Hospitalization and CFS/FM

[Gknee]

I have been hospitalized twice the last month for chest pains and tachycardia of 180 beats per minute. I have received every cardiac test there is. I have had irradiated chemicals injected, CAT scans, echocardiograms, x-rays, stress tests, I sear they must have taken gallons of blood.

As you have guessed I am in the biggest CFS/FM flare of all times. It has taken me a week just to sit on the couch. My fatigue is whipping my a**.

This Monday I am having a Cardiac Ablation. Essentially they are going to stick a catheter wire in my heart and burn the areas of my heart where the electrical problems are. They are hoping that this will get rid of my racing heart episodes. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to local annestetics so I'm hoping they will give me enough "happy juice" to make the 6 hour procedure a happy time. Doesn't that sound like fun?

I'm taking bets on how this ablation will beat me down. I'm a teacher on summer vacation but I don't wan't to spend my entire vacation in bed.

 

[blue sky]

I recently had day surgery for a detached retina. I was given propofal (they use this just during the initial 30 minutes when they need to administer the local anesthesia), and was very surprised that I came out of the surgery fairly well. I was functioning well in recovery, and didn't have too many aftereffects, although I am functioning much better lately, in general. I do know that propofal is one of the anesthesias that does work better for those with CFS/ME. You may want to ask for it during your surgery. Good luck, I hope your experience helps and you recover quickly.

 

[Googsta]

Here is a great link for anyone requiring Anaesthetic for surgery http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/drugs/anesthesia.html

I hope they are able to help you Gknee

 

[*GG*]

Hope you feel better soon! Sound like you have been thru a lot!

GG

 

[taniaaust1]

I have been hospitalized twice the last month for chest pains and tachycardia of 180 beats per minute. I have received every cardiac test there is.​

Are they sure you have electrical faults in your heart??? I say this as most cardiologists are not aware of the coexisting issues of ME and hence could easily make BIG mistakes when it comes to us due to not being aware of all the things ME can do.

Your chest pains and tachycardia.. has postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS) been ruled out. It should be ruled out if you esp get the issues when standing or upright. The hyperadrenal kind of POTS can put the heart up very high but the issue isnt a heart one but rather an issue with the autonomic system. Are your doctors "guessing" what is wrong, or do they know what is wrong....

Best luck with things. (also a ME crash could cause abnormalities you wouldnt get at other times). Take care. .. sorry if my post has concerned you but these are things which should be considered. (Ive seen 2-3 cardiologists over the years and none of them were even aware of the condition of POTS and how it often features with ME. In my cases the hospital has blamed other things eg drug overdose for my increased heart rate which was actually wrong as my heart was just doing its normal POTS thing.

Make sure your cardiologists are aware of this ME/CFS condition which also causes increased heart rate).

 

[BEG]

Gknee, good luck with that. I can't speak with any knowledge of cardiac issues, but, that being said, this burning of the electrical parts seems rather drastic. Did they rule out a pacemaker?

Like other posters on this thread, I did well with propofal, too. Came to in recovery like a normal person and wasn't dazed and confused for days like other times. (I always take Dr. Lapp's notes for surgery to my pre-surgery visit.)

Will be thinking about you and wishing you all the best. When you are able, please let us know how you're doing.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Aww...this sounds anxiety provoking. You are a strong person. I hope all goes well and hang in there. That sounds so trite. Thinking of you. Any kind of surgery or hospitilization takes me down for awhile.

 

[Sushi]

Gknee,

I just saw this (was away for the weekend). Looks like today is the day! Very best wishes.

Have you read the work of Dr. Blair Grubb, an electocardiologist who does ablations for certain types of autonomic dysfunction? He may be the most knowledgeable person in this field. http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/117/21/2814.full

Hope you have done well with this procedure.

Best,
Sushi

 

[Sallysblooms]

Like Tania, I was wondering if they know about POTS. We deal with these symptoms. Make sure you ask if they have any knowledge about it. I doubt they will, but you can ask.

 

[Insomniac]

"Do not use an anaesthetic that blocks the sodium channel",
is the only thing that you need to say to the person who gives the anaesthetic. that is apart from telling them about your diagnosis.
That is all I said to the anaesthatist when I had my operation on torsion of the ovary (unrelated to CFS). The operation and anesthtic was a success.
The link about the sodium channel is here.

http://www.ncf-net.org/patient-physician.htm

At first the anestatist did not know what I was talking about, he didn't even know what fibro was. I then said.
"Well I know you will do your best and I pray it will pass well but this is what the CFs/Fibro group say to tell the anesthetist. I do not know what the sodium channel is myself."
He then went and checked it up, told me he understood and was suddenly very kind.

The original link given by "Googsta" is good
Here are some more links on anaesthetics and M.E

http://www.ncf-net.org/forum/2012winter2.htm
If you scroll down the following link there is a lot of info on anaesthesia:
http://www.hfme.org/topicanaesthesia.htm

I wish you well and I think will go O.K because the cardiac ablation you describe is something doctors take seriously with regards to anaesthtic. When the heart is involved, blood pressure is constantly monitored during an operation so and you are lying down afterwards a lot so POTS won't be too much of a problem.
I wish you success and recovery.

 

[BEG]

Gknee,

I just saw this (was away for the weekend). Looks like today is the day! Very best wishes.

Have you read the work of Dr. Blair Grubb, an electocardiologist who does ablations for certain types of autonomic dysfunction? He may be the most knowledgeable person in this field. http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/117/21/2814.full

Hope you have done well with this procedure.

Best,
Sushi

Thanks for the link!