Bad Night

[AJVDK]

Well I had a really bad night last night. I woke up to feeling like I could breath, and someone was standing on my chest. I could get it to go away. I got up out of bed and took a bath, I took an extra beta blocker, and I then went and lied back down, ands it went away. I went back to sleep only to have it happen again. It went on this way when I got up. So around noon I went to a urgent care center, as I didn?t feel I need to go to a er. I was called back; the RN said I looked too young to have heart problems. Then she goes on to tell me I am the youngest person she has met whit a pacemaker. She never asked what meds I was taking and says I am going to go get the doctor. I was like ok. The doctor comes it and said what you ate last night so I told here, I had stake, and corn around 7:00pm; she said well it could be heartburn. I was dumb founded but, just sat there, and then she asked it I am feeling down or scared. I was like NO! So then she goes with you history we are going to do an EKG, but I am sure there will be nothing wrong.

So I waited about 15 mins, for the RN to come and do the EKG. She printed one out and said well I think I am going to do a 2nd one. (I am like ok?) So she does and says well it looked ok, but the doctor needs to talk to you about what it shows. (Looks ok but the doctor needs to talk to you?) So anyways I wait again, and then the doctor comes in and asked how long I have had a heart block. I was like what? I have never been told I have had a heart block. So she tells me the EKG shows I have Right Bundle Branch heart Block. Then she goes I want to to go see your cardio the first part of the week and have another ekg done. Then she goes on to say well don?t worry about it treatment would be a pacemaker most of the time, and you all ready have one. (I am like ok???) Then she tells me to go get some over the counter meds for heart burn, and writes a script for Xanax, and tells me to take it if I get stressed out.

So needless to say I am more confused then when I went. I am going to call my doctor Monday am and have them get a copy of the EKG, and have them read it and go from here. SO who knows? I am just like how can you tell some one the have heart block, heartburn, and they are stressed out? So that was my day. I am off to bed now to try to get some sleep. Thank you, listing to my venting.

[Dizzy Dame]

Hey Amy,

I'm so sorry to hear about your bad night and day

You probably know this but Lyme can cause electrical problems in the heart that show up on the EKG. Also I have a "right bundle branch block" that shows up on my EKG every time and my heart's in great shape. From my understanding, often times that particular kind of change on the EKG (which often shows up as an elongated T-wave) is idiopathic and doesn't mean anything dangerous.

I'm glad you're going to the cardiologist! Hopefully it'll be nothing more than a harmless electrical problem In the meantime, you'll be in my thoughts.

Please let us know what happens!

Hugs,

Lauren

[goldicedance]

It may just be that the pacemaker is causing the ekg to be funny. They may not have told the ekg machine that you had a pacer. I had a similar thing happen to me.

[AJVDK]

Well thats the thing she was told I has a pacemaker and even asked me if I had one, I am just wondering if they read it right, thats why I am going to have my doctor call and get a copy faxed to see whats going on. I have not had a ekg done in 3-4 months, so I am not sure if things could change or not? I will let you all know what I find out!

[cardiactec]

right bundle branch block is a pretty common finding. i have incomplete right bundle branch block. usually it is not a true block but more of a delay between the electrical impulses of the right bundle with the left bundle (they are supposed to depolarize almost simultaneously)....not sure what the nurse was talking about with pacemaker therapy for right bundle branch block, i have never heard of that for treatment for a right bundle branch block. pacemakers are primarily for people whos rhythm's are too slow, so the pacemaker is implanted to pace the heart when it drops below normal rates, or for some kinds of 2nd degree blocks and most always 3rd (complete heart block). hm, i'd definitely check with the cardio in follow up. dont get too concerned. i hope you feel better. i know how the breathing thing can be. it's horrible. take care.

[nadine]

Sorry to hear that you are feeling poorly again- just when you were posting that you seem to be improving!!

Hope you get answers soon to your concerns --- take care

[Babettegall]

Amy,

I was so sorry to read about your urgent care adventure. What an ordeal to have to go through!

Keep us posted on what your cardio says, okay? Maybe this was just a fluke or something.......anything but something serious, right?!

Heartburn from steak and corn? LOL, I can't believe they were going to dismiss your symptoms so easily.....

