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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Help Please
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests
Help Please
by JazzyJJ, Feb 29, 2004 12:00AM
Brief history, 29yrs old 5"11 270lbs mom passed 5 yrs ago from CAD. I dont smoke, She did. Cholesterol 268. I had ASD Repair @ 15 yrs old. I have been TROUBLED with PAC's & PVC,s for years. Had a couple of Episode that gave me an ambulance ride for the first time in Dec & Jan. I would have a series of PVC?, then racing 160 bpm for 3-7 min. VERY, Scary. Then last night I layed down and normal PAC are like Beat, Beat, Beat,Beat, Pause, Beat, Beat etc. Now I am getting beats like Beat, Beat, Beat, Beat,Beat, Beat, Beat Etc with no pause.?is THIS? This happened right before the prior racing but not last night of 160 min. Haven't drank in 5 wks use to have a couple of beers a day. After first 2 episodes in Dec of fast beats after irregular beats, I had a nuclear Stress Test. Results mild reverable Ischemia in 2 areas. Everyone including Cardio Dr and an Ep think the results were Overread to cover the Drs back. I worry all day every day that I will Die at any moment from a beat I don't recover from. Will not exercise too Scared! I really want to do cardio without being scared. I also think I should go have an Angiogram. Had one 5 yrs ago, which was Crystal Clear. Had an echo before the N Stress and ef was 66% and a little enlarge right atriam. due to ASD as child. Caught the 3 PVC's in a row the 140bpm. EP says dont worry. Everyone Ssays Dont Worry. ?'s What can I do to Stop Worring. Also Should I get an angiogram, should I be on toprol? Used to take for racing but it Caused more palps than not, so got off 2yrs ago. Doctor, Hankster and Everyone Else PLEASE ANY COMMENTS OR HELP!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-RCJ, Feb 29, 2004 12:00AM
JazzyJJ,
Thanks for the post.
Sorry that you're not feeling so "jazzy" at the moment.
You really have two issues: (1) the medical "problem", and (2) your reaction to the "problem".
In regards to possible CAD -- anything is possible. You are overweight, have high cholesterol, and a family history of CAD. But the negative cath 5 years ago and your young age strongly argue against new CAD. Also, PVC and PAC are rarely the first sign of CAD. To have or not have the cath is a judgement call that can only be made by you and your doctor, but you need to ask yourself if you would feel better by having the cath. I suspect you might have some temporary relief, but then that would be supplanted by a new worry.
To get at the diagnosis of the extra beats and your symptoms, an event monitor might help. When you feel something amiss, you activate the monitor and the rhythm is recorded.
To feel better about exercising, why not join a cardiac rehab program? You can become comfortable exercising under medical supervision, and then eventually "unleash" yourself when you have developed some self-confidence.
The biggest problem I sense when I read your post is your worry. A coping mechanism to handle the worry needs to be developed. Many coping skills are available, and include meditation, yoga, tai chi, biofeedback, counseling, and others. I personally have found that meditation works for many people and is simple to learn. A good book to get started is Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Hope that helps, and I hope you feel better.
Thanks for the post.
Sorry that you're not feeling so "jazzy" at the moment.
You really have two issues: (1) the medical "problem", and (2) your reaction to the "problem".
In regards to possible CAD -- anything is possible. You are overweight, have high cholesterol, and a family history of CAD. But the negative cath 5 years ago and your young age strongly argue against new CAD. Also, PVC and PAC are rarely the first sign of CAD. To have or not have the cath is a judgement call that can only be made by you and your doctor, but you need to ask yourself if you would feel better by having the cath. I suspect you might have some temporary relief, but then that would be supplanted by a new worry.
To get at the diagnosis of the extra beats and your symptoms, an event monitor might help. When you feel something amiss, you activate the monitor and the rhythm is recorded.
To feel better about exercising, why not join a cardiac rehab program? You can become comfortable exercising under medical supervision, and then eventually "unleash" yourself when you have developed some self-confidence.
The biggest problem I sense when I read your post is your worry. A coping mechanism to handle the worry needs to be developed. Many coping skills are available, and include meditation, yoga, tai chi, biofeedback, counseling, and others. I personally have found that meditation works for many people and is simple to learn. A good book to get started is Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Hope that helps, and I hope you feel better.
if it helps to know this,I get beats like you are talking about eveyday, in my case they say it is short non sustained bouts of paroxysmal atrial tachycardia meaning it starts and stops on it's own in the top of my heart, and for me usually just lasting a second or less. I alo have the sustained kind as well, but only every few months now as opposed to every day a few years back. Have had it for four years now. What I have learned to help me is to cough and usually it stops it, also I try very hard to move on to something else as in the beginning it would scare me so bad it would just make me have more. It is scary to have an irregular beat that you feel all the time. Hope you feel better. I have gotten a lot of good tips from people on this web site in dealing with these arrhythmias, if you read through the archives there is good info on ways tho help you deal with this. Good luck!
wmac