Felt very odd today, thought I was about to collapse. Concerned.

[wantom]

First off I will be going to the GP asap to be checked out. I'm not a worrier about my health as a rule, but had the most odd experience today. I'm 68 and in quite good fettle generally. I do have Afib which (knock on wood) is well controlled and I have no symptoms most of the time. Otherwise nothing.

I was out for a walk and noticed my legs felt very heavy and my usual pace was very slow. I dragged myself to a wall and had to sit down on it. Got a bit dizzy and weak and just felt unwell. I checked my watch but I was not in Afib, heart rate normal. It was a real struggle to get myself home but I carried on more to see if I could make it than anything else! I was not breathless, had no chest pain or headache but oh my I was weak as a kitten.

I'm not sure what the cause could be. But I'll know when I see GP I suppose. Any ideas? I'm fine again now BTW, home safe and had my tea. No evidence of arrythmia on my watch alert.

Please see your GP asap. If you have AF it could be related to that, and you might just need an adjustment to your medicaation.

DH has recently had heart surgery and anything related to the heart is something that needs to be taken seriously.

Only a GP can tell you what's going on, of course, but what do your blood pressure checks look like?

I’d call 111 over the weekend
I’d not sit on that presentation
could be blood pressure dropping for some reason -
sounds like your heart was working harder …

Please be careful for the rest of the weekend. I had something very similar which turned out to be a TIA. Nothing they could do of course, but a CT scan and MRI later I did know what it was. They'll also suggest suitable medication.

Thank you all for the comments so far. I did think it might be low blood sugar although my HBa1c are perfect, still it was a little while since I had eaten so I had some fruit gums to see if that helped, and it didn't really at the time.

My BP is always high at the GP as I have white coat syndrome! But I took it when I got home earlier and it was 128/78, so not dangerous or high/low.

TBH my first thought was TIA. I won't know if it was or not until I get checked out. I'm a bit muzzy in the head and have a bad pain in my lower back on movement, it's so weird! Could be a virus, I don't know.

I am taking aspirin and beta blockers for the Afib. I don't need Eliquis (blood thinner) as I had the Watchman device fitted which blocks the potential clots that Afib can cause.

if you're normally in AF (rather than have paroxysmal AF) and the watch wasn't showing AF, what rhythm was it? It would be unusual to go into sinus rhythm from permanent AF, but there's plenty worse than AF that could cause symptoms. If you have tech than can capture the rhythm if it happens again it's worse getting a picture of it to show to an HCP.

When I have felt faint and like I have moon boots on...it has been low ferritin, every time. So why not get a few basic blood tests done at your local GP clinic.

@wantom I'm a bit muzzy in the head and have a bad pain in my lower back on movement.

Not a bad idea to call 111, OP.

I don't know what the rhythm is, my watch ain't that sophisticated! but I have a Kardia mobile on my wish list. Must order it now! Expensive but worth it I suppose. I have persistent Afib, no symptoms even if HR goes off the scale, which it does now and then but usually I can convert back by myself using the vagal manoevres etc.

I feel ok now, still a background muzzy headache like sinus blockage, but otherwise feel ok.

I am going to call the cardio secretary on Monday and see if they can arrange an ECG and check up. Probably be waiting months, but I can do private and pay for it. Might have to and it will be worth it. We have come to this. I really don't want to go to A+E. But if I get a repeat occurrence I will have no choice.

But hopefully it's a virus, lots of crazy stuff going around at the moment.

Thanks for your advice, information and thoughts. I'm here on my own too which doesn't help, but my neighbours are great, and they are all there tonight if necessary. Hopefully not needed!

Oh and bloods done every six months. Last lot in October and all fine. FBC and ferritin fine, and I mean higher than the low figure usually relied upon for "normal" !

Just in case anyone is interested the follow up to my episode is that I was admitted to hospital via A+E with a gastric bleed.

I saw the evidence on Sunday with black stool and knew then. I was triaged immediately and didn't have to wait long really, about two hours for CT abdomen. Nothing showed there, so endoscopy showed bleed on a patch of gastritis that I didn't even know I had!. It was caused by the aspirin I take for Afib.

