# Beware of Irregular or Fast Heart Rate!



## Corey123 (Nov 14, 2006)

To All Members,

Please be aware of your heart rate!! If you notice an irregular or fast heart rate, it could spell serious trouble!!! 

For many years, I've noticed my heart beating irregualry at times. The last few months, it really began to rear its ugly head and last week, it had me going to the emergency room to have it looked at!! I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure!!! I was immediately hospitalized for four days. I was a walking time bomb and didn't even know it at the time!! 

I got confused on which medicine to stop taking per order of the doc and got myself into some serious trouble! My heart was beating so fast that it also had me gasping for air at night and in the hospital! Fluid was in my lungs! I thought that I was going to die!!! 

Long story short, I was ultra-sounded to make sure that I had no blood clots, then I was put to sleep for about 15 minutes and my heart had to be shocked-treated with a defilbrilator to return it back to its regular normal beat - which was successful. 

But that means more medicine to help keep it that way. I'm back home now, but I went through something that I wouldn't want anyone else to go through! And a lot of it has to do with the food you eat. 

So please, if you notice anything strange with your heart and if it beats strangely, do not hesitate to have it checked out. It could mean the difference between life and death!!!


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## Gretchen (Nov 14, 2006)

I'm glad you have had a diagnosis. It is not a difficult problem to medicate and keep controlled. Unfortunately, with certain types of this, the long time fibrillation leads to an enlarged heart chamber and there is an added problem that can lead to stroke (the ultra-sound/blood clot). So your advice to be diagnosed is, of course, excellent.
If someone is not familiar with the feeling of an irregular heartbeat, it is that sort of "jump" feeling--when you truly feel as if your heart has missed a beat. A sort of "hole in the chest" feeling.


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## Andy M. (Nov 14, 2006)

Corey:

Glad to hear you did the smart thing and took action.


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## Corey123 (Nov 14, 2006)

Yes!!

I noticed it but ignored it for years. Thought nothing of it!!

I was on blood thinners (Heperin and Cumiton) to reduce or eliminate the chance of any blood clots which could cause a stroke, heart attack, or one could get into the lungs, which is also fatal. I'm STILL on them.

A-fibrillation, it is called. And if fluid gets into your lungs, you'll get a tight feeling in your chest and your oxygen will be cut off, making you gasp desparately for air!!! As if someone has their hands around your throat choking you!!!

My chest got sore and my voice had changed from gasping for air so many times!! What an aweful feeling!!!


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## kitchenelf (Nov 14, 2006)

Wow Corey - I'm so glad you went to the doctor.  How very scary.  Take care of yourself!!!!


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

Yes, thank you!!

I NEVER want to have to go through that again!!!


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## Gossie (Nov 15, 2006)

Corey, I'm so glad you finally went to the doctor.  So what meds are you on right now?  

Oh, by the way, one thing you do NOT want to do when you CHF, is smoke.  Smoking is a killer as is, with CHF, don't count on lasting too long.  My mom had CHF and she smoked.


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

I stopped smoking over twelve years ago, so I don't have to worry about that at all.

But the docs told me that alcohol is also dangerous for people with CHF as well. It could send the heart back into a relapse.


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## Gretchen (Nov 15, 2006)

If you were on the blood thinners and seeing a doctor regularly then I do not understand why your atrial fibrillation wasn't being treated previously. It is the atrial fib that can cause the stroke--hence the coumadin.


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## Gossie (Nov 15, 2006)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> I stopped smoking over twelve years ago, so I don't have to worry about that at all.
> 
> But the docs told me that alcohol is also dangerous for people with CHF as well. It could send the heart back into a relapse.


 
Even a glass of red wine a day?  I thought that was supposed to be good for the heart?


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## Gretchen (Nov 15, 2006)

Congestive heart failure is a different animal. It needs treatment and "curing". That is not a healthy heart condition for alcohol stress.  but Corey should be out of CHF now I would think.


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## thumpershere2 (Nov 15, 2006)

I have had irregular heart beats for over 20 years. I can feel my heart speed up and then back to normal. I had it checked several years ago but they didn't do anything. I guess I get this maybe a few times a year or more. Maybe should get it checked out again. O, but I hate drs.Yes I know hate is a strong word but if you had the drs we had here you would too. Just might have to go to a different town near by.Glad your on the right track now corey.


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## Gossie (Nov 15, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> Congestive heart failure is a different animal. It needs treatment and "curing". That is not a healthy heart condition for alcohol stress. but Corey should be out of CHF now I would think.


