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General health

husbands symptoms driving me MAD .please help DR MN

42 replies

blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 10:37

I had a thread a week or so ago but there has been new developments - is there anyone out there who can shed some light on to what this could be?

My DH is 43 and usually fit and well. He plays golf twice a week at a high level, goes to the gym three times a week and runs etc. Always on the go and very active. Non smoker. Non drinker. Perfect weight for his height. He's not had a day off sick in over 15 years.

A few weeks ago he had a 'funny turn' at work. He'd had a coffee ( unusual as he doesn't drink much caffeine) and felt very light headed and like he was about to pass out. His heart started racing out the blue. He called the doctor who said it was 'one of those things' and to see how it went.

Since then he's not been right. His symptoms were initially a racing heart and an ECG seemed to pinpoint this to ectopic beats so he was worried he had a heart problem. However a week of using a portable ECG machine and another reading in the surgery suggests that nothing wrong with his heart .. Yes the odd extra beat but it's fine. And since the doctor has told him this, his heart racing really settled down

Here's his symptoms that come and go

Heart racing
Pressure in back of head
Lack of appetite
Feeling wiped out
Throat constricting .. This happened once or twice then went away
He can't play golf or go to the gym... Too wiped out
Light headed ness - he has this often
Cold hands and feet sometimes

He's had blood tests for thyroid, diabetes, liver, kidneys, iron etc. all were perfectly normal . He's had his eyes checked. He has no infection markers. The doctor spent almost half an hour with him last week and thoroughly checked him. Couldn't pinpoint anything at all. Says if he was referring him to the hospital he wouldn't know where to start. It's not glandular fever. And he has no pain and no raised temperature.

It's really getting me down with the worry.... Any ideas at all? Thank you

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MatildaTheCat · 28/11/2015 12:57

Since he's had so many medical checks which are normal I wonder if he's experiencing anxiety attacks. Maybe the shot of caffeine did trigger palpitations in the first place which would, naturally cause great alarm. I think if you check it out Here you will see how many of the symptoms you describe are listed.

Panic attacks cause very real symptoms,they are not imagined. Has nobody suggested this? It must be worth considering.

Anyway, I hope he feels better very soon.

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 13:16

Thank you Matilda and well spotted! I deliberately made no mention of that fact that I suspect it may be stress / anxiety related.

He does have a relatively stressful job but he's not down a mine or anything. He leaves for work at 7.30am and he's usually always back for half four so not arduous hours. He takes a decent lunch break normally and he manages his own time as a rule. Some weekend work but only four or five times a year. His job was under review under the government spending review but that's passed now and no cuts have been made.

He has said that he may have felt under pressure to take on more and more at work to prove his role is worthwhile. He's very well thought of at work and receives the top grading every time at PDR reviews so I do find it hard to believe that it's job related stress. And at home. .. Well, we have a happy marriage and don't fall out and no tensions. So I'm stumped .. He's also so pragmatic and laid back - can he really be anxious and stressed? He says he doesn't feel it mentally really and he's definitely not depressed ... And he doesn't have 'attacks' as such .. Although last week he was struggling to eat his meals.. Having to really force them down. Today? He's shovelling it down

Can stress and anxiety really make you physically wiped out so all you can do is lie on the sofa? I've never seen him lie on the sofa until this started!

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cuntycowfacemonkey · 28/11/2015 13:21

Yes my initial thoughts were maybe stress related anxiety.

I often get a racing heart and have had it all checked out, it tends to be more of a regular occurence during times of stress, tiredness and worry.

You'd be amazed at all the physical symptoms that can come about as a result of stress and it's a bit of a vicious circle because then you are so worried that there is something very wrong that you become more stressed and anxious!

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cathyandclaire · 28/11/2015 13:27

Was the throat construction when he was exercising?
It may be anxiety but I would have thought an exercise ecg to check the heart function when it is physically stressed could be needed.

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FadedRed · 28/11/2015 13:39

Of course it could be stress related, and only natural you are both worried which will increase the stress, BUT
The relatively sudden onset of symptoms in a previously very healthy person with no obvious cause (so far) warrants further investigation IMO.
The absence of any obvious abnormality in the first line tests is reassuring, but not a diagnosis.
I would be asking for a referral to a consultant physician to rule out any more obscure reasons for his symptoms.

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 13:41

Thanks all

No, he was sat on the sofa watching TV and he said it felt like his throat swelled up. He was feeling his glands but they looked normal to me! He said it felt all constricted and it lasted 15 mins. He had no throat infection, no allergic reaction and he wasn't exercising

He is very fit and athletic normally so I just don't understand. He lives for his golf for example but now says he wouldn't be able to swing a club... When I ask why, he says he just 'knows' his body can't manage it.. He says he's not tired, just wiped out. But nothing hurts ?

I initially thought it was an imminent heart attack and then I thought a bloody brain tumour ( pressure and light headed ) and now I have no clue. He is often a bit light headed with it

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 13:44

Faded - he's never had anything like this previously and yes, it appeared suddenly. He felt unwell at his desk and went for some fresh air and felt like he might pass out but didn't, and his heart rate soared.

A consultant physician ? I sound stupid here but what's that?

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 13:47

Another problem is where would he be referred? What speciality? If his heart readings and normal and his bloods are normal and he's got no headache or stomach issues or swollen glands etc where on earth do they start?

