Saga of the semicentennial sick chick

[HRManager]

I have had a bit of a health roller coaster for the last few months.

Background info:
I am currently 50 years old
Dx figromyalgia 2009 (symptoms for many years prior to)
Dx CFS 2012

In August I had to travel to Louisiana because my best friend had a stroke. She wanted me to take care of her cat for her. I was very stressed because of her situation and I had never flown with a cat/animal before and did not know what to expect.

I has in LA for 5 days and suffered SEVERE fatigue while there - my room was the third in the hallway in hotel but walking to the ice machine at the beginning wore me out. Stress.. amirite? I pushed through and made it home (the cat was an absolute ANGEL on the flight lol). After returning home the fatigue did not lessen and I noticed I was very short of breath. My thoughts "well shit.. I caught COVID" so I slapped on my pulse oximeter to measure my blood O2. My O2 was perfectly fine but my resting heart rate was 120 - 130. I said to my mother.. "well that's not normal, right?" She said NO, threw me in her car and took me to emergency clinic.

An EKG showed Atrial Fibrillation with severe irregular heartbeat. BOO!

Emergency clinic immediately sent me to the ER (wanted to send me in ambulance but I said "I am NOT paying $1000 for a three mile trip!!!!!"). ER admitted me after 7 hours on massive amounts of IV Lasix - they took 16 pounds of fluid out of me... (no wonder I was freaking short of breath). I spent 5 days in the hospital trying to get heart rate under control. Lots and lots of new meds. BOO!

An echocardiogram (sp?) also showed that I am in heart failure with an ejection fraction of only 35%. This could be due to how hard the heart was working or I could actually just be in heart failure. Time will tell. I am also in stage 3 kidney failure. BOO!

I had electrical conversion on 11/1 (had my heart 'stopped' on Day of the Dead! Wore my sugar skull pants to hospital lol). Have not had any problems with the atrial fib since then (*knocks frantically on wood*). YEAH!!

Started back to work approximately 2 hours per day and have been building up to more. All of a sudden severe fatigue starts again along with confusion etc. I go for regular doctor appointment and they do some blood work. TSH is more than twice normal. Son of a bitch... Further tests seem to be leaning towards Hashimoto's. Waiting for appointment with endocrinologist. BOO!

Final Score:
BOO! 5
YEAH! 1

Feel like I can't seem to catch a break.

 

[HRManager]

Forgot to add:

While I was taking Cardizem - a calcium channel blocker - I had a whole month of NO PAIN. It blocked ALL my fibromyalgia pain. YEAH!

After my conversion, that was the med they took me off of. BOO!

 

[L'engle]

Welcome, @HRManager It sounds like you are going through a lot! We're here to listen. Hopefully you can find some useful information here for at least some of your symptoms, though it sounds as if you have multiple health problems. A lot of people here do so you are in the right place here.

 

[Gingergrrl]

My thoughts "well shit.. I caught COVID"

An EKG showed Atrial Fibrillation with severe irregular heartbeat. BOO!

An echocardiogram (sp?) also showed that I am in heart failure with an ejection fraction of only 35%. This could be due to how hard the heart was working or I could actually just be in heart failure. Time will tell. I am also in stage 3 kidney failure. BOO!

I wanted to clarify (in case I misunderstood), did it turn out that you did have Covid or that you were negative for Covid? Did the doctors give any reason why you suddenly had A-fib, heart failure & kidney failure (separate from your prior CFS & Fibro diagnoses)?

Final Score:
BOO! 5
YEAH! 1

You have a great sense of humor

While I was taking Cardizem - a calcium channel blocker - I had a whole month of NO PAIN. It blocked ALL my fibromyalgia pain. YEAH! After my conversion, that was the med they took me off of. BOO!

Why did they take you off the Cardizem if it was helping?!

 

[lenora]

I can't/don't understand why your friend would expect you to travel to take care of her cat. Sure, people become attached to animals and love them, but there are local foster homes for animals. That way she could have perhaps visited her kitty off and on (I'm sure the foster parent would have brought her over).

Sometimes when people are ill their thinking just isn't very clear. Reminds me of my sister expecting me to travel over 2,000 miles and rent a car to take care of her 3 children! I was discharged from the hospital after brain surgery the day before!

Of course I was in no position to travel anywhere....and I guess her mind had gone on vacation (she knew I had surgery). I found their father and he was wonderful during the entire affair. Sometimes we have to learn the "No" word. Now how is that cat going to be returned to her? Wishing you better days...Yours, Lenora

 

[Judee]

Did the doctors give any reason why you suddenly had A-fib, heart failure & kidney failure (separate from your prior CFS & Fibro diagnoses)?

