rightward axis and borderline ECG

[Lare91]

I had ECG done today, I had another ECG years ago when I was 18 and the doctor said he can see from my ECG that I had had heart attack earlier on in my life, is that true? :(

I have rightward axis and borderline ECG, I have had arrhythmias for years, I am 22 year old female, 67,3 inches, 114 lbs, I have asthma, I am depressed and have had somewhat stress for long, but I sleep and eat well and enough, still I feel very tired most of the time, my heart has not been checked more than the ECG. My arrhythmias are typically in the late night/early morning pulse can reach to 200 and irregular can last couple of hours, during day time I feel only few extra pulses, my normal day time pulse is usually around 70-80, my blood pressure has always been ideal. I am scared of a heart disease after reading about the rightward axis and borderline ECG online. Could I have heartfailure or atrial fibrillation?

[Lare91]

to add: I seem to have more loss of breath when I sit or lay down, but when I exercise I dont have as much problem.

[Lare91]

the health system seems to differ a lot depending the countries, here it is supposed to be one of the best in world but in practice it is actually not great at all. They take the health system money from taxes and it is free/cheap but many times I had to go to the private doctor because of the queues/doctors who dont know the right diagnosis.
It is good you can get to the specialist faster there. I am sorry you had the illness undiagnosed for so long :/ it is quite common here the doctors dont listen.
it is very good you can also call them if needed.
well I think I suppose to just wait, Ive had these symptoms for years so I suppose I can wait another few months, though the symptoms do have gotten much worse recently.

[Artaud]

I went 15+ years with an undiagnosed seizure disorder, and even when my symptoms worsened, my doctor wouldn't listen. I went to another neurologist, was diagnosed, medicated, and 15 years of periodic misery ended almost instantly. But access to service is fast. Since Easter, I've seen 2 Cardiologists, 2 Electrophysiologists, and my family doctor. I've had neurological symptoms in the past and had MRIs, at imaging centers not affiliated with a hospital, within 24 hours of seeing the doctor.

Although I have privacy concerns, it amazes me that so much in the U.S. health care system is Electronic, with Doctors pulling up test results and more just by using their computer. My family Doctor got my Holter Monitor results while I watched. It would not be unusual here to wait a month for access to a specialist, such as an E.P., but my Cardiologist I can schedule with in 10 days or less, same with the Family Doctor, they often fit you in the schedule the day you call or within a day or so, depending on the problem.

Also, I can phone my Family Doctor or Cardiologist (and the E.P. says I can phone him 24 hours a day) and request that they return my call at their convenience, they always return the phone call that day.

[Lare91]

Bromley: yeah the problem is that my doctor does not seem to know anything :( I also sent the same question to doctor online and now I am frightened as he said that the anorexia could have caused irreversible heart damage, but he also said the changes could also be from asthma. But now only thing I can do is to wait months to get to hospital where they could check it better :(
I have started to exercise and also eat even healthier but also getting enough calories a day and eating regularly, thanks for the advice. The problem I have to wait so long to get to any tests :( so I feel stressed about all this. Especially as I got the anorexia due to being sexually abused :( so I wanted none of this health issues :( (not saying that anyone wants health issues but I feel so utterly angry why did I damage myself due to someone first damaging me)

Artaud: I am sorry for the health service changes. I am not quite sure if this page is actually US or UK, I was just so stressed to find any page. I am myself from Finland where the queues are very long and the doctors dont seem to know much of anyhting (especially GPs), they all say different things, and they can diagnose something without even telling but only after years, it took 3 years to find out I got asthma as the doctor kept losing my papers and never remembered where he had put them so I had to keep on doing the two week asthma test over and ovr again and once I done it, they had cancelled my appointment due to queues and saying that I been calling the doctor in his free time (he was the one who kept on calling me and speaking about some of the medical stuff without anyways putting me to any tests. I didnt even have the doctors number so how could I have called him.

[Bromley]

My doctors also suggested that regular exercise was a good idea. If there is a blockage starting up, the thought is that you would start to experience mild symptoms at first, during exercise.  This is one form of monitoring.

