Gee_88
02-09-2010, 05:06 PM
Hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has any experiences like this or has any info to offer.
For months now I've been having a rapid heart rate and I think much of the cause was an abscess that has been removed (2 weeks ago). I noticed that after I had the abscess removed and was getting over the anesthetic that my heart rate was down to "normal" rates for me (around 70-80 at rest).
Each day after the op my heart rate increased by a few beats until I ended up back in hospital because it had gotten reinfected and that was confirmed with blood testing. I was on IV antibiotics for a couple of days and they discharged me. I've become anemic (Hemoglobin 10.3) also since having the abscess removed which I think is due to having a lot of my blood taking for testing, but also losing some blood during the op and of course the wound is open while it heals so it bleeds a little, too.
Anyway, my heart rate has still not gone back down to 70s and sometimes will be mid 90s at rest and I can't explain it. Usually it's in the 80s at rest and 90s sometimes too. But something weird happened to me last night.
My heart rate was up to about 100 at rest and I couldn't explain it. I had a little bit of a temperature (37.8) and I felt weak in the legs and my heart would race (150+) on exertion. Walking up the stairs made my heart sky rocket and I was getting palpitations, which sent me in to a huge panic attack. "pure" panic lasted about 3-4 minutes where my heart must have been going over 200 beats. Then I led down and had someone help me calm down, then I was feeling better for a while but was too scared to move because of my heart rate going up. Every time I tried to get up again, the anticipation of a racing heart sent me in to another full blown panic (200bmp again) so I was kinda stuck on the bed and I couldn't see a way out other than on an ambulance stretcher (I know, it's crazy). So I asked for an ambulance and the para got here and checked me over, said I have a temp and tachycardia (120bmp). I must have had tachycardia all throughout my time at A&E, too, but when the doctor came in and said everything's fine, my blood tests were fine and we left, my heart rate sunk. On exertion my heart rate would barely reach 100 and at rest it would be 65. I felt SO much better, nice slow heart (65 is slow to me), no leg weakness, no sweaty feverish feeling, I just felt "normal" (I don't know what normal feels like anymore).
The only thing I can think of is that I must have used up all my adrenaline or something and there just wasn't any left to make my heart rate go up. I had some pretty severe panic and a LOT of prior and post anxiety, so I'm pretty sure I made enough adrenaline to light my house for the day :P.
But today, everything has gone back to how it was. Heart rate is up 80-mid 90s, palps, slight weakness, etc.
Doc in A&E said anemia can cause palps, dizziness and weakness etc, but I didn't have any of those after coming out of hospital. I'm going to ask my doctor for some beta blockers to see if I can block out the effects of adrenaline releases and see if that works. By the way, in someone with no anxiety, will beta blockers do anything? Surely if there's no adrenaline and thus, no HR increase, beta blockers will do nothing? So surely IF beta blockers slow you heart, the only reason for the slowing is because it was not supposed to be elevated anyway?
But yeah... thanks for reading anyway.
Gee.
Just wondering if anyone has any experiences like this or has any info to offer.
For months now I've been having a rapid heart rate and I think much of the cause was an abscess that has been removed (2 weeks ago). I noticed that after I had the abscess removed and was getting over the anesthetic that my heart rate was down to "normal" rates for me (around 70-80 at rest).
Each day after the op my heart rate increased by a few beats until I ended up back in hospital because it had gotten reinfected and that was confirmed with blood testing. I was on IV antibiotics for a couple of days and they discharged me. I've become anemic (Hemoglobin 10.3) also since having the abscess removed which I think is due to having a lot of my blood taking for testing, but also losing some blood during the op and of course the wound is open while it heals so it bleeds a little, too.
Anyway, my heart rate has still not gone back down to 70s and sometimes will be mid 90s at rest and I can't explain it. Usually it's in the 80s at rest and 90s sometimes too. But something weird happened to me last night.
My heart rate was up to about 100 at rest and I couldn't explain it. I had a little bit of a temperature (37.8) and I felt weak in the legs and my heart would race (150+) on exertion. Walking up the stairs made my heart sky rocket and I was getting palpitations, which sent me in to a huge panic attack. "pure" panic lasted about 3-4 minutes where my heart must have been going over 200 beats. Then I led down and had someone help me calm down, then I was feeling better for a while but was too scared to move because of my heart rate going up. Every time I tried to get up again, the anticipation of a racing heart sent me in to another full blown panic (200bmp again) so I was kinda stuck on the bed and I couldn't see a way out other than on an ambulance stretcher (I know, it's crazy). So I asked for an ambulance and the para got here and checked me over, said I have a temp and tachycardia (120bmp). I must have had tachycardia all throughout my time at A&E, too, but when the doctor came in and said everything's fine, my blood tests were fine and we left, my heart rate sunk. On exertion my heart rate would barely reach 100 and at rest it would be 65. I felt SO much better, nice slow heart (65 is slow to me), no leg weakness, no sweaty feverish feeling, I just felt "normal" (I don't know what normal feels like anymore).
The only thing I can think of is that I must have used up all my adrenaline or something and there just wasn't any left to make my heart rate go up. I had some pretty severe panic and a LOT of prior and post anxiety, so I'm pretty sure I made enough adrenaline to light my house for the day :P.
But today, everything has gone back to how it was. Heart rate is up 80-mid 90s, palps, slight weakness, etc.
Doc in A&E said anemia can cause palps, dizziness and weakness etc, but I didn't have any of those after coming out of hospital. I'm going to ask my doctor for some beta blockers to see if I can block out the effects of adrenaline releases and see if that works. By the way, in someone with no anxiety, will beta blockers do anything? Surely if there's no adrenaline and thus, no HR increase, beta blockers will do nothing? So surely IF beta blockers slow you heart, the only reason for the slowing is because it was not supposed to be elevated anyway?
But yeah... thanks for reading anyway.
Gee.