Another Freaking Health Scare - UPDATE In First Post

[Christine]

I really want to apologize first for "unloading" here. I do it all the time. But it really helps to get it out. If you don't like the medical posts, just stop reading now because this one is full of it.

I have been seeing my GP for tachycardia. I have all the lab tests run, echo, etc. Apparently, I'm healthy but have a rapid heart rate. My doctor prescribed Verapamil, which is used to control high blood pressure and has a side effect of slowing down the heart. He gave me the "teenagers" dose which is also used to treat migraine headaches. I am very sensitive to meds so I was nervous. But, after I popped the first one, I felt fine.

Next morning I woke up and I was kind of "pink". I thought, oh well, this medicine wides and relaxes blood vessels, of course I might be pink (I tend to flush easily anyway). The second day I took it, I was even more pink and then I developed a fine sandpapery rash on my inner forearms.

I stopped the meds (Sunday was my last pill), reported it to the doctor, and went on my way. I have gradually become less pink this week and no rash since Monday night. Today, I wake up and am getting dressed for work and I happen to catch a glimpse of my nude torso in the mirror and I think "Man, I have a lot of moles." Upon further inspection, they are not moles but lots of little tiny red-to-purple "dots" on my torso, hips, and butt. They are not raised and they do not blanch out.

So I get in to see the doctor. It is called petechiae. Me and the doctor are "hoping" that this is a side effect of the drug allergy. Drug allergy is one of the bigger causes of it. But, the doctor is perplexed that it didn't show up until today and not with the other rash. Petechiae, of course, is a sign of very OMNIOUS stuff (meningitis, blood disorders, leukemias, etc). The doctor ran an entirely new blood chemistry on me (I just had one done last month) and some tests to check my clotting. I asked him what would be do if the tests were not normal. He said "I don't want to tell you because I know you will drive yourself crazy with it but there will be further tests."

I am so scared and sick right now. My logical "voice" inside tells me that my skin and capillaries are probably irritated from the drug reaction. But it is SO hard not to think that I've got some sort of awful thing going on.

I am also just so tired of going to the doctor. It never stops. I keep having one thing after another wrong with me and it is really wearing me down. So far, I have been fortunate that all has turned out well, but these constant "things" are really getting in the way of my work, my daily life, and my emotional state.

I used to really disdain those people who never went to the doctor to check things out. Now I think I'm going to join them.

Please send me some good vibes and if you have any experience with this, I'd love to hear it.
UPDATE: Looks like the gods are smiling on me today. Got the call from my doc that the blood workup was "normal" and I had "nothing to worry about." Great feeling. Of course, I was so nervous I forgot to ask about my potassium levels that were low last month. I guess I can get back with them next week. Thanks for your support1

 

[SDFgirl]

 

[mickeysgal]

Good grief! That would scare me too.

Since the rash appeared after you took the medicine, I would make the assumption that it is a drug allergy and not a sign of another type of illness. Good thing you caught it though. Drug allergies are nothing to be casual about.

 

[Tantor]

Sending some good vibes and hugs.

 

[ckmommy]

I am sure the blood test will be fine!! I know exactly how you feel. We have talked about this before. When will you get the results?? Please check back in with us when they come back. I will be thinking of you!!!

 

[Christine]

I am sure the blood test will be fine!! I know exactly how you feel. We have talked about this before. When will you get the results?? Please check back in with us when they come back. I will be thinking of you!!!

He told me that the results will be in tomorrow morning. He is going to be off tomorrow, but his partner will be in during the morning hours. He told me that he was going to instruct his partner to look for my test results first thing and then to call me with them. I actually heard him do this before I left the office. The nurse was a bit skeptical that the report would be in tomorrow, but the doctor said there was only a 1-day turnaround on this. If the "system" works well, I will know something tomorrow morning. If not, I will have to wait until Monday.

 

[Maleficent13]

I'm sorry, Christine. I know what you mean about it getting in the way! I tend to obsess about health scares. I am sure it's a reaction to the drug and nothing more. I'm glad you stopped taking them.

 

[rascalmom]

I take Verapamil for PSVT - it took them forever to diagnose what was causing my symptoms, so I kind of know what you are going through. There are other medicines - initially I was on a different one & they decided this one would be better for me. I do have the flushing - but that is something that I have had since before the medication. I have mild rosacea & they think that is part of it. Never any bumps or splotches though - I just sometimes look like I'm a bit sunburned.

Hang in there - I have been healing up from my broken ankle (2nd time in a year), I have the PSVT condition, rosacea, a wierd eye condition called Map Dot dystrophy, I need a hysterectomy for cysts & endometriosis & I get migraines. Boy - do I sound pathetic. None of these things are major, just uncomfortable & sometimes inconvenient. So, I know what you mean about it always seeming to be something!

PS - I just remembered the name of the other med. It was called Toprol - maybe there is something else that will help you.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Christine, I would bet any money it was the drug - a calcium channel blocker. Wondering why they chose to use that instead of a beta blocker - do you have asthma (can't remember)?

If you had one of the "bigger issues" going on there would be other things, too, not just the petechiae. At one point during chemo my whole surgical area (i.e. breast) spontaneously broke out into not only petechia but purpura. I got that sick feeling, too, that something else must be going on. But it resolved on it's own and that was the end of it.

Hang in there.

 

[Christine]

I take Verapamil for PSVT - it took them forever to diagnose what was causing my symptoms, so I kind of know what you are going through. There are other medicines - initially I was on a different one & they decided this one would be better for me. I do have the flushing - but that is something that I have had since before the medication. I have mild rosacea & they think that is part of it. Never any bumps or splotches though - I just sometimes look like I'm a bit sunburned.

