Am I being paranoid........or have I just had a heart attack

[StanleyT]

I know I know I know I should be on 999, read on and I'll explain.

Three weeks ago I had a cut the got infected. I ended up on some antibiotics (Fluxoramin?) that gave me a bit of a dicky tummy for the week I was on the course and also, as advised as a side effect, I did feel a bit feverish. Back story is tried to get an appointment at my GP, couldn't went to local pharmacy whom told me to go to the out of hours walk in and book appointment via 111, which I did and in mid call, person on 111 sends me to A&E!!!!!! Anyway, a few hours wait in A&E and the wound re-dressed and off I go.

Now I know Fitbits aren't proper medical devices but I did notice over the week I was taking the antibiotics, my "resting heart rate" went from high 50s to nearly 80, then the next two weeks it has dropped back down to 70.

I went walking in the mountains today, did a 15 mile walk with 550m ascent. Got home. Felt really flushed and warm faced. Had a nosebleed, first in about 40 years, used to get them as a teenager. Also felt like a strange pain in lower / mid left abdomen / chest. A bit like a hand has pushed in and stolen a piece of my internals, the pain feels like a vacant void. Comes and goes every hour or so.

Then when looking at my Fitbit to see how many miles I'd done today, I notice on the heart rate at 23:30 last night (when I was fast asleep) for a few minutes my heart rate was over 160!!!!! I presume, and this is where my paranoia is, is that the Fitbit isn't really that accurate? But now, worrying about feeling flushed and having had a heart attack I can feel makes my pulse race and this strange void feeling in my abdomen return.

I've rung 111 again. But I must have been too truthful with feeling flushed / sweats etc and when asked if I'd contact with people from China I replied "Yep my boss and his mate have just come back from there a couple of weeks ago", so 111 have told me on no account go to the local hozzie and to self isolate for 14 days!!!!!!!

Doesn't feel fluey this. Should I just go to A&E anyway if symptoms get worse? Neighbour is a retired surgeon so when he gets in he is going to pop round anyway and hopefully he'll tell me these are typical after effects of the antibiotics and I've just got windburn from the mountains and the Fitbit shouldn't be used for medical diagnosis.

Can I be made to self isolate? Obvs the 111 line now have my details. Problem I have is I've disabled family members that depend on me for transport. And a shed load of work to do as well. And I was at a funeral yesterday with a hundred "old people" so if I was going to infect vunerable groups, I've already done so!

Any useful replies welcome. Assuming I'm around to read them..............

[StanleyT]

And now I've read the post by read5458 about weightlessness and that is actually the best way to describe to feeling of the void in the abdomen. And then I saw the thread re anxiety etc etc.

I think I'm being paranoid. Im going to neck a couple of asprin and have a beer with my surgeon neighbour and hopefully all will be explained.

[StanleyT]

I'll see what my neighbour says he should be home soon. TBH I have found 111 either really helpful or rubbish. When daughter had a bad turn when young 111 were telling me to give her infacol. 15 minutes after the phone call ended though, without further contact an ambulance turned up at the house to take her to hozzie!!! Where she ended up on a drip overnight and eventually was diagnosed with Scarlett fever.

Guess where my not localist, but second most local hozzie is - Arrowe Park!!!!!!!!! Thing is, if I do end up in there for 14 days, I'm carer for two disabled relatives whom I see each day to help them as they get no support from the local council as their conditions "aren't quite bad enough" (learning difficulties one and the other blind). Do I take them in with me? That is as much as anything what I'm now worried about.

Though you're right if I do have a heart attack I'm not much use dead....though as per my Q, I think I have had something happen (i.e. the very high heart rate last night), not I feel like something is about to happen.

Anyway Tony should be here around 8:30, we will see what he says.

[StanleyT]

Thanks, kind reply.

The spike in readings was yesterday. I've done a 15 mile walk on a mountain today. I'm pretty sure I haven't had a heart attack but I did seek medical advice via the 'phone which gave me an answer I wasn't expecting, to self isolate and not to go to the hospital. I posted to see if people think this is the advice to expect or not.

