Now I'm Very Scared (Medical Related)

[Christine]

Let me start by saying that I will be seeing my doctor at 10:30 this morning.

If any of you read my posts yesterday, you will know I've got a few things going on.

I haven't been feeling well for a few days. Just some fatigue and a burning throat. Then, I was having some bladder pressure. No burning or anything like that, just an intermittant need to "go." So, I went to the doctor on Wednesday. I do not have a "confirmed" bladder infection, but she gave me some medication. On Thursday morning (yesterday), I took the first pill. About 3-4 hours after taking the pill, I noticed that my heart rate was very high (close to 140 bpm). At first, I thought it was because I had taken a hot shower (that did seem to set it off). So, I sat on the couch for awhile and tried to remain calm. This did not work. So, I took a beta-blocker drug that lowers the heart rate. I happen to have these on hand because I do get "bouts" of rapid heart rate, although they have never really been more than about 120. This heart rate was much worse. After about 30 minutes, the medication kicked in and my heart rate was fairly normal all day. About an hour or so after the "heart" incident, suddenly my throat became very sore. Wicked sore. At first I thought "oh no, is the medication doing this too?" But I convinced myself I was being silly. I had already had a scratchy throat for two days and my DS had been VERY ill for the past week with either influenza or a viral infection. So, I determined that I was just getting sick. About an hour or so after that, I noticed that I felt like I had a fever. Yep, I did. I was at about 99.5 all afternoon. Not a big fever, but enough to make me feel REALLY bad and achy. And my throat was killing me. I could hardly talk properly. I finally decided to take some ibuprofen. About 45 minutes after taking it, I felt a LOT better. My throat was virtually pain-free and my fever had dropped to 97.7. I though "wow, I've never had Motrin work that well before."

So, I decided to take a nice relaxing bath. Did that. When I got out of the bath I went to take my evening meds and check my e-mail. As I finished, I walked up three flights of stairs to my bedroom. I could tell that my heart was POUNDING again. Again, I thought, oh it's probably the hot bath that set this off, it will go away in a minutes." Well, it didn't. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep anyway. I awoke at 1:00 a.m. and my heart was still racing. I went downstairs and checked my temperature--96.9. Hmmmm...the racing heart was not due to a fever and, honestly, I was surprised that the Motrin worked this long. I took another beta blocker and my heart rate came down again. Slept for awhile. Now I'm back up. Heart rate is elevated again, body temp at 97.9. Throat not hurting badly at all but I am congested and feel like I have 'something.'

So, of course, I'm terrified. What in the world could be causing this rapid heart rate. I keep thinking, maybe I'm bleeding internally or maybe I have sepsis. I'm terrified. And I feel that my doctor is just not going to do anything. I'm scared to death. I'm also wondering if maybe that one Macrobid pill that I took for the UTI, is really the culprit here and it is some drug reaction.

Has anyone ever had ANYTHING like this or any knowledge of what it could be?

 

[Lorix2]

I think you may be experiencing an anxiety attack because you were worried about a reaction before you took it or you are reacting to the pill.

Call you're doctor to inform them of everything....deep breaths..you will be alright.

 

[ADisneygirl]

Wow ~ I am sorry, I don't know why this is happening. You are probably right about the meds having something to do with it. But I am very glad that you have a Dr. Appt. this morning. This sounds like something the DIS medics can't cure.

 

[Christine]

I think you may be experiencing an anxiety attack because you were worried about a reaction before you took it or you are reacting to the pill.

Call you're doctor to inform them of everything....deep breaths..you will be alright.

Thanks for the reply.

I am very aware of my anxiety. In fact, I was very nervous about taking the Macrobid, but I took it. Then I went and laid down and tried to relax. It worked. I didn't get worked up about it, the deed was done. I even went to sleep for awhile. When I got up a few hours later and showered, the rapid heart rate started. I wasn't even feeling anxious. And definitely, last night when I figured most of the pill was out of my system, I wasn't worried. But the rapid pulse started again.

I am just so worried that something serious is going on.

 

[Lorix2]

why the fear of impending doom and gloom? Even when you think you're not feeling anxious your body actually will cause symptoms giving you more grief, it's happened to me a few times. You have alot going on too.

I had a sore throat for a week, not strep, no infection, no allergies going on, but I was under a great deal of stress with a chronically ill DH, mother who had just a stroke, DH in physical therapy and a 5 y/o starting kindergarden and a newborn.

My heart rate would excel out of the blue while driving to either hospital or while feeding my baby, just at weird times.

It could actually be a combination of things. I'm glad you are seeing your dr today.

Please try not to worry, you sound panicky and I know how I hate that feeling
too. Keep us informed...you'll be okay.

 

[Christine]

why the fear of impending doom and gloom? Even when you think you're not feeling anxious your body actually will cause symptoms giving you more grief, it's happened to me a few times. You have alot going on too.

I had a sore throat for a week, not strep, no infection, no allergies going on, but I was under a great deal of stress with a chronically ill DH, mother who had just a stroke, DH in physical therapy and a 5 y/o starting kindergarden and a newborn.

