Just been discharged from hospital- scary day

[My happy ever after]

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well.
I haven't posted for quite a while, things were doing good.
Today, I got admitted to accident and emergency with an asthma attack. Just got home after eight hours, chest xray, ecg, blood tests, sats etc.
Thing is I feel so embarrassed I got myself so worked up about having all these tests done, I fear the worst all the time, I was sure something terrible was going to show up on the xray, it was fine in the end. But I found myself asking constantly is that ok, am I ok, what does this show? I feel that I must be the worst patient to contend with.
My heart rate was 110-150 all day, and im sure the anxiety doesn't help but I wasn't actually feeling too anxious at that point, they wanted heart rate and bp under control before I left. They've let me out now and thinking being in hospital that was causing it to be high due to me worrying.
Have antibiotics and steroids to help with my asthma and chest so I hope I feel better soon.
Just fed up of HA and how it makes me panic in hospital and doctors and I just feel humiliated don't think anyone really understands how it feels.
Sorry for such a negative post but its good to know people on here understand.

Much love xx

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi glad you were let out, in a clinical situation and feeling anxious I would say 110/150 is about average, sometimes I think that the longer you are in the worse we get, main thing is they got the asthma under control and you are home now so don't worry, being scared something is wrong when having tests happens to most people, even ones that don't have HA

[debs71]

Hi Hun,

So sorry to hear about this. I am asthmatic too, and a long time ago now I had to be admitted for 3 days with bronchitis induced asthma, so I know how scary it is.

I think that breathing issues are very, very frightening. It is bad enough to suffer them through high anxiety, but when you have asthma on top it is worse!! You sort of get in a vicious circle as the anxiety causes the asthma attack and then you get so worried about the asthma attack that you get more anxious! Nightmare.

Do bear in mind though that the salbutamol (I'm assuming) nebulisers they gave you will raise you heart rate anyway, so that will be responsible for a proportion of your elevated heart rate. The waters will be a bit muddied though as your anxiety will also raise your heart rate, but whatever the case, there is an explanation, so please try not to worry about that.

So glad they gave you some meds to take home. Prednisolone (I assume they gave you again, lol) is an excellent drug for keeping a lid on things asthma wise, so fingers and toes crossed you will feel a lot better soon.

I think just being at home helps a lot for both the asthma and the anxiety. I LOATHE being a patient and I loathe being in hospital. Familiarity is so much better I think.

I hope you feel better soon.x:hugs:

[spellplague]

There is a thing called 'white coat syndrome/anxiety' which is basically where BP, heartrate and all that funky stuff can go up *just* because you are in that sort of setting.