Hang in there - I have been healing up from my broken ankle (2nd time in a year), I have the PSVT condition, rosacea, a wierd eye condition called Map Dot dystrophy, I need a hysterectomy for cysts & endometriosis & I get migraines. Boy - do I sound pathetic. None of these things are major, just uncomfortable & sometimes inconvenient. So, I know what you mean about it always seeming to be something!

PS - I just remembered the name of the other med. It was called Toprol - maybe there is something else that will help you.

rascalmom--The doc did mention Toprol but for now I'm going to use Inderal because I know it is safe for me (but somewhat sedating). He said that when I get comfortable using the Inderal, I could switch to Toprol or something like it for the "convenience" aspect.

Funny about the rosacea--you see, I have that too. So when I flushed from the Verapamil, I figured that it was because I already flush easily. Verapamil opens the blood vessels so it makes sense that you would flush. The second day when I got the prickly rash, I still didn't think it was an allergy because the "prickles" would come and go (they flared up after a shower or bath). Right now, my left upper arm is still itchy and gets red occasionally, but it actually will do this if I am out in the sun alot (go figure--but I believe that's the rosacea).

Anyway, my hope is that between my easy flushing, the verapamil widening the blood vessels, that I just have aggravated my blood vessels and cause some of them to burst. The red dots are only slightly larger than a "period" in this post.

It's just so hard to think something awful is going on.

 

[Christine]

Christine, I would bet any money it was the drug - a calcium channel blocker. Wondering why they chose to use that instead of a beta blocker - do you have asthma (can't remember)?

If you had one of the "bigger issues" going on there would be other things, too, not just the petechiae. At one point during chemo my whole surgical area (i.e. breast) spontaneously broke out into not only petechia but purpura. I got that sick feeling, too, that something else must be going on. But it resolved on it's own and that was the end of it.

Hang in there.

The reason he chose a calcium channel blocker is that they have no sedating side effects. Long term/daily use of beta blockers *can* cause mild depressant symptoms. The times that I have used a beta blocker, I have felt fairly lethargic but I swear it was because my dose was too high. I can do fairly well on 10mg of Inderal and get the heart rate down without sedation. One doctor gave me Inderal LA 80 mgs. once and I swear I was tired for 3 days and my heart rate was down in the 50s. Sorry, but that's overmedicated. So, I just think he was going to try something different. Apparently, verapamil is well tolerated in low doses and it is the top prescribed migraine med for teenagers. I guess he thought I'd have less side effects.

The comforting thing is that I did have a blood chemistry done one month ago and everything was fine then. So, unless some type of dreaded disease developed in the last month, I think I'll be okay. Fear is awful though. And it did kind of scare me that the doctor seemed a bit concerned. I really thought he was going to blow me off and send me out of there with a pat on the back. I guess he wants to make sure I don't have one of the infections brewing (meningitis) that can cause this.

 

[rascalmom]

Have they ruled out shingles? I don't know what that looks like, but I do know that it comes with "tingles" - although from what I have heard they are usually pretty painful.

I've had hives from other drug reactions - they weren't necessarily immediate. Sometimes I think this stuff just stays in the blood stream for a while - hopefully that is all it is with you.

 

[Christine]

Have they ruled out shingles? I don't know what that looks like, but I do know that it comes with "tingles" - although from what I have heard they are usually pretty painful.

I've had hives from other drug reactions - they weren't necessarily immediate. Sometimes I think this stuff just stays in the blood stream for a while - hopefully that is all it is with you.

It's definitely not shingles. These things have no feeling and that are "classic" petechiae (if you look it up on the internet you can see it although they show much worse cases than what I have).

 

[Mimi Q]

 

[mom2grace]

Do you have SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia)?

If so, have they considered an ablation to cure the issue? I was diagnosed with SVT about 30 years ago as a child, before I became pregnant, my OB made me see a cardiologist. I was able to control my svt without meds my entire life, even though once I was on the monitor, my HR was 220+!

But, I was able to have the ablation and have been "episode" free for nearly 6 years, and I got a trip to WDW out of it!

 

[kapeedmaro]

 

[Aidensmom]

Your "rash" sounds like a first-time allergic reaction. I have a couple of drug allergies, and that is how the first time appeared with all of them. So there definately is that possiblity.

I also had a lot of trouble with tachycardia at one point, turned out I had developed a caffiene sensitivity that caused it. If you have not given up caffiene, try that and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Sparx]

 

[Cruisin]

My arms are literally covered with tiny petechiae and as far as I know I am perfectly healthy.

I have had them for years. They don't bother me (unless I get to looking at them and decide that I don't like the way they look, purely cosmetic).

I have no idea what causes them

Do you take aspirin on a regular basis, apparently that can be a cause of petechiae too? I do and maybe that is causing mine.

So try not to worry too much until the doctor gives you a good reason to worry. It could be something totally harmless and non lifethreatening.

 

[Christine]

My arms are literally covered with tiny petechiae and as far as I know I am perfectly healthy.

I have had them for years. They don't bother me (unless I get to looking at them and decide that I don't like the way they look, purely cosmetic).

I have no idea what causes them

Do you take aspirin on a regular basis, apparently that can be a cause of petechiae too? I do and maybe that is causing mine.

So try not to worry too much until the doctor gives you a good reason to worry. It could be something totally harmless and non lifethreatening.

Are your "spots" permanent? Because if they are, then they aren't petechiae. There is some type of small, flat mole that looks just like a petechiae but it is permanent and never fades. A petechiae will start out bright rade, fade to purple and then disappear.

Is that what is happening with you, that you just keep getting new ones over and over?