Funny turn any ideas????

mistywillow

Hi all
Here I am all excited as I have my week off work but it hasnt started quite as well as I expected.
Last night as I was settling down to sleep I suddenly had difficulty in breathing and had a tightness around my back. I got out of bed thinking i would feel better walking around. I felt really unwell, dizzy, clammy and shivering with my heart palpatating and shortness of breath.
It didnt get any better and after about 45mins I thought perhaps I should wake my OH. He insisted we went to A and E. Triage did an ECG which was normal and BP which was higher than I normally have but not particulary high. Then I had the wait to see a doctor minimu of 3 hours. Picture the scene, saturday night in A and E!! Drunks, fights, rowdies etc. After about 1 hour more my breathing became easier and by the time the 2nd hour had passed I began to feel more normal again. I decided to discharge myself as at this stage it was obvious I was not having a heart attack and it was no longer an emergency. Obviously I need to have it checked out . When they were questioning me I remebered I had had a similar thing happen several months ago but it didnt last as long and I ignored it.
I have RA and am on mxt and steroids. To my knowledge I dont have any cardiovascular problems! :shock:

Any ideas my learned friends??????
Hope you are all having a good day. 8)
love Gillx

angel1

Gill hello,

I bet that gave you a fright! Hope you are feeling better today.

I`m wondering if because you were so excited and looking forward to your week off, perhaps your emotions got the better of you. When you experienced it before, did it follow on from any strong emotion? I just know that for me, emotional stuff always seems to manifest itself physically. Oh well, enough with Freud already!

I imagine you will be getting it checked out, so let us know how you get on......Ange.

woodbon

Hello, glad you feel better today, that must have been frightening. I hope you'll see the doctor as soon as possible just to make sure everythings OK. I expect theirs nothing to worry about, but be on the safe side.
Love Sue

suncatcher

how frightening for you. :shock: :shock: i am glad you feel better today though joanne

elnafinn

Hi Gill

I am sorry to hear about your "funny turn" especially as you were so looking forward to your week off. I know it sounds a little silly and I hardly dare to mention it, but do you think it was a panic attack? The symptoms sounds like one, but you were not worried about anything, or not that you were particulaly aware of. I have no medical knowledge, just "stuff" one picks up and remembers as one goes through life!! I have never had a panic attack myself and I hope I never do.

Anyway, I am pleased to hear you feel better and will be having it checked out in the near future.

Enjoy your week 8)
Luv
Elna x

lindalegs

Hi Gill,

At first when I read your post I thought what you must have thought and 'heart attack' here I come but I agree with Elna that it sounds very much like a panic attack.

I haven't suffered from these myself but someone very close to me has them so I know how frightening the physical symptoms of them can be. They also come out of the blue with no trigger points that you can put your finger on. I also know that the fear of one happening is as bad, sometimes, as the actual panic attack itself.

Sorry if this isn't much help but just wanted to let you know my thoughts.

Luv Legs :?

page35

Hi Gill
sorry you had a funny turn.
i just tock my first mxt tab so read all side effects and one off them is shortness of breath dont know if it could be that.
but also as others have said panic attacks are very much how you discribed, i had a couple and its very scarey.
it would just come over me all of a sudden,
felt like couldnt breath
clamly
dry mouth
had to sit or felt i would fall down
and because i would hypo-ventalate i sometimes got pins and needles in hands.
i used to breath into a papper bag and after a few mins i would start to feel abit better.
i had quite mild ones i did have a friend who went to A&E a number of times thinking she was having a heart attack but it was panic attacks.

are you normally an anxsious(sp) person? not that you have to be to get an attack.
anyway glad you feel better now and hope you get it sorted out

take care
Page




.

skezier

Hi Gill,

I not very learned and you do need to get it checked out but if the ECG was ok it should rule out the really bad ones. I think the others may be on to something with either side effects or panic attacks and it may also be because of stress, thats what happens to me if I get stressed out too much, and I know your on pregabalin and don't forget one of the more common effects of them is anxiety/panic attacks. It could also be your back or sternum playing up. One thing it isn't with a normal ECG is your heart but go get seen by you gp.

Its working now but probably wont later...... Though I do have a plan with a desk, an extension lead and a field....... That wont mean a thing to you but there is supposedly good reception in the corner of my front field........

