Post Sepsis high heart rate, should i worry?
Discussion
Hi Guys,
long story..
I had Covid back in early January this year, as a result i was contacted by the NHS to donate my white blood cells, which i did in Early Febuary on Thursday evening, by Sunday i was really ill, my lymph nodes in my neck were so swollen my teeth didnt fit as my jaw moved forward, i couldnt swallow, lost my voice and felt really rough, Monday we dialed 999 and i was admitted to hospital. I spent Monday night on the ward i couldnt sleep and kept getting out of bed and they gave me morphine every 2 hours, they then did the morning checks and started with me as i was still awake. My heart rate was 150+ sat in BED! and my blood pressure critically low, they called a critical team immediately, they then filled me with 5 litres of fluid intravenously and this then flooded my lungs and then i really went down hill, and they then gave me something to get the fluid out!!
I was then put into ICU and the blood test results came in, My blood markers (0-5 is normal) my CRP was 630+ so had very serious blood poisoning. The ICU i was put into, the heating was faulty and the room was at mid to late 30's, and was not fixed for 36hours and was not allowed to have the door or window open as the Covid ward was next door, I had 2 cannulas in my arms on with steroids and one with anti biotics, plus a catheter and all the wires. I had to put my feet in cold water bowls and be wiped down with ice cold flannels as the heat was so severe and i had a temperature up and around 40C. I had to crap in the wheelchair with a bucket, it was a thoroughly miserable experience. I had 3 MRI's and holding my breath for the 4 seconds required was a struggle thanks to the fluid on my lungs.
I came out of hospital after 6 days in ICU and 11 days in total, walking or the stairs left me totally breathless thanks to my lung capacity, this thankfully i have recovered from, and ive started cycling again, but my strava times are crap!
My digestive system has been upset by the anti biotics and its costing me a fortune in Yakult, for a couple of weeks after i was needing the toilet at least 10 times a day, this has improved.
But i now have a resting heart rate of typically 100+ and my i watch pings 3-4 times a day with a warning of 120+ it used to be 60-70 but could hit 180+ cycling a steep climb, my blood pressure which used to be marginally high is now perfect 118/76 this morning but 100-120 bpm.
So its 6 weeks since discharge and im left with this humming bird heart rate, what is it should i be worried?
They want me back 6 months after for a blood test as they said it will take this period of time for my blood to right itself.
long story..
I had Covid back in early January this year, as a result i was contacted by the NHS to donate my white blood cells, which i did in Early Febuary on Thursday evening, by Sunday i was really ill, my lymph nodes in my neck were so swollen my teeth didnt fit as my jaw moved forward, i couldnt swallow, lost my voice and felt really rough, Monday we dialed 999 and i was admitted to hospital. I spent Monday night on the ward i couldnt sleep and kept getting out of bed and they gave me morphine every 2 hours, they then did the morning checks and started with me as i was still awake. My heart rate was 150+ sat in BED! and my blood pressure critically low, they called a critical team immediately, they then filled me with 5 litres of fluid intravenously and this then flooded my lungs and then i really went down hill, and they then gave me something to get the fluid out!!
I was then put into ICU and the blood test results came in, My blood markers (0-5 is normal) my CRP was 630+ so had very serious blood poisoning. The ICU i was put into, the heating was faulty and the room was at mid to late 30's, and was not fixed for 36hours and was not allowed to have the door or window open as the Covid ward was next door, I had 2 cannulas in my arms on with steroids and one with anti biotics, plus a catheter and all the wires. I had to put my feet in cold water bowls and be wiped down with ice cold flannels as the heat was so severe and i had a temperature up and around 40C. I had to crap in the wheelchair with a bucket, it was a thoroughly miserable experience. I had 3 MRI's and holding my breath for the 4 seconds required was a struggle thanks to the fluid on my lungs.
I came out of hospital after 6 days in ICU and 11 days in total, walking or the stairs left me totally breathless thanks to my lung capacity, this thankfully i have recovered from, and ive started cycling again, but my strava times are crap!
My digestive system has been upset by the anti biotics and its costing me a fortune in Yakult, for a couple of weeks after i was needing the toilet at least 10 times a day, this has improved.
But i now have a resting heart rate of typically 100+ and my i watch pings 3-4 times a day with a warning of 120+ it used to be 60-70 but could hit 180+ cycling a steep climb, my blood pressure which used to be marginally high is now perfect 118/76 this morning but 100-120 bpm.
So its 6 weeks since discharge and im left with this humming bird heart rate, what is it should i be worried?
They want me back 6 months after for a blood test as they said it will take this period of time for my blood to right itself.
You are a very long way from recovered. Critcal illness takes several months and possibly years before you can see a return to pre-illness levels of muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness, and stamina.
Full admiration of you returning to cycling and exercise but don't expect a quick resumption of the past.
Full admiration of you returning to cycling and exercise but don't expect a quick resumption of the past.
First things first, you're alive, well done, you beat Sepsis. People don't in huge quantities and it doesn't get wide coverage. I had Sepsis in 2016 and came out of hospital after 9 days in an induced coma, 13 days in ICU and another week in hospital after. In order for me to be let out of hospital I had to have a resting heart rate under 110bpm, with periods under 100bpm. I had to have my heart rate monitored for 12 weeks after I came out. Over the 12 weeks I dropped down gradually to around 65bpm average. I was never an active person pre-Sepsis in terms of I wasn't a runner/cyclist/sportsman but would easily manage 10k steps a day through normal life - it was just all walking! Even that was not easy for 3 months after sepsis. FWIW I think you are expecting a bit much a bit soon. During my stay in hospital I dropped from ~90kg to 75kg and over the following 3 years I got back to high 80s kg and I decided to do couch-to-5k. Bear in mind I couldn't run 50m before, this morning I ran 10k in 56 mins with an average heart rate of 163bpm. My resting heart rate is now 53-56bpm.
Chris Hinds said:
First things first, you're alive, well done, you beat Sepsis. People don't in huge quantities and it doesn't get wide coverage. I had Sepsis in 2016 and came out of hospital after 9 days in an induced coma, 13 days in ICU and another week in hospital after. In order for me to be let out of hospital I had to have a resting heart rate under 110bpm, with periods under 100bpm. I had to have my heart rate monitored for 12 weeks after I came out. Over the 12 weeks I dropped down gradually to around 65bpm average. I was never an active person pre-Sepsis in terms of I wasn't a runner/cyclist/sportsman but would easily manage 10k steps a day through normal life - it was just all walking! Even that was not easy for 3 months after sepsis. FWIW I think you are expecting a bit much a bit soon. During my stay in hospital I dropped from ~90kg to 75kg and over the following 3 years I got back to high 80s kg and I decided to do couch-to-5k. Bear in mind I couldn't run 50m before, this morning I ran 10k in 56 mins with an average heart rate of 163bpm. My resting heart rate is now 53-56bpm.
Sounds like you went through it, so it seems its a by product of sepsis and just a case of more time to recover fully. Its good to hear from someone with real life experience, thanks for taking the time.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff