14 Day Loop Recorder Results

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Hello,

I wore an event monitor (loop recorder) for 14 days to try and catch "an episode".  I have been getting episodes of skipped beats that feel like every other beat skips.  My heart rate doesn't increase during these episodes, but I still worried that it could be AFib.  Episodes last anywhere from 2 - 6 hours, if I get them at night -- they're gone when I wake up in the morning.  Episodes would come once or twice a year, but recently have been happening as often as 2 - 3 times per month which warranted investigation.

I'm 35 years old, slightly overweight with a history of health anxiety.  My blood pressure is currently High Normal -- I get white coast syndrome so it's ALWAYS high at the docs, but when checking at home i'm in the 135 / 80 range most of the time.  I have been dealing with chest pain as a symptom for several years, however I have had EVERY test (ekg, stress, nuclear stress, echo, holter etc...) except a Heart Cath that have all come back without any issues.  Since all my testing has been fine, they will not perform a heart cath, although I have asked (If you're a health anxiety person, you'll understand why)

Anyway, a few days before my Loop Recorder was to be sent back -- we finally caught an episode.

Here are the results:

Observed Rhythm During Testing Period:
- Normal Sinus Rhythm seen
- Recorded rates from 56 to 109 beats / min
- Premature Atrial Contractions (PACs) seen, lots of isolated APB's, some couplets, Recurrent ATRIAL TRIGEMINY.

Recommendation:

No Tacharrhythmias

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My Doctor is chalking this up to stress / anxiety, but offered to medicate if they become an issue.  He advised me that the medication sometimes makes the person feel worse, but he's also of the thought that if I can get my anxiety under control I'd be having less episodes.

I'm concerned with the amount of conflicting information I have been able to find.  Some stuff I read says these are harmless and to try and avoid the triggers (Stress, Anxiety, Caffeine, Chocolate, Alcohol etc..)  and others say that people with PACS and Bigeminy / Trigeminy are at an increased risk of heart disease and sudden death.

My doc doesn't seem overly concerned, so... looking for some feedback from the community.  These episodes are terrible once they come on, and of course the more you think about it when it's happening... the worse it gets.

Thank you in advance.  

[itdood]

You can't/shouldn't make a broad sweeping prediction of future heart muscle health based on a single criteria.  It needs to be based on a lot of criteria, not just the PACs, or the number of PACs.  This is what your doctor is doing for you.  They are analyzing all the data together, and making a judgement call.

Stress can definitely have something to do with it.  There seems to be a syndrome of sorts when people are hyper stressed or aren't handling stress well.  This syndrome seems to trigger things like depression, anxiety, gut issues, and heart palps.

Diagnosing it as stress puts the burden back on you.  I've been through this cycle myself.  I've tried to treat my stress through the medications offered by medicine today and to be honest, for me, it made the issue worse in the long run.  It doesn't treat the root cause, it masks it for a very short while, so the root cause continues to grow and worsen.  Your doctor really doesn't have tools to offer in this case.  There are no magic bullet meds or surgeries for run of the mill ectopics.

Google how to treat stress, and seriously implement these things to make your life better.  It's a lot of work.  Success at this isn't a destination, it's ongoing survival.

[MichelleP_3811]

I think in general they prescribe beta blockers to help with ectopic beats.  Considering your bp is slightly high it might be worth a shot.  From all I have heard in an otherwise healthy heart ectopic beats are of no consequences especially the ones from the atria which you have.  I would work on your stress and anxiety as well avoid caffeine and pay attention to stomach issues.  They can be a big trigger as well.  Then just try to get on with your life as best you can.  If something changes or things get worse down the line then see your doctor again to get re-evaluated.  I know it can be hard to ignore them but the medical community seems to be of the mind that they are essentially harmless.  Take care.