My Heart Issues: Stress Echocardiogram Referral & Worries

[Tsu]

Yeah!111 WELL...?

Are you still alive, chroot? Did you fall off of your treadmill?

 

[chroot]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all the kind words and good thoughts! Apparently they helped, since the stress echocardiogram came back totally clean. The cardiologist said he wished most of his patients were as healthy as me.

However, he also scheduled me to have about 8,000 blood tests run, and I'm hopeful something will show up. Today wasn't a very fun day. I had to fast for twelve hours, then show up at the hospital for the blood tests at 10 am. I was already a little shaky when I got there. After the girl had drawn no more than one vial of blood, I promptly got tunnel vision, ringing in my ears, and passed out. It took about a half an hour for the episode to clear enough to allow a doctor to draw the rest of my samples, while I was laying down.

The fun didn't stop there, of course. Even though they gave me two glasses of orange juice and a banana after the samples were taken, I nearly passed out again while driving the ten minutes to work, and almost caused a major accident.

When I got to work, I immediately hit up the cafeteria, and tried to eat a reasonable lunch. Unfortunately, I discovered that eating was agonizing. I had to force myself to just to chew and swallow a sandwich that I normally love eating. I only ate about a quarter of it, and just couldn't tolerate any more.

Then came the splitting headache. A while later, my boss came by to find me lying on the floor of my cubicle. After he roused me and I sat up again, I had to run to the bathroom and throw up my lunch in... a urinal. (Sorry, Mr. Janitor. I really didn't mean to.)

So, I left work, managed to drive myself home somehow, and slept most of the afternoon. The headache is still with me, but I'm feeling a lot better now after a decent dinner.

I really *hope* the blood tests reveal something wrong, because, you know, fasting for 12 hours and having some blood drawn really shouldn't cause me to pass out three times over four hours.

I'm glad my heart's okay, though. I think blood sugar problems are far easier to treat than heart troubles.

Thanks again for all your thoughts... I'll keep you updated.

- Warren

 

[Gale]

wow warren, i hope things get better. sounds like an awful day. hope tomorrow is better! and hope the tests turn something up

 

[Gokul43201]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all the kind words and good thoughts! Apparently they helped, since the stress echocardiogram came back totally clean.
- Warren

Good to hear.

 

[Moonbear]

Wow...glad it's nothing with your heart, and although it really sucks to be passing out like that, I'm glad it happened while you were at the doctor's office so they could get the blood work while you were experiencing whatever it is that's causing the problems. That really does sound like a blood sugar problem. The symptoms are classic hypoglycemic symptoms, but then it becomes a matter of determining why you're experiencing these symptoms.

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/index.htm

Is it possible that by increasing your training for that thing you have planned this summer, you've been burning even more calories than usual and are not eating enough to compensate?

In the meantime, unless the doctor has recommended otherwise, I'd suggest you keep a stockpile of fruits and grains (bread, rice, granola bars) around and eat lots of small snacks during the day (but none with high sugar in them...your body may overreact to simple sugars and make the problem worse).

And, please, be careful driving until things are sorted out. If you're prone to passing out lately, you might be better off carpooling with someone else to work, taking public trasnportation, or since your boss already found you passed out on the floor, he would likely understand if you took some sick days off or could arrange to work from home.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Hypoglycemia sounds like a good possibility to me, too. I googled a couple other sites and found headache and fainting as possible symptoms on top of the ones mentioned at Moonbear's link.

 

[Astronuc]

The symptoms are classic hypoglycemic symptoms

that and/or low blood pressure. When I was riding my bicycle everyday and exercising (back in grad school), my pulse rate and blood pressure were pretty low.

I periodically donated blood at the Red Cross. One time I rode to the place on my bike. When they took my blook pressure, a normal routine, it was 80/65, and they said it was too low. I felt fine, but they did not want to take my blood. So I left and rode my bike to back to my office, got something to eat and drank some coffee, rode my bike back. When they restested my blood pressure, it was up to a more normal 110/70.

I have had cases when donating a pint of blood that I felt like I had tunnel vision and a slight ringing in the ears. Fasting 12 hrs beforehand certainly doesn't help. When donating blood, they recommend big meals with fair portions of meat and iron-containing vegetables.

I talked with my mom who was a cardiac nurse, and she indicated that besides the heart (things like blockages, valve malfunction or electrocardio issues), they symptoms you described could be related to an endocrine problem, which should show up in a blood test. People with overactive adrenal glands or thyroid problems have similar symptoms. They may go unnoticed in most people, and only show up in athletes who push themselves - which is what one is doing with heavy exercise and bike riding.


Of course, one would want to get the pancreas checked out in order to rule out some form of diabetes.

chroot - Just curious, during the stress test, how high did the bpm go, and did it stay elevated for a relatively long time?

 

[ZapperZ]

The fun didn't stop there, of course. Even though they gave me two glasses of orange juice and a banana after the samples were taken, I nearly passed out again while driving the ten minutes to work, and almost caused a major accident.

Er... wait a second. The doctor wasn't not concerned that you passed out, and let you continue on with the rest of your day?

Then came the splitting headache. A while later, my boss came by to find me lying on the floor of my cubicle. After he roused me and I sat up again, I had to run to the bathroom and throw up my lunch in... a urinal. (Sorry, Mr. Janitor. I really didn't mean to.)

So, I left work, managed to drive myself home somehow, and slept most of the afternoon. The headache is still with me, but I'm feeling a lot better now after a decent dinner.

Wait another second! No one called the ambulance and got you to the emergency room? I mean, passing out at work and being found on the floor isn't something one just brushes aside! And they still let you drive home yourself?

Am I blowing things out of proportions here?

I hope you feel better, but I really wish you had better care than the impression that I'm getting. My doctor would NEVER let me continue on after something like that especially driving, and I certainly would HAVE to go to the emergency room whether I want to or not if I pass out at work here unless I specifically sign a waiver.

Zz.

 

[Chi Meson]

OK. Even better, not enough Gatorade! I'm glad your biking is safe.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Am I blowing things out of proportions here?

I don't think so, now that you bring attention to all these things. There was certainly a great lack of caution in the air.

 

[chroot]

Well, the people at the hospital gave me a bunch of juice and fruit and made sure I was feeling decent before they sent me off; there was no reason for them to expect I'd have another episode later.

My boss also encouraged me to go back to the hospital, but I denied it and just drove home instead.

- Warren

 

[Ivan Seeking]

When I had my glucose tolerance test, it took nearly five hours for the total effect to be felt. I was fine for the first few hours, but after the doctor sent me back to work, my blood sugar dove and I passed out cold at my desk. I now realize that my blood sugar can dive long after the consumption of a large quantity of carbs. This results from an over-production of insulin and is not a simple case of low blood sugar. This is somewhat typical of AOD - adult onset diabetes - but in my case, a little different animal.

I 've passed out or come really close a couple of dozen times at least. Fun, huh. On the up side, I have managed to control it without drugs after an intial "kick-start" with Precose.