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Suggest Treatment For Faint Feeling And Cold Sweats When Diagnosed With Arthritis
Question: I just came home from grocery shopping. I try to walk faster (I am a bit slow from arthritis) when I shop. Sometimes I feel faint and clammy and have cold sweats. Some times I feel like I need more air. I have had heart surgery, have two stents and take blood pressure meds as well as blood thinners. I felt tired this morning and got up pretty early, 4:00 am. I don't always have this problem. I have been trying to walk more, take the dogs to the dog park, and walk in the local community pool. I have had a heart checkup within the last year that was good. I am 65 and stout. I guess by asking you this question, I am putting off going to see my own doctor but there you go. Got any advice?
Brief Answer:
I recommend consulting with your doctor for a complete check up.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms may be related to episodes of low blood pressure or a metabolic disorder.
But possible complications related to your coronary stents (possible occlusion and cardiac ischemia) can not be excluded.
Have you checked your blood pressure during these episodes?
You should closely monitor your blood pressure in sitting and standing up position. A decrease in your systolic blood pressure more than 20 mm Hg during standing up position, compared to sitting position, may indicate an orthostatic hypotension.
A head up tilt test is necessary to rule in/out this possible diagnosis.
I recommend you to consult with your attending physician, for a careful physical examination, a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound, a chest x ray study and some blood lab tests :
- complete blood count
- coagulation tests (INR, prothrombin time)
- thyroid hormone levels (thyroid gland function)
- adrenal gland function
- PCR, sedimentation rate (inflammation)
- kidney and liver function tests
- blood electrolytes
- blood gas analysis.
Further tests (ambulatory 24 hours ECG monitoring for arrhythmia, respiratory function tests,etc) may be needed to establish the cause is suspicions are raised based on the above tests results.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above mentioned possibilities.
If all the above tests result normal, anxiety should be taken into consideration as a possible cause that may mimic this clinical scenario.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
I recommend consulting with your doctor for a complete check up.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms may be related to episodes of low blood pressure or a metabolic disorder.
But possible complications related to your coronary stents (possible occlusion and cardiac ischemia) can not be excluded.
Have you checked your blood pressure during these episodes?
You should closely monitor your blood pressure in sitting and standing up position. A decrease in your systolic blood pressure more than 20 mm Hg during standing up position, compared to sitting position, may indicate an orthostatic hypotension.
A head up tilt test is necessary to rule in/out this possible diagnosis.
I recommend you to consult with your attending physician, for a careful physical examination, a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound, a chest x ray study and some blood lab tests :
- complete blood count
- coagulation tests (INR, prothrombin time)
- thyroid hormone levels (thyroid gland function)
- adrenal gland function
- PCR, sedimentation rate (inflammation)
- kidney and liver function tests
- blood electrolytes
- blood gas analysis.
Further tests (ambulatory 24 hours ECG monitoring for arrhythmia, respiratory function tests,etc) may be needed to establish the cause is suspicions are raised based on the above tests results.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above mentioned possibilities.
If all the above tests result normal, anxiety should be taken into consideration as a possible cause that may mimic this clinical scenario.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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