Heart Issues?
 

How many RSD patients have heart problems? I saw my Dr a few days ago and we have to rule out other things first threw blood work. But my heart rate stays increasingly high and I have "episodes" to where it really speeds up and I get really hot and sweat profusely and have to lay down in a cool room to get my heart rate to slow down. When my dr checked my sats at rest my heart rate was in the 130s and it was early morning. She wants to rule out thyroid issues first and if that comes back fine then she said I need to start meds to slow my HR down and then go from there. She said its possible its the RSD and it affecting the sympathetic nerves affecting my heart, so I don't know what we will do if that's what it comes down to. Anybody else have similar issues?

I have had cramping in my heart at times and am going to see a cardiologist about it. I don't know if it's RSD or anxiety or what, but my blood pressure has been higher than usual. I hope you feel better soon.

I have had cramping in my heart region too, like my heart muscle itself was completely in spasm for about fifteen minutes. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack, it was very painful and very scary. My CRPS is all through the left side of my body, including of course my left arm and chest. Tricky to tell when the ache/pain is 'just' CRPS pain, or when it might be something more sinister.

The GP I saw afterwards was completely blasé about it and treated it like I was just exaggerating. She told me that nobody (including confirmed cardiac patients) should call 999 unless the chest pain has been ongoing for at least 15 minutes. OMG what a crock of rubbish. People can die within 5 minutes. The ambulance guys my husband called for me said that you should always ALWAYS call immediately and not wait. They said they'd far rather come out and see a case where everything turned out to be ok, than attend a DOA who hadn't called in time. I told my pain specialist what the GP had said, and she was horrified. Makes you realise how little GPs can get away with...quite frightening.

My heart rate is pretty low edging towards too low, and my BP is fine. I haven't had bloods done because from the ECGs and BPs everything looks fine, and until it's actually happening I suspect the GP docs don't believe me. The ambulance guy did though, and said after all the tests were ok that it was far more likely to be spasms due to my chronic condition than a random cardiac event. My pain doc also said it was possible but likely to be a random issue rather than something that would become regular. I'm not sure what to believe TBH! It hasn't happened again seriously, just a few times as the sort of thing that made me stop suddenly and catch my breath. She thinks its likely to be my intercostal muscles between my ribs behind my heart, rather than my heart itself. It doesn't feel very reassuring at the time though...

Anyway, enough of my ramble lol, take care both of you, and I hope you get answers and treatment that works.

Bram.

Thanks for the info Bram. I've been so afraid to go the the cardiologist because I'm scared that he is going to tell me it's the RSD spreading. So I've been putting it off, but I'm going to call and make an appt. Better safe than sorry like you said. Thanks again and hope you have a good night.:hug:

Heart Issues
 

Hey TOS8,

I too have what is termed a tachycardia or rapid heart beat. This has been causing a butterfly like feeling in my chest and throat, dizziness and tight chest. I've only noticed for the last few months but it scared me pretty good one day. While I was checking my pulse I felt something like a really hard beat and then everything went back to normal.. it was scary and weird. In talking to my doctor about it (my daughter has aortic stenosis and I have a murmur so heart problems do run in the family) they ordered a potassium level check and a stress EKG to see what is going on. My EKG done less than a year ago was actually abnormal but this is the first I had heard that.. sheesh you would have though someone might have mentioned that to me!! Apparently low potassium levels can cause rapid heartbeat as well so you might ask for this test or also inquire about any meds you might be taking that could interfere with potassium absorption. Many times our meds are only checked for general interactions with other meds so please check with your pharmacist about the potential negative impacts on important vitamins and mineral absorption just in case that is contributing.

I don't know your age but I am 45 and a stress EKG (one done under exercise) was recommended for my age group and symptoms. Smoking and caffeine intake can also increase heart rate in case you partake in either.

Many medications also do same so be sure to go over everything you are taking and all herbal supplements with your doctor thoroughly.

