Chest Pressure

I am 40 (female), play soccer weekly, use a treadmill daily, and I'm not over weight. I quit smoking in 1989 and consider myself pretty healthy.  I have symptoms that last 3-4 days.  It starts with slight pain in my right chest. Then I feel chest pressure if I lean over or stoop, at night I can't lay down because the pressure is pretty intense.  Then my heart starts beating rapidly, then beats normally, then beats rapidly again. It's sporatic, for example it will beat rapidly for 2 minutes then beat normal for 15 minutes, then start beating rapidly again.  It climaxes with my heart beating very fast then I'll break out in hives on my chest and stomach, then I'm usually fine for 6 months to a year.  This has happen 3 times in the last 4 years.  I've worn a heart monitor during one of the episodes & had a sonigram of my heart done.  The monitor showed the rapid heartbeat the sonigram showed nothing unusual. I'm not allergic to anything.  I've kept a food diary thinking something I've eaten triggers the episodes, but haven't been able to pinpoint anything.  Any ideas as to what's going on?

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Dear Shar30,

Sorry to hear about the palpitations you have been experiencing. You report having worn a holter monitor which showed a rapid heartbeat. Was it read as SVT? It is difficult to comment on the cause without having documentation. You may consider wearing an event recorder, which is a device worn for approximately 1 month. This may better characterize the palpitations you have been experiencing. Also, discuss the findings of your holter monitor study with your doctor to get a diagnosis. The fact that you have a normal echocardiogram and  good exercise tolerance is reassuring as I read about your  symptoms.

You should also discuss the chest pain you have been experiencing with your doctor as well. If the chest pain is not brought by the strenuous exercise you perform, it probably is not related to any serious cardiac problem. However, this statement is general and should not take the place of a medical examination.


Thanks for your question,


CCF-MD-KE

[Shar30]

Unfortunately, my doctor's nurse couldn't tell me how my holtzer monitor was read.  She told me that the results showed occational "pvc" and occational "pac".  I'm not sure what this means.  I plan to visit the emergency room next time my heart starts to race.  I think this is the only way my mystery will be solved.