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Question about sinus tachycardia
Hi everyone, I hope I can get some help here. Since 2003 I've been dealing with palpatations. I have been seen by two cardiologist in that time and both say that my heart is normal. I saw the cardiologist last time last May and had the following test gone. EKG (normal), 24 hour heart monitor (8 runs of extra beats), and a stress echo which was normal. My primary doctor had me wear a event monitor for 2 weeks earlier this year because my heart rate has been rapid. This picked up occasional sinus tachy and skipped and extra beats here and there as the doctor put it which he said are all common and normal. I have gotten used to the skipped and extra beats perhaps because I have been dealing with them longer. But the tachycardia drives me nuts. It always happens when I first wake up or when I am trying to go to sleep and that rush of adrenaline feeling is so scary to me. Also, since January I have been experiencing what I call shortness of breath, I don't gasp or wheeze and there is no pain , it feels like I am in a small room where someone has sprayed too much aresol. The doc prescribed Nasonax to see if that helps, so far it has not. And one last thing, I was very sick for a week in December of 2005 and since that time my ankles have been very mildly swollen. I have not mentioned this to the doctors because there is no pain. Does anyone have any ideas about what may be wrong with me? I am a 40 year old female who rarely saw the doctor until this past year.
Hi,
I have been dealin with palpitations and fast heart rate for about 10 years. All tests have come back normal so I try to chalk it up to stress and axiety that comes and goes. I don't think I handle stress as well as I use to, so the symptoms are worse than when I was 26. My family physician referred me to an EP who performed a stress test and echo on me and said it was ST(by the way, he was the first doc to actually give me a diagnosis). He gave me Toprol, but it really didn't help at all and I didn't like taking a medicine that could possible lower my BP when it was otherwise fine. I started having a lot of paused beats and lightheadedness when I would lie down to take a nap or go to bed at night so he gave me a 30 day event monitor, which I've been doing for about 3 weeks now except for a few days when the sticky pads really irritated my skin and I had to give it a break. the event monitor is much smaller than the Holter monitor. About the size of a pager. It can clipped onto your belt or pants. When I wake up in the middle of the night with that weird racing or skipped,lightheaded feeling , I press the button and it records the event, but also is constantly recording a 1 minute loop of your heart rhythm. So, when you press the button, it records appx. 15 seconds before the event and then the event so you get a 45 sec record of your "event". The only slightly negative part is that it can only record 4 events(or mine does) and then you have to call it in to an 800 number. It's pretty easy, but there are times at night when I have more than 4 events and I am not getting up at 3am to call in the events. I can only hope that I get enough events to show my dr. what's going on.
I say definitely see and EP. It will do wonders for your stress level when/if you find there is nothing wrong with you. If your dr. is not giving you the attention you deserve as a patient who is paying his/her salary, then find another one who will. I hope this LONG info helps and keep us up to date. I will post my results of the 30 day monitor in about 3 more weeks after I see the EP.
I have been dealin with palpitations and fast heart rate for about 10 years. All tests have come back normal so I try to chalk it up to stress and axiety that comes and goes. I don't think I handle stress as well as I use to, so the symptoms are worse than when I was 26. My family physician referred me to an EP who performed a stress test and echo on me and said it was ST(by the way, he was the first doc to actually give me a diagnosis). He gave me Toprol, but it really didn't help at all and I didn't like taking a medicine that could possible lower my BP when it was otherwise fine. I started having a lot of paused beats and lightheadedness when I would lie down to take a nap or go to bed at night so he gave me a 30 day event monitor, which I've been doing for about 3 weeks now except for a few days when the sticky pads really irritated my skin and I had to give it a break. the event monitor is much smaller than the Holter monitor. About the size of a pager. It can clipped onto your belt or pants. When I wake up in the middle of the night with that weird racing or skipped,lightheaded feeling , I press the button and it records the event, but also is constantly recording a 1 minute loop of your heart rhythm. So, when you press the button, it records appx. 15 seconds before the event and then the event so you get a 45 sec record of your "event". The only slightly negative part is that it can only record 4 events(or mine does) and then you have to call it in to an 800 number. It's pretty easy, but there are times at night when I have more than 4 events and I am not getting up at 3am to call in the events. I can only hope that I get enough events to show my dr. what's going on.
I say definitely see and EP. It will do wonders for your stress level when/if you find there is nothing wrong with you. If your dr. is not giving you the attention you deserve as a patient who is paying his/her salary, then find another one who will. I hope this LONG info helps and keep us up to date. I will post my results of the 30 day monitor in about 3 more weeks after I see the EP.
my son has tachycardia..We went to fort worth tx and he had surgery at age 11..They zapped those cells is kind of how they explained it..now he is 16 and has nto had it again..Also it runs inour family ..my husbands sister had it down too and she is 42, and she doesn't have it anymore]
good luck
good luck
Ya, I would ask your cardiologist if you can see a EP IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. kEEP ME POSTED.
GOOD LUCK
GOOD LUCK
I only saw a cardiologist who was quite dismissive of me, like I was wasting his time. Interesting thing is when I had the stress echo the doc asked the tech something that I wasn''t paying attention to but the tech answered it was borderline, the the doctor then asked me if I had ever been diagnosed with MVP which I had not. This was prior to me getting on the treadmill. But after the test was over the doctor said I was fine and walked out the door. Interesting that you should mention an EP specialist, my sister is a nurse who advised me to see an EP at her hospital but in looking into it it seems pretty invasive considering my cardiologist says my heart is fine. My primary said he would send me for pulmonary function tests and maybe a chest X-ray if the Nasonex doesn't help.
from your test results it sounds like nothing is wrong with you.. you've had quite a few tests and two doctors tell you your heart is normal, which is great! be happy for that.. Since none of your tests have shown any kind of abnorml heart beat, you will not likely get a referral to an EP, if your sinus tach is not prolonged or effecting your heart function, its not really needed.. I think maybe you should try searching other aveneus in relation to your symptoms
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