Fatique & Tachycardia

[Katmoon3]

I was born with a heart murmur, and was to have surgery at age 13. Parents emphatically said NO, I had a few issues during pregnancies with Tachycardia , and high blood pressure. And i developed gestational diabeties with the 5th pregnancy. Now I am 57  yrs old and started noticing symptoms. I take a shower and am so tired, i cant dry myself off. I also get a pain in my back and neck. To walk 15 ft , tires me tremendously. My dr put me on a BP med and that has greatly helped. I recently had a EKG, and a ECG, as well as a Isotope injectible Stress Test. This dr told me that everything was fine. No clogged arteries , no problems but to take this med for Arrythmia. I forgot to ask where the heart murmur was located, and he didnt offer me the location or even if it needed repairing. During the stress test, i had the horrible feeling taht someone was stepping on my chest and i could not breathe . my BP before the test was at 178/125 and my puslse was at 120 . I'm not sure what it was afterward, becuz i seriously didnt feel well.
    The heart rate is still fast , the bp has been dropping. My question is , If the murmur is so audible and the pulse rate so high , why was i given a med for Arrythmia and how can my tests show nothing is wrong when i can barely walk 15 ft to my kitchen without symptoms of pressure in my chest , and neck, and that intense back pain? if i keep working while feeling this, will i pass out ? Could this be my asthma acting up ? I do not return to my regular dr till the end of November , and to see the heart specialist again in April (six months from now) . With the new medication , Tenormin i developed hives and swelling in my mouth and tongue. they said to discontinue it since i have problems with meds they prescribe. yet hes never prescribed any med to me before, and its a completely different clinic. Could this be mistaken identity ? i have a super common name.

[Katmoon3]

thanku cindy 707 . yes the drs, both primary and cardiologist know my medical history with asthma , and everything else :P , i made an appt for a second opinion , this week, another primary care, but at least will be helpful , i hope.

[cindy707]

My two cents worth is a couple of things...you say you have asthma...are you on an inhaler?  If so an inhaler definately can cause issues with forcing adrenaline thru your body causing your heart to tach out...i am assuming the doc knows what meds you are using?  Also sounds like you went into what is called true anaphalaxis (hope i spelled that right) with the meds or had a severe allergic reaction to the meds the doc gave you.  I don;t know sounds like there are an awful lot of red flags being thrown up here...the symtoms w. the back pain, neck pain, shortness of breath, chest pressure, especially if you are a female are all red flags.  I am hoping that your doc is a heart doc because i didn't catch that...i just re read your post...it was a heart doc...if it were my body and you don't have an appt. for six more months with these symtoms and it were my body i would definately seek out a second opinion...a doc that hopefully your doc does not know since they tend to stick together when they are on call for one another....we are about the same age and we just can't take chances w. our lives because we only get one shot at it here....if nothing else i would scroll back up to the top of your screen and condense your post and re post it on the "ask a doctor" forum or on the new "ask a doctor LIVE" forum...i wouldn't just accept this Katmoon3....i think you need answers and those two sites are great....good luck

[tom_h]

Correct me if I'm worng, but I was under the impression the the term "mummur" was referring to an audible sound due to turbulent blood flow and was detected by listening to the heart directly and was not related to its electrical system.

[Katmoon3]

Oh and i thought ECG meant echo cardiogram as thats how its stated on the paperwork.

[Katmoon3]

The drs are aware of medical history and the heart murmur . its audible , and an EKG and the  ECG was done, the echo cardiogram and the stress test with the radioactive isotopes. yes . they are aware of the pain issues in my back, tho the fatique is better , i belive the blood pressure med is helping, its lisinopril. blood pressures at home were 170/100 , not much diff in clinic settings. And of course ive changed drs from childhood till now, this was in a diff state that i lived in as a child. But current cardiologist has the records. I'm just a little confusd as to why i have to take major med if nothing has shown up on these tests. Ive not hidden anything from my drs , and told them all the info that i know myself regarding this .

Tho i think too, having someoen else go with me mite be a good idea. my daughter is a paramedic, so perhaps i can get her to go with me to a next appt .

[Bromley]

Also back pain can be a sign of serious problems. Make sure this information is communicated to your doctor.

[Bromley]

By the way, I see no mention of an echo here. If murmur is a concern, normally an echo is ordered.

[Bromley]

Hi. Please consider it as constructive advice and take it with a grain of salt as needed. I do not know you or your situation.

1. You indicated that you did not tell your doctor about your murmur and childhood medical history. Is your doctor aware of the other problems you are having? Did you make a point to communicate your back pain, weakness, childhood medical history, and symptoms? It is very important, and your responsibility, to effectively communicate these things to your doctor. Communication has many dimensions. I would be persistent here.  Sometimes asking your doctor's RN to assist you in communicating with your doctor can be an effective alternative (for example, if you need to communicate with your doctor between appointments).

2. Dont let these administrative people get out of whack. Better consider adjusting your appointments and doing some checking on those medical records at the hospital. If you aren't feeling well, consider delegating this job to somebody else in the family.

3. I would like to say that things work perfectly in hospitals and that doctors are perfect. However, we all know better. Try to use second opinions when appropriate and make follow up visits with your doctor ahead of schedule if you are experiencing unusual problems or have concerns.  This situation sounds like it could warrant both a second opinion and follow up visit much sooner than 6 months out. I would arrange for this.

4. Any diagnosis you receive needs to make sense, and you need to have a diagnosis for the type of problems you are having. It could require some study on your part to understand your diagnosis, risks, and so forth. If you need help with this, get help.


I really hope things get better for you. I know its difficult to stick with it and not loose focus when you feel lousy. Just remember you have made it all the way to 57 by being a skilled survivor.  Keep up the good work!!  (And remember that your loved ones are depending on you to be your best).

Good luck.

[Jerry_NJ]

I believe heart murmur is very common and mostly benign. It seems your doctors have said as much. Beta Blockers are the most common medication used to treat both tachycardia and high blood pressure, that is they lower both.  Is that the type of "Arrhythmia" drug you are on?

Your symptoms sound serious to me and your doctor(s) should come up with a diagnosis and some form of relief.  Good luck with your upcoming appointments, and be prepared with facts:  write down what is troubling you and take the list along with you.  Hard numbers would also be helpful, e.g., what is your HR when resting and what is it when you walk 15' into your kitchen... that sort of data my be helpful to your doctors.