Thumping chest!

Scared the pee out of me!

I showed up at work 1845 sharp. Collected my things and started getting ready for report. I'd woken up just an hour or two earlier (my usual routine) and was feeling a little "strange" - which I attributed to my having to rush through drive through while having just a "Vault" energy drink and thus miss usual food intake. I fully intended to eat something during report.

And also for some reason, my mouth/oral mucosa was feeling super dry. It irritates me when my throat is parched so I drank a full glass of water. Still felt queasy.

Then noticed that my heart was thumping.
Made me feel worse.
All the way walking from kitchenette to report room, it seemed like I was struggling and gasping for air.

I went in and sat down but my discomfort didn't go away. I was sitting there fidgeting and a co-worker asked if I was ok. "You fine? You're flushed red".


No chest pain. But noticeable shortness of breath now. Thumping chest still there.

I walked outside and took a vitals cart and hit the BP button while I slapped on the pulse ox probe to finger....

Heart Rate: 157
BP: 161/102

HOLY CRAP! My baseline is HR 58-62. BP 130/70

I took a few deep breaths, pursed my lips and tried a Valsalva maneuver or two trying to stimulate Vagal response.

No good... HR still 158 and climbing.

Began rapidly massaging my carotids to stimulate baro receptor response while slow breathing.

HR still 160! Feeling all queasy and crummy. Definitely panting for breath by now (Breathing 44/min!) it's been 20 minutes since onset of symptoms.


Co-worker dragged me to an empty patient room and slapped a 3 lead monitor on my chest. EKG strip seemed fine (except for some occasional U waves). Definitely sinus tachycardia.

For the next hour or so, I tried everything I could remember and everything the charge nurse suggested. No help. HR still up and so is the BP. She kept insisting that I needed to go downstairs to the ER NOW... but I kept demurring and deferring.

My mind kept saying "This is nuts. I'm 23! This shouldn't be happening!" over and over again.

Finally, grudgingly, 60 minutes after onset of symptoms, I let charge nurse wheelchair me down to ER.

12 lead EKG comes out ok. Kept me under obs for 90 mins by which time my heart had slowed down to normal. Then they turned me lose. Told me to stay off stimulants and to follow up with my primary.


Slowly drove home.


Very bothered by the whole episode. Guess I can add "benign tachycardia" to my medical history now

Prolonged palpitations are NOT a fun thing to "experience"

I'm sure that that particular position is used in Kärlekens språk, but I don't think that the blonde one out of Moonlighting stuck around for it.

Sure you're allowed to do that sort of thing at work?

Fixxy, not sure which Valsalva Maneuver you refer to... but I'm talking about this one...

cheers,

That sucks, man. Take it easy for a while, OK?

Vault usually just makes my tummy hurt.

Vault makes my soul hurt. Monster is where it's at. It makes you hip as shit.

But the cans are so little next to Vault bottles, and for the same price.

I have.

Laid off the caffeine and other "stimulants" for indefinite future. I quite smoking over a year ago, so that ought to help.

Saw a doc on Friday. He drew some blood work. Just gotta wait and see what that shows (though I'm confident it'll come back negative for any abnormalities)