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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Is this normal after a heart cath?
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Is this normal after a heart cath?
by dozerscritch, Jun 25, 2001 12:00AM
I had a left heart cath done almost a week ago and am not quite sure if how I've been feeling since then should be considered normal or if I should be concerned.
As a bit of history, 38/yo female with a little over a year history of fainting, chest pains, dizziness, tachycardia. Cardiologist decided to do the cath due to my persistent symptoms, increasing chest pains and family history of CAD. Fortunately, my arteries were clear -- doc did say that my heart beats way too fast and skips quite a few beats. He said he will be trying me some different meds to try and get it under control. (we have not tried any of them yet -- presume he will start at my 1-week check in a couple of days) -- I also cannot take beta blockers due to my asthma.
Also, as part of the history --- docs are not totally convinced that my fainting is coming from the heart situation --- there is some concern that there may be some seizure activity going on also, as sometimes I do not go completely "out", but I can hear what is going on, but am unable to respond/communicate.
Anyway --- ever since I had the heart cath, I have had absolutely no energy whatsoever. I'm am extremely lethargic and have noticed an increased amount of skipped beats. Also, I have not taken my temperature, but at times I sort of feel like I may have a low-grade fever --- get a few chills like you do when you have a temperature (this usually happens in the evening/night).
The area where the cath was done has always been pretty dry (there was a little bit of clear oozing the day of the procedure and the day after, but no blood). It is not swollen or hard and the bruise that I have is small (about the size of a quarter or slightly larger).
Are these feelings normal after a heart cath? How long could I expect them to continue? Is it something that I should mention to my cardio when I go in a couple of days or should I call him sooner? I've been hesitant about calling him because I haven't felt "horrible", but the longer it continues, the more I wonder if I should.
Thank you for any insight you can give.
As a bit of history, 38/yo female with a little over a year history of fainting, chest pains, dizziness, tachycardia. Cardiologist decided to do the cath due to my persistent symptoms, increasing chest pains and family history of CAD. Fortunately, my arteries were clear -- doc did say that my heart beats way too fast and skips quite a few beats. He said he will be trying me some different meds to try and get it under control. (we have not tried any of them yet -- presume he will start at my 1-week check in a couple of days) -- I also cannot take beta blockers due to my asthma.
Also, as part of the history --- docs are not totally convinced that my fainting is coming from the heart situation --- there is some concern that there may be some seizure activity going on also, as sometimes I do not go completely "out", but I can hear what is going on, but am unable to respond/communicate.
Anyway --- ever since I had the heart cath, I have had absolutely no energy whatsoever. I'm am extremely lethargic and have noticed an increased amount of skipped beats. Also, I have not taken my temperature, but at times I sort of feel like I may have a low-grade fever --- get a few chills like you do when you have a temperature (this usually happens in the evening/night).
The area where the cath was done has always been pretty dry (there was a little bit of clear oozing the day of the procedure and the day after, but no blood). It is not swollen or hard and the bruise that I have is small (about the size of a quarter or slightly larger).
Are these feelings normal after a heart cath? How long could I expect them to continue? Is it something that I should mention to my cardio when I go in a couple of days or should I call him sooner? I've been hesitant about calling him because I haven't felt "horrible", but the longer it continues, the more I wonder if I should.
Thank you for any insight you can give.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-CRC, Jun 27, 2001 12:00AM
Also, my current meds are: Premarin, .625 daily (for surgically induced menopause 4 years ago) and I have an albuterol inhaler that I only use for the asthma when I need it (have not had to use for probably 3-4 months). Like I said, cardio doc said he will be starting me on some meds for the heart beat, but has not as of yet (I see him on Wednesday for my follow-up).
Again, thanks for any insight you can give.
I have CAD in my family also, it is believed since i had a very strucally abnormal mitral valve with regugatation, that it was caused by my MVP. It is very rare, but happened, mine developed suddendly with PVC's about 4 months ago, the short runs of PVC's and the full blown out ventricular tachycardia. No Ventricular fibrillation (phew!) . My v-tach beats at a rate of about 250 bpm on each episode, enough to make you not feel your best heh. Maybe the reason i was so prone to this arrythmia in because both my grand paretns died of cardiac arrest so we had Sudden cardiac death in my family, not to mention true MVP and CAD. Im not diagnosing you by no means, just giving you another lead to check into, cause ins ome cases fainting can be a precursor of a serious and fatal underlying conidition. And in other cases may mean nothing life threatning or very significant at all. One type of supraventricular tachycardia can lead to syncope, Wolff parkinson white syndrome, in which a accesory pathway exists conncting the atria and ventricles, at times a electrical impulse can travel down intot he ventricles via the normal conducting bundle branch and back up and enter into this pathways and conduct at a high rate of speed through this accesory pathway, this condition is made more dangerous when atrial fibrillation or flutter are present, as more sinus node impulses can get through via the pathway creating high ventricular response rate, and leading to a increased risk for ventricular fibrillation, a chatoic rhythm in the vnetricles with extreme electrical activity, in which on effect heart beat is produced, only useless quivering of the ventricles....Keep in mind, that many NON ARRYTHMIA OR NON CARDIAC causes can be the cause of syncope.....Are your near black outs accompained with palpitations or tachycardia? Chest pain? or with emotinal upset/exercise/anger? There are a lot of factors that be revealed and lead to a more definite diagnoses. I hope you and your doctor are exploring every possible cause of your symptoms, Good luck.
-Blake