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Question Title: any suggestions appreciated...concerned and confused here,thanks!

Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic: Arrhythmia


In the past month I have been hospitalized three times and still have no diagnosis as to what is happening to me.
I must add my doctors call me a very complicated case and I have been seeking medical help now going on eight years.
I have many diagnosis, dominant being Sjogrens, Lupus, FM, reynauds, Peripheral Neuropathy, and Neurogenic bladder,etc...
The reson for first visit to ER was for swoolen legs and chest discomfort. Was put on monitor and was told I was having Bygemeny(sp?) PAC'S, PVC'S, and Arrythmia.
Had a denison test(don't know if that is correct name, it was a stress test of heart with a drug to represent exercise. It showed some type of blockage, but when at the hospital they did
another and found same exact results. Had a catherization done and found nothing. The doctor said there was one artery that showed little problem, but would not be causing this problem I am having.
Was in ICU 4 days and then put on heart ward for another three then released and put on Lopressor as well as my other meds. Only to return days later with more severe chest pain. Third visit was sent to Dallas,
Baylor Hospital to be monitored. Wonderful hospital and staff but they too could not give me a name, but this heart doc said this is something to do with the immune system and is systemic condition and wished he could give me a name for this too.
He said my rythems will never be the same and will always have these PAC'S,PVC'S AND ARRYTHMIA'S and that if they continued to ask my doc to up the dosage by 25mg of lopressor. i am currently on 100Mg 2x daily and by evening I get them bad, especially at night in sleep. (also, something I notice is when I sit up my pulse goes even lower, same with standing)
I also have been so dizzy lately, my husband says my pulse goes way to low at time I say I am dizzy(my husband is a medic for our FD)my pulse even drops to the 50's with no warning and talk about dizzy.
I am not very energetic of course when this is constantly happening, nor am I comfy running to the doc every time, especially when they don't know what is happening. I am so tired of constantly fighting for my health and also scared, I am constantly swelling. I am on prednisone 40mg daily, but was swelling before being put on this.
I am still getting some chest pains at times, not what I call severe, but enough to still make me stop and pray. Any suggestions what I should be doing or is this yet another thing I have to accept(not claim)and get used to it??? Please say it isn't! Thanks for any help, helpless in Texas.

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Dear Susan:

If the cardiac catheterization showed only one mild blockage then the heart arteries are OK; the adenosine stress tests were incorrect. Baylor Hospital is an excellent hospital; if the cardiologists there could not find anything wrong with your heart, the problem is unlikely to be your heart.

The Lopressor is for the PACs and PVCs, since they bother you so much. However, it is probably the Lopressor that is making your heart rate slow down as a side effect, and possibly making you dizzy and tired.

You should consider seeing a cardiologist who specializes in arrhythmias (a cardiac electrophysiologist) to see if he could prescribe a different medicine. Certainly, do not stop the Lopressor without consulting your doctor.

I hope this is useful. Feel free to write back with further questions.

If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15. Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.



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