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Avatar universal

Think I had A-Fib Today

I will start with saying that I am 26 and a male. I had an ablation for WPW in 2004, and haven't had an episode of that since. In the fall (September and October) I had a complete cardio workup. I had a holter, many EKGs, a stress test, an echo, and an event monitor. All of this stuff turned out normal. They told me most of my symptoms were caused by anxiety. I went to a counselor, and was taking ativan as needed. I was doing really well for most of the winter. Then all of a sudden about a month ago I have what I thought was just anxiety rearing its ugly head again. My hear rate has been higher than usual with normal tasks. I have also had shortness of breath with normal tasks and feel like some days I cannot exert myself at all. Last week I ended up going to the emergency room because my heart rate was at 170, and I had just been sitting around. They hooked me up to the heart monitor, and did an EKG. They basically said everything looked normal, and it was just sinus tachycardia. So this was probably just due to anxiety.

Fast forward to today. I was walking to class today (normal speed, not hilly or steps at all). I started to get dizzy, and my heart was up to 150 bpm. I took an ativan thinking this was just anxiety as I had felt my heart and it seem to be beating regular. Later in the day, however, I was working. I was doing some lifting of boxes from probably 5-40 pounds. I started to get kind of the same dizziness and leg weakness as before, but this time my heart rate was only in the 130s. I was wearing a polar heart rate monitor at the time. The thing I found weird though was it would fluctuate. The watch would tell me 130 and then like 5 seconds later it would go down to 100, but then it would get right back up to the 130s and 140s. It would just fluctuate like that for a while. I sat down at relaxed for a while, and things seem to normalize. Then I get home and was feeling pretty good, but walked up the stairs sort of briskly and now my heart has seemed to be fluctuating again. Like just a few minutes ago I was laying down at it was at 90, but suddenly dropped to 64, and worked it's way back up.

I am not sure if this is enough to determine it was really a fib or not. It all could just be anxiety again, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. Any input you guys could give would be great. I want to get another appointment with my doctor to see if  I can get a holter monitor, but he is determined to tell me all of this is just anxiety (which I guess it could be, but to me it seems like my heart is not beating "normally").

Thanks in advance for any input! :)
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Avatar universal
Thank you everyone for your responses. I am going to try and get an appointment, and request another holter monitor.
Helpful - 0
1137980 tn?1281285446
Hi i read your post.  It sounds to me like your body may be telling you somethig and you no doubt need to listen.  It sounds to me like the majority of time that these episodes are happening you are doing some sort of exertion even if it is light.  Our bodies have a real gift for throwing us up warning signs and the dizziness, weakness and flucuating pulse i think may be something that you want to have checked out w. your heart doc.  Just because everything seemed fine to the docs when you went into the E,R, that was still a pretty elevated heart rate.  I would consider making an appt. w. your heart doc just to rule everything out.  Every once in awhile even after having an ablation a little hot spot may pop up and need to be zapped again.  Let your heart doc do a listen and then make the determination for you rather than you stressing it.  If he gives you a clean bill of health then ask him if the meds you are on could be setting off the episodes. I know i had an ablation 3 years ago and had a couple of episodes too even tho mine was a success.  I think we get those little sneakers that break thru and give us a run for our money every once in awhile.  It won't hurt to check it out and will probably be the best 50.00 you have spent for peace of mind.  I think its harder on us when we don't know the answers and do the what ifs, and could be's .....good luck and let us know.....
Helpful - 0
619380 tn?1339798596
I have similar problems. Only I take klonopin. These drugs are similar. I have cut back on my dose(with doctor ok). It seems to have helped. For almost two years doctors swore it was my heart. Now they think the klonopin might have made things worse. Just one thing you might check. Ativan has nasty side effects sometimes.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well I haven't had a holter since September, and when I had it then I was having different symptoms than I have now. My heart was actually brady back then. My doctor ordered it because my heart rate was only 50 on an EKG in his office, and then I went to a cardio because the holter showed a heart rate of 32 while I was sleeping.

I never had symptoms this bad when I was getting all that testing done before.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
r9c
Hi i think its anxiety acting up and if u have an afib during ur 24 hr holter and it would have show  up unless u arent having any symptoms that time
Helpful - 0
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