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First Cardiologist Visit..what to expect?!
Hi everyone,
I saw my Doc 2 weeks ago following a 24hr monitor test and he advised I had bradycardia, sleep hr of around 45bpm, slightly raced hr in the morn but otherwise around 55-65bpm during day.
I am an aerobics instructor so obv work out most days and am slight in body frame and would consider myself fairly fit.
He said i would need a pacemaker, and was surprised i hadnt been fainting as yet!! I havnt had symptoms of that to date thankfully and really hope I dont.
Anyway, when I feel my heart flutters which can be a few times a day or nothing at all for a week, it is usually linked to wind. I am being tested for coeliac disease also at mo so wondering if could be chemical disturbance and relate to that?
I had a call this morn from the hospital to say i have a cardio appointment this thurs. Now what worried me already was that i had a call and not a letter, which could mean theyve seen my results and think im an urgent case right??
This is of concern already but also I wonderd what to expect from my first visit?
Is it just talking, maybe an Echo and a Stress test in running on the treadmill or is there much more involved??
Any help welcome.
Thanks so much
Tash
I saw my Doc 2 weeks ago following a 24hr monitor test and he advised I had bradycardia, sleep hr of around 45bpm, slightly raced hr in the morn but otherwise around 55-65bpm during day.
I am an aerobics instructor so obv work out most days and am slight in body frame and would consider myself fairly fit.
He said i would need a pacemaker, and was surprised i hadnt been fainting as yet!! I havnt had symptoms of that to date thankfully and really hope I dont.
Anyway, when I feel my heart flutters which can be a few times a day or nothing at all for a week, it is usually linked to wind. I am being tested for coeliac disease also at mo so wondering if could be chemical disturbance and relate to that?
I had a call this morn from the hospital to say i have a cardio appointment this thurs. Now what worried me already was that i had a call and not a letter, which could mean theyve seen my results and think im an urgent case right??
This is of concern already but also I wonderd what to expect from my first visit?
Is it just talking, maybe an Echo and a Stress test in running on the treadmill or is there much more involved??
Any help welcome.
Thanks so much
Tash
Hi guys,
I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you for your kind words and time in posted to me.
I had my cardio appointment this morn and they took another ECG which showed all perfectly fine. They decided not to do any further tests for now and dismiss me as being a fit healthy person who just has a lower HR due to my job and exercise and that I only suffered a few bradycardia low HRs when sleeping at 40bpm which is normal in someone of my fitness level.
They said they could feel an extra beat when testing me, although i cant myself in my body, but that my rythmn itself is normal and palpatations are very common daily in some people but doesnt mean dangerous and from all the ECG's and 24HR box i had everything is all okay.
What a relief and am sooo happy. Just a point the consultant did make though for your interest is that low magnesium and high calcium intakes can also lead to palpatations.
Good luck to you all too and thank you again soo much :)
Tash
I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you for your kind words and time in posted to me.
I had my cardio appointment this morn and they took another ECG which showed all perfectly fine. They decided not to do any further tests for now and dismiss me as being a fit healthy person who just has a lower HR due to my job and exercise and that I only suffered a few bradycardia low HRs when sleeping at 40bpm which is normal in someone of my fitness level.
They said they could feel an extra beat when testing me, although i cant myself in my body, but that my rythmn itself is normal and palpatations are very common daily in some people but doesnt mean dangerous and from all the ECG's and 24HR box i had everything is all okay.
What a relief and am sooo happy. Just a point the consultant did make though for your interest is that low magnesium and high calcium intakes can also lead to palpatations.
Good luck to you all too and thank you again soo much :)
Tash
I've posted this before - Dr. Stephen Park in the expert section held a web seminar and they explained that "Bradycardia" during sleep is not the same as when you're awake - it's a misconception that scares many.
Bradycardia during sleep is 40 bpm - versus - awake 60 bpm
[Normal HR at night is between 40-90 bpm and normal day time is 60-100 bpm]
Please make sure you explore all your options and get other opinions; many of us have had hr's in the 30's during sleep and doctors are not really concerned about it; alot of the time it's the symptoms that go along with it that are the concern.
If the concern is during sleep; then another thing is to ask for a sleep study that will do an in depth study of your sleep patterns and may be able to pinpoint if there's any problems.
Bradycardia during sleep is 40 bpm - versus - awake 60 bpm
[Normal HR at night is between 40-90 bpm and normal day time is 60-100 bpm]
Please make sure you explore all your options and get other opinions; many of us have had hr's in the 30's during sleep and doctors are not really concerned about it; alot of the time it's the symptoms that go along with it that are the concern.