Treatment was endoscopic covering of the bleed area with 3D patch, wonderful the things they have now. Followed by IV nexium. I was in for three days as they wanted to check my haemoglobin levels. Then home.

Just shows you what can happen!

Oh my goodness. I hope you feel better now 💐

Not glad it happened to you, OP, but glad you got yourself checked out and for the treatment you had. Good luck with the recovery, take it easy!

I’m glad you’re on the mend - sounds scary and shows it’s best not to ignore those weird symptoms.

Thanks all. I now know that internal bleeds can be very dangerous! But if anyone learns from this, it is the minute you see black stool or dark blood get checked immediately. My haemoglobin was lower than normal (for me) when checked in the A+E and that was what was causing the weakness and all the rest of the symptoms.

I didn't get a transfusion as the HB wasn't in the range for that, even though it was low. I recovered quickly once they patched me up!

Believe it or not though, the GI and cardio consultants agreed that I should go back on the aspirin tomorrow. I had stopped it myself when I saw the dark stool. Although I'm nervous about taking it again, I can understand, as it's a balancing act between throwing off a clot, or getting a gastric bleed. I am now to take large doses of Nexium every day to help protect the stomach from the effects of the aspirin. I'm a bit jittery about it, but I have to trust the medics.

So onwards and upwards!

Low blood sugar? Had you eaten?

Please read the OP's updates.

@wantom I'm surprised they haven't given you something else instead of aspirin. DH was on Apixaban after his heart op and is now back on Clopidogrel.

I hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the good wishes. Yes I did ask if there was any alternative to aspirin and doc said yes Clopidogrel, however I cannot take it as I am on long term Nexium therapy now for the aspirin induced gastritis and Clopi doesn't like PPIs like Nexium (esomeprazole) ! So I have to take their advice on that one. I don't need the Eliquis type blood thinners.

It does seem counterintuitive to put me back on the drug that caused the problem, but as I said it's a balancing act, and to be fair to them they have my best interests at heart I'm sure. I don't have heart disease of any sort, just the arrythmia and the aspirin is designed to prevent clots forming on the Watchman device I have inside me for the Afib!

I hope your DH is doing well.

and doc said yes Clopidogrel, however I cannot take it as I am on long term Nexium therapy now for the aspirin induced gastritis and Clopi doesn't like PPIs like Nexium (esomeprazole)

DH is on Lansoprazole and has taken it with Clopidogrel for years without any issues. Did the doctor not discuss changing your PPI at all? I agree that getting medication right is a fine balancing act.

And thank you. It was major heart surgery and it has been a rocky road, but he is doing well.

Oh goodness op, so glad you followed up and received treatment promptly, Hope you have no further ill effects 💐

@RampantIvy That's interesting about Lansoprazole. However, I neglected to mention that I had H Pylori some years ago and while it was treated very successfully, it obviously left a residue hence the problems that I never knew I had with gastritis! I was prescribed a 30mg dose of Lanso both as an ongoing protection after the HP and that continued when I had Afib and the aspirin.

The docs think the dose of Lanso wasn't enough. Nexium apparently is the gold standard now for aspirin protection, so I'm taking 80 mgs a day since being in the hospital!

I will trust their advice and will have a further endoscopy within a couple of months.

Interestingly I am to have a "pill camera" that I swallow instead of the standard gastroscopy. Only problem is, I freaked out when I heard that, since swallowing pills bigger than a Tic Tac causes an absolute meltdown in me. Phobia of the year lol!

I'll be discussing all this with the GI consultant. So I have to take the aspirin and the Nexium until then. Wish me luck!

It's nice chatting to you. Sometimes I feel I must be the only one with these weird things going on!

Oh I'm so glad you got sorted OP - I saw your original post. Take care of yourself 💐

Sorry to hear of your troubles, OP!

I'm not a medical person or anything, but would eating "thick" things before taking the aspirin help line your stomach, like yoghurt or bananas? Maybe ask them? And this is just a guess, but does the aspirin have an acidic effect? Stomach has acid in it anyway, I think, to break down food. So maybe drink milk, because it's alkaline?