I had a scare this past Sunday when my blood pressure dropped to 70/30. I was dizzy, nauseous and had a really bad headache. I had been running low all day and had even called the doctor on call. She had advised me to rest and drink lots of fluids and to NOT take by bp med that evening and call my cardiologist on Monday morning. I couldn’t wait…..once it dropped that low, I immediately went to the ER. Was there something wrong with my heart again? Was it my medication? All I knew was that I was freaking out…..
Once in the ER, they immediately called me back to have an EKG and lab work. Of course, my bp had returned to normal with all the excitement and my nerves. After sitting in the room for a while waiting on results, my bp started to drop once again. All my test results were very normal. Ok, so it wasn’t my heart. Whew.
Without any other reason for the low bp, it was determined to be my medication and I was advised not to take it and call my cardiologist for a follow up appointment. I returned home, nervous that it would drop again….
Rewind to 6 months ago and I was in a lab doing a number of tests to get a better look at my heart and how it was working. All of them came back normal but let me explain about the non-stress test. I was not allowed to do a physical non stress test, so they tried to mimic the signs of a heart attack by injecting chemicals through an IV. I can tell you that I have never been so scared in my life. It felt exactly like I was having a heart attack, again. I was nauseous, dizzy, light-headed, had chest pains/pressure and shooting pains down my left arm. As fast as it came on, it disappeared. Just like the real one. Chemicals were able to mimic a heart attack. CHEMICALS. How scary is that?
Back to my appointment with my cardiologist: he discussed the fact that I do NOT need bp meds at all. I have a “soft” blood pressure that tends to be on the “low” normal side naturally. So, why then was I put on this medication in the first place? Well, it’s pretty much standard for anyone who has had open heart surgery to be prescribed these meds to help the heart heal. Ok fine, BUT I have been complaining for the last 4 years how tired I have been. I have never had a high bp reading. Ever. Today has been a fantastic day for me. I don’t feel like I want to fall asleep and my energy level increased substantially. Is this related to the medication? My doctor seems to think so.
We all deal with chemicals in our life, but do we really know what we are putting in our bodies? Do we understand exactly how those chemicals affect us, affect our behavior and sleeping habits? It could be medication, as in my case, but think about the food we eat, the drinks we drink (including water), the topicals, such as lotions we use and the household items we use every single day. I’m on a quest now. I want to eliminate chemicals in my life as much as possible.
What do you think? How do you eliminate chemicals from your personal world? I need help to do this and I’m curious what you all do…..
Inching Forward 