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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Fast pulse while at Doctor's office
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Fast pulse while at Doctor's office
by Carl-Car, Jan 03, 1999 12:00AM
Recently went to family doctor (actually a PA) with a cold, fever and cough.
Nurse notice my pulse was fast - about 120. Ever since my PA has been looking at everything
to see what is causing this. Blood test and now a 24 hr urine. I have always been very nervous
when visiting a doctor, but he says I don't look nervous when I'm there. Now I am going for
a stress echo. I have no signs of any problems. I take Zocor (10mg), but besides that I am very healthy.
Only about 10 pounds overweight, don't smoke, and I'm 37. Oh....and at home my pulse is always in the 75-80 range.
Now he has me so nervous about everything that my pulse will be real high when I go in for the stress echo.
Will this affect the test? Is it normal for people to have high pulse rates when they are nervous.
My last doctor told me I had "white coat hypertension". My BP would be high when I first came into the office,
but it would come down after I became more comftorable (after chit-chatting w/ him for a while). Thanks for your help.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD APS, Jan 03, 1999 12:00AM
_
Dear Carl,
It is absolutely normal for your pulse rate to be up when you are nervous, even if you don't feel
particularly nervous. Your last doctor was right , it sounds like the white coat syndrome. Do
not worry about your stress test, most patients are nervous for these anyway, and an elevated heart
rate will not affect, if anything it will likely help the test. A normal stress test
which you are likely to have will give you a great prognosis and allow you to start a daily exercise program
(45 minutes of aerobic exercise daily) and shed those extra 10 pounds which put a person not only at risk for heart disease
byt also at risk for hypertension and diabetes.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician
can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire
online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the
cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