It's really making me miserable tbh although I know that's selfish of me

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GenevaMaybe · 28/11/2015 13:53

It sounds like classic anxiety to me. It can have any cause ior no cause and just come on.

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dodobookends · 28/11/2015 13:55

Is he sleeping soundly?

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 13:56

Yes sleeping extremely well actually without being overly excessive . Falls asleep at 11/11.30pm and wakes up at 7.30 ish

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BeezerBubble · 28/11/2015 13:59

I've had similar symptoms for years 56 yrs male. Racing heart, palpitations, hot flushes, lack of appetite, dizziness, light headedness, unable to exercise - in my case legs went wobbly every time I tried to take a stiff walk. Only stress I have is imagined, worrying about everything little thing which I now recognise.
Incredible how ill you can make yourself feel.
Had everything possible checked out all ok. Past routine would be feel bad, see doctor, told nothing wrong, symptoms vanish for 6 months and repeat.
Convincing yourself there's nothing wrong is incredibly hard for some.
I'm still here healthy as ever but have the odd bad spell, just wanted to pass on how anxiety/stress can affect people even though they've nothing apparently stressful going on.

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TheGreenNinja · 28/11/2015 14:02

I get a lot of those symptoms - heart racing, wiped out, lightheaded, numb hands. And I've discovered I have b12 and vit d deficiencies. Has he been checked for b12 deficient anaemia? You can have that without being iron-deficient.

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GastonsChestHair · 28/11/2015 14:15

My husband was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. It's basically an irregular heartbeat. Have a read here and see if it fits:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/Pages/Introduction.aspx

He'd never had any symptoms of it before but also went a bit 'funny' at work after drinking an energy drink.

After the diagnosis, he had to cut out caffeine and was on a course of warfarin for about 4 months with regular bloods and ecgs. After that the consultant decided that he no longer needed treatment but it still hangs over him now, as it could return. Some people have it long term, others don't.

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M0ggy · 28/11/2015 14:45

Hi OP,

I was experiencing exactly the same symptoms for a few months during the summer, I put it down to work/moving house etc, it wasnt until I nearly collapsed when shopping, that I knew I had to get myself sorted,

The G.P tested for glandular fever & I did indeed have it, Im a similar age to your DH,

Even now every couple of weeks, my heart starts racing again, throat seizes up, Im cold, and absolutely shattered, In bed by 8pm.

It can take a long time to recover fully.

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7to25 · 28/11/2015 14:52

The initial episode at work sounds like caffeine-induced SVT to me. Some people can be very sensitive to caffeine.
This would have resolved itself by the time he had the ECG.
I think that this episode has engendered anxiety and feeling "palpitations" because of quite normal ectopic beats.

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 15:04

Beezer - thanks for your reply. Are you generally an anxious person ( my husband is so not! ) or did this just appear out of the blue for you too?

Moggy - can you have glandular fever without the raised glands

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M0ggy · 28/11/2015 15:21

My glands have never felt 'raised' or painful to touch my neck, its inside that is so bad, GP gave me a mouthrinse called Difflam, which helps,
I could be fine all day, then by evening really bad, then all fine again by the following evening.

Its frustrating, but Im glad I know whats causing it now, I was struggling to get upstairs when I first had it, & had to sit on the bed for a while to recover, bloody pain it is, as usually I am like a wild thing, always busy.

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 15:30

Hope you're on the mend now! He's had no sore throat at all, he says it just feels a bit constricted

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M0ggy · 28/11/2015 15:36

It might be worth him asking for a blood test to rule it out, Its the only way of knowing if someone has it, hope he feels better soon - and gets to the bottom of it.

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BeezerBubble · 28/11/2015 15:51

Beezer - thanks for your reply. Are you generally an anxious person ( my husband is so not! ) or did this just appear out of the blue for you too?

Always been a bit of a worrier re health but those worries up til recently masked by usual life worries. Past few years, absolutely nothing to worry about apart from health so a small niggle becomes worriesome and concentrated on which makes things worse.
Only thing I want to emphasise again is how unwell your own mind can make you feel.
One thing I did think I had was anemia, thanks to google. Turns out I've too much iron in my blood so iron pills I was taking were not helping.
That's not to say your DH is suffering from stress but it could be simply that rather than some exotic as yet undiagnosed intermittent condition.

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blatantplacemark · 28/11/2015 16:03

Beezer - I am very prone to the odd spot of health anxiety so sympathies there. My husband isn't like that at all though, I've never heard him voice Ny sort of worry about anything though tbh. Maybe the odd concern about the heating bill : )

We've been for a walk anyway in the cold and rain so that's his daily constitutional out the way. He would normally have played golf today for five hours but hey, a 15 minute walk it is.

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BeezerBubble · 28/11/2015 16:10

Maybe veering away from what ails your DH but we have a x trainer which I could merrily peddle away on but whenever I went out for my constitutional, cos exercise helps stress, my legs went funny.
My DW til recently oblivious to my issues, she is a worrier and didn't want to worry her with my health concerns. We've been together 27 years Blush

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PhilPhilConnors · 28/11/2015 16:10

I have similar symptoms and have been told it's anxiety.
It's very worrying though to have physical symptoms, particularly when they hit you out of the blue when you're not feeling particularly stressed. I can rationalise it when it happens following something I know triggers it, but it's difficult when I can't.

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PhilPhilConnors · 28/11/2015 16:13

The difficult thing is being confident in yourself to do things when it feels like you're about to have a heart attack Blush.

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