20 year old with heart block.

[Jenfax]

Hello. I'm a 20 year old female looking for advice. After a recent 4 day ECG I was informed I had a second degree heart block type 1 mobitz wenkebach and inappropriate sinus tachycardia. The longest pause with the block was 2.38 seconds. I went to a&e yesterday with chest pains and while in triage my heart rate went from 100 to 177 so I was kept in overnight in the health care unit - ECG was fine all night just picked up sinus tachycardia. I still have the chest pains, I'm worried about them. The cardiologist I saw before they discharged me said they're not worried but to come back obviously if I collapse or they become excruciating. The chest pain is around a 2 out of 10 and more uncomfortable - it just makes me want to burp.

What I want to ask is is the heart block and tachycardia dangerous? Apart and together? I am quite an anxious person so this has been abit hard for me. Any advice would be great while I'm waiting for my follow up appointments. Thanks.

[Jenfax]

Hi, does this disease make me more at risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac death?

I'm a bag of nerves since being diagnosed.
Thank you

[caregiver222]

It is difficult to assess the degree of danger from your problem. Many people live for decades with 2nd degree heart block. This is unusual in a young person and often is due to a viral infection some time in the past. I am not convinced your chest pain is cardiac-related. The first thing I would recommend is a simple magnesium glutamate dietary supplement. There should be no contraindications. Cardiac irritability is often related to magnesium deficiency. I would be interested to know more about the nature of the pains, particuliarly if they are positionally relieved. Positionally relieved pain is not cardiogenic. As for the sinus tach, the issue is whether it is compensatory or non-compensatory. Compensatory sinus tach is in response to a need for more oxygen. Non-compensatory is due to an inappropriate pacing by the atrial pacemaker, and this is often linked to magnesium deficiency.

I am sure your physicians are competent, but I would recommend a second opinion. Get the two books "How Doctor's Think" and "A Second moPINION" BY dR. Jerome gROOPMAN.