Again, talk to your doctor about your own situation.

[Bromley]

92 is nominal direction for QRS, I think what they refer to as "the axis".  Mine is 91, and I had some ST depression on one stress test that was diagnostic for ischemia. A follow up stress test was not diagnostic, but there were some non-specific ST segment changes (i.e. something around, or maybe less than 1 mm depression). Doctors did not give me a free pass, saying that I had better make some lifestyle changes if I hadn't already, but that there was more risk in a heart cath than would be beneficial.

You'll need to talk to your own doctor of course. They usually have no problem giving you an echo stress test, if you are worried about heart disease of heart failure.

[Artaud]

I worry about health care changes. My son, with no insurance, was taken immediately to the hospital by ambulance upon his first episode of A-Fib, spent 5 days in the hospital actually twice now, and was cardioverted a 3rd time out of state. He received his Sotalol for almost nothing at a pharmacy that had a program for low income people. This was before we had health care reform.

Queues of 3 months, crikey that's a long time.

I've had posts removed before for expressing my opinions, it'll be interesting to see if this makes it. No one should have to wait 3 months to see a doctor, or receive diagnostic services.

[Lare91]

I want to add to my other message that the gp didnt get my arrhythmia to the ECG because it is mostly in the night, and I had ECG in the daytime, the arrhythmia is like very fast pulse and sometimes as well irregular

[Lare91]

I have 56/92/44, is 92 degrees then the axis? it said on ECG RAD even though it is 92 I suppose. Those are all the degrees showed in the paper. I have always been skinny, my back and chest are thin/narrow looking from front. (does this make the heart fit differently?).

I have only been to GP and she didnt know anything, so she sent me to hospital but due to queues I only get there after 3 months or so(I dont have any money so I cant go to private doctor as Im student and havent been selected to any job :( ). She said they will check in hospital what the arrhythmias are. Someitmes I have longer period without arrhythmias but sometimes they are constant in the early night and can last couple of hours, the heart rate goes up to 140-200 then. Yes it is sometimes just fast pulse and sometimes it is fast WITh irregularities like the heart jumps out. Normally the pulse around 80-90. in the late morning, day time and evening it is normal 80. I have cut on coffee and all that long ago so I dont know what could cause this. I do see nightmares and that stresses me but I have always seen them, and didnt have arrhythmias nbefore. I did have them for years but not when I was kid.

[is_something_wrong]

Vertical axis or slightly rightwards axis is normal in young skinny individuals.

The question is; how much right axis deviation did you have? While 105-110 degrees can be completely normal, say, 140 degrees is not.

What does sound a bit concerning is your (irregular?) heart rate of 200 at times. Is a cause and a diagnosis found?

You probably don't have heart failure (this is something entirely different) but based on your description, atrial fibrillation can't be completely ruled out. What did your doctor say about this?

[Lare91]

Thankyou a lot for both of you, I also want to add I had serious anorexia but it only lasted for 1 year, it was 11 years ago, I am scared if that somehow damaged my heart
I hope it is because I have always been very lean, also before and after I had anorexia.
That is interesting to know that asthma can also cause it, I found more information about it and it said it can cause pressure on the right side of heart then, I wonder how dangerous it can be. I never had serious asthma attack that I should go to hospital but I experience loss of breath constantly, even with asthma medication.

[Bromley]

You could be skinny, like me. When you are skinny, your heart tends to rotate and stand up more straight than other people. This can result in a right deviation. Your doctor will probably need to differentiate in some fashion. Borderline just means there is slight difference, not necessarily diagnostic.

[Artaud]

I researched your topic and was surprised to see that EKG abnormalities have been reported in people with Acute Asthma.

"Previous reports have documented the occurrence of reversible electrocardiographic changes including right axis deviation, P pulmonale, right bundle-branch block, and ST-segment and T-wave abnormalities in patients with acute attacks of asthma."

I'm not sure how bad your asthma is, but I wouldn't be too worried, just continue to pursue this issue do they can make a proper diagnosis.