I do hope all turns out to be nothing and your heart is healthy just beating a little fast :)

Good luck & keep us posted,
Tessa

Hi Renee,

My daughter, a few years before she got RSD, had problems with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). She got a full work-up from a cardiologist, who said she was fine (except for the SVT) and that she would probably grow out of it. If she didn't, they would have to decide on a treatment. She pretty much grew out of it - she only has very rare problems with it anymore.

She just had a heart-attack-like event a few weeks ago, right when she was coming out of her second RSD remission. She had heart pain/pressure, numbness/tingling in her left arm, etc. We called her doctor, and he told us to call 911 and get her in an ambulance and go to the hospital.

No one at the hospital knew what RSD was, unfortunately, but they checked her heart and lungs and they were OK. Later on, we did some research and it seems that RSD patients have a lot of unexplained chest pain. I think that maybe this time, at least some of the chest pain was related to her coming out of remission. Also, her doctor (that she saw the next day) thought at least some of it was costochondritis, because she also hurt to physical pressure.

I don't have actual heart spasms. I get chest pain, but that chest pain is just from all the spasming I have, I know that because my RSD is primarily on my left side from the butchered surgery I had. But this is actual tachycardia, I know when it go's way higher because I can feel my heart racing. she checked me right then and there and just at rest my HR was in the 130s. And im young so they don't do EKGs or stress test or anything. That's why she wants to rule the thyroid issue out first. And get my magnesium and potassium checked among other stuff before thinking its RSD related. It could be a number of things! Its been going on for several months so that's why I finally said something because it hadn't stopped and other symptoms have started to come up aswell. Im thinking its most likely the RSD. I also think the RSD can throw your levels out of balance, potassium, magnesium etc.. because I didn't have any of those issues until the RSD had progressed. Which is why I think its possible that it is an auto immune disorder, even though they haven't been able to prove it yet.

How old are you? They can order EKG w/stress test for anyone having symptoms of unexplained tachycardia if they want to. It's just at a certain age insurance covers certain things as a preventative care instead of doing it because of an issue, like in your case.

Are you soaking in epsom salt baths to increase your magnesium?

Hey Tos,

I'm really glad you asked about this because I have exactly the same issues. I'm 40 and I do have high cholesterol that is unrelated to CRPS. However, my pulse just jacks up every once in a while and i don't know why. Every time I see my GP, it's over 90 or 100 resting. Blood pressure is fine or even low, but pulse gets high. When I have bad CRPS flare ups, sometimes I get pressure in my chest - feels like someone is either stepping on my sternum or squeezing my heart. It scares me and frequency of this happening has gone up recently (I've had CRPS since 1996, but this is new). I'm worried that I could have a pain induced heart attack. Since sensory functions in my left arm are so f-ed up, I'm worried that I won't feel angina to stop it early. My dad had a heart attack at 47, and he didn't have CRPS. Worried.....

Hi Kelly :)

Anything heart-related is scary stuff and of course you panic about it when there's that horrible pain THERE of all places.... Maybe you could ask your GP to refer you to a cardiologist so that you can finally get a proper check - then at least you'll either know what the problem is, or be reassured that although nasty it is pain-related and not necessarily cardiac.

I have a crappy family history for heart attacks, and with these rare but nasty left chest pain episodes I do panic that I'm not going to make old bones! I have high cholesterol too which is genetic rather than lifestyle. I eat fairly healthily but it makes little difference :rolleyes:

Take care and I hope today is a better day.

Bram.

My HR is typically in the 150s when I am at the doctor...well over 100 any time I have taken my HR at home. Freaked out the ER docs when I went in one time for a bad flare. They seemed like they could care less about my pain but flipped out over my HR being at 160. The general conclusion seems to be that the pain is the cause for my high HR.

My BP is usually low but it spikes and drops out of no where...causing many of my other RSD symptoms like dizziness, blurry vision, etc.