I'm guessing hospitals are quite busy right now so I didn't want to waste anyones time if it is nothing, which is what I think it is.....but one is now paranoid. But at the same time I don't want to waste time at a hospital (looks like our has a coronavirus case as well from the local onlien rag) which is probably busy.

I did ask for helpful replies. If you like to stick your hand up me bum to give me a prostrate exam, if you like sticking you hand up mens bums, feel free.

In 10 minutes or so my neighbour will be round, I'll update, or not, later.

[StanleyT]

That was neighbours advice as well!

With a few calls to the right people he got me through straight to ECG and bloods last night and a cariology consultant appt the morrow at my local workplace funded private hospital.

Probably not had a heart attack, but some "signs of stress" on ECG.

The corona-virus pods at the local A&E looked interesting. It looked a lot like the sort of shed you store bins in. Google mapping suggests this was indeed a shed you store bins in.

[StanleyT]

Of embarrassment on an internet post, certainly?

Wife helped by suggesting a takeout tonight and beers and watching Flatliners........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatliners

...and I'm pretty sure that the life assurance policy was top of the pile of document crap yesterday...paranoid or what.

[StanleyT]

Ha-ha, thankfully you're OK now.

I did have "high blood pressure event 10 years ago. I was lying there getting ready for a hernia op with the nurse shaving me and I got a blood pressure of 160 over 110 or something, enough that after private surgery I was sent to the GP to get a 24hr blood pressure monitor. I dutifully wore it as instructed and dropped back into the surgery so they could download the data and examine it. Two days later I got a panicked call. It appeared that whilst sleeping my blood pressure was going through the roof.

I had to remind the GP then that I had told the nurses when I dropped the machine back in, that at the time I was working night shifts and had had a rather stressful run with a lorry from Lancaster to Chester that night. Ah so you were asleep in the day then, well your BP is OK if that was you at work in the night. I was in the pub in the day period on the recorder - after the shift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neighbour actually reckoned it could have also just been a bit of hydration. Been so busy at work of late I probably only drink two or three cups of tea a day. Make up for it when home though, but if you're already dehydrated. Like yesterday, cold dry air, 15 mile walk sweating in a Cagool, only drank 1 1/2 litres water whilst out. Though didn't notice urine been particularly bad it probably was a bit smelling thinking about it.

[StanleyT]

MSBravo said:

And you were told to self isolate to rule out Covid-19, and went out to the hills?

And you are going to hospital tomorrow, full of potentially immunocompromised people?

Just what is going on in your mind...

Well at least in my mind, I have a timeline.

I was out in the hills before I rang 111 and they told me not to go to A&E (not 'not to go in mountains, as I'd already been there).

And the 'morrow, I'm going to a private hospital, paid for thro' my works insurance, where they have no issues as they told me many years ago when treating me for a hernia, the reason they are more efficient, don't have to worry about infection and it costs less for them to treat patients than the NHS is that they don't have to deal with "drunks, elderly, druggies or poor people". I do apologise is being classist offends you but I value my health enought to pay for it, just not enough to pay for it 24/7 (I did actually ring the private local hozzie before NHS 111, but guess what out of hours it tells you to ring NHS111).

But yes you raise how confusing the issue is and how I was confused and how it has confused yourself as well. On the one hand I've rung up and everyone that has helpfully replied has validated the fact that I should have gone to A&E yet the NHS 111 staff triaging on the 'phone said not to as there is obviously some dynamic advice going on re the virus.

So thankyou for validatingt the confusion, your post(s) whilst having some slightly mild vitus showed how easy it is to misunderstand these situations by members of the poplace.

[StanleyT]

Well after another similar experience last week had bloods done and v low on potassium, so that is one thing being checker. A couple other things to be looked at as well. But strangely apart from that dodgy half hour last week, felt in better health than ever!!!!!!!!