Palpitations

[Purplegloss]

I am still having problems with palpitations as per my previous post, and as it was a couple of days before Christmas that my pulse went up to 128, I decided to fill in an econsult online to my surgery. However only got halfway with that when it stopped, and said consult your GP, and would not go any further. I guess palpitations and pain in my chest did it. So I did a letter to my GP and dropped it into Reception which is literally just round the corner from where I live.

Result was an appointment with a GP for yesterday, and I was asked to keep records of my BP / pulse for a few days before I saw him. I am not too worried about pains in my chest or indeed that I also get breathless from time to time, as my last chest x-ray came back as chronic lungs due to previous pneumonia and TB quite a few years back, and I also get costochondritis, so this could be the chest pains.

He said although some of the BP readings were a bit high, some were also a bit low, and the average of all the readings said my BP was ok. I thought he would have put me on blood pressure tablets, but he said that is not how they do it now, and if I had been 79 and not 81 that is what he would have done. He said it was the cut off point, not sure what he meant by that, and wondered if it was a joke. I will ask him to explain next time I see him.

Anyway he wants me to have some checks done, starting with a blood test on Tuesday, taking in loads of things I don't normally get checked for, so that can only be good. I also have to have an ECG at the local Hospital when an appointment comes through, and possibly wear a heart monitor at some point as well.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Good start!! Especially the multi-day monitor when it comes.

[Suet3942]

I got atrial fibrillation in December 2023. It was quite scary. After 3 horrendously long waits in A and E they prescribed BISOPROLOL. I will probably be on it for life but it’s done the trick. I now realise that my heart had been beating a bit too fast for quite a while.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

I take it you are also on a blood thinner?

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

Yes Edoxoban. Now my hair is shedding. Great!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

Oh dear - is that listed as a side effect? I'm on Pradaxa and my hair is thicker than it has been since my 20s!!! Worst thing about Pradaxa is fighting the blister pack 2x daily - the Italian health service only pays for the relatively new generic and its pack is awful!!!! The brand one was bad enough but it was at least all metal foil so could be recycled.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

I know, those blister packs can be a nightmare. It’s listed as a side effect on the BISOPROLOL info. ☹️

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

Someone else was complaining about bisoprolol the other day but I have been on it for about 12 years since the atrial fibrillation was diagnosed and never noticed anything - very low dose though.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

I’m on 3.75. You? X

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

Same now - was on less but the a/f went mad in response to a Covid jab and it was upped a bit. That was sorted with an ablation but a bisphosphonate infusion a few weeks later caused atrial tachycardia and the cardiologist said experiment to find what I needed. That wasn't pleasant but back to 3.75 again and that is OK.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

After I read about your experience I cancelled my infusion. X

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

I'm going back for my second in a couple of weeks! If it does it again, won't be a third!!! But spinal fractures are a far worse prospect!!

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

That’s true. I’m going exercises to see if it makes a difference x

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

I'd already got a compression fracture which appeared from nowhere despite perfectly good dexascans. It hadn't apparently been too painful but who knows next time.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

Goodness that’s worrying.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

Have you not seen tangocharlie 's posts about multiple spinal fractures despite acceptable dexascans? Bit unsettling.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

No I haven’t. Will look xx

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suet3942]

Have you seen her reply here - she replied to me, rather than you so you may not get a notification.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Mine also appeared from nowhere despite excellent DXA scores as you say. And doctors and physiotherapists missed the diagnosis and told me it was just muscular. Reader, the pain was excruciating, I don't ever want to go through that/this again - pain and struggle to walk is ongoing and once you have fractures they're a permanent life changer. Romo hopefully is doing a good job but I'm actively looking into options for what to do next which will probably involve HrT

[nissemor]

Snap, Purplegloss!

My pulse went up to 153 and after contacting 111 in the middle of the night I was admitted to hospital for 4 days with a monitor. . I was put on Bisoprolol and Apixiban ( a blood thinner) and all seems well now. Joke or not, I’m just 80 and no suggestion of BP tabs. That’s one less to worry about!

Hope all goes well for you.