WHY CAN'T I BE DIAGNOSED?

DOCTOR,

I AM A 40 YEAR OLD MALE. I WALK 5-7 MILES DAILY, OVER ALL MY HEALTH IS GOOD AND I HAVE NEVER SMOKED OR TOOK DRUGS.
ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO I SUFFERED FROM ANXIETY ATTACKS - THEY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, I HAD NO PRIOR SYMTOMS (symptoms), I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK I WAS PUT ON MEDS ( APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS) AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ON MED OR TREATED AFTER THAT. ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO (MAY 99)I STARTED GETTING HEART PALPITATIONS, I HAVE GONE FOR AN EKG, AN ECHOCARDIOGRAM, A STRESS TEST, AND WORE A 24 HOUR HALTER MONITOR. I HAVE BEEN TO HEART SPECIALIST. ALL MY TEST RESULTS HAVE COME BACK NORMAL. THE DOCTOR SAID IT WAS RELATED TO ANXIETY AND PUT ME ON MEDS (BUZ-PAR ?) FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH.THE HEART PALPITATIONS STOPPED AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER TAKING THE MED. I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS OK UNTIL ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I STARTED EXPERIENCING FLUTTERING OF THE HEART (NOT THE SAME FEELING AS THE PALPITIONS - THIS IS A MILDER PALPITION, A FLUTTERING).
WHEN THIS HAPPENS I CAN HEAR MY OWN HEART BEATING. I USAULLY EXPERIENCE THESE SYMPTOMS, IN THE EVENING AFTER EATING DINNER. A COUPLE OF TIMES I EXPERIENCED THEM BEFORE I ATE, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALMOST EVERY NIGHT.
I WANT TO MENTION THAT SOMETIMES I GET A DULL PAIN IN MY LEFT ARM (SOMETIMES A SLIGHT NUMBING) AND SOMETIMES MY LEFT LEG HAS PAIN TOO. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PALPITATIONS. RECENTLY I WENT TO MY REGULAR DOCTOR AGAIN (HE SAID HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND SUGGESTED IT WAS MY IMAGINATION) I ALSO SEEN THE HEART SPECIALIST (HE SAID ALL TEST ARE NORMAL AND HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS. (HE MENTIONED IT MIGHT BE A PINCHED NERVE). I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS? CAN IT BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE HEART?

THANK YOU
JOHN

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Anxiety would probably be at the top of the list. While it is always possible that you have some undiagnosed cardiac problem as the source of these symptoms, it would probably be best to consult with a psychiatrist at this point for more aggressive treatment of your anxiety disorder.

[Marlene]

John,
I would like to comment on your palpatations. (I know nothing about whether your left leg pain is related)
You sound frustrated that you have not been diagnosed when in fact you have. You have been treated for anxiety and/or stress. I have been in your situation for the last year. When doctors tell us "It's probably stress" we feel as if we have been given the brush off. This is only true in the sense that a doctor cannot "heal" stress. They can only treat the symptoms. You were given medication and it helped. In my opinion, they did not keep you on the Buspar long enough. You also may not feel especially stressful during these times because you may have free-floating anxiety. If however you can pinpoint particularly stressful events during these periods, you can try to eliminate the source of stress. And when you get the palpatations or flutters you naturally worry that something is wrong and that increases your anxiety which increases the symptoms and the cycle continues. Stress can affect the heart in several ways. Sudden stress increases the pumping action and rate of the heart and causes the arteries to constrict, this reduces the oxygen flow to your heart and causes palpatations. Stress causes blood to become stickier (possibly in preparation of potential injury), increasing the likelihood of an artery-clogging blood clot. I take an aspirin a day to prevent this. Stress may signal the body to release fat into the bloodstream, raising blood-cholesterol levels, at least temporarily, so you may want to have your cholesterol level checked just to be safe. I take Xanax to control my anxiety and nitro to ease the angina pain. Since nothing is "wrong" with my heart there is nothing more to be done except control the anxiety. Good luck to you.

[chris smith]

Hi Marlene:
   I agree with the advice you gave John but one thing puzzled me. If there is nothing "wrong" with your heart, why do you take
nitro for angina pain?  Wouldn't this mean something IS wrong?
I can see where anxiety might cause palpitations but are you saying that it also can cause "angina?"

Chris S.

[Marlene]

Hi Chris,
Yes, this is my understanding. Angina is caused by a lack of oxygen rich blood to the heart. If stress causes a contraction of the muscle fibers in the artery walls, this can cause angina. Nitro dilates the coronary arteries and improves the delivery of oxygen to the heart. Nothing is "mechanically wrong" with my heart as the results of EKG, stress echo test and angiogram have ruled out other causes. I should have mentioned in my first comment that other causes should be ruled out by your doctor.
Marlene

[lisa]

I have been experiencing what my internist says is "atypical chest pain" for about 10 months.  I also have a dull ache/numbing in my left arm.  I thought it was related to carrying my toddler with my left arm, but the chest pains and arm pain seem to occur at the same time.  Recently, I have felt naseous as well.  My doctor prescribed Buspar for me as well.  I have been reluctant to take it due to the possible side effects, but plan to start.  I agree it is frustrating to be told it is just stress.  But, my EKG was normal.  I also had an upper GI which was normal.  I have low cholesterol and my BP is normal to low.  Rationally, I know I am healthy.  But, the symptoms can be scary.  I am so glad I found this site to hear others have these same problems.

[tracy]

MY MOM HAD BRAIN SURGERY AND NOW HER LEFT HAND HAS BEEN JERKING. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS

[tracy]

MY MOM HAD BRAIN SURGERY AND NOW HER LEFT HAND HAS BEEN JERKING. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS

[Barb]

I thought I was the only one with this type of complaint. I have "spells" of the palpitations where it feels like my heart might just jump right out of my chest. No pain - just wildly erratic beats, sort of like a bad case of muscle spasms. It really scares me when these get bad, and they last a day or two sometimes. Other days, I only notice the palpitations when I lay down at night. Like Marlene, I'm healthy and exercise regularly  all my tests are normal. The stress echo and EKG do show the erratic beats, but  they don't know why or what they should do. They want me to try beta blockers, but I'm ALREADY tired a lot and very sensitive to cold, and those are the main side effects of the drug. I sure don't need that.

And Lisa, I've been nauseated with the last couple of episodes of this as well. I just can't believe it's stress, and I do believe that my heart is strong and basically healthy - no mitral valve prolapse or anything. I just want this to STOP!

Who else can give us some insight on this, and those of you who are taking the BusPar, it is really helping the heart stuff, or is it just covering up a bit so you don't notice it?

[LEE MC]

I AM 25 YRS.OLD FEMALE AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A ORGASM DURING INTERCORSE,BUT I DO HAVE THEM DURING ORAL SEX. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY

[LEE MC]

I AM 25 YRS.OLD FEMALE AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A ORGASM DURING INTERCORSE,BUT I DO HAVE THEM DURING ORAL SEX. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY