Have you ever felt your heart was racing faster than the speed of sound? You know that feeling that you sometimes get when overly excited about something or when you're having a super stressful day at the office i.e. deadlines? Most people can relate and usually it's just an extra dose of adrenaline--nothing to worry about. Unfortunately this is not generally the case when you're living with an autoimmune disease or two.
I had recently seen my Rheumatologist for my check up as usual. There was nothing new, no improvement one way or the other, so I was given an everything is "normal". Fast forward one week later and my world had turned completely upside down. That morning began like every other-- joint swelling, muscles so stiff I could hardly move & a migraine. Starting my day, it took a solid 40 minutes to get out of bed, but that is now my norm so I thought nothing of it.
I managed to get dressed--slowly but surely and carried on with my day as usual. Somewehere around the two 'oclock hour I began to feel very much out of breath with intermittent chest pains that felt like a bolt of lightning was running through my body. I drank some water and took about a half an hour break and just tried to brush it off. I have limited energy level as is, so I figured maybe I had oushed myself a little too hard on that particular day. as the day dragged on, I couldn't shake the shortness of breath--which I deal with anyway-but this was much worse.
By nightfall I was in complete shambles. I was by myself and scared out of my mind that I was having a heart attack or something. I tried to tidy up the best I could, thinking what if I pass out? I couldn't bear the thought of being found and my home wasn't orderly. Crazy I know, but those were my thoughts. I finally got a hold of a relative and still was thinking I could ride this episode out until morning. As a healthcare worker herself, she said absolutely not we're headed straight for the ER. By the time we arrived I couldn't stand on my own.
The staff immediately put me in triage and began a flurry of blood tests and an EKG. I was completely exhausted and annoyed by the repetetive Q & A session. After what felt like an eternity, I was wheeled into a regular room. At this point I still had no clue what was actually wrong with me, but the nurse did confirm that I did NOT have nor was I having a heart attack at that time.
We sat. We waited. We sat and waited some more. Four hours after arriving I finally was graced with the presence of the attending physician. Chart in hand she began asking the same questions I had just answered at least twice with the nurses. She gave me a quick and by quick I mean 2 minutes--touch and go check up. Glancing once more at her chart she tells me, my red blood count was far too high, there were higher than normal amounts of protein and fat in my blood and I probably should find myself a cardiologist.
As for the sharp chest pains, fatigue and shortness of breath--oh you're having a really bad Sjogren's flare. Upper respiratory discomfort and Sjogren's go hand in hand she advised. That was it---the entire visit after more than 4 hours of waiting, was over in 10 minutes. Unbelievable!!
Until that visit I had never heard of Tachycardia. Two days later I began calling the cardiology referrals, only to find that the wait was 8 weeks minimum. Thankfully, a friend helped me secure an earlier appointment. The diagnosis? Tachycardia, and a rhomboid spasm.
Sjogren's and other autoimmune diseases cause ones autoimmune system to attack & destroy healthy cells & body tissue-- often times this includes the heart & other organs as well. Tachycardia isn't one of the more common manifestations of Sjogren's disease, but it does in fact happen. While there isn't a definitive reason or cause, it's believed the autonomic dysfunction is the culprit. For reasons still unknown, I had a sudden onset flare and my body's reaction was an increased heart rate,elevated BP and the inflammation that comes with the disease as a bonus.
If you find yourself suddenly having any of the symptoms mentioned above--chest pain, shortness of breath or any sudden change in blood pressure, do NOT hesitate to seek medical assistance. 💝
#hearthealth #cardiovascular #autoimmunedisease
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