If the concern is during sleep; then another thing is to ask for a sleep study that will do an in depth study of your sleep patterns and may be able to pinpoint if there's any problems.
Don't panic yet...first off docs don't send letters ever they call you...the only letters i ever got from the doc was asking for money LOL....try to bear in mind that Lance Armstrongs resting pulse rate is in the high 30's...and the above posts are very correct...for pro athletes or those in top physical condition lower pulse rates are the norm because you are so conditioned that your heart does not have to work as hard and is relaxed...i would not even entertain the thought of a pacemaker unless i got two other opinions from docs my doc did not know and had them run their own tests...PM's are pretty permanent for most people....just make sure your heart doc is a specialist in the field....and no because they had an opening this Thursday may not mean its urgent just that they have a cancellation...do not panic here until all of the results are in...and i hope that the doc that mentioned the pacemaker to you was a heart doc and not a family doc or shame on them....they know better...they are a general practioner not a heart specialist and i love my saying that you don't let your hairdress put a transmission in your car right? Calm down and good luck at the appt and let us know.....
A lower heart rate is normal for an athletic person, I wouldn't worry about this at all! Here is some info that might be helpful:
When a slow heart rate is normal
A resting heart rate slower than 60 beats a minute may be normal for some people, particularly for healthy, young adults and trained athletes. In these cases, bradycardia isn't considered a health problem.
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-126620/Bradycardia?q=bradycardia&qpvt=bradycardia
For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 bpm. In healthy adults, a lower heart rate at rest generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-rate/AN01906
Unless you are having symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness I really would not worry!
When a slow heart rate is normal
A resting heart rate slower than 60 beats a minute may be normal for some people, particularly for healthy, young adults and trained athletes. In these cases, bradycardia isn't considered a health problem.
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-126620/Bradycardia?q=bradycardia&qpvt=bradycardia
For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 bpm. In healthy adults, a lower heart rate at rest generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-rate/AN01906
Unless you are having symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness I really would not worry!
When I saw my pcp - he wanted me to go to the cardiologist right away, he said it was urgent and called the dr himself and she got me in.
Make sure that you write down a list of questions and concerns because sometimes in that first visit it gets hectic and you may forget something. Write notes as he/she talks to you so you can remember after and make sure you ask those important questions like - Is this really bradycardia? do I need a pacemaker? Why? Why not? Alternative therapy? Could something be causing it that later on I wouldn't need the pacemaker and have to have it removed? etc etc
They normally do a full history ask questions etc then look over what's going on and decide what to do.
Some like me go in for testing then see the dr during the same appointment, it all depends on what they think is wrong and how quickly they think you need the testing done.
Make sure that you write down a list of questions and concerns because sometimes in that first visit it gets hectic and you may forget something. Write notes as he/she talks to you so you can remember after and make sure you ask those important questions like - Is this really bradycardia? do I need a pacemaker? Why? Why not? Alternative therapy? Could something be causing it that later on I wouldn't need the pacemaker and have to have it removed? etc etc
They normally do a full history ask questions etc then look over what's going on and decide what to do.
Some like me go in for testing then see the dr during the same appointment, it all depends on what they think is wrong and how quickly they think you need the testing done.
I agree with littlegreenman1. Your monitor results would have to show a baseline of bradycardia for your doctor to suggest a pacemaker. I have bradycardia but don't have any symptoms. My ep has suggested that in the long run I might need a pacemaker but he has advised against it for now.
Your first visit with your cardiologist will most likely have you running the gambit of emotions from being confused to being surprised. Be sure to ask as many questions as you can think of as you have a right to know what is going on but be sensitive to the fact that your doctor may not know yet as sometimes more testing might be needed. Good luck!
Your first visit with your cardiologist will most likely have you running the gambit of emotions from being confused to being surprised. Be sure to ask as many questions as you can think of as you have a right to know what is going on but be sensitive to the fact that your doctor may not know yet as sometimes more testing might be needed. Good luck!
I don't know what your deal is specifically, but as an aerobics instructor why is a 55-65 pulse bad? I am training for a marathon. I run 4 days a week... 25 mins - 2 hrs / run. Just took my pulse: 54.
It thought that low athlete's pulse was OK. Good luck... knock it out. Having heart problems blows. I'm happy to be FIXED.
It thought that low athlete's pulse was OK. Good luck... knock it out. Having heart problems blows. I'm happy to be FIXED.
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