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Urgent phone call from hospital after seven day ECG monitor

Posted , 6 users are following.

derek76
derek76

At the end of March (as previously posted) my BP shot up to 233/114 and my heart beat became irregular. I went to A&E and was kept in for two nights and allowed home as both had settled down on their own. It was arranged that I should have a seven day ECG monitor as I have had two previous cardioversions for AF. I have had an irregular heart beat for years put down to ectopic beats. 

I went into AF again at the end of the next week but this time my BP was lower than normal. My GP prescribed what he called an almost homeopathic dose of Bisoprolol 1.25 mg as he was aware that when prescribed a 2.5 mg dosage previously my heart rate had dropped within 36 hours to 36 bpm from an earlier 136. I began to sweat a lot when out walking and my BP would drop more than usual from exercise. Sometimes as low as 90/54 and I would feel light headed or dizzy it is difficult to distinguish between them. It also felt that my ‘heart’ was not giving me enough power and there was a dull ache in that area. I was also taking 50mg of losartan that usually made me light headed during exercise and my GP put the sweating down to a side effect of losartan but it had not previously had that effect on me. The light headed/ dizzy feeling could often happen even when sitting quietly at home as if the blood supply to my brain was momentarily halting. I have acid reflux/indigestion and am used to getting chest pains that mimic cardiac pain and I just ignore them. Now it was starting soon after walking but mostly a couple of indigestion tablets would bring up some wind and settle it. Indigestion also seems to be another side effect of Bisoprolol.

I had the seven day monitor fitted on May 14th. I was rather at a loss about filling in the symptom questionnaire with it and when to press the button to have an extra reading done because of them as I felt that what was happening was a side effect to my medications more than from AF. From the third day I decided to press the button and record what I was feeling and let them interpret it.  I had been taking both drugs in the morning but decided to take the Biso in the morning and the losartan at night but the side effects stayed the same.   

After returning the monitor I decided to take both meds at night. After a few days I had less problems during the day and was able to do more with much less need to force myself. On Monday we went to a local horse show and my only problem was a backache from standing around and some chest pain again helped by two Bisodol tablets. Yesterday I went to the races and felt OK. When I was out my wife had a call from a doctor at the hospital who wanted to urgently speak to me about the results of the seven day monitor and my symptoms. She gave him my mobile number but I had turned it off. He later called her back but I was still not home being marooned in the rail system due to an incident on the system. He said that he is not there on a Saturday but will contact me on Monday as he will want me to go to the hospital.

For once prompt reaction on their part. When I was discharged from hospital at the end of March I was told that it would probably be three months before I would get to see a cardiologist. I pointed out that my GP had referred me back to cardioogy at the begining of January as he was concerned about my heart rate being in the low 40's.They had note of that but wanted to wait for seven day monitoring results.   

2 likes, 26 replies

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  • Quandryite
    Quandryite derek76

    Posted

    This probably won't be helpful - great start, right?  What proton pump inhibitor, (PPi) do you take, and how long have you been taking it, and, do am I reading correctly that you will take an over the counter antacid if you're without the PPI?  I'm betting you know the two don't mix.

    In trying to figure out my best health care options, too, I came across this study, (I am in the U.S.), where it is hypothesized that PPIs can contribute to severe cardiac events in patients with unstable coronary syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23825361 ; Less extravagently, with PPi use, one might wonder about insufficient magnesium levels - but all this needs professional, not internet consultation.

    • derek76
      derek76 Quandryite

      Posted

      I have taken all the different PPI's over the years but esomeprazole is the most effective.

      I take the Bisodol between esomeprazole doses if I need to.

      I'll read your link later.

       

  • joiner
    joiner derek76

    Posted

    Hi Derek - Like you I am having problems with my blood pressure which fluctuates wildly from morning to night. The other day it went from 209/106 pulse 80 to 121/60 pulse 51. This has been happening regularly. I am getting various symptoms from slight chest tightness, tiredness, and sleep problems. My GP keeps adjusting my medication or altering the time of day I take it but nothing seems to work. I have had monitors at various times but the results have been inconclusive. I had an ablation in March this year following AF and was hoping that my problems would be over but i am still hoping. I have an appointment on the 25 August to see my cardiologist. One other problem I have is trying to identify the possible side effects I am getting from my medication. Im taking Bisorolol, Ramipril, Warfarin, Pantoprazole and Simvastatin but most of these have similar side effects in varying degrees, so it is almost impossible to isolate one from another and yet my GP tells me that they are all compatable To be honest with you I am getting a bit fed up with the whole issue and being 79 years old cannot see an end in sight. Good luck with yours. Regards Joiner
  • joiner
    joiner derek76

    Posted

    Hi Derek - Like you I am having problems with my blood pressure which fluctuates wildly from morning to night. The other day it went from 209/106 pulse 80 to 121/60 pulse 51. This has been happening regularly. I am getting various symptoms from slight chest tightness, tiredness, and sleep problems. My GP keeps adjusting my medication or altering the time of day I take it but nothing seems to work. I have had monitors at various times but the results have been inconclusive. I had an ablation in March this year following AF and was hoping that my problems would be over but i am still hoping. I have an appointment on the 25 August to see my cardiologist. One other problem I have is trying to identify the possible side effects I am getting from my medication. Im taking Bisorolol, Ramipril, Warfarin, Pantoprazole and Simvastatin but most of these have similar side effects in varying degrees, so it is almost impossible to isolate one from another and yet my GP tells me that they are all compatable To be honest with you I am getting a bit fed up with the whole issue and being 79 years old cannot see an end in sight. Good luck with yours. Regards Joiner
    • derek76
      derek76 joiner

      Posted

      I'm a year older than you and remember the days when patients were admitted to hospital for 'observation' for a few days when their medication was changed. Now we are left to get on with it.

      I had high hopes of a solution when managing to get a referral to a Hypertension Centre but I think that they have given up on me. A lot of tests and MRI scans but no solution or change to medications but appointments are only every six months. The last consultation ended with me asking if he wanted to change me from Losartan...No. Is it worth you seeing me again... Yes, in six months. When people talk long term appointments or investments I tend to laugh nowadays.

      After a surge in BP to 233/114 and going into AF I E-Mailed the consultant for advice or an earlier appointment but no response and now my local hospital rightly (at last) will fit a pacemaker.

      I had to stop my Statin and Warfarin due to muscle and joint pains.

    • joiner
      joiner derek76

      Posted

      Hi Derek -  It sometimes makes me wonder whether people of our age tend to get written off to some extent. Although this is emphtically denied by the establishment.
    • derek76
      derek76 joiner

      Posted

      Not with cardiology. They seem to take that seriously.

      I'm not sure that they would always offer us the best cancer treatments.

      With Urology I and others prostate experience in different parts of the country has been much less so.  I did accuse one of ageism and later found not only that but he had been lying. I wanted laser surgery and he said that the hospital did not do it (he was against it and only did TURP) I much later saw a locum who told me that one of the other surgeons had been doing it for five years and referred me to him. 

      A GP I once had told me that if I ever need a hip replacement to go privately to get the right consultant as once you are under as an NHS patient you never know what old codger they have dragged in off the street to do it. He may have had a point as when my mother broke her hip at 92 it had to be repeated as she could not walk on it. 

    • derek76
      derek76 joiner

      Posted

      More on that point when I had the pre assessment for tomorrows Pacemaker I mentioned other problems I have. The young doctor said the heart is the most important one and we have to keep it beating.   
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