That's what I wondered too.

Sorry you're going through all that, @HRManager.

 

[HRManager]

Sorry I wasn't clear.. couldn't see through all the brain fog BOO!

I did NOT have COVID - it was all the fluid I was retaining in my lungs because of the atrial fib.

The doctor didn't really say why I suddenly developed it. My mother has it so it might be genetic? I AM overweight which is a possible cause also. The heart failure/low ejection fraction could be caused by the atrial fib. The heart was basically working DOUBLE for goddess knows how long and that can make it weak. I will probably be having another echo in March so am very hopeful for improvement in the ejec frac.

Don't know WHERE the kidney disease came from. There is an association between atrial fib and kidney issues. Hopeful that will go away completely. Most recent blood work showed one level of improvement already!! YEAH!

As to the calcium channel blocker.. I did not realize how much it was helping until I stopped taking it. I remember thinking a few times during that month "wow.. I'm not hurting like hell.. what is up?" But this was also a VERY foggy time - my blood pressure was getting seriously low (60/40 which sent me BACK to the hospital for a couple of days) due to all the meds and I was fighting serious dizziness. They stopped the med because I no longer had an irregular heart beat after the conversion and I don't have high blood pressure. I am still on a medication to increase my ejec. frac. and one to slow my heart rate (which is now in the 60s at rest YEAH!). I'm on a couple of meds to decrease fluids also (Lasix for the win pee!)

Seriously bummed about the Hashimotos.. I was improving and working back to FT at work. Now I'm back in nap land with daily forecast of heavy fog.. BOO!

I didn't mind traveling to get the cat as I needed to get there an see her also. It was a devastating stroke - she is paralyzed on her right side (dominant hand) and had extreme aphasia. She also has two brain aneurysms that will have to be surgically repaired if she improves enough. She is my best friend of 20 years who moved back to her birth home because Illinois... sucks. She is improving but she has a damn hard road ahead of her and I wanted to see her in case the worst happens.

Thanks for the support and kind words. I don't post a lot here but I read and so appreciate all the knowledge that is shared. Some of y'all are VERY smart and I'm not too proud to ride your coattails

 

[Gingergrrl]

Sorry I wasn't clear.. couldn't see through all the brain fog BOO! I did NOT have COVID - it was all the fluid I was retaining in my lungs because of the atrial fib.

No worries and thank you so much for taking the time to explain! I am so sorry to hear about everything you have been through recently.

Seriously bummed about the Hashimotos

I've had Hashimoto's since 2013 (and maybe longer but did not know)? It is completely manageable with daily thyroid medication, and was minor in comparison to the other things that I had to deal with, and hopefully will be for you, too.

 

[HRManager]

I've had Hashimoto's since 2013 (and maybe longer but did not know)? It is completely manageable with daily thyroid medication, and was minor in comparison to the other things that I had to deal with, and hopefully will be for you, too.

So I am seeing from reading! That is great. I wish my GP would just prescribe the meds without having to wait months for an endocrinologist appt.

It was mainly the feeling of 'dayam.. kickin a bitch when she's down' feeling of adding the thyroid to everything else lol.

My 17 yr old cat was just Dx with an OVERactive thyroid. My previously aptly named 'Big Booty Judy' is now sleek and slim. Why couldn't I have ended up with THAT thyroid issue???

 

[Gingergrrl]

So I am seeing from reading! That is great. I wish my GP would just prescribe the meds without having to wait months for an endocrinologist appt.

I agree and it is strange (and annoying ) that your GP can't prescribe a thyroid med until you can see an Endo (especially since your TSH was more than twice of normal)!

My 17 yr old cat was just Dx with an OVERactive thyroid. My previously aptly named 'Big Booty Judy' is now sleek and slim. Why couldn't I have ended up with THAT thyroid issue???

Likewise and I wish that I also had that issue!

How have you been feeling lately since your original post a couple weeks ago?

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@HRManager ....

Back later, bad brain day, but anyone whose signature is a Jimmy Buffet quote (Latitudes/Attitudes, for extra points) has my total and rapt attention .... lingering memory from back in the day when I had a life ...

 

[HRManager]

I agree and it is strange (and annoying ) that your GP can't prescribe a thyroid med until you can see an Endo (especially since your TSH was more than twice of normal)!

Likewise and I wish that I also had that issue!

How have you been feeling lately since your original post a couple weeks ago?

I haven't even heard from the Endo yet.. going to Mychart the doc and ask why they can't. I just can't deal with this for months when it is preventable.

Still feeling the more severe exhaustion and confusion.

Working about 4 hours a day then going home and collapsing. Making lots of atypical mistakes at work due to fogginess.