Take care hon...... my thoughts are with you!

[DancingLight]

Well, Amy, you certainly got incompetent medical care! Good grief!

However, I did just want to chime in with Lauren on the Lyme front...

I had one of the worst every ANS flares after starting the abx for Lyme and was not at all prepared for how the abx would affect my ANS. All of the tachy, shakes, chills, goofy heartbeats, needing IVs on ER basis, being ashen gray, etc came full force and it was my reaction to the abx. and my herx. It caught us all (doctors and myself) off-gaurd. So, I just wanted to see if perhaps the abx could be causing this and the cardio would not necessarily pick up on that? Can you talk to your Lyme doctor???

How much doxy are you taking?

Emily

[AJVDK]

Emily,

I am only taking 100 mg twice and day. I just started my 2nd month of treatment. I am not sure if that could cause that much problems. Could it? I am going to call the doctor in the am, and see whats going on. I am still feeling very odd, and am still having chest pain/ prussure off and on, I don't want to go to the ER as half the time it a bad deal. Also today I begain to get very sick to my tummy. So have been in the bathroom alot. I am hoping that it will pass soon. I am hoping that monday am will come soon, and can find whats going on.

Talk to you later!

Amy

[Guest malosp]

Emily,

I am only taking 100 mg twice and day. I just started my 2nd month of treatment. I am not sure if that could cause that much problems. Could it? I am going to call the doctor in the am, and see whats going on. I am still feeling very odd, and am still having chest pain/ prussure off and on, I don't want to go to the ER as half the time it a bad deal. Also today I begain to get very sick to my tummy. So have been in the bathroom alot. I am hoping that it will pass soon. I am hoping that monday am will come soon, and can find whats going on.

Talk to you later!

Amy

Hi Amy,

Yes the fact that you are now on antibiotics, could certainly have something to do with what is going on with you.

When you are on antibiotics your symptoms can get worst before they get better. And that is whatever symptoms you were having before can be even greater for awhile.

That is what they call a herx. It does get better.

It is always good to know that the reason this happens is because you are killing the lyme.

But you don't want to feel like your killing yourself in trying to kill the lyme.

You may want to talk to your doctor and see what he/she says as they may recommend a slower approach.

[DancingLight]

Amy,

Doxycycline is really, really, really tough on the tummy. Are you also taking probiotics? Some people cannot tolerate it at all b/c it is so hard on the tummy. I ended up getting diarrhea so bad, waiting it out (b/c I knew I had to feel worse before I felt better) and ending up in the ER with super-duper low sodium levels and needing to go by ambulance b/c I had let it go so far. Not trying to scare you. Not my point....just saying, don't do what I did! Some diarrhea with the doxy is okay probably but it is still good to let your doc know. You can also get C. Difficile and need to watch for that if the diarrhea persists! Fun, fun! Ultimiately, your Lyme doctor needs to be up on this and monitoring what is going on.

Also, ONLy 200 mg a day! Yes, that sounds like a teeny amount, but I could NOT tolerate that and that is when I got super duper sick. You may want to see if the Lyme doc would like you to back off a bit or wait it out. For me, I waited it out too long and had to stop treatment completely for a while to stabalize. Ideally, you want to be able to tolearate treatment, vs. have to go off b/c you increased the abx too quickly.

Anyways, when I am at my worst herxing (on the doxy) I literally feel like I am dying. It was too much for my body, so we are trying to find a better balance, and seem to be managing better with much lower doses of abx and much slower increase time.

Hope this helps! It's all very confusing. But, yes, you could certainly feel 'this sick' from a herx if you truly do have lyme.

Emily

[AJVDK]

Well I talk to my doctor today, and we ae going to contuine the treatment as we have, as I finally have energy. My EKG, did show RBBB, but he said it not much different then ekg done before, he going to keep an eye on things. If not any better we will se me on Wed. Also I am just to take in easy. I been feel better in the last week, and I think I push myself to much. Today I spent most of the day sleeping and still feel teal run done. My stomach is doing better today so hopfully the doxy is not casuing the problem. I really don't want to stop the treatment.

Thanks for all of you thoughts I will keep you all posted!