My heart rate would excel out of the blue while driving to either hospital or while feeding my baby, just at weird times.

It could actually be a combination of things. I'm glad you are seeing your dr today.

Please try not to worry, you sound panicky and I know how I hate that feeling
too. Keep us informed...you'll be okay.

Thanks, I am panicky. I'm just so sick of being sick. I do know that when I get stressed, and even when the stress passes, I get myself into a cycle of a high heart rate. Hopefully that is all this is. I guess I'm just scared because it has never gone that high before. Believe me when I tell you that I don't *easily* reach for the beta blockers. I am pretty resistant to taking medications and just try to tough things out, so for me to take them I know I was feeling bad.

Also, I have Xanax for anxiety and I took that last night right before I noticed my heart rate. Apparently, it doesn't help high heart rates.

Why all the doom and gloom? I guess I've just had so many little weird medical problems and no one ever knows what they are. The drop in body temperature is a weird thing to me. This has been happening on and off for a year or so. I'll just get really cold and my temp will be around 97.0 or sometimes lower. My thyroid is as okay as it can be considering that I don't have a thyroid. I do get it checked all the time and, if anything, I'm closer to being hyperthyroid than hypothyroid. So, without going into all of it, I just feel like "there's something wrong" and it gets worse and worse every year and no one pursues it.

This is just the latest in strange illnesses. I mean, I'm really baffled. My throat was SO sore and red yesterday and then the low-grade fever. I was miserable. And BAM it's just almost disappeared. It's weird because, even though my throat had been scratchy for days, the actual bad sore throat just showed up in a split second. One minute it was there. And it has kind of disappeared the same way. I am really wondering if it was that dose of Macrobid. I feel kind of foolish for going into the doctor now, but I'm going to tell him all this. Worse part is that my doctor is off and I'm seeing his partner whose not the best doctor, IMO.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I'm 99.9% sure you can mark sepsis off your worry list.

DW MeanLaureen's doctors thought she had sepsis back when they were initially trying to diagnose her with an unknown illness (ended up being AOSD) The Rheumy and the PC dr were freaking out but the infectious diseases Dr. that consulted with them told them that if a patient had sepsis, they would not be up and walking around and then smacked them on the hands for scaring the beejeebers out of her.

Hope you find the cause of your symptoms soon. I know how scary it can be. Lauri and I have had more than our share of sleepless nights worrying about test results that come back flagged as critical and worrying what could be wrong.

 

[luvflorida]

I don't really have any answers, but just wanted to say that I hope everything turns out okay. I know you must be worried, and to tell you not to worry isn't going to do any good.

for you. Try to take it easy. You'll be seeing the doctor soon.

 

[HERSEY]

Try not to self diagnosis, let the dr earn his money. I am a self proclaimed self diagnosiser I have to constantly fight myself. It is most likely an anxiety attack. They can be very scary. Good luck at the doctors today.

 

[Christine]

I'm 99.9% sure you can mark sepsis off your worry list.

DW MeanLaureen's doctors thought she had sepsis back when they were initially trying to diagnose her with an unknown illness (ended up being AOSD) The Rheumy and the PC dr were freaking out but the infectious diseases Dr. that consulted with them told them that if a patient had sepsis, they would not be up and walking around and then smacked them on the hands for scaring the beejeebers out of her.

Hope you find the cause of your symptoms soon. I know how scary it can be. Lauri and I have had more than our share of sleepless nights worrying about test results that come back flagged as critical and worrying what could be wrong.

Thanks about the sepsis remark--good to know. Damned internet. If you read about sepsis, they act like you could be walking around with it and not know it.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Thanks about the sepsis remark--good to know. Damned internet. If you read about sepsis, they act like you could be walking around with it and not know it.

Yeah, we found that to be so true with a lot of illnesses so we have pretty much stopped trying to diagnose what is happening to Lauri with the internet because it ends up scaring her and making her sicker because of it. It's bad enough her Rheumatologist is an alarmist and always throws out the worst case scenario whenever test results come back bad.

 

[Christine]

I know I shouldn't self-diagnose. I'm trying VERY hard not to. That's why I often come to the DIS and "hash" this stuff out. It really helps to talk to people about it.

I know this seems a bit extreme, but I really, really feel like that Macrobid might have caused this. I mean, has anyone every gotten a horrible sore throat and fever that comes on suddenly, lasts for 3 hours, and then goes away? Too weird.

I went to a website that another poster had shown me yesterday. It is called "ask a patient". You can put in a drug name and there will be patient "reviews" on how the drug worked for them, what side effects they experienced, how long they were on the meds, etc. Several people had fine experiences with the drug, but many people had very strange experiences--mostly being flu-like symptoms and allergic reactions. But there were several people listed who had heart palps, anxiety, racing heart, etc., with it. There were also two people who claimed to have gotten sore throats with it and several that had fevers after taking it. Of course, I don't REALLY know their history and I suppose the UTI itself could have caused some of the symptoms, but these people seemed to believe that the symptoms started AFTER they started the medication. So, I accounting for the fact that this drug could be doing this. I took it 24 hours ago. It is extended release so it may not be totally out of my system yet.

