Sick for 8weeks after Mexico Trip

Heart health and blood vessels
1

I am posting this in heart problems because it is the most frequent symptom I experience. I would speculate that whatever sickness I have is creating the heart problems, and not heart problems making me sick. If there is a better place to post, please move or let me know. 

Went on a trip from Alberta, Canada to a luxury resort in Mexico. Usually practice good habits regarding drinking water habits and hygenie while we are there. I have been the sickest of my life for 7 weeks since returning home. 

-Started with really bad cramps and excessive pooping (solid but 4-5 times a day) in Mexico for 4 days (April 4th), Got home and had first “episode” The first day back (April 8th). Symptoms have become increasingly worse on the bad days, averaging 1 good day, 1 bad day, 1 recovery day. 

- “Episode” can be described as elevated heart rate, red flushed tingling face, clammy sweaty hands, tingling in arms, short of breath, nervous. Very frequently experiencing heart rate fluctuations. These have happened when I don’t eat enough, or when I engage in too much physical activity. I could be having a “good” day and have an episode, then have what feels like a terrible hangover the next day. 

- left side of my body most likely to be in discomfort. This includes constant chest discomfort with spurts of pain, lower stomach pain, neck pain (can feel the artery pulsing painfully) armpit soreness, rib cage, mid back (kidney area)

- light headedness getting to be more regular. Headaches with pain shooting from front of head to base of skull. Head pressure.

- Low energy, very difficult to function in daily routine. Will eat lunch and have to fight through urge to sleep. 

- restlessness while sleeping, often waking up to elevated heart rate, uncomfortable feeling. 

- Have become extremely sensitive to alcohol & caffeine in coffee. Alcohol will not bother me while I’m drinking it, but I will wake up in the middle of the night to an extreme episode of racing heart, sweaty, clammy, shaky, etc... I was a regular coffee drinker before. 

- Seems to be symptoms matching hypoglycaemia, although the blood and glucose test came back normal. 

- Have had 4-5 blood tests in 8 weeks, only outlier in results being an elevated (900) pancreas level. Follow up test (48hours later) had doctor saying pancreas was back to normal. Stool and urine samples both showed no signs of bacterial infection. Chest X-ray negative. Hypotension results were regular. Waiting on results from Holter monitor. 

2

Have you had a ECG tracing done, does that come back normal.

3

I have not. I have a cardiologist appointment on Tuesday at 11am though. Everything to this point has been ordered by my family doctor or an ER doctor. 

4

erich - you are on the right track, if there are any issues that need to be sorted out.

​Husband has a major heart problem and seven years ago now I kept saying to our local GP that he was sick, although I could not explain exactly why I felt this way, he just was not his normal self.

​GP kept telling me his blood pressure was normal and even his ECG looked normal.

​I insisted he see a cardio specialist, I had to really push even for that private appointment, GP told me I was wasting our money, happened to be a lady, when she saw him she ordered an immediate echocardiogram, in her rooms or right next door, and was later that same day called in to explain what was going on, he had dialated cardiomyopathy, a left branch bundle block, which is what the GP did see, but it was what he was focusing on rather than the enlongated QRS return on the ECG, which pointed towards a dialated cardiomyopathy.

​How did I know, a very senior specialist when he was admitted to the hospital as he was so unwell, was asking us about husbands history, and he looked at me after I explained my story, and said, who else in your family had heart issues, none I replied, then I remembered that dad had dialated cardiomyopathy when I was born, his was caused by rheumatic fever, and I had lived with it my entire life, he smiled and said yes you would recognise the symtoms, do you have a nursing degree, I want you here, no nursing degree I'm afraid.

​Later talked to my sister a very senior director of nursing, who lives o'seas, and when I explained to her what was happening to my husband, she just laughed and said of course you would recognise the symptoms, dad had it.  

​No wonder I had argued with my local GP, if something is wrong or morally wrong don't cross me, I get very like a very stubborn donkey and will stand my ground through hell or high water, it has saved my husbands life a number of times since, having fights with even senior Dr's seems to have become my favourite pastime especially when husband is sick as he has been in the last seven years.

​I have also educated myself, local library, then university papers in the internet, so I am using the right medical terms and unless I am asked directly I do not bother to tell dr's and nurses I do not have a nursing degree as most seem to assume I do.