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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Can You Help In Anyway 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 Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Can You Help In Anyway Please
by robert clarke, Mar 19, 2005 12:00AM
I am a 38 year old male living in the United Kingdom and recently nearly 2 weeks ago was went to the accident and emergency here in the UK with pains in my chest and head. After numerous blood tests they said that i may have a possible blood clot and so they did more tests over the next few days to rule it in or out which the VQ test came back as Low Probability, while i was having the VQ test i was getting bad chest pains again and they did an ECG at the Nuclear Department which the staff and the doctor said something about the ECG showing AF which i don't understand what AF means. The doctor at the time said to me he could not let me go anyway as my heart rate was high. Last year i was also in hospital with bleeding stomach ulcers, and whilst in started to get chest pains and my heart rate reached 190+ at times but they said to me it was a problem with low potassium and gave me some potassium drinks. Now over the past 10 or more years on different occasions i have ended
up at the accident and emergency for chest pains but the only thing they always said is that i had tachycardia which is a fast heart rate i think and let me go each time. When i was released this time from hospital they gave me two medications named Cardicor and ramipril and never explained to me what the medication is for. The reason i am writing is that when i am admitted they never seem to get to the bottom of the problem and now this evening i am feeling a tightness and heavy in my chest again and pain up the right side of my neck but i am hesitant to go to the accident and emergency again as i feel they will just release me after a while with no real answers. Is there anyway you can put me in contact with someone in the UK or give me some information as i am at a loss on what to do next.
This is an update to the above text which i wrote a few days ago until i found somewhere like your website that i could ask for some advice. I was admitted to hospital again yesterday morning but released the same day later that night after being taken ill at the outpatient department that i was attending for a routine appointment for another condition not connected to all this what as been happening to me lately. I had not felt well since i was first released from hospital the first time which is explained above. I will outline what happened to me yesterday Thursday 17th March. It was around 10:30 am and i started to get severe chest pains and also felt terribly sickly and my heart was pounding and short of breath. The staff at the outpatient clinic phoned for an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived they first of all gave me oxygen as i could not get my breath and they also gave me a squirt of a spray under my tongue which they said would help with the pain until we reached hospital. The paramedics also did an ECG and the only thing i could hear them talking about it was that the ECG came back with a result of a VT which i tried to look up on the Internet but could not find much information on what that means. Anyway when i arrived at the Hospital assessment area they did numerous blood tests again and another ECG.A little later that afternoon the Doctor came back to me and wanted to do another chest Xray and also another VQ scan as again one of the blood test came back as positive for a chance of a blood clot which i already had both those test 2 weeks ago. The results of the VQ scan again came back again as low risk but the staff in the Nuclear department were very surprised they let me out of hospital the first time and thought i was still in hospital and they sent me for another follow up scan. The Doctor in the Nuclear department also told the staff i think he would be better off with a different kind of scan and the Staff Nurse and other staff were urging him to put a request in for it but then he said no to them because it was another doctor that arranged these same test again that i already had. I am not sure what the name of the test he said to them would be better as i had already had this one only 2 weeks earlier as i was still getting some chest pain and my heart pounding as they were doing the test again. They also squirted a spray again under my tongue during me having the VQ test again as i could not keep still with the pain in my chest whist breathing trough the mask.
Anyway a few hours later that evening the Doctor came back saying that the VQ test again came back as Low Probability of a PE. Now i was still feeling very sickly but the pain in my chest had lessoned somewhat, just leaving the sensation i have been getting now for over two weeks since i was first admitted which is a very heavy feeling over my chest like a weight on my chest. He said that i should just take the medicine i was given before which was Cardicor for my heart rate and ramipril for my very high blood pressure which he said was unusual for someone my age. He also said he thought the pains were muscular which i very much doubt, but he is the doctor and who am i to argue that point over to him. So here i am again at home and the sickness feeling and heaviness is still there and i have hardly eaten anything since coming out as soon as i have eaten a bit the nausea sickness feeling seems top get worse, the only pain in my chest i have been getting since i was out is every now and again i get a sharp pain in center of my chest which then takes my breath for a few moments and my heart pounding on and off all day and i keep burping every now and again.