 
I didn't think ONE glass was stress.  But thanks for letting me know.  I do have someone else in my family with CHF, but she doesn't drink at all, so everything is ok there.  CHF aside, is one glass of red wine bad if you're on a blood thinner?


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

I thought so too!! Also, beer is supposed to be good for the heart as well, but I imagine that for anyone who has or had CHF, it's a no-no.

The coumadin is supposed to help keep the blood on the thin side to help prevent blood clots which would lead to a stroke if one were to travel up toward the brain.

And thank God that I have no blood clots and aim to keep it that way!! The coumadin keeps the blood thin and, in time, desolves any blood clots so that they don't pose any dangers.

If the docs found any blood clots during the ultrasound procedure, I'd have had to wait two weeks for the coumadin to disolve them before the shock treatment could be done.


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> Congestive heart failure is a different animal. It needs treatment and "curing". That is not a healthy heart condition for alcohol stress. but Corey should be out of CHF now I would think.


 


I should know tomorrow when I go to my appointment for an EKG. The heart rate should still be normal or near normal.


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## corazon (Nov 15, 2006)

Whew!  That must have been frightening.  Glad to hear you're okay Corey.


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## Harborwitch (Nov 15, 2006)

Corey I'm so glad you're on the mend.  A good friend of ours just had a TIA - actually lost vision and the ability to move one side of his body for a short while.  Scared him silly.  It took them 8 days to get him stable enough with the coumidin and other meds.  Now he's working on diet and exercise.  He'd known about the irregular heart beat for a long time - but just ignored it.


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## kitchenelf (Nov 15, 2006)

I'm going to say something here - Corey I really want you to sit down with your doctor and get some FACTS.  I have always been under the assumption that CHF cannot be cured but can be helped through nutrition and sometimes drugs (downfall there are side effects). Once a heart has gone into CHF it's an issue that just has to be dealt with but cannot be done away with.  Your quality of life does not have to be severely compromised - you just have to have some facts.

Certain ailments/illnesses/diseases can tolerate certain "foods/alcohol" while others cannot.  You have a nice combination going on here where things cannot be looked at separately.  

The mix-up with your meds was probably due to the anxiety you were under.  Under anxiety we can't really remember a lot of information that is thrown at us.  Take a pen and paper to your appointment and write things down.

Also, write down some questions now to take with you - leaving space after each one for some answers.  Write down your daily eating/drinking habits and write down all your known ailments.  Tell the doctor what you believe to be true about each one i.e., what you can eat/drink and it will be ok for A) diabetes B) high blood pressure, etc., etc.  It might not be this doctor that can clarify everything - it may have to be another doctor - but you need to do this.  It wouldn't hurt for a nutritionist to be involved either.  Once you see things written down it's much easier to follow the "rules".


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## Andy M. (Nov 15, 2006)

Kitchenelf's advice is exactly right.


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## Gretchen (Nov 15, 2006)

Gossie said:
			
		

> I didn't think ONE glass was stress. But thanks for letting me know. I do have someone else in my family with CHF, but she doesn't drink at all, so everything is ok there. CHF aside, is one glass of red wine bad if you're on a blood thinner?


 
That isn't exactly what I said. A person in congestive heart failure is not in a healthy state and should follow what the doctor says.  I have never heard the restriction concerning the possible re-precipitation of the CHF, but I am not a doctor.
And, again, not speaking as a doctor but as one married to one on coumadin with numerous heart problems under medical control, I can assure you that red wine is consumed.   ;o)


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## Snoop Puss (Nov 15, 2006)

Boy oh boy, Corey123. Sorry to hear what happened, glad you're still here to tell the tale. Take good care of yourself.


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

Thank you all!

In dealing with CHF, while in the emergency room, the docs had administered a more powerful version of the coumadin in liquid form through IV in small amounts.

When my heart rate reached 110 and was able to stay there, then and only then, was I allowed to be conveyed to a room upstairs for the hospital stay.

Over the weekend, two cardiologists had talked to me about having the shock treatment. They said that it would be the first of many tries to get the heart back in sync. The shock treatment did the trick!

The procedure WAS a success, but in order for the heart to STAY that way, the meds that they had me on while there, have to continue in order for the heart not to go back to the way that it was before it was restored to mormal rythem, in addition to the meds that I was already on.

I also had two shots of morphine plus some valium to ease the anxieties and stop those breathing attacks. One of the meds is to help keep the fluid off my lungs. That fluid was causing the breathing attacks.

The mix-up with the meds came when I had mistakingly stopped taking the cardizem and kept taking coumadin. The cardizem has stopped working and was replaced with a more powerful medicine for the heart and blood pressure to stay normal.


