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Background: 31 female, gave birth to first baby 5 months ago(no complications). Not overweight. Don't smoke or drink. Some Family history of heart attack. 2 years ago for unrelated issue has a CT with contrast of heart. Doc said looked great.
3 weeks ago I got bad cold. Took Wal-Mart brand cold meds with decongestant for first time ever. Usually take musinex. Horrible constant chest palpitations for 12 hours. Doc said probably the meds. It stopped and all normal Again.
2.5 weeks later palps back but stronger and more chaotic feeling. Very irregular. Heart rate is normal tho. Go to doc again today and orders full blood workup. EKG says I had a previous heart attack. Doc thinks could be flaw but refers me to cardiologist appt.
Wondering if anyone has ever found a heart issue after taking cold meds? Or developed arrhythmia after. Pretty scared right now.
Doc wants cardiologist to do full testing. Thing is.. Waiting is scaring me even more. Just curious if anyone had this experience or those with heart issues think cold meds could find a heart problem. 2 years ago I was told my heart was great tho.. Could it be heart disease that fast. I cannot sleep.. Its driving me nuts.
Also bloodwork shows high cholesterol(wasn't like that last checked) and slightly low sodium. Thyriod and magnesium, iron and all fine.
Waiting is awful. Would think if EKG shows u had a heart attack(not at that moment tho) they would do something faster.
Childbirth is one of the best "stress tests" for your heart-- You seemed to have passed it OK. Congratulations-- on the test and on the baby.
At age 31, unless you have a strong family history of early coronary problems, it's unlikely (but not impossible) that coronary disease will prove to be the cause.
The best bet is that it's Prolapsing Mitral Valve (Barlow's Syndrome) which occurs in 10% of women. At 10%, it's hard to call it an abnormality-- It's more like a variation of normal. It often accounts for some pretty strange cardiac dysrhythmias. It's diagnosed by us old timers with our stethoscopes, but these young whippersnappers need an echocardiogram to do it. It can be present intermittently, so it can be missed the first time around (or even the 2nd or 3rd)...It would also account for EKG changes that look like an old MI (deep Q waves) in some cases.
Next in line of probabilities would be atrial fibrillation... simple EKG or Holter Monitor for diagnosis. Some cases need meds. Some cases don't. (A fib is common in pts who've had a pulmonary embolism-- and that's common in pregnancy/post part).
Other cardiac rhythm problems are less common, but not rare. EKG & Holter for diagnosis. Treatment depends on what they find.
Good luck. Don't worry.
edit: Oh, I forgot. You said you had a cardiac scan in the past. Did they diagnose cardiomyopathy? That can leave you with PVCs-- "skipped beats."
BTW- the very definition of "confidence" is being able to write the word "rhythm" without lifting up your pen to check.
Childbirth is one of the best "stress tests" for your heart-- You seemed to have passed it OK. Congratulations-- on the test and on the baby.
At age 31, unless you have a strong family history of early coronary problems, it's unlikely (but not impossible) that coronary disease will prove to be the cause.
The best bet is that it's Prolapsing Mitral Valve (Barlow's Syndrome) which occurs in 10% of women. At 10%, it's hard to call it an abnormality-- It's more like a variation of normal. It often accounts for some pretty strange cardiac dysrhythmias. It's diagnosed by us old timers with our stethoscopes, but these young whippersnappers need an echocardiogram to do it. It can be present intermittently, so it can be missed the first time around (or even the 2nd or 3rd)...It would also account for EKG changes that look like an old MI (deep Q waves) in some cases.
Next in line of probabilities would be atrial fibrillation... simple EKG or Holter Monitor for diagnosis. Some cases need meds. Some cases don't. (A fib is common in pts who've had a pulmonary embolism-- and that's common in pregnancy/post part).
Other cardiac rhythm problems are less common, but not rare. EKG & Holter for diagnosis. Treatment depends on what they find.
Good luck. Don't worry.
edit: Oh, I forgot. You said you had a cardiac scan in the past. Did they diagnose cardiomyopathy? That can leave you with PVCs-- "skipped beats."
BTW- the very definition of "confidence" is being able to write the word "rhythm" without lifting up your pen to check.
