I was diagnosed as a pre diabetic and was told to take a tablet Metformin to help with this. Now this seems to be widely used drug with not many issues? However, it was the first time they have given it me! It was only a matter of days that my Heart rate would not go below 100 BPM this is not a great rate for me so not overly worried. Then as the days went by it started to get strange, I was getting glitches were my heart shot up to anything between 168 and 154 bpm at all sorts of random times and even while asleep? I called my GP and he told me to keep an eye on it and he will send another form for my upcoming blood test. (I have to book in for Blood test which are 30+ days wait on them now )
Thursday, I had noticed my ankles were swollen which is a completely new thing for me. My ankles are thin spindly things normally! I was struggling with anything including going up stairs regarding my breathing. So onto GP again and another telephone consultation. He told me to come off the Metformin as it does seem it is not suiting me. All over the weekend it was keeping to this strange pattern but I seemed to be getting a higher bpm throughout the weekend. AF episodes for me on or around 135 are not uncommon. But the spikes were. I hoped that once the Metformin was out my system, I would improve but that was not happening!
Monday my legs are hurting under the pressure and breathing worse but consistent 154 bpm It was at this point after another conversation with my GP that he asked me to come in but it was so I could get a letter for A&E! once this was sorted out and I went to A&E it was very quiet in the people area and a nurse asked why I was there and then booked in after anti bac and mask are in place. It was not long at all I was called in for an ECG it confirmed it was all over the place and very fast. Once more no time at all I was been wheeled into the main area and placed into medical Resus and wired up more permanently. Bloods were taken. and a nurse assigned to keep watch? Consultant gave me a good examination and told them what to do including what canula to put in. The Cannula was a nightmare it took 5 attempts in 5 different areas to get it in. I did not have an issue with this at all when I was on warfarin but since I have changed to apixaban I have had my veins either blow or collapse? My bloods came back and it seems I need Magnesium plus a pushed 10 mg of Bisoprolol then 10 mg of Digoxin all by liquid infusion. I even had an Xray in case my lungs were part of the problem (which there were not )
It was a little before midnight that they moved me into AMU Acute Medical Unit as they were happier, I was not going to have a heart attack as first thought? They had moved all the beds so I was by the glass panel at the nurse station to keep an eye on my monitors. I felt sorry for the others in my ward as my monitor would go into alarm when it was higher than the limit they set. It was going higher all of the time! I had to have my BP and O2 checked on the hour so not a lot of sleep my end either. It was the O2 that seemed to upset the nurses as my "at rest" normal is 94% ish but I was going to 92% No matter how much I said it is not unusual for me they insisted I breath deeply to get it up? Once the morning shift came on and went through what they were doing with me my prescriptions threw a spanner in the works as they could not get the fact that I not only get prescribed from my GP surgery I get medicine from Sheffield Hallamshire Specialist PH Centre too. Fortunately, my GP letter does mention this so it did get sorted out.
Nurses told me that they have been pestering the Cardiologist for a way to get me on a lower hart rate and I was given another infusion of Digoxin before he came and saw me. When he did, I explained that I cannot feel anything different regarding my heart rate other than feeling shattered and the pain from the swelling in both legs that I have never had before. It was decided to double my Nebivolol and 3 more infusions in the hope it reduces? I was in for another night which upset The Wife. The third infusion seem to do the trick as it dropped into the low 100’s with the odd 97bpm. But with it being me my o2 dropped down to 89% when I was asleep. This made the nurses wake me up and ask me to breath deeply to get me back up again! Just as I thought it was going well another nurse pops in and asks me to take another pill as it had popped back to 154 bpm! That pill seemed to be the one that stabilised me at the 114 bpm Which was enough to allow me back home. The Cardiologist has seen me many times and knows I am complicated and have not reacted well to some drugs.
It took a total of 7 hours to get my new prescriptions and discharge letter. And picked up by the wife. I must add the Doctors and nurses were working so hard in A&E and AMU and I cannot praise the enough.
Be well
Just out of Interest.
Out of hospital but still in af
age out of an ablation?
Pacemakers and the hollowing out of life