I just don't know what to do next as if i feel the same again..I will feel such a fool to go to the emergency department or call for an ambulance as i feel nothing will be done and this will just go on and on with no end in sight.
Sorry for explaining this how i have but i just don't know who to turn to next.
Thanks for listening
Best Wishes
Robert
up at the accident and emergency for chest pains but the only thing they always said is that i had tachycardia which is a fast heart rate i think and let me go each time. When i was released this time from hospital they gave me two medications named Cardicor and ramipril and never explained to me what the medication is for. The reason i am writing is that when i am admitted they never seem to get to the bottom of the problem and now this evening i am feeling a tightness and heavy in my chest again and pain up the right side of my neck but i am hesitant to go to the accident and emergency again as i feel they will just release me after a while with no real answers. Is there anyway you can put me in contact with someone in the UK or give me some information as i am at a loss on what to do next.
This is an update to the above text which i wrote a few days ago until i found somewhere like your website that i could ask for some advice. I was admitted to hospital again yesterday morning but released the same day later that night after being taken ill at the outpatient department that i was attending for a routine appointment for another condition not connected to all this what as been happening to me lately. I had not felt well since i was first released from hospital the first time which is explained above. I will outline what happened to me yesterday Thursday 17th March. It was around 10:30 am and i started to get severe chest pains and also felt terribly sickly and my heart was pounding and short of breath. The staff at the outpatient clinic phoned for an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived they first of all gave me oxygen as i could not get my breath and they also gave me a squirt of a spray under my tongue which they said would help with the pain until we reached hospital. The paramedics also did an ECG and the only thing i could hear them talking about it was that the ECG came back with a result of a VT which i tried to look up on the Internet but could not find much information on what that means. Anyway when i arrived at the Hospital assessment area they did numerous blood tests again and another ECG.A little later that afternoon the Doctor came back to me and wanted to do another chest Xray and also another VQ scan as again one of the blood test came back as positive for a chance of a blood clot which i already had both those test 2 weeks ago. The results of the VQ scan again came back again as low risk but the staff in the Nuclear department were very surprised they let me out of hospital the first time and thought i was still in hospital and they sent me for another follow up scan. The Doctor in the Nuclear department also told the staff i think he would be better off with a different kind of scan and the Staff Nurse and other staff were urging him to put a request in for it but then he said no to them because it was another doctor that arranged these same test again that i already had. I am not sure what the name of the test he said to them would be better as i had already had this one only 2 weeks earlier as i was still getting some chest pain and my heart pounding as they were doing the test again. They also squirted a spray again under my tongue during me having the VQ test again as i could not keep still with the pain in my chest whist breathing trough the mask.
Anyway a few hours later that evening the Doctor came back saying that the VQ test again came back as Low Probability of a PE. Now i was still feeling very sickly but the pain in my chest had lessoned somewhat, just leaving the sensation i have been getting now for over two weeks since i was first admitted which is a very heavy feeling over my chest like a weight on my chest. He said that i should just take the medicine i was given before which was Cardicor for my heart rate and ramipril for my very high blood pressure which he said was unusual for someone my age. He also said he thought the pains were muscular which i very much doubt, but he is the doctor and who am i to argue that point over to him. So here i am again at home and the sickness feeling and heaviness is still there and i have hardly eaten anything since coming out as soon as i have eaten a bit the nausea sickness feeling seems top get worse, the only pain in my chest i have been getting since i was out is every now and again i get a sharp pain in center of my chest which then takes my breath for a few moments and my heart pounding on and off all day and i keep burping every now and again.
I just don't know what to do next as if i feel the same again..I will feel such a fool to go to the emergency department or call for an ambulance as i feel nothing will be done and this will just go on and on with no end in sight.
