Is a 24hr Holter monitor a good test ?

Im 37, male, 180 pounds, BP is always under 120/80 and my Total Colesteral is 139. I keep getting Palpitations that trigger
Anxiety or make me have kind of have a hot flash and tingley feeling.
I don't seem to have alot of them but the Holter caught some of the ones that were bothering me. The Cardiologist said there were
a few that showed up on the test and they were coming from the upper part of the heart and were definatley benign. So should I get more tests? the only person directly related to me with CHF is my Fathers Mother (82yrs) and my father (60yrs) does not. I also get chest pains that are like fingers poking me and these are usually at rest and I feel fine when I am active like shoveling or yard work. My general doctor says I have Anxiety
and gave me Ativan to take when I feel this way and I admit the pains go away but would Ativan hide a heart problem?

Thanks
Greg

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear greg,
To answer your first question concerning Holter testing - Yes, as long as you have the palpitations during the 24 hours (as you did in your case).  Many people however have less predictable arrhythmias and require an 'event recorder' instead of a Holter monitor.  

Your second question concerning more tests would depend on how frequent the palpitations were, what arrhythmia was seen on the Holter monitor and what other symptoms you are having.  Anxiety can cause all sort of symptoms but I tend to make this diagnosis only after excluding other causes.  Ativan does relieve anxiety but is a highly addictive drug so I would use it with caution.  If anxiety is your only medical problem there are many other things that can be done before going to Ativan.  Many of these suggestions can be found on this website posted by other readers with very similar problems to yours.

[paola37]

Greg, you probably suffer from pvc/pac - another test you may want to have done is a stress echo just to make sure your heart receives enough blood (basically ruling out any mycardial ischemia). The 24 holter monitor is good but would not call it sufficient.  Dig further - better to be on the safe side.
Good luck - I am having my stresso echo - for what seem to be the same problem next tuesday.
paola

[bethanym26]

Ativan is an antianxiety/antiepileptic med that works wonderfully when palpitations, or anything else cause panic.  Chances of it masking an underlying heart problem are slim, but the previous responder is correct that holter's are good, but not necessarily sufficient for figuring out what's going on, nor is ativan necessarily sufficient for treatment.  It's great for the effect of the heart problem which is anxiety, but it is not a treatment for the heart problem itself (if one exists).  Good luck and I ditto the "keep digging" comment from the last responder.  Just taking some control of your care and finding out as much as you can about what's happening may help the anxiety too!

[Brett]

Greg, I am a 29 male fit healthy, I have had five Holter tests over the past ten years, they either showed nothing, or "an extra beat"...murmer or  PAC...I suggest getting an echo test.
My G>P sent me for one last august and it showed I have a hole in my heart, called an Atrial Septal Dialation, which needs to be fixed.
Not trying to scare you as maybe you just have a murmer but thats what I was told and turns out there is more to it!
Take care.
Brett