Joan wrote on 04/07/12 at 05:55:20:Lyn,
Are you able to take your meds when your BP and heart rate are that low?! Does your doctor think you should be at an ER? Your sleep sounds a lot like syncope to me. Are you able to take meds before you fall "asleep." What do you think?
Joan, I have taken AH as I was slipping into a hypotensive event, and I think it shortened the length (compared to trending of my previous events) but didn't abort it, (but that was with AH with dyes that I now know I react to, even triggering the events in the first place). My research and Lisa's posts have pointed to a type of cardiovascular anaphylaxis or prolonged syncope. Dr Brown's article states the AH may not/isn't helpful with cardiovascular anaphylaxis. During my last ED visit in 2009, I was quite hypertensive (stroke level) and they sent me home after some saline. I've survived the hypotensive events for three years (in begininning they only happened occasionally, now much more often). and without specific instructions, I fear the ED would kill me, so I opt for what I have figured out on my own. The minute I get the warning, I head immediately to bed! My research confirmed my instincts, that during anaphylalxis, the patient must remain supine. Retrospective reviews show deaths occur after the patient is instructed/goes upright. So I immediately head for bed or if traveling, put the car seat back. I've even layed on the floor in a hotel conference room with my feet on a chair.
One dose of a beta blocker split into 1/4 pieces taken over 4 days sent my resting HR from 100-120 to 40's for nearly 6 weeks. I was pretty much bedridden at this time. Now I understand what was going on. A holter monitor at this time caught a resting HR of 27 one night while I was sleeping. My body has figured out when to pop my circuit breaker and shut down. My body temp drops to below 96 degrees (lowest caught temp = 94.9 degrees) and blood sugars plummet with my HR. Have caught sugars of 230 to 74 in 9 minutes. Then I'm out.
I am hoping Dr Afrin can advise a med plan so I don't get these breakthrough hypotensive events. My local docs have no idea how to treat them, and my sleep neurologist only documented them as "sleep issues." Go figure!
I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Lyn