 

[Marseeya]

Christine. I hope you get some answers.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I know this seems a bit extreme, but I really, really feel like that Macrobid might have caused this. I mean, has anyone every gotten a horrible sore throat and fever that comes on suddenly, lasts for 3 hours, and then goes away? Too weird..

Funny you should ask this, but yes. Lauri has this happen to her on a daily basis. She can be fine one minute (fever wise and throat wise) and then she'll start getting a sore throat and her temperature will go from normal to 101-103 in a matter of 5 minutes - sometimes so fast she feels like she is going to pass out. Then it will drop as suddenly as it hits her about 20-60 minutes later, so fast that her teeth will chatter at times. But it's all part of the AOSD family of symptoms. (But don't panic about having AOSD - the odds of that are pretty phenominal )

 

[Christine]

Funny you should ask this, but yes. Lauri has this happen to her on a daily basis. She can be fine one minute (fever wise and throat wise) and then she'll start getting a sore throat and her temperature will go from normal to 101-103 in a matter of 5 minutes - sometimes so fast she feels like she is going to pass out. Then it will drop as suddenly as it hits her about 20-60 minutes later, so fast that her teeth will chatter at times. But it's all part of the AOSD family of symptoms. (But don't panic about having AOSD - the odds of that are pretty phenominal )

Isn't this also a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

And don't write me off yet for not being able to get AOSD (not that I want it). I've beaten the "odds" on most things. Thyroid cancer was one of them. Statistically, I shouldn't have gotten it.

 

[Maleficent13]

Christine. I know when I took Macrobid it took about 48 hours for it to get all the way out of my system...but I took the full 10 day course...I don't know how long it would take one pill to go.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I do know what it's like to be hyperanxious about health issues. Please come back and post after you see the doc. In the meanwhile, I'm sending you good thoughts!

 

[KelNottAt]

I'm prone to dehydration, so my heart races A LOT. When I have a fever, it's 10X worse. Sometimes I think other people can notice what my heart's doing because my shirt must be vibrating.

Anyway, I bet dehydration is one of your problems. Keep your fluids up. Assuming you have no new chronic condition, you're obviously fighting some bug.

Good luck and take care.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Isn't this also a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

And don't write me off yet for not being able to get AOSD (not that I want it). I've beaten the "odds" on most things. Thyroid cancer was one of them. Statistically, I should have gotten it.

Not sure about CFS.. that is one illness that they didn't throw out at Lauri..lol

Well, to put your mind at ease about AOSD, let me give you the other symptoms

Salmon colored rash that periodically appears on your skin, usually not itchy but can be

Severe joint pain

Swelling of glands

Enlargement of spleen and or liver

Extreme fatigue

Increased WBC

Inflamation of the lungs or heart

and a small percent of people with AOSD have anemia or get stomach discomfort

Basically it presents itself as a severe case of the flu or Lyme Disease. Lauri's first episode of it back in the early 90s was misdiagnosed as Lyme Disease since she coincidentally had found a tick on herself a week earlier and the stills rash showed up on her face where the tick was.

How old are you? Most AOSD patients have their first episode in their early 30's.

 

[poohandwendy]

Sorry to hear you are still not feeling well. I am glad you will be seeing your doctor today.

One thing that concerns me, from reading your posts, is the beta blocker. You seem to be taking it 'as needed' instead of on a regular schedule. And you say you just happen to have them on hand because of bouts with tachycardia. I don't know anyone who takes them 'as needed'. It was my understanding that they need to be taken regularly and consistently.

What particular beta blocker have you been taking? And at what dose? And how often?

I ask because some of the side effects of beta blockers can be sore throat, joint pain and tachycardia...amazingly. (you would think a med that is supposed to stop that couldn't cause it...but they can)

I am concerned about that because those types of medications need to be taken regularly and you are not suposed to start or stop them without doctors supervision. I guess that is just something that is worrying me, it may be your problem. Not necessarily the firt bout of tachycardia...but the symptoms afterwards.

Just something you might want to mention to the doctor.

Hope you feel better soon. (btw, I have heart arrhytmia problems, so I have dealt with what you are going through and been on lots of meds for it...it's no fun. )

 

[Christine]

Not sure about CFS.. that is one illness that they didn't throw out at Lauri..lol

Well, to put your mind at ease about AOSD, let me give you the other symptoms

Salmon colored rash that periodically appears on your skin, usually not itchy but can be

Severe joint pain

Swelling of glands

Enlargement of spleen and or liver

Extreme fatigue

Increased WBC

Inflamation of the lungs or heart

and a small percent of people with AOSD have anemia or get stomach discomfort

Basically it presents itself as a severe case of the flu or Lyme Disease. Lauri's first episode of it back in the early 90s was misdiagnosed as Lyme Disease since she coincidentally had found a tick on herself a week earlier and the stills rash showed up on her face where the tick was.

How old are you? Most AOSD patients have their first episode in their early 30's.

I am 42. I've basically had a LOT of fatigue over the years and intermittent joint pain. But, fortunately, most of the other symptoms you listed, I have not had. But I bet if I think about them long enough....