Do you agree I need an ablation? I don't know what to do..

[Walnut66]

I have been suffering from high blood pressure and Palpitations since this past August. Although all my life I have had an irregular heartbeat. I always felt a pound, here and there, but not anywhere that it stopped me from doing anything active. But after this summer of dealing with some major stress in my relationship and home life, one night I woke in august with my heart beating so hard, thought I was dying..I know I had a lot to drink that night. The first doctor said I had AFIB..but after tests they ruled that out. My problem is- out of the blue my heart would just start racing/pounding..it comes and goes...and the worse hit in November where my heart rate went to 145 a minute. I had been put on Diatizem in september because of the flutter I would get. I had then went for a second opinion because I didn't feel my doctor was helping me, because I would also get the flutter at times and feel very weak. Then for a month, nothing at all..where my heart rate would stay around 60. So in turn this new cardiologist recommended I have a 10 days monitor. After the results he sent me to an electrocardiologist, he told me there was nothing more he could do for me..well the electro.  told me because of my results, which are not good, that I need to have an ablation done. I got shaky over it. I am 55 female, never had even been in a hospital my whole life for myself until this happened. I asked if my mother could come in the room and can you help me explain to her..which he said, "I have no time." I had seen him for 10 minutes and he was pushing me to schedule the surgery right there and then..I said I needed time to think..
  My results were-my ecko was normal, have no structure heart problems, but the monitor showed I had sinus arrthymia, the findings were stated, "brief SVT up to 164 bpm. Bradycardia 12%. Tachycardia 3%( that is after a 10 days monitor) Occasional PVCs and infrequent PACs.
    I recall the night, where I was having a nightmare-my BF son which was the cause of all my stress, had come into my house and put a mouse down my shirt-I know this sounds funny but I in this dream, I panicked, and I know that is why my heart raced up to 164, because I woke myself up, in a fright and in the findings it even showed that was the same night I had the 164 hbpm.
  Meanwhile I have no health insurance, which I have been battling since November trying to get medicaid but they keep telling me they will contact me..Yes and all of this caused me a lot of stress. I went to charity care but every two weeks then tell me that I am denied because of info they don't have so I have to redo that again and again.
I recall asking the doctor about Magnesium which he ruled out and said once I start that the next thing you know you will get magnesium toxic and be really sick..Told me not to read what is online because its all bad info. The thing is, how else am I to know what is wrong with me? What I would like to know is, does anyone know anything about this and have any ideas, do you think I am serious enough to need an ablation? How bad off I am really? Its scary because you think if your heart rate goes up, your going to die. Since I had stopped drinking, but I still get the racing heart here and there. My job is stressful, and I have been working through this, which isn't easy.
Thanks for reading my post.

[tom_h]

Unless there is some good reason to use this guy, you should see someone different.  Electrophysiology procedures are MONEY.  They get paid if the procedure is successful or not.

[Walnut66]

Thats what Im afraid of-It was bc of one episode which I was up to 165 for 4 hours..since I have been reading about how so many have these episodes and learning to deal with them. My fear is going through all the stress of the surgery and then still get them. I have had an irregular heartbeat my whole life. Bf the bad episode I had back in August I didn't pay attention to them. They really never bothered me. It seems the more tests I get, the more doctors I see, the worse it all is. Then at the same time I feel if I don't get the ablation maybe my heart will flip out and go over 165 a min.

[MichelleP_3811]

No one can advise you whether or not an ablation is right for you.  I would not necessarily run into one especially with an ep that was pressuring you for time.   I had an ablation for an svt called avnrt.  My rates would be in the 200s so well above what you are feeling.  They would stop and start in what feels like one beat.  Since they were sporadic svts of this sort are not considered a danger in an otherwise healthy heart.  If you are not in afib, which it sounds like you are not, then the risk is fairly low.  Ablations in the states cost a lot as well so if you do live in the states I would wait until you had insurance before trying it but I would first seek a second opinion before trying as well.  Tachycardia caused by stress and anxiety is not fixable and it is honestly not clear to me that you have a version, one caused by extra muscle tissue in the heart, or afib, that is treatable by ablation.  I would follow your instincts on this, what feels right or the decision that feels the least concerning but for me there seems to be reason to wait and see.  Work on your stress and anxiety, start drinking lots of water, avoid caffeine and try to get some cardio in and see if that helps correct the issue.  Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing.

[Walnut66]

Yes he saw me for 10 min. which cost me $230.00. My mother was in the waiting room and I asked if she could come in and explain, because I  got so confused at what is wrong with me-it seemed he was talking doctor talk, I had no idea what he was talking about-and he said he didn't have time to talk to her..and that he would do a 3 way another time..well the chances of catching him in the office where he would be able to even talk to us and getting to my mothers house..Since i called and talked to one of the nurses in the office which really summed it up and I asked for my results which they faxed to me and it was only there I could really see what was the result of my monitor, because I was in complete confinement. He seemed more opt into telling me how I would have to sign this and that bf surgery..In any case you told me some good points. I have another appointment with a second opinion this afternoon-and I will ask him about avnrt -so maybe will get some new answers to clear my head. I feel for everyone that has gone through this, its really horrible and I don't think unless you live through it you really understand what it is like. My boss has not lifted my work load, which is physical, working in a bakery, whatsoever for all this. I am 55 but work with women in their mid 70s which are very lazy and I had always done their work for them, not at my choice, and that has weighed on me as well. Thanks for replying back, you gave me some valuable points I will bring up today..

[Walnut66]

I meant confusement not confinement