Flu/high temp - palpitations - advice before family awake?

[Teresa UK]

It's 5 in the morning and I've been up all night with flu-ey type symptoms - which half the school population has at the moment (I work in secondary) and which my son has just got over. Everything aches, irritable cough causing sore throat, hot & bothered. Also my heart is racing and thumping enough to stop me settling. I don't know if the palpitations are an "acceptable" part of all this. If I had the palpitations without the flu-thing, I would probably go to A&E in the morning to check it out. My SO Steve is due to fly out to Italy (second home) tomorrow afternoon, with me & the boys & other family joining him on Tuesday and I really don't know how much of a fuss I should be making at this point - a visit to A&E would cancel all plans. Is it fairly normal to get palpitations with a temperature or flu? (i.e. if my temp. goes down soon, is it likely the palpitations will disappear?) At what point would any of you check it out? Any advice before the family wake up would be much appreciated!
Teresa

 

[cocoalab]

Teresa I know I have been told it is normal for heart rates to increase with fevers. Maybe you can take your pulse and just give a call to the hospital to ask if this is acceptable. I do not know how long it has been since your surgery or if you have had it. Not much help I am afraid but maybe it can help yiou decide whether a call would put your mind to ease.

 

[geebee]

Any high temp is a sign of an infection. With your history, you should have it checked. The palpitations could be simply a result of your body working harder to deal with the infection or it could be indicative of something else.

I am not sure traveling is a good idea if you feel as sick as you describe.

Please at least call your doctor.

 

[aussigal]

I dont know Teresa...
I am one of the bad-girls who will sit at home quietly and worry about this stuff too..and it usually subsides...

palps etc...doesnt sound that good to me ...I'd at least try call my Cardio I think esp.if it has continued all night...

Spain as lovely as it sounds ( I am very jealous ) can and will happen again , another-day, however you have to balance that with how bad you are feeling now!

you know all this worry wil not be helping your blood-pressure...that I am certain of...and a higher BP causes palps in me

I send well-wishes, cyber-hugs and prayers
ton

I still wonder if your'e my cousin every-time I see you post!...so dont worry if I start to call you cous.!
I miss her and she went to the UK many years ago for work...we often spent holidays with all our cousins as kids...ohh what happy memories!

good luck kiddo...take care...god bless

 

[Teresa UK]

It's now 7.30 and just getting light. I managed to doze off at some point and have woken to find the palpitations seem to have disappeared. With them out of the picture I feel no need for us to go and sit in A&E for hours on end. I'll decide by Tuesday if I feel well enough to join the family in Italy - but with "just" a flu-bug, at least they won't all be panicking & cancelling their own trips. Thanks, Geebee & Cocoalab, for your night time comfort & advice.
Take care, Teresa.

 

[MikeHeim]

Palpitations and high heart rate are a perfectly normal when you have a fever. I've been told that by enough doctors that I'm starting to believe it.

 

[Teresa UK]

Hi Aussigal. One of the probs with the NHS is that doctors are not at your beck and call. Because its the weekend, I would be able to phone a local Call-centre and log the fact that I need to see a doctor, but they can only offer a general practitioner who you have never seen before and will never see again. With my symptoms they would probably recommend I attend the local A&E, as the GP would have a list of other people to go and visit through the night before getting to me. I would arrive in a packed A&E full of drunks and join the end of a queue to see a triage nurse. Because of my symptoms they would probably "fast track" me through the security doors into a holding area where they would put me on a trolley with a gown on, to sit and stare at vast numbers of other sick people staring back at me..... The nurses would take my temp/bp etc. and watch my vital signs. I could then wait any number of hours before I see a doctor, (not many doctors on duty, but lots of patients) who would probably then recommend I am admitted onto the general ward for observation because, after all, I do have a serious underlying problem. I would probably see the hospital cardio some time on Monday, (unless an emergency arose), and he would then make his diagnosis, write a prescription if necessary and write to my cardio recommending an appointment...... Don't get me wrong - if it were an emergency they would click into action in the blink of an eye. But only if it were an emergency. That's always the dilemma - is this really serious? or do I stay at home and get some rest? Anyway, thanks for all your comments.
Take care, Teresa

 

[Emma]

Hi Teresa,
I have caught the dreaded flu bug too that seems to be flying around England at the moment - Chloe gave it to me (or one of my class?? Although half of them have been off school too!)
Chloe's been sooo poorly with it all week - temps through the roof, sneezing, aching, coughing etc etc.
Now I have it too and had thumping, fast heart rate with it too cos my temp went up so high a few times. Hubby has also caught it and he has the palpatations too. Neither of us are heart patients so I would say it's all part of this evil flu bug everyone has.
Hope you feel better soon!!
Love Emma
xxx

 

[Karlynn]

I often get palpitations when I'm getting sick or am sick. Palpitations are usually one of my first signs that I've got something coming on.

 

[maka]

Hi Theresa

Just a comment...have you taken any cold medicine? Some of them have caffeine or antihistamine which may cause palpitations

 

[Teresa UK]

The paracetamol have a bit of caffeine added - although my system is used to quite strong coffee. The evening I had the palpitations I had had a very salty meal and a glass of alcohol - both of which I'm not used to, so it was probably a combination of that and fighting off a raging temperature. I still feel grim - how can everything hurt so much?! and I have the cough from hell, but no more palpitations. I can actually stand up today without my head exploding, which is an improvement. I'm being a complete baby, which my children (teenage boys) are finding really funny....

 

[aussigal]

ohh good...so its just plain yucky-flu...

gee boys are wonderful arent they..

I have 3 myself and they find the weirdest things so funny

I do know what you mean about doing the A & E thingy...I did it myself one-night then after sitting there an hour in the queue still I went home saying I would go see my GP in the morning which I did...

Its a shame they dont have a national telephone service for such cases where you can have your concerns answered by trained cardiac staff...
We actually do have this service in my home city and I had forgotten all about it..but now have the number up on the wall and know I can call them 24/7 and get an answer promptly from someone who is cardiac trained, its an excellent idea.

I'm still glad its just the flu and the palps have gone...theyre scary when they continue especially for a heart-patient.

hope youre feeling better soon...

healing hugs
ton

 

[Mary]

Teresa,
Anytime I ran a fever, I threw nonstop PVC's. I think fever is a heart stresser.
If they've stopped, I wouldn't worry, and go to Italy.

 

[bvdr]

Hi, years ago I was taught that the heart rate usually increases by about 7% with every degree of elevated temperature. It means that your increased pulse would be a "normal" reaction but doesn't mean it isn't putting unwanted extra stress on your heart. I noticed as my heart condition worsened I had less tolerance for any infection, particularily anything respiratory.

I hope you are feeling better and your decision is easier to make. If you go to Italy have a good time!