Guest ANCY Posted March 5, 2016 Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 So Wednesday I passed out and hit my head rather hard in the shower resulting in a concussion. CT was unremarkable just told me not to hit my head again. Trouble is that things continue to worsen and now the constant vomiting is jeopardizing my hydration, I can't even get my tube feeds going... My heart rate is now averaging in the 40s so know I'm not far away from my breaking point...My question is does anyone know how dysautonomia affects a head injury? Would it make it take longer to heal? Is there any self care ideas I'm missing? I know to do ice and my nurse put me on bed rest.Thanks so much for reading and responding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 I don't know how dysautonomia affects the healing of a concussion. However, head trauma can be a cause of dysautonomia. I mention this because the head trauma could, in theory, worsen your dysautonomia. If you are losing more fluids than your taking in, please consider talking to your doc about getting some IV fluids and whatever else they might be able to do to ease the situation. Dehydration will make the dysautonomia and the concussion worse. And, I'm so sorry this happened. It always seems like one thing after another. Feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer65 Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 I can't offer any words of wisdom but I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery and so sorry this happened you you Best wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 Katybug, thank you for the advice, I will try and discuss it with my home care nurse today. It is a real bummer, just as I was starting to really improve too... thank you for caring.Dancer65, thank you for your kindness and well wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Another question..Nurse today was unhappy about my deteriorating condition and my heart rate remaining mostly in the 30s and 40s. So he called AMR and got me to the ER. ER dr is suspicious of a Vagal nerve injury, caused by the concussion, causing the bradycardia. Anyone hear of this? Anyway admitted for observation not sure what they are going to do at this point besides iv fluids and more nausea meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahA33 Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Ancy,I wish I had something helpful to offer, just wanted to tell you to hang in there. SO sorry this happened. Wishing you all the best. Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Thank you Sarah! Thankfully good news today. Doing much better today! Pulse is up over 60 so that's great. No vomiting either dr said that vomiting that much can stimulate the vagus nerve which is probably what dropped my heart rate, or, concussion injured the nerve in some way. Cardiologist said she could here a murmur indicative of dehydration but should go away after some more IV fluids. Restarting tube feeds now so hospital dr wants to keep me until tomorrow to make sure that I am tolerating ok without vomiting. Thankfully both nurses have been on it so far and taken care of me during prior admissions so already familiar with my wacky body, in other words, not freaking out when I pass out lol! Thank you all for caring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 So sorry Ancy! Hope you'll feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 ANCY,So glad you and your nurse and doctor were on it and got you some acute treatment! Glad to hear today is better and moving in the right direction!Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Thank you all for the well wishes! Made it home from the hospital today! Feeling much better than when I went in. Heart Rate is back to its POTS "normal" during the day, most of the time, and the cardiologist said I can restart the Corlanor once my heart rate stays above 60 overnight. Dr said it's highly probable that the bradycardia I have now is due to my extra low potasium which they are now suplementing. I was able to get my tube feeds going with minimal isues, so happy about that! ☺ Hoping the rest of my concussion symptoms will go away soon, in the mean time, have to be super careful. Until then I'll be under observation by a home care nurse for good measure. Once again thanks for all the well wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvie33 Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 So happy to hear this.......! Â ? Â - s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahA33 Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Ancy -- so glad your on the road to recovery! Fingers crossed so that your HR behaves itself and stays above 60 bpm so that you can restart our favorite med "corlanor/Ivabradine".    Were you symptomatic with the low potassium? Take care!! Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Thank you both for the well wishes! Sarah- Really hard to know what symptoms relate to what right now lol! I know from past personal experiences with low potassium my heart rate would drop, usually only to the high 40s, typically with an arythmia, and I got LOTS of leg cramps. Since I already had these symptoms it would be really hard to know if it actually is the potassium or something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 12, 2016 Report Share Posted March 12, 2016 Anyone have any ideas how to get your heart rate to stay up? Unfortunately my heart rate has taken another nose dive into the 30/40s and trying to make it through the weekend and see my cardiologist Monday. So different then my usual tachy problem just wondered if anyone had any ideas? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 This saga is just dragging on and on, I feel like I'm doing an awful lot of complaining... so sorry! So went back to the ER today and was once again admitted for bradycardia, this time around 34 coming in. So far they have bolused 3 litters of fluid and got my heart rate up to 40.... Maybe they will figure something out tomorrow idk... Anyones input would be appreciated, I am pretty much stumped right now with what is going on with my body. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amalia01 Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Ancy. I do not have any useful information for you but do hope they figure things out for you soon. Don't feel bad about reaching out to the community. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer65 Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Hi ancy i don't think you are complaining these sort of things are frustrating and scary . I am sorry to hear you have had a bad time again keep us updated and sending hugs to get better soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvie33 Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Dear Ancy, I just also want to send you my best wishes and an additional hug! Â ??? Sylvie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 So sorry Ancy, I have brady episodes as well that can't be explained. Not as often as you do but wanted you to know you're not alone. Have your doctors mentioned a pacer? Take care and please let us know how it goes okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Ancy,  So sorry this is not getting better. I don't feel like you are complaining at all.  The only experience I have with sustained brachycardia is with my mother. She had been experiencing presyncopal symptoms and severe fatigue and breathlessness.  The docs danced around all kinds of diagnoses and passed her around to various specialists. My cardiologist sent her for an exercise stress test. The cardiologist monitoring the test wouldn't even let her get on the treadmill. She put her in a wheelchair and wheeled her over to the ER for admittance. The did a battery of tests and by the same time the next morning, she was diagnosed with a right bundle branch block and had a pacemaker implanted. Her heart rate was at 42 when she was admitted and even making her walk the halls, they could only get her up to 45. A bundle branch block is a disruption in the electrical conductivity from the top chamber of the heart to the bottom chamber on the same side. She is much better now with the pacemaker....in fact, she was so much better when she woke from the surgery, she was asking for food and when she could get up and walk. It's amazing  what having blood in all the right parts will do.  Just so you know, this is not a dysautonomia issue, although I suspect my mom does have some undiagnosed autonomic problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 14, 2016 Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 Thank you all for the well wishes and being understanding! Cardiologist said that I'm not in danger of my heart stopping and does not think I need emergency pacemaker but it's not off the table. Wants me to see MY cardiologist tomorrow and also thinks it's best to wait and see if things will improve on their own. Ordered labs, EKG and talking to MY cardiologist about doing an echo. Holding around 38-40 and go up slightly with activity, dr said I'd be miserable until something changes but it's not causing any damage to my heart. Also said I'm a difficult patient lol! Guess because I'm not 65 with heart failure so treatment is not straightforward. Thank you Katybug for sharing about your mom good to hear of pacemaker success, especially when cardiologist not to sure it would fix my problems.  Corina, if you don't mind could you share a little more on your bradycardia issues? Thanks! Amalia, dancer, and Sylvie, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted March 14, 2016 Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 I'm not sure there's much to tell Ancy. The episodes come and go, they may take 2 days to much longer (weeks, even months). My crdio isn't concerned as my heart is very healthy, it's just that it's very tiring and when bp is low also I can't leave my bed. So far they haven't found a cause (of course) so think for me it is a dyautonomic issue. We have been discussing a pacemaker and I've at a point where I thought "Okay just put one in and help me live my life again" but it's not that straight forward so we are holding it off. Also I do really bad during surgery dys-wise (esp under general an and epidural) which is another reason to hold off! When I can't leave my bed due to brady (and low bp) and need to use the bathroom I air bike for some minutes which gets my hr up just enough to go. At times I need to crawl back, oops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 14, 2016 Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 Corina, thank you for sharing! While we are hoping that this all just post concussion problems it's nice to hear I'm not alone in this problem. I hope you and your Dr can figure things out so you can have a better quality of life. BTW what is your range when you have bradycardia? Heart Rate is up to 47 today hoping that means it's just a temp issue for me. Still waiting to see my cardiologist and see what he thinks although I'm pretty certain he is not going to want to do a pacemaker at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted March 15, 2016 Report Share Posted March 15, 2016 So heart rate got up in the 50s/60s yesterday so they sent me home after seeing a cardiologist, but not  mine. Trouble is my heart rate was back to 38 before I even left the hospital room to go home... the cardiologist I saw was not the least bit concerned with how low my heart rate is going. Basicly said they will not place a pacemaker because it has always been sinus rythym and I just have to suck it up and deal with the side effects of the bradycardia. Said no need to go to the ER or do anything about it dropping because they have nothing to offer me... fervently praying this is a temporary issue secondary to the concussion because I can't imagine living like this forever!! Corina I don't know how you deal with it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted March 15, 2016 Report Share Posted March 15, 2016 Low for me is 30's to 40's. Ido hope it's temporarily too Ancy. For me it comes and goes so I always know that at some point I will be back on my feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.