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Heart Rhythm
I am seeing a cardiologist but I would love advice and second opinion. I am a 33 yr old woman. I have been visiting the Dr because of very high blood pressure. Now I am having other symptoms. My heart would suddenly pound to the point where I could hear it, then it would skip a few beats and then it would pound a large few pounds back to back. After a minute my heart returns to normal. It freaked me out becauce of the not beating for that few seconds. The Dr said that this is caused by my heart muscle. He said that the heart muscle is putting out its on electricity and that is why the heart skips beats and then it tries to get back on the normal rhythm. He said that if this is definatley what I have that it could be fatal if the heart can't get back to its normal rhythum. He also said that blood pressure medicine can prevent this. I want to get second opinions. I don't want to get to alarmed. I have 3 children and I don't want to hear that on the next time this happens, I could possibly die.
Thank you all for replying. At this moment, I am on a 30 day monitor. I believe the next test that he did say I was going to have would be the stress test. My blood pressure has been very high which I guess could cause this. It usually stays around 150 over 100 and at one time that I am aware of, it was 170 over 120. So as you can see, it is definatly up there. He had me on the lowest blood pressure medicine but when I went to see him yesterday it was around 150 over 108 so he wants to up the dose. As you have said, I will probably get a second opinion. I did read something that said possible Twave on a little piece of paper that was with my file. He didn't elaborate on that though.
Sorry, but I wanted to say one more thing. My heart is "out of rhythm" more often than it is "in rhythm" sometimes, and I've lived for 6 very normal years since they started. There is NO indication that these will cause heart failure or death, and there are others on this forum who have had their arhythmia's for DECADES without mortal indications. Mostly they are a pain in the neck and nothing worse!!!
An apt question. Unless there is some reason to believe that these are something other than PAC/PVC's there is NO REASON TO BELIEVE that the rhythm will not return to "normal." While we do not know the specifics of this situation, I think that the doctor in this case was VERY inappropriate with his comment. If the rhythms were of special concern, Sunshine should and WOULD have been placed into the hospital immediately for monitoring.
My advice is to seek a second opinion from another cardiologist. First of all, what kind of doctor tells you that something could be fatal then says..."okay, well, see you next time" ? Secondly, unless I'm missing something, the rhythms you describe sound an awful lot like the PAC/PVC's that are described throughout this forum. And, unless it has been determined that your HEART muscle is damaged in some way, these arhythmias are most often BENIGN!!!!
Until you have had a complete cardiac workup, including a holter or event monitor which records the palpitations you describe, you cannot know what is actually occurring, and neither can your doctor.
All heart muscles "put out their own electricity" which is produced by the natural pacemaker. AND all people have arhythmias at some point in their lives. Some of us are more aware of them when they occur and therefore suffer from emotional distress caused by the worry of feeling them. Your high blood pressure may be making your rhythm more noticeable to you.
I agree that blood pressure medication may well relax the symptoms you describe, as the arhythmia's may be caused by the increased pressure, but it sounds like a new doctor may be just what the situation calls for!!!
Here's to better luck and an even rhythm.
(PS--> I have two kids myself, and understand the concerns. Be assured that worrying tends to make these things WORSE, so finding a doctor who will work with you may be the BEST thing you can do from both an emotional and physiological perspective!!)
Until you have had a complete cardiac workup, including a holter or event monitor which records the palpitations you describe, you cannot know what is actually occurring, and neither can your doctor.
All heart muscles "put out their own electricity" which is produced by the natural pacemaker. AND all people have arhythmias at some point in their lives. Some of us are more aware of them when they occur and therefore suffer from emotional distress caused by the worry of feeling them. Your high blood pressure may be making your rhythm more noticeable to you.
I agree that blood pressure medication may well relax the symptoms you describe, as the arhythmia's may be caused by the increased pressure, but it sounds like a new doctor may be just what the situation calls for!!!
Here's to better luck and an even rhythm.
(PS--> I have two kids myself, and understand the concerns. Be assured that worrying tends to make these things WORSE, so finding a doctor who will work with you may be the BEST thing you can do from both an emotional and physiological perspective!!)
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