that solved the dizzy spells.

This happened while I was waiting to have a special multi-day monitor that reports to the hospital by wifi and when an arrythmia is registered the device sends a signal with a recording of the previous 4 minutes which it has stored on a rolling basis. The most modern monitors can be used for days at a time to catch these paroxysmal episodes that aren;t happening frequently.

[Thelmarina in reply to Mstiles]

I find this works well. It’s a spray that loosens adhesive so that it comes off without tearing the skin. Xamazon.co.uk/dp/B01KYJX7LK?...

[Mstiles in reply to Thelmarina]

Thank you.