Sorry for explaining this how i have but i just don't know who to turn to next.
Thanks for listening
Best Wishes
Robert
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-MJM, Mar 19, 2005 12:00AM
Hi Robert,
Sorry to here about your health problems. I agree the emergency room is not a great place to go for answers. They are just too hurried and don't have time to look into detail problems.
The two diagnosis they mentioned regarding you EKGs are very different: atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT). You need to see a cardiologist. You need a holter monitor to capture the arrhythmia event and the frequency of the event. this is typically worn for 24-48 hours. If this does not capture the arrhythmia, an event monitor will help -- typically worn for 30 days. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL to gather your old ekg's, especially the EKGs showing the AF and VT.
You probably don't need any more VQ scans unless your symptoms change.
I hope this helps. I would seek a cardiologist soon to try to figure this out.
Good luck
Sorry to here about your health problems. I agree the emergency room is not a great place to go for answers. They are just too hurried and don't have time to look into detail problems.
The two diagnosis they mentioned regarding you EKGs are very different: atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT). You need to see a cardiologist. You need a holter monitor to capture the arrhythmia event and the frequency of the event. this is typically worn for 24-48 hours. If this does not capture the arrhythmia, an event monitor will help -- typically worn for 30 days. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL to gather your old ekg's, especially the EKGs showing the AF and VT.
You probably don't need any more VQ scans unless your symptoms change.
I hope this helps. I would seek a cardiologist soon to try to figure this out.
Good luck
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Just thought I'd drop you a note. I'm 32 and live in London. A couple of days after the birth of my daughter in May last year, I experienced the same symptoms you are having and was sent back to hospital where they kept me in for three days. I too had VQ scan which came back normal, and ECG which showed slight abnormalities (which I now know are normal after childbirth). Since then, I've been obsessed with my heart thinking something is wrong, and I've had daily chest pain, pvc's and runs of tachycardia, all caused by anxiety over my heart. I know it's hard to believe that chest pain when it hurts like that can be muscular, but as soon as I stopped worrying, it went away. Anyway, my point is - I begged my gp to refer me to a cardiologist and he did. I don't know where in the UK you are, but The Whittington Hospital in Highgate has a cardiac investigation unit where I had all my tests, and they also have a chest pain clinic too. Perhaps you can get your doctor to refer you? Anyway good luck, and I know it's hard but try not to worry, because IT DOES make it worse.
I sympathise with you. What is it about this damn country and heart conditions?! Basically, as long as you are under 60 and in good health, they seem to tell you everything is fine-or dose out some beta blockers,and lead you on your merry way. I've been to A & E three times in the past six months with frequent ectopic beats and funny feelings in my heart, i honestly thought i was going to die.All three times they did the ECG (which was normal at the time) and let me go. My gp was nice about it, but thought i was fine and that it was probably stress. I can assure you that my heart jumping around all over the place is not stress! So basically, i had to push for further tests. After researching online i found that in the US they screen you with various tests for any underlying heart disorders-here, they do a basic ecg and blood tests and thats it. So i got referred, did a 24 hr tape where they recorded ectopic atrial and ventricular beats and ended up paying privately to see a cardiologist. After my tape (which was on the nhs) I was going to have to wait three months to see the cardiologist on the nhs! Three months! So i got hold of his name called his secretary and arranged to see him as a private patient. He has been fantastic, and changed my meds and taken it all seriously. I've just had an echocardiogram done and i'm seeing him tonight for the results. It should be the final test but i tell you, none of this has been cheap. Very worth it for peace of mind though. I would say, if you are booked in for an appointment and have to wait a few months-do call and ask if there's been any cancellations. Both times i've had my appointments changed much quicker because i've called, explained how worried i am and they pushed me up the queue. Also i would def. see a cardiologist asap- VT (ventricular tachycardia) can be a worrying arrithmia, and you really need to get it sorted soon! All the best xx