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Holter Monitor Results
Hello, Doctor...
I am a 44 year old woman who had a holter monitor test for heart palpatations, which I have had for a couple of years but have increased in frequency in the last 6 months. Here are my results:
General
109769 QRS complexes
0 paced beats (<1%)
2823 Ventricular beats (3%)
4 Supraventricular beats (<%)
0 BB beats (<1%)
0 Junctional beats (<1%)
0 Aberrant beats
0 % of total time in AF/AFL
100 bpm), 12% total
13251 beats in bradycardia (<60 bpm), 20% total
1.36 seconds Max R-R at 05:33:14
Supraventriculars (S.J.A)
4 Isolated
0 couplets
0 bigeminal cycles
0 runs totaling 0 beats
Recommendation from reading cardiologist, "This appears to show recurrent episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia which are symptomatic. She will require a referral to an arrhythmia specialist and need an echocardiogram to determine her left ventricular function. In the interim if there is no contraindication to beta blockers, you should consider starting her on 25 mg PO BID"
I am now taking Metroprolol as prescribed, and I must say when I remain calm, it really seems to help, but some days now I am worring myself sick. I tend to breathe shallow and I do get short of breath with the palpatations. Seems when I can keep myself calm none of this is an issue - but when it happens I worry which makes it worse - a vicious cycle. I am an active, busy mother of two and now I seem to stress about this constantly. I have an appointment for the arrhythmia specialist for June 10th. Please, can you tell me if I should be this worried? I am very worried - it's some days all I think about.
Thank you.
~Karen
I am a 44 year old woman who had a holter monitor test for heart palpatations, which I have had for a couple of years but have increased in frequency in the last 6 months. Here are my results:
General
109769 QRS complexes
0 paced beats (<1%)
2823 Ventricular beats (3%)
4 Supraventricular beats (<%)
0 BB beats (<1%)
0 Junctional beats (<1%)
0 Aberrant beats
0 % of total time in AF/AFL
100 bpm), 12% total
13251 beats in bradycardia (<60 bpm), 20% total
1.36 seconds Max R-R at 05:33:14
Supraventriculars (S.J.A)
4 Isolated
0 couplets
0 bigeminal cycles
0 runs totaling 0 beats
Recommendation from reading cardiologist, "This appears to show recurrent episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia which are symptomatic. She will require a referral to an arrhythmia specialist and need an echocardiogram to determine her left ventricular function. In the interim if there is no contraindication to beta blockers, you should consider starting her on 25 mg PO BID"
I am now taking Metroprolol as prescribed, and I must say when I remain calm, it really seems to help, but some days now I am worring myself sick. I tend to breathe shallow and I do get short of breath with the palpatations. Seems when I can keep myself calm none of this is an issue - but when it happens I worry which makes it worse - a vicious cycle. I am an active, busy mother of two and now I seem to stress about this constantly. I have an appointment for the arrhythmia specialist for June 10th. Please, can you tell me if I should be this worried? I am very worried - it's some days all I think about.
Thank you.
~Karen
Hi there again. So true what the doc says about seeing numerous specialists and them finding nothing wrong. I am 47 years old though. As I say it has been many many years that I have been freaked out about this and I am trying my damdest to get over it now and move on. This doctor here on the forum has made me feel so much better when I read some of his postings. Is it true, true, true, what is says. I know he says a lot about anxiety disorders and irregular beating and I believe it is true. I know mine started one day when I was very stressed and they came on full force after that. I probably did have then prior to this but I maybe just didn't notice them. Once I knew what my heart was capable of doing I think I put myself into a complete rut. As I say it has been 20 years of worry over this and I am so tired of worrying about it. Keep us posted on how you are doing!
Hi! Glad to see you back - I am so pleased with these ladies, I feel a lot better - thank you for your answer too, and as I said I would give anything right now to hear "benign!" ~Karen
Thank you so much you two...you are making me feel a lot better. I called my GP's office this afternoon to see if it was possible to get the echo before my specialist appt on the 10th of June, and they said that it depends on an opening and the hospital will call me - there's only the one that does echo's in Winnipeg. I have been so focused on these things since the holter report, and before that I actually nearly cancelled the holter because my heart was being so quiet, I kept the appt for the holter because I had already waited so long I figured what the heck, better get it over with already - I was that blasee...and then when the cardiologist said wait, we better look at this in more detail, well now it seems to be all I focus on. Bring on the prozac - seriously - I could do with chilling out a bit over all this.
