Is an echocardiogram enough?

[Rasta15]

For the past three months I have had chest pain, shortness of breath.  I have had a chest xray, ekg, blood work, and an echocardiogram.  All have been normal.  I recently saw an alleg. who did a breath test and I improved 12% after an alb. treatment.  I don't have ast.  I have been having other problems dizziness, vertigo, weakness, fatigue.  I have undergone testing for lyme, diab., adrendals.  I am hypothryoid, after rec. RAI in 2002 for graves disease.  I recently saw a new endo. who lowered my dose of lev. and said I could be a bit hyper.  although my levels are in low of normal range.  I have been on a new dose for four days.  I am experiencing heart palp. or more like flip flop of the heart.  My heart rate runs bt 70-80, but has been up to 100 in the last few days.  It feels like I get a lump in my throat for a moment and then is gone.  I have seen so many dr. I saw my pcp today who said if it does not stop in a week we can do a 24 hour monitor.  I have a sinus infection right now and have had headache the last three months.  This all begin after went of the birth control pill.  I was feeling fine before.  I have had mri of the head for headaches,severe....Since my sinus infection I have also had twitching over my left ear into my cheek.  My neuro. does not seem to be worried.  I am a little scared of the heart thing.  I am forty year old woman with chol level 191, hdl 68, and ldl 113.  I dont smoke, I usually workout although the last three months I have been to exhausted.  Med. levoxyl .100, xopenix inhaler, and now z pack for sin. infection.  I have been prescribed pristec, but have not started it for anxiety thru all this.  I am curious if something is missing.  I don't want to run to the er everytime my pulse goes up or I get a heart flip flop or palp.  Any thoughts, questions?  Any advice is appreciated...Thanks

[grendslori]

Usually dizziness problems are related to the inner ear and believe it or not, the eyes. Maybe your neurologist would consider you having a testibular testing done to check and see if you have an inner ear problem? There are a lot of things that can raise your pulse rate: a low grade infection/fever, too much of a caffine substance such as Mountain Dew, cokes, coffees, teas chocolate etc. Something like low blood sugar can also cause your symptoms of weakness/dizziness or even just being dehydrated. (Not only do you need to drink a lot, you also need to be eating protein to help keep the body' s fluids in check, it's a balancing of fluid and protein that keeps a person from becoming dehydrated. If you are active like you say, the chances of having a heart problem, aren't really high, so that's a good sign!  

[Rasta15]

Hi,

Thanks for the input.  I thought that vertigo was a spinning of a room, so to speak, and dizziness was not.  I get my facts mixed up.  I get nervous about a 100 pulse, and know that it is normal, just never has been in me.  I am athletic and usually run a 60-65 heart rate.  My blood pressure has usually been 90/70, but it has been lower the last three months.  My neuro. has no explanation for the weakness/dizziness.  It could be my thyroid. I will ask my dr. about a stress test next time I see her.  I just wonder why they don't just run those if they are better determining test.  $$$$ probably....All these symptoms just started, so I get nervous.  Yes, I am getting older too.  Thanks again....

[grendslori]

As strange as it seems, there is nothing in the post you are writing that would really concern me. A pulse rate of 100 is really nothing and the fact that you have any kind of infection would certainly explain a slight increase in heart rate. That's normal. The palpitations that you feel, everyone on the planet also feels; they are the premature beats that are the normal back-up system for the heart's electrical system.. Dizziness and vertigo are actually the same thime, just different words to describe the same symptoms; one is the layman's term, the other, the medical. If you are already seeing a neurologist, the fact of weakness vertigo and fatigue should have been addressed already. Chest pain causes would have been picked up on the tests you have already had; the only other test I would recommend would be a stress test, with that, causes for chest pain would be evident. Another possibility is the drugs interacting with each other could be causing a lot of these problems for you. By themselves, the drugs may not be an issue, however, combined, they may be. Take care