Way back in 2007, just prior to selling our home in Tempe, Arizona, my husband... boyfriend at the time...was already working in Virginia, and I had stayed behind waiting for our home in AZ to sell.
I woke up one morning having heart palpitations, went to my doctor who placed me on Toporol, and the palpitations subsided. No other tests were done that I can recall, but that was years ago. I could just be having a case of bad memory.
I also had a similar situation a number of years ago here in Virginia, and I was placed on a halter monitor that records everything your heart is doing for 24 hours. Again.... they found nothing at the Cardiologist.
*sigh*
Guess I just have a wonky heart.
Last Thursday after eating lunch I felt almost faint, VERY tired, and laid down immediately, crashed and burned for a couple of hours and then awoke feeling a teensy bit better. Exhausted, but better.
I ate dinner and after eating felt a horrible headache come on.
I NEVER get headaches, so for some reason, since it was a pretty bad headache I decided to take my blood pressure since we have a BP cuff.
It was high... and hour later I took it and it was even higher....an hour later it was high enough, and the headache still persisted, so off to the ER at the hospital we went to see what was going on with me.
By the time we arrived at the ER my BP was 193 over 113, and although the doctor said some really stupid things that caused me to question his right to the title of M.D., we stuck around.
The heart monitor showed I was having PVCs, Pre-Ventricular Contractions.
We got home after 1 AM. Exhausted.
I saw my own doctor the next day who listened and said that I was having irregular heartbeats....
They also hooked me up to a couple of contraptions just as the hospital had done.
She sent me back to the hospital and once again I was given a heart halter monitor, which I just removed a couple of hours ago and after I return it to the hospital for the results to be read, I should know more in a few days.
Until then, and beyond.... I am changing my eating habits to be mostly vegetarian, with a few tweaks here and there.
I have also ordered a Ninja Juicer/Blender and will be doing a lot of that in the days to come.
Anyone else have PVCs?
Anyone else a vegetarian?
To heck with eating meat.
I think it's totally bad for us.
*my bigger concern was for the very high blood pressure, which the ER doctor did not seem concerned about. BUT I AM!*
I have been through doctor visits and trips to the ER with the same symptoms you describe. I have worn the heart monitor and had various other tests. I'm always told the results are inconclusive, or they just brush off my symptoms and send me home. They did put me on blood pressure medicine. I hope your doctors can help you - those spells are not fun. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. Did a doctor suggest you eat less meat?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with us. I hope you are feeling better. I'd be concerned about that BP, too. I have found that 20 minutes of Tai Chi will lower my blood pressure by 10 points, btw. The decrease will last for hours if not most of the day, depending on what I am doing. Just an FYI. I use this video: http://www.amazon.com/M-P-M-David-Dorian-Ross-McPhee/dp/B000IJ7A06/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1433933594&sr=1-4&keywords=tai+chi+david+dorian+ross and mostly do the AM Tai Chi. It's fairly simple to learn and follow.
ReplyDeleteHello old friend, (in a young and lovely way), I looked you up on FB to catch up with you and was going to write you a pm but then here you are! so lovely to be able to see you again. Just a quickie to say I have irregular heart beats cause by a bicuspid valve and a certain amount of regurgitation of blood in those two chambers and the heart needs to work harder there. So, while it sometimes makes me feel all fluttery and light headed, it doesn't raise my blood pressure, which tends to be chronically low anyway, so hmmm, not sure what that's all about with you. But hooray for a change in your eating habits. Sometimes the smallest changes can have the biggest impact. And I agree, who needs all that meat. I like to treat us to a nice roast organic chicken on Sundays but that's about as meaty as it gets round here. Big hugs from me all the way over on the west coast and I hope you're feeling loads better.
ReplyDeleteI had a BP scare about a year ago . . .
ReplyDeleteI changed lots.
I cut out processed stuff . . .
Took my BP daily, went into doc office weekly and in a month I was a changed woman.
Plus she increased my BP med . . .
Have I been compliant . . . yes and no . . .
Take it seriously though . . . At least 4-5 F&V daily is a very good thing. Lots of water, I try for 64 oz minimum.
I stopped drinking coffee . . . I have it on rare occasions . . .
We are all made up differently. If I don't have some protein I get very light headed.
I watch my carb content and do best the lower I keep it.
As I said, take it seriously . . . I will be happy to hear you are feeling better! VERY!
Please tell me that you are seeing a cardiologist about this. GP is good as the gate keeper, but a heart mystery needs a heart detective. Good that you are going to tweak your diet, but wholesale juice/smoothie and stuff is probably not the answer. Subtle changes are more sustainable. More real food, with less processed meat, more veggies, grain, and stuff, less sugar of all kinds (lots of sugar in fruit), watch your calories, and be active.
ReplyDelete