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## mudbug (Nov 15, 2006)

Yikes, Corey! Wishing you all the best.


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## Gretchen (Nov 15, 2006)

That makes me feel somewhat better--you _were_ being treated for the irregular heartbeat--it hadn't gone unnoticed.


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## Corey123 (Nov 15, 2006)

Thank you all!!

That's something that I never want to experience ever again!!

I really thought that I was going to die - and cried for mercy at the same time. It was very frightening and chilling!!

But it's so comfoting and relaxing to know that I can breathe much easier and sleep good at night without those **** breathing attacks and fast heart rate!!!


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## Corey123 (Dec 8, 2006)

I just had another relapse last week!!!

Same thing! It began at home when the SOB (shortness of breath) started. Had to call 911 and they rushed me to the nearest hospital!! 

Was there for 6 days and was released yesterday. Turns out that the toprol wasn't powerful enough. They had me on amiodorone through IV to help bring the heartrate back down, but that stuff has serious side effects and I 

I caused me to have a loss of appitite, weakness and nausea. I got sick and vomitted that night right after having another SOB attack. After that, they took me off the stuff and said that I've suffered enough side effects from it. I'm on the pill version, which should work, but with none of those sickening side effects.

I had an ultrasound to make sure their were no blood clots, and there wern't any, then a cardioversion yesterday. I'm alright now. The heartrate is back where it belongs, but I can't do too much or I'll get too tired easily.


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## BlueCat (Dec 8, 2006)

I had a similar experience in early 2005, when I got the flu and it turned into double pneumonia and then sepsis, where all your organs shut down.  I was off work for over 3 months while they tried to get everything working again.  Somehow, maybe when they did the cardioversion, my vocal chord got damaged and paralyzed too, so I had a funny, whispery high pitched voice for over 7 months.  It was frightening.  They had to confirm with hubby the DNR request twice while I was hospitalized, because they were sure I would throw a clot and not make it.  

I hope they get your medicines straightened out soon, and that you get through it and get better soon.

BC


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## StirBlue (Dec 8, 2006)

Good Health to you!


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## boufa06 (Dec 9, 2006)

Corey, please take good care of yourself!


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## Corey123 (Dec 9, 2006)

I'm trying so hard to, but at the same time, I'm scared to death of this and hope that it will eventually go away, even though they say that there is no known cure for it. In drastic cases, a heart transplant seems to be the only way out.

As a result of this latest bout, I'm on 11 different types of medicine to help control diabetes, high blood pressure, CHF, cholesterol and to help eliminate fluid in the lungs.

And BTW, the docs suggested that I not drink any more alcohol, at lease for a while, as it contributes to extra fluid in the body and possibly triggers the heart to have a relapse back to an irregular beat and palipitations. So now if I go out drinking, it can only be beverages with no alcohol.

I practically have to live a clean alcohol-free, very low sodium healthful stress-free life now and avoid too much stress.


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## BlueCat (Dec 10, 2006)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> I practically have to live a clean alcohol-free, very low sodium healthful stress-free life now and avoid too much stress.


 
While that might be hard to swallow right now, it beats the alternative!

BC


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## Corey123 (Dec 10, 2006)

I think my alcohol-drinking days are behind me now.

I never was an alcoholic, but I haven't touched any alcohol for a while now. Not since Thanksgiving, and I STILL have liquor and beer in the house and I'm not tempted to drink any!!


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## texasgirl (Dec 10, 2006)

I am so sorry that you had to go through such a scare. You better take care of yourself from now on!!!!
Be VERY careful with the Cumatin!!!! It can be very bad news if they don't monitor you. I won't get into it, but, just make sure they watch your blood thinness at regular visits.


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## In the Kitchen (Dec 10, 2006)

*Heart*

Wishing you good health and good doctors to take care of you.


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## Corey123 (Dec 11, 2006)

Thank you all for your continued support!!

Incidently, I AM going to see the doc today to see how the cumadin is doing. They've once told me to stop with it because the blood was too thin, then the told me to take half a pill.

I AM trying to be more careful this time. And it also looks like some of my strength is returning back to me. As long as I don't overtax myself, I think I'll be fine. 

Heart is STILL at the normal beat. No A-fib and no palipitations so far. I was on longer treatment at the hospital this time around and wasn't rushed out.

Yes, it takes time to heal, and hopefully all of my strength will return. But I just can't rush things, or I might end up back in danger again, and I don't want that to happen ever again.

That is the most scariest thing - Not being able to breathe!!! I was deathly afraid to lye down because of that, thinking that I might die!!!!!!


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