Will let y'all know what the dr. says.

 

[HRManager]

Back later, bad brain day, but anyone whose signature is a Jimmy Buffet quote (Latitudes/Attitudes, for extra points) has my total and rapt attention .... lingering memory from back in the day when I had a life ...

Amen! Was an AMAZING concert with the BEST freaking tailgate party. Dream of the day when I will be able to go to another concert like that. Or even a Cardinals game in St. Louis..

And a great quote for dealing with the issues we deal with. I HAVE to laugh.. or I would lose it

 

[vision blue]

Ooh to think I almost missed your thread. Great post- not to mean your med issues but so refreshingly written

Anyway i haven't finished reading thru all the posts so don't know if these issues came up alot

You probably alreasfy kniw about the home stick of gummed size heart moniter

https://store.kardia.com/products/kardiamobile6l
I recommend both this one abd the original single lead one if you hace the bucks to get both.

I have both. Afib runs in my family too. Brother in afib a couple years ago abd ive had atriql tachycardia which is a couple steps away. (Now thet im 3 werks post covid i got a bit of an arrythmia that puts me at risk may become afib)

With the monitere you can tell i stantly and easily at home if you are in it again- im guessing you already have the gadget

So just Thinking out loud, I wonder if flying on an airplane either put you over the edge into a fib or made you notice the a fib cI guess you would’ve noticed it if you had it before because it does make one very short of breath on the most minimal exertion

You say its score one for the Boos that you have hashimotos. Im not so sure. It may give you a reason why you got afib so perhaps once thats under good control , your risk is minimal. Iff for any reasonyiu are not satisfied with how synthroid makes you feel, discuss Armour instead (you prob know that too)

On your friend that sucks. Did one of the anuerysms lead to her stroke. Im very concerned i have them- both uncontrolled high bp and family history. Curios also how many days after admission were you zapped?

Ykur experience with calcium channel blockers makes me think several things. But im spent so let me send this and will continue hopefully tommorow. Oh if you have your ekg from ER or hospital habdy, id love to see it. Helps me with self training on reading EKGs. Also curios about an arrtyhmmia you mention possibly besides the afib

 

[Gingergrrl]

You say its score one for the Boos that you have hashimotos. Im not so sure. It may give you a reason why you got afib so perhaps once thats under good control

Is having Hashimoto's a risk for Afib?

 

[HRManager]

One of the treatments for the heart failure (low ejection fraction) and atrial fib is a drug called amiodarone. It is a nasty med. It basically killed my thyroid and caused the Hashimotos.

Now unfortunately, the synthroid I now have to take for the Hashimotos is 'linked' to atrial fibrillation. So... I am stuck in a horrible balancing act. They started me on a very low dose of synthroid and then I go back for blood re-test to see if it is helping. I don't think it is strong enough. Before starting it my TSH was 17 - and that only got my T3 (T4?) .10 into normal range. But we shall see next month.

My re-test of my heart showed my ejection fraction only increased from 40 to 41% after 7 months on the all the heart meds, so cardiologist is afraid to take me off any since my numbers are not improving much. I just can't believe there is not another medication that I could take. I am considering scheduling a second opinion with an out of town cardiologist. I am also being scheduled for a stress test since they expected that EF to improve more than that.

I will see if I can get the EKGs for you vision blue. I know there is information available in mychart on them.. I think the pics are even there.

 

[HRManager]

I ordered one of the 6 lead monitors.. thank you!!!

 

[HRManager]

On your friend that sucks. Did one of the anuerysms lead to her stroke. Im very concerned i have them- both uncontrolled high bp and family history. Curios also how many days after admission were you zapped?

Ykur experience with calcium channel blockers makes me think several things. But im spent so let me send this and will continue hopefully tommorow. Oh if you have your ekg from ER or hospital habdy, id love to see it. Helps me with self training on reading EKGs. Also curios about an arrtyhmmia you mention possibly besides the afib

No - the anuerysms are completely separate from the stroke. I think they are waiting on surgery until she gets to her max recovery from the stroke.

I was admitted to the hospital on August 31, 2022 and converted on November 1, 2022.

Thank you for recommendation of EKG machine. I did order the six lead! YEAH!

 

[vision blue]

Its old so now i dont rememver but if calcium chsnnel blocker hped (im going from memory) , in principle magnesium may as well start very slow and very gradually increase dose

Woe hospital fot a whole monyh. How are u now? If i have enetgy will retrad ykur post and try to resurrect the other thoughtf

 

[Rufous McKinney]

You have a great sense of humor

loved that, I intend to start using a Boo/Yeah score!