Love

Cris xx

joanlawson

Hi Gill

Sorry to hear about your nasty turn, and glad you are OK again. I think you need to get it checked fairly urgently. It could be a panic attack, but it could be something more serious. As you are taking strong medication, I don't think you should take any chances. You said that your blood pressure was raised, and without wishing to worry you, there is a risk of stroke in those circumstances.

It is a nuisance that this has occurred just when you have a holiday, but I think you need to see your GP as soon as possible. Please don't delay.

Joan

mistywillow

joanlawson wrote:

Hi Gill

Sorry to hear about your nasty turn, and glad you are OK again. I think you need to get it checked fairly urgently. It could be a panic attack, but it could be something more serious. As you are taking strong medication, I don't think you should take any chances. You said that your blood pressure was raised, and without wishing to worry you, there is a risk of stroke in those circumstances.

It is a nuisance that this has occurred just when you have a holiday, but I think you need to see your GP as soon as possible. Please don't delay.

Joan

Hi Ange, Sue, Jo, Elna, Legs, Page, Chris and Joan.
Thank you for replying.
Interesting, I do hope it is a panic attack. My family and friends would all describe me as very calm and laid back and I am certainly not stressed at the moment, so is it still a possibility??
Not feeling too great this morning either but as luck would have it, I have a routine appointment with My GP this evening as I have to go every 6 months to get my repeat prescriptions. So will run it by her and see what she says and let you all know later.
I do so love this site. I would not like to talk to my non cyber friends about it as they would make a fuss, but everyone on here just gives their opinion in a matter of fact way and its just so helpful and you really feel like 1 big family.
Thanks again. will keep you posted. Off to the garden centre with my daughter now so that will make me feel better.
Love to you all and hope you are having good days.
Gillxx 8)

skezier

Hi Gill,

Hey its still working! :shock: I been thinking, :shock: :shock: :shock: I get something simular and maybe when that first happened I got clammy and breathing problems? Its cus the spine, sternum and ribs all hurt and it effects the intercostals and the diaphragm. Maybe yours is that 'simple'? As you know I have rubbish circulation and 20 year back had a baby heart attack and that was a very different pain to the bone one. But it needs to be checked out so see what your gp says about it and good luck. xx

jennifer22

Hi Mistywillow

Something similar happend to me last year. It was around the time work was really busy and my grandmas was ill. Been to visit her no problem remember queing up at the petrol station started to feel really wierd. Drove straigh out and rang my friend who came to pick me up. It was like i had a really tight chest, my heart was racing and i didnt feel with it started to feel really cold. Got to a&e went to triage next thing i was in resus having ecg and heart traces, took blood then spent the next 4 hours being monitored. My friend was really worried they said i looked really grey all this time my heart was still going twice as fast. All my blood tests came back fine they put it down to a virus and discharged me. Went to see my docs the next day still felt rough he was like youre still tick tocking said it was best just to rest and my heart would go back to normal. But if it happened again to go back. Think i was doing too much, not eating properly or looking after myself. Hope youre feeling better.x

frogmorton

Hi Gill
Something similar happened to me over and over for several months about 6 years ago. I had pains in my chest (breathing ok) but went into my neck/jaw. And into my back too
Had evrey test you can imagine including a nuclear stress and rest test - all came back clear!!!
Both my parents died with heart probs.
I still get them now though not very often and have used a portable BP monitor which shows the pulse goes right up. It lasts about 40 minutes going away in waves and ebbing away.
So I suppose it IS panic attacks for me :oops:
Gill have the tests it IS worth it.
Take care
Toni x

mistywillow

frogmorton wrote:

Hi Gill
Something similar happened to me over and over for several months about 6 years ago. I had pains in my chest (breathing ok) but went into my neck/jaw. And into my back too
Had evrey test you can imagine including a nuclear stress and rest test - all came back clear!!!
Both my parents died with heart probs.
I still get them now though not very often and have used a portable BP monitor which shows the pulse goes right up. It lasts about 40 minutes going away in waves and ebbing away.
So I suppose it IS panic attacks for me :oops:
Gill have the tests it IS worth it.
Take care
Toni x

