Second medical advice advisable.

October 2022 I presented myself to Rockingham Hospital with worrying chest pain. Diagnosis was minor heart attack.
Waited 4 days to be transferred to either St Johns or Fiona Stanley.
Five days in Fiona after a stent was fitted. (Should have been allowed home a day after procedure0
I suffered severe night sweats and the diagnosis was alcohol withdrawal because of my sometimes daily 750mil of beer. Was administered a Vitamin B drip to counter act.
My daughter picked up om my chart that I had pneumonia symptoms? Further checks, this serious symptom had been overlooked and the appropriate treatment was commenced.
Home with 6 medications to be taken daily for 12 months. Several follow ups by hospital cardiologist over next 6 months.
9 months of continuing fatigue, tiredness and lethargy prompted my GP to hook me up to a "Holter" device to monitor my heart function over a 24 hour period (beginning of August).
I was to carry on normal daily work/play activities.
My heart rate dropped at times to 45 beats/minute during this time and never above 74.
This prompted my GP to halve the daily medication and to present for a follow up in two weeks time.
It never ceases to amaze me that side effects of many medications can actually be fatal.

I often think you'd be better off at the vet. They have to actually carry out real diagnosis instead of listening to the opinion of the patient.

A few years back I was suffering from severe sharp head pains that started while out prospecting in the hills. It occurred when I tried to lift the trailer off the towball. It worsened over the following months occurring with any heavy lifting and if I lowered my head below hip height. Standing and walking was no problem at first but after a while any sharp movement created the problem. If I shook my head rotating left to right and back it felt like my brain was moving about in my skull.

I ended up going for a CAT scan. It seems my pussy was ok but I had suffered multiple minor strokes. That took me into Bunbury hospital for an MRI scan. The first diagnosis was the same but after seeing the specialist I was told the scans had picked up naturally occurring veins that enlarge in old age. The final diagnosis was all clear as far as having strokes so nothing detected that should have caused the problem.

Some time later, perhaps six months or so I visited the doctor in Mt Magnet and he ran a series of blood tests amongst other things and all came back pretty normal. At some point during the consultation he asked about my fluid consumption but I dismissed it as an issue but it did stick in my mind.

The final result was that I started drinking a lot more water partly for rehydration and partly to see if I could flush out the possible toxins. The real cause of my head pain was dehydration. Now I start with a glass of water first up in the morning and try to keep drinking water throughout the day. The first sign of head pain when I try to do something strenuous and I head for my water bottle.

The entire problem was that I was dehydrated and it progressively worsened until I started drinking perhaps twice the water I was used to.

Very interesting Phil. My little lady drinks 1.8L of water by lunch time when detecting my bottle lasts me 3 or 4 days,
Further to my post above my GP advised me to drink more water after mentioning on a normal day after my two morning coffees I usually go all day with out water.

Nightjar said:

Further to my post above my GP advised me to drink more water after mentioning on a normal day after my two morning coffees I usually go all day with out water.

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I'd have thought that 750ml of beer would have made up for any deficit, as well as keeping the kidneys exercised!

Interesting discussion. I believe that alcohol is a diuretic so that when we pee, on average more water is expelled than is taken in with the alcoholic drink, so dehydration can creep up on us insidiously.
My main issue with alcohol was in the mornings waking up with very stiff muscles and joints which I now think was caused by dehydration and the muscles and ligaments not having enough fluid to allow them to work flexibly.
Worked out that a couple of glasses of water the night before, sometimes forced down, got rid of that stiffness. Admittedly also had to make more night visits, but even with that overall had a better sleeping experience.
Was always a bit sceptical of people posing around with bottles of water in their hand and thought that we would drink when we felt thirsty, but now a little more careful to keep ahead of the need.

When I had my rectal exam I wasn’t confident in his diagnosis so I asked for a second opinion. He used a different finger and the diagnosis was the same. I should have trusted him the first time.

Fickle Finger of Fate.

Nightjar said:

Very interesting Phil. My little lady drinks 1.8L of water by lunch time when detecting my bottle lasts me 3 or 4 days,
Further to my post above my GP advised me to drink more water after mentioning on a normal day after my two morning coffees I usually go all day with out water.

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Interesting, my Mother, God Rest Her Soul, in her 80’s would watch a the news and tv ads saying you should drink 2 litres of water per day which she did along with 4 cups of tea and a couple of VB’s everyday.
Mum got crook and we took her to a specialist whom diagnosed her with “ lack of salt causing loss of memory etc”. He put her on a tablet, 1 per week, and told her to stop drinking so much water at her age as she was leaching essential salts from her body. On his instructions she was back to her old self within weeks and lived til her early 90’s. Still had her couple of VB’s every day.

Moneybox said:

skull.

