Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho, Off to Cardiology I Go!

Well the plot thickens. I guess I had the "severe reactions" to meds Albuterol and Xopenex and maybe even the steroids. My friend Jenn said, "Only you could be allergic to treatment!" I think she was right. I felt far worse from the reactions than I did during the pneumonia. I was so weak and so miserable. I posted the side effects of these meds on my Food Chaining blog (see link below in blog list). These are important meds for those who need them, but like all medications, can have some really bad side effects. I had ventricular tachycardia, only one time while I was sleeping. But that is not a good thing to have, it can be, as my stupid MD's nurse said so bluntly "suddenly fatal." Then I had several days to worry about my fluttering, rapid heart until I went to see Dr Mayer at Prairie Heart. The cardiologist was much morereassuring and said that I had zero risk factors for heart disease. He said that v-tach usually kills people with a weak heart or who had previous heart attacks or bad lungs. He thinks it was the medicine and is doing a stress test to make sure my heart works ok with exertion. I am hoping he gets me out of the asthma test the pulmonologist is pushing for (I am supposed to take albuterol during this test, I am being non-compliant and saying no. Regardless, my answer is no.) Dr Mayer also said some people with healthy hearts just have v-tach and we really don't know why. He also said that my heart rate was rapid and some people are just wound that way.

I took caffeine out of my diet and my heart was 65-70 at rest yesterday. It has been as high as 138 in the past months since I was sick. Randy thinks I react so much to meds it is likely that I react to caffeine strongly too. All my tests, electrolytes, my ECHO, chest CT..all was normal. My blood pressure is really good and my exam was fine in the office. I have to go through a stress test on April Fool's Day. That should be fun post-pneumonia! Run Chen Run!!