Thank you for the very helpful reply! For the past scan done 2 years ago, it was a CT chest X-ray in an ER with contrast. Dr said my heart looked quite remarkable. So everything seemed ok then.
Up until now I never had more then a occasional skipped beat that lasts half a second or a racing heart that lasts seconds. Both are rare for me to feel.
Outcome of visit today, cardiologist asked lots of details of the cold meds, past appts, symptoms. Used stethoscope, at which time I was having the irregular heartbeat so he definitely had to hear it. Will have me wear a heart monitor, do a nuclear stress test and echo. This will be done within 1 week. I know that is fairly fast but still feels like a long time.
I'm no doc or layer, and you should do what is best for you, but you should probably save those Wal-Mart cold meds and have them tested. Could have a hefty lawsuit win or settlement in your future.
Although some over-the-counter cold meds have labeling as "heart healthy," and I'm not sure how well the corporation could use that in their defense.
Decongestants are often vasoconstrictors. So maybe they constricted one of your coronary arteries. I don't know, seems reaching. Look further into that family history of heart attack.
Bottom line, don't let waiting scare you. "signs of previous heart attack" are exactly that, signs of previous. It would be hard for them to tell "how" previous just from recorded signals, or even images, alone.
The one-time high cholesterol is not likely to be culprit, really. And the low sodium is not likely a sign of significant electrolyte issues that would affect your heart.
Perhaps, even, your palpitations were from a combination of stress and heart-related memories running in the back of your mind. Rest easy with the experts' schedule unless significantly symptomatic. If they think you are alright to wait, why would we (non-experts) convince you otherwise?
Although, someone else might have better insight. Let's wait and see
Thanks for posting and the advice! Will keep it all in mind. Cardiologist is ordering stress test, echo, holster monitor. Seemed knowledgeable going over what he will want to really be looking for, several are postpartum issues. 1 week and all testing will be done... just need to be patient. Easier said then done for me, but I will try to remain positive and relax.
Thanks for posting and the advice! Will keep it all in mind. Cardiologist is ordering stress test, echo, holster monitor. Seemed knowledgeable going over what he will want to really be looking for, several are postpartum issues. 1 week and all testing will be done... just need to be patient. Easier said then done for me, but I will try to remain positive and relax.
Taking action and finding out what might be going on has its benefits. That can be relaxing. A lot better than worrying about the unknown which isn't great for your heart. Something like 5% of the population has some sort of arrhythmia. Many aren't dangerous.
It's possible the problem arose from dehydration rather than the cold meds. I have hypertrophic cardiomyopothy (herediatry) but it never came to light until I had an afib attack about 3 years ago (age 59), brought on by dehydration. When I'm sick, I have to make sure I drink fluids AND electrolytes, since I'm on a low sodium diet. It's easy to get dehydrated for the average person, even easier with a heart condition. Not saying this is YOUR problem but it is something to think about. Are you staying hydrated? Most people think they are until they track fluids for a day and discover how little they really drink.
Look into POTS. I have it and it sounds like what you are describing.
While POTS could be an issue, other things in her OP would not necessarily indicate it. An good cardiologist will know what to test for in a full cardiac workup.
Background: 31 female, gave birth to first baby 5 months ago(no complications). Not overweight. Don't smoke or drink. Some Family history of heart attack. 2 years ago for unrelated issue has a CT with contrast of heart. Doc said looked great.
3 weeks ago I got bad cold. Took Wal-Mart brand cold meds with decongestant for first time ever. Usually take musinex. Horrible constant chest palpitations for 12 hours. Doc said probably the meds. It stopped and all normal Again.
2.5 weeks later palps back but stronger and more chaotic feeling. Very irregular. Heart rate is normal tho. Go to doc again today and orders full blood workup. EKG says I had a previous heart attack. Doc thinks could be flaw but refers me to cardiologist appt.
Wondering if anyone has ever found a heart issue after taking cold meds? Or developed arrhythmia after. Pretty scared right now.
Doc wants cardiologist to do full testing. Thing is.. Waiting is scaring me even more. Just curious if anyone had this experience or those with heart issues think cold meds could find a heart problem. 2 years ago I was told my heart was great tho.. Could it be heart disease that fast. I cannot sleep.. Its driving me nuts.
