What's Next

[baffled66]

I am a 41 year old female with history of heart disease in the family (father died at 59 of massive heart attack).  Last year I started experiencing very high blood pressure 220/140 .  I have had three heart caths which the first resulted in a stent, which then closed and casued a mild heat attack.  I am still struggling to keep the pressue under control and take 150 mg of blood pressure meds daily.  I now have what is stated by my Doctor as PVC's which I have been having over a 1000 a day in rest and non rest state.  I have also been having severe headaches, chest pains that run from mid back to the front.  I have had every test in the world to include another heart cath three weeks ago were the new Heart Doctor said that I have a 50%percent blockage in the main front artery just below the stent.  He did a pet scan and the blood was flowing normal.   I just don't know what to do I feel like my heart is racing out of my chest and is going to explode.  I have also been having vision problems which is a result of the uncontrolled blood pressure even on the meds it still spikes at times through out the day.

[baffled66]

We started at the kidneys due to a condition I have with one kidney being normal size and the other one being half size.  My kidneys and the arteries are fine we did the CT with dye.  I wore a holter monitor and that is were the thousands of PVS's were recorded.  I take 175 mg of Metoprolol a day and 120 mg Cardizem CD now.  They have seemed to mask the PVC which I still can feel faintly everyday.  I also can't sleep, loose weight, and the Doctors answers are always here take another pill.  I just want some one to think outside the old persons box and treat me as a young person with 40 years to live.

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

If you have not worn a monitor, I would consider a 24 or 48 hour monitor to see if these "heart racing" episodes are arrhythmias that  may warrant further evaluation. Given the sensations of heart racing/palpitations you are experiencing with vision changes and difficult to control blood pressure I would consider lab work to evaluate for an underlying tumor secreting substances that can do this (pheochromocytoma); I would probably also check your for underlying hyperaldosteronism (this can be screened for with a lab draw and if that is abnormal a CT can be done to look at the adrenal glands to look for hyperplasia and/or a mass secreting substances that can do this); I would also look into kidney causes of this such as bilateral renal artery stenosis or dysplasia. Your physician knows you much better than I and may have certain tests in mind or even have already done them...definitely worth looking into further. If not done,  a lab draw for thyroid function studies may be warranted.
Please discuss all of your symptoms with your primary physician so that person can tie it all together.
Hope this helps