Can I ask your ages? Because I wonder sometimes if peri-menopause contributes to these palps...hormones and all...
Can I ask your ages? Because I wonder sometimes if peri-menopause contributes to these palps...hormones and all...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
thanks for posting. thoughts like those are very help to people struggling with the same problem. The problem that I see repeatedly is that people are convinced that they are going to die despite reassurance sometimes for 3 or more specialists. No one denies the PVCs or that they are scary, it is often how you cope with them that determines quality of life. It is tough battle.
Yup wait times are horrible in Canada but at least they are free. That is nuts the amount you have to pay in the States.
Bondieluv I can make myself have tons of them when I stress as well. Actually one of them usually sets me off into a panic attack and then I can have multiple ones. I know it sounds crazy but true! I guess I am just super sensitive to adreline.
I can almost guarantee you are in the same boat as us. It sounds exactly what I get. I can't tell you how many cardiologists and EP docs I have been to. The last EP doc I saw at the Foothills Hospital here in Calgary said that it was my reaction to the PVC's that was abnormal, not the PVC's themselves. They said I should see a shrink which I did and it calmed me down a bit (temporarily). Anyways I told them that I didn't have anything wrong with my head, it was my damn heart! I thought for sure they were missing something. I couldn't understand how a normal heart would carry on like this. I actually just had one about an hour ago (I am at work right now), and it kinda flutters for a few seconds and stops and does a bang. I really think I am not being bugged so much about them now since on the Prozac. It has been a LLLLOOONNNGGGGG road but you will no doubt have the same diagnosis as me and the rest of us. Keep us posted on everything!
Bondieluv I can make myself have tons of them when I stress as well. Actually one of them usually sets me off into a panic attack and then I can have multiple ones. I know it sounds crazy but true! I guess I am just super sensitive to adreline.
I can almost guarantee you are in the same boat as us. It sounds exactly what I get. I can't tell you how many cardiologists and EP docs I have been to. The last EP doc I saw at the Foothills Hospital here in Calgary said that it was my reaction to the PVC's that was abnormal, not the PVC's themselves. They said I should see a shrink which I did and it calmed me down a bit (temporarily). Anyways I told them that I didn't have anything wrong with my head, it was my damn heart! I thought for sure they were missing something. I couldn't understand how a normal heart would carry on like this. I actually just had one about an hour ago (I am at work right now), and it kinda flutters for a few seconds and stops and does a bang. I really think I am not being bugged so much about them now since on the Prozac. It has been a LLLLOOONNNGGGGG road but you will no doubt have the same diagnosis as me and the rest of us. Keep us posted on everything!
I used to live in Canada. I can't believe the wait times now for most things there. 15 years ago, after struggling with pvcs for years previous, I saw a very sympathic and understanding family physician, she ordered a holter, stress-test and referred me to a cardiologist for the pvcs it seemed like it was all within a week. But times have changed haven't they?
There is a trade off for faster health care here in the U.S. unless you have cadillac insurance coverage. I have insurance coverage but it has a $2500 deductible before they pay anything. So the echocardiogram was $725, the cardiologist visit was $500, and the event monitor was $635. Now that's enough to cause anybody pvcs!
I hope your wait isn't too long. Have they been able to give you a specific date?
Hope you are able to enjoy an nice long weekend--Victoria Day, and not be too bothered by pesky pvcs.
There is a trade off for faster health care here in the U.S. unless you have cadillac insurance coverage. I have insurance coverage but it has a $2500 deductible before they pay anything. So the echocardiogram was $725, the cardiologist visit was $500, and the event monitor was $635. Now that's enough to cause anybody pvcs!
I hope your wait isn't too long. Have they been able to give you a specific date?
Hope you are able to enjoy an nice long weekend--Victoria Day, and not be too bothered by pesky pvcs.
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