Also bloodwork shows high cholesterol(wasn't like that last checked) and slightly low sodium. Thyriod and magnesium, iron and all fine.
Waiting is awful. Would think if EKG shows u had a heart attack(not at that moment tho) they would do something faster.
Try not to be alarmed, as various maladies of the heart could be at play, with most of them not fatal. For example your palpitations can be caused by a variety of things, including stress. It can also be something as simple as caffeine in common drinks like tea, coffee, soda, etc.
That aside, think of your heart as having two major systems, so in laymen's terms, we will say the electrical and mechanical.
You can have a perfectly healthy heart muscle (no tissue damage) and arteries (no plaque, clots, etc.), and it can pump properly (mechanically) and receive and send oxygen. Thus it could continue to beat for 100 years from a mechanical standpoint.
But if the electrical parts such as the sinoatrial node (SA) have a malfunction, it can cause the heart to beat irregularly.
Most of the time such irregular heartbeats such as atrial fibrillation will not cause people to "drop dead of a heart attack", but can have other problems associated with such things as strokes. Other conditions such as EMD can be life threatening, but most of the time irregular rhythms can be addressed with medication, ablation, and/or pacemaker insertion, and can remedy the problem.
As to your high cholesterol, at age 31 you likely do not have a lot of plaque build up, even with a family history. Still they will likely want to get a calcium score on you, if for no other reason having a baseline for the future.
A statin drug might be needed, but some times just an improved diet, exercise and the like can lower it sufficiently.
However, while you should improve your diet starting today, hold off on any exercise regiment until you are evaluated.
If you do not walk much, you can get out and do that in moderation, so long as you do not exhibit and shortness of breath or other abnormal feelings.
The point is that if the MD thought you were in eminent danger, he never would have let you go home, or would have called to say get to an ER now!
Instead, referring you to a specialist means something is abnormal (which could also be just a false test result and/or interpretation), and he wants a specialist to do a complete workup to make sure.
As to the cold medicine eliciting the problem, it likely could have been coincidence, or something in the medicine exacerbated an underlying condition to make you aware of it.
Believe it or not, many people have murmurs, irregular (skipped) beats, valves not opening and closing perfectly (mitral valve prolapse), a hole in the heart (atrial septal defect), etc., and never know it until a routine exam reveals it, or leads to more tests to fully diagnose it.
Again most of those things are nothing to worry about, but do need to be evaluated.
So do follow up with a specialist, with a good reputation and experience. You will likely find that whatever is wrong (if anything tangible) can be managed with something simple, not full blown surgery or any other major procedure you might be envisioning.
Background: 31 female, gave birth to first baby 5 months ago(no complications). Not overweight. Don't smoke or drink. Some Family history of heart attack. 2 years ago for unrelated issue has a CT with contrast of heart. Doc said looked great.
3 weeks ago I got bad cold. Took Wal-Mart brand cold meds with decongestant for first time ever. Usually take musinex. Horrible constant chest palpitations for 12 hours. Doc said probably the meds. It stopped and all normal Again.
2.5 weeks later palps back but stronger and more chaotic feeling. Very irregular. Heart rate is normal tho. Go to doc again today and orders full blood workup. EKG says I had a previous heart attack. Doc thinks could be flaw but refers me to cardiologist appt.
Wondering if anyone has ever found a heart issue after taking cold meds? Or developed arrhythmia after. Pretty scared right now.
Doc wants cardiologist to do full testing. Thing is.. Waiting is scaring me even more. Just curious if anyone had this experience or those with heart issues think cold meds could find a heart problem. 2 years ago I was told my heart was great tho.. Could it be heart disease that fast. I cannot sleep.. Its driving me nuts.
Also bloodwork shows high cholesterol(wasn't like that last checked) and slightly low sodium. Thyriod and magnesium, iron and all fine.
Waiting is awful. Would think if EKG shows u had a heart attack(not at that moment tho) they would do something faster.
Possible issue, and I mean possible, if cold med contained pseudoephedrine, it can cause symptoms you describe.
Pseudophed is a stimulant
Just take Doc's lead and follow his/her directions
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