Hi Chris, nice to see you have reception again!
Hi Jennifer and Tony.
Hi all of you who kindly answered my post.
Well I went to my GP this evening. (I am extremely lucky as I nearly always manage to see the same one and she knows me well)
She thinks it is a cardiac arrythmia. (sp?) I suggested panic attack, but she said she thought this was extremely unlikely as it would be very out of character, and also as I havent changed my meds much over the past few years, she didnt think it was that either.
She wants me to have blood tests for thyroid and blood sugars and another ECG. She said that at A and E they only look to see if you are having a heart attack they dont look at the subtleties of it such as regularity and rhythm. If this shows up anything abnormal she will refer me to a cardiologist and if not she will want to monitor it for a 24hour period.
So I am being well checked out. Had a lovely day out with my daughter today and had a pub lunch with her, the OH and the dog!!! So that has made up for my rather tedious start to my holiday.


Hope all you guys are as ok as poss
love Gillx

skezier

Hi Gill,

Glad you got a good gp. When you having the tests? I sent you a message a few days back and just kept adding to it till you pick it up. xx

mistywillow

skezier wrote:

Hi Gill,

Glad you got a good gp. When you having the tests? I sent you a message a few days back and just kept adding to it till you pick it up. xx

Hi Chris
Dont think I have got any message from you for a few days. Are you still adding to it or has the ether got it
Gillx

debatat

Its a good job you went to see the gp about this. I hope they manage to get you sorted.

Take care

Deb

skezier

Hi Gill,

Its still in the out box and getting longer and longer....... I will delete it later and do you a nice shiny new one cus the one thats there is really just added bits as I managed to get reception and a bit of sane stuff thrown in!

You feeling ok now? I hope they get on and test you soon just to check it out. Did you enjoy your weekend off except for the turn? Hey you still getting the swamp monster attacks? xx

jeannie2

Hi Gill,
Only just seen your post .... am crawling up the wall at the moment!
Have you contacted your rheumy nurse?
Have sent you a PM
Jeannie S

woodbine

You didn't by any chance have a blocked nose & take some sort of night-time decongestants before going to bed, did you?

I had similar symptoms a few weeks ago having taken some Boots night time decongestants - turns out that, according to the info sheet in the box, a few people do have these symptoms as a side effect of taking these tablets. I can take other brands without this problem, so I'll take different ones in the future

Naomi

frogmorton

Hi Gill
Have you started your tests yet?
I had that monitor on for three days!!!! NO baths!!!!!
Stinky Toni and no da*n chest pains at all in that time!! Typical.
I don't think I am a panicker either but I suppose that MUST be what it is for me too?
Do let us know how you get on coz I would be interested.
Take care
Toni x

mistywillow

frogmorton wrote:

Hi Gill
Have you started your tests yet?
I had that monitor on for three days!!!! NO baths!!!!!
Stinky Toni and no da*n chest pains at all in that time!! Typical.
I don't think I am a panicker either but I suppose that MUST be what it is for me too?
Do let us know how you get on coz I would be interested.
Take care
Toni x

Hi Toni and all
Went for the extra blood tests (thyroid and glucose) and ECG yesterday at the GP. The ECG showed a cardiac arrythmia, although I was feeling absolutely fine at the time. I think the plan is for me to have a telephone consultation with my GP next week when the bloods are back, to see what the plan is
Not sure anyone would come near me if I didnt shower for a few days, if you remember I live on a farm
Do you still get pain????
Gillx

tamnwill

Hi there, did they do a vascular test? only sometimes some of the symptoms you describe can be attributed to a thinning of the arteries. I'm sure they would have thought this though when you had your ECG, but just thought I'd ask.

mistywillow

tamnwill wrote:

Hi there, did they do a vascular test? only sometimes some of the symptoms you describe can be attributed to a thinning of the arteries. I'm sure they would have thought this though when you had your ECG, but just thought I'd ask.

Hi tamnwill
Not sure what the gp will say when I speak to her next week, but thanks I will bear that in mind.
Gillx

skezier

Hi Gill,

Just wondered when do you see your doctor again? Those things round your neck can stop you from showering, and there horrible to sleep with! But they do sort out whats going on. I hope your soon sorted and I wanted to ask now cus I keep forgetting at the mo........... I really am having a senior epic! :oops: Love Cris xx