I ended up going for a CAT scan. It seems my pussy was ok but I had suffered multiple minor strokes. That took m

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Haven’t been on here for a while but damn that was a gold auto correct if I’ve ever seen one.

I once woke with flu like symptoms, after a week on the chicken soup I wasn’t getting any better so booked in with the quack, I was told my symptoms were viral and prescribed tabs which made me feel worse. A week went by it still felt crook, so booked another appointment and seen a different quack who said the same who wanted to prescribe the same. 3 days went by I had enough of the hot and colds and the coughing, so went down to emergency, after 6 hours of waiting got in had a blood and phlegm test to find out I had pneumonia, was instantly admitted and administered antibiotics intravenously and given 2 by mouth and what ever drugs they put in my drip made me sleep like a baby.
The next morning I was told they had no rooms, so I could stay in emergency or go home and silverchain would come 3 times a day to administer my antibiotics for a week.
Money box I think you did the right thing getting a checkup,a family friend living in Broome had a headache that became unbearable went to the hospital was put on a plane to Perth where he passed away from a brain aneurism

Hi all
Like the adds on tv
For all those over 50 you get the lovely bowel cancer test kits in the mail.
I’m 53. And fobbed it of for months. I’m all good. Finally did the test and all was not good. But early entervention is.
So the long term is lots of prospecting.
That’s my experience.
Cheers Andy

Good that you got it early Andy. Best to take that as a warning, we don't live forever. I've just got off the phone to a friend who'd love to retire but just can't manage to take that next step. We retired poor financially and several people said "just work another five years and you can retire comfortably". My answer was "I've just worked the last five years and we still have debts so five more isn't likely to change much".

We managed by having a "C" change. We sold in Capel $380,000 and bought in Cue "100,000. That $280,000, $250,000 after expenses, was the difference between working on and retirement. Not a very difficult decision to make if you want change and do the maths.

Moneybox said:

Good that you got it early Andy. Best to take that as a warning, we don't live forever. I've just got off the phone to a friend who'd love to retire but just can't manage to take that next step. We retired poor financially and several people said "just work another five years and you can retire comfortably". My answer was "I've just worked the last five years and we still have debts so five more isn't likely to change much".

We managed by having a "C" change. We sold in Capel $380,000 and bought in Cue "100,000. That $280,000, $250,000 after expenses, was the difference between working on and retirement. Not a very difficult decision to make if you want change and do the maths.

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Very smart move. You’re pretty clued up MB, in so many things. Actually wish I was half as smart as you. Life would be so much easier.

I went to work on two seperate occassions , started sweating felt like throwing up and passing out , Doctor said go home drink atleast three litres of water!!!! Bloody dehydrated and it was the middle of winter too. So just goes to show dehydrating can hit at any time especially if on medication.

After living the the tropics and western deserts for many years you tend to monitor your water intake a lot. Had kidney stones twice NOT FUN. Although i will say pethadine worked much better than morphine for pain.
Nurses did ask me what my water intake was I was about 5-6 lt aday they recommended 10-12. Near on impossible.
I learnt to monitor my urine colour.
After working out near Gove in the NT
I drank 2 glasses of water and then glass of Gatorade.
It seemed to slow down my water loss through sweating.
Do some research into urine colour and monitor. It may help you.
Cheers
Andy

No problem with discussing various illnesses or ailments but we can no longer have content discussing or giving advice on medications or other treatments.
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Not related to the post but maybe something to think about
Back in my concrete days I use to help an Italian mate and he’s old man , the old boy was 76 and could screed concrete with a 12ft screed like a 30 yr old with a dart hanging from his lip, wearing a chesty bond, being careful of slang and a long sleeve any day of the year.
As soon as the mud was down they would pull out the the esky and start with an orange then olives then what ever Nona cooked up the night before.
Old Joe was great for a yarn but tough to understand, loved a beer after work and spent his weekends playing bocce and drinking grappa.
I asked him once about retirement, he told me all his mates that retired have all got health problems or he’s put dirt on their graves.
I think concreting is tia chi for Italians.
Joes quote is burnt into my head and as much as I hate work, I love it.
My Mum at 73 every Tuesday comes up and does a days work for me, won’t take any pay.
I often think of being a child taking 3 steps to 1 of dads, working on your feet to retirement.
Then I think of old Joe

Sono Venuto, ho visto, ho concretizzato.
" I came, I saw, I concreted."

FYI--Practicing/teaching physician/surgeon, licensed/registered/board certified in multiple countries including USA (trained at Johns Hopkins) and Australia. Charity med relief work primarily these days.
Don't give advice other than, "See your GP/Specialist/Chemist" to better understand what you're describing publicly.
Unfortunately, based on your "response", such contributions will cease as of now.

Dr T