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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Any heart specialists please?

6 replies

Fulloffrolicsandfiddledeedees · 06/09/2021 05:49

Sorry, posting here for traffic as I'm quite anxious and would really appreciate anyone who is au fait with cardiac knowledge helping.
Yesterday morning I was taken by ambulance to A&E for alcohol induced hypoglycemia. I don't drink often but went out Saturday night and consumed roughly 1.5 bottles of wine over the space of about 4 hours.
Woke up yesterday morning experiencing severe drowsiness, shaking, weakness etc. I knew it absolutely wasn't usual hangover symptoms and when paramedics came out my BM reading was 2.7 (I'm not diabetic), 32 years old, generally fit and well.
Paramedics struggled to get my sugars up with glucagon, so brought me to hospital where I was commenced on a glucose drip.

Anyway, whilst sat in A&E, I experienced very sudden onset chest pain - especially on inhalation where it felt like severe burning in my lungs - almost as if I'd inhaled toxic fumes. The sensation was in my chest, back, up to my jaw, and radiated to my left arm, briefly. It also came on with a strong headache too.
A doctor was brought over and they seemed to think it was anxiety - it absolutely wasn't. I know my own body, and I'm a nurse. I've experienced heartburn and panic attacks before. This was something I've never felt before.
I was given oromorph, and paracetamol, and the pain did subside fairly quickly (within 15-20 minutes or so).

As I was in for hypoglycemia, that was what was focused on understandably, but I am now quite concerned that more wasn't done to investigate what that was, and I'm concerned I've had some sort of MI or other cardiac episode which now will be left unknown, and potentially cause other long-term issues.
I'm a mum of 2 young children and feel very worried about it.
My lactate levels were 7.2 and my pH was elevated, as are my inflammatory markers, but I'm not sure what they are specifically.
Lactate dropped to 1.7 after a bag of saline.

I am still in hospital, is there a specific test that can be done on my heart to assess whether any serious damage has been done? The staff aren't great, and I have had to ask several time for things (for example, considering I came in with dangerously low BM readings, no one gave me anything to eat for 6 hours, I had to ask 4 times!), So I'm dubious as to whether I'd be taken seriously.
They didn't even do an ECG when I was experiencing the chest pain, and as I was so distressed it didn't even occur to me to ask for or suggest that.

Is there anything I can do now?

Would really appreciate any expert knowledge on what this might have been, and whether I can ask for something specific to rule out anything sinister.

TIA

OP posts:
JustOneMoreStep · 06/09/2021 05:59

Not a heart specialist I'm afraid but I do suffer from non diabetic hypoglycaemia and have had chest pain exactly as you describe when recovering from a severe hypo. I've had various tests over the years and general consensus seems to be that it's a side effect of the glucogon.

Incidentally, it doesn't surprise me you weren't given solid food if you were on/recently on glucose drip, as vomiting is a common side effect of glucogon, especially if the dip/rise of bm is too fast. Its better to go slow and let your body recover physically a bit.

Don't panic about 2.7mmol. It's not good by any stretch, but it's not horrific. Anything above 2.5mmol can be normal for a non diabetic, so long as its not regularly or for long periods of time.

Fulloffrolicsandfiddledeedees · 06/09/2021 06:28

@JustOneMoreStep

Not a heart specialist I'm afraid but I do suffer from non diabetic hypoglycaemia and have had chest pain exactly as you describe when recovering from a severe hypo. I've had various tests over the years and general consensus seems to be that it's a side effect of the glucogon.

Incidentally, it doesn't surprise me you weren't given solid food if you were on/recently on glucose drip, as vomiting is a common side effect of glucogon, especially if the dip/rise of bm is too fast. Its better to go slow and let your body recover physically a bit.

Don't panic about 2.7mmol. It's not good by any stretch, but it's not horrific. Anything above 2.5mmol can be normal for a non diabetic, so long as its not regularly or for long periods of time.

Oh really? That's interesting, they didn't mention that it could be a side effect of glucose which is strange. I'll look more into that, thank you.
OP posts:
SpikeDearheart · 06/09/2021 06:37

No idea about a possible link between your symptoms and hypoglycaemia, but have they done a troponin test? That could indicate cardiac damage if elevated.

JustOneMoreStep · 06/09/2021 08:09

Sorry, just to be clear, my understanding is that the chest pain I experience is a side effect of glucogon not glucose. They are different things. Glucose is basically just sugar. Glucogon is a drug which draws the stored sugar out of all of your vital organs. To be honest I usually feel horrendous after I've had glucogon and exhausted for several days afterwards.

lljkk · 06/09/2021 08:17

I imagine that for reliable expert advice you want to pay for cardiologist appointment. All you can get on MN is anecdotes & general principles.

Theoscargoesto · 06/09/2021 08:32

In the nicest possible way, you’re a nurse. You’re in a hospital. You’re anxious. I understand the need for reassurance but please seek support from trained professionals in the hospital

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