Went to the ER last night...

[bowdirk]

After my second work set of Deadlifts last night, I sat down to recover and my heart started doing backflips Hard. Now I am used to being short of breath, having my ears ring, and being slightly dizzy after deadlifts with proper valsava etc. but the Heart Fluttering in what felt like a very unproductive fashion was new.

After about 30 seconds of this I get up and go talk to my coach and neither he nor I could get a pulse, but I wasn't dizzy, didn't have blurred vision, had no tingling of extremities, had some very minor chest pain (like a pulled muscle in there from fluttering) so I just sit and drink some water and let things calm down. That was it for the workout and after hanging out for a bit and letting my heart get back to normal (pulse and everything) I decided to call the nurse line on my insurance card to get their opinion.

They were "Call 911" get to the emergency room. I'm like fuck, really? They are yes, really.

So I change into my street clothes and drive to the local ER, I say the word chest pain and they put me in a bed and hook me up with an EKG, IV, and this that and the other contraption. I am like jeezus, really? WTF... I guess this is what you are supposed to do but christ...

EKG fine, Lab results fine, doc says that to be 100% certain i should stay there another 6 hours so they can get another blood sample to see if my Tropine? levels get elevated due to destroyed cells but based on everything else he was okay with me leaving now.

Luckily my favorite brew-pub was just 2 blocks away and I was able to get a steak and a couple of pints...

Anyhow, the doc stated that the brain likes to have steady or slowly changing blood pressure levels and that occaisionally if there is a rapid change in blood pressure the brain/heart link can get a bit jacked up (my term) and trigger palpitations.

At age 52, you start noticing people you know or knew are dropping dead, so I guess I did the right thing but it sure goes against my nature to admit I may be mortal, in my 20's 30's or 40's I doubt I would have thought twice about it...

Has anyone else ever had the heart palpitation thing after a heavy set of something?
Does the Docs explanation make any sense?

Bowdirk

[ColoWayno]

Scary, but it sounds like you are ok. Good call on the steak and pints.
Any time a man walks in talking about chest pain they treat it like it could be a heart attack. I went in once just a few months after running a marathon because my heart rate wouldn't drop below 100 even when I was resting in bed. Normally it was below 50. They did the same thing and it ended up that I probably had some kind of virus.
52 is a going to be a hurdle for me. My oldest brother died at 52 (dissecting aortic aneurism) and my next oldest brother is 52 now. He has esophageal cancer (smoker). I don't think those are anything I need to be worried about, but it's still makes you go, hmm?

Take care.

[Carnivroar]

At least it's not tinnitus.

[medwards]

Luckily my favorite brew-pub was just 2 blocks away and I was able to get a steak and a couple of pints...

So, why waiting for results as to whether you were in close proximity to dying, you went and got a steak and beer? Sir, I commend your attitude, foresight, and self-evident awesomeness. I wonder what the doctor would have said upon reading the results if he'd taken more blood from you.

[Dastardly]

Heart attacks are not all as obvious as you might think. My mother had a big one last year, there was no pain at all. She just got randomly out of breath and faint. I did a lot of reading up on peoples stories when we were evaluating surgery options. Nearly all people dont realise that they are having one.

I had what I presume was a blood pressure/brain starvation issue a couple months ago. I actually passed out 4 real, whilst hanging from a pullup bar doing spinal decompression. The apparatus around me kept me in a standing position so no one noticed and I was saved the embarassment. But it actually felt like I died and took me ages to get my bearings. Very unpleasant.

[Tiburon]

Has anyone else ever had the heart palpitation thing after a heavy set of something?

if i have too much caffeine before lifting sometimes this happens. double beats, skipping beats, all kinds of shit like that.

[medwards]

How was the beer(s) and steak?

[Carlos Daniel]

Heart attacks are not all as obvious as you might think. My mother had a big one last year, there was no pain at all. She just got randomly out of breath and faint. I did a lot of reading up on peoples stories when we were evaluating surgery options. Nearly all people dont realise that they are having one.

I had what I presume was a blood pressure/brain starvation issue a couple months ago. I actually passed out 4 real, whilst hanging from a pullup bar doing spinal decompression. The apparatus around me kept me in a standing position so no one noticed and I was saved the embarassment. But it actually felt like I died and took me ages to get my bearings. Very unpleasant.

How old is your mother? is she diabetic?

[bowdirk]

Thanks all,

I am fine, felt like kinda a wuss about even going in because I 'knew' I was okay. But I also know that hubris can be fatal.

How was the beer(s) and steak?

It was especially awesome, thanks. Moylans

[yorick]

After about 30 seconds of this I get up and go talk to my coach and neither he nor I could get a pulse,

Hmmm. I'm not a doctor, but I would have diagnosed Vampirism caused by deadlift awesomeness.

Glad you are okay.

Dastardly - I've read that heart attack symptoms for women can be very different from what men experience. I knew a lady that had a heart attack and her main symptom was vomiting. She thought she was just sick, but an astute individual convinced her to go to the ER.