what is wrong with me?

[underinformed]

I am a thirty five year old female. Last Friday night I woke up feeling really hot and nauseated. I got up and got really dizzy, lightheaded, and felt like I was going to pass out. I laid down on the floor and my chest felt really tight and I was sweating all over. This lasted about fifteen minutes and then just felt cold and clammy. Since then my heart rate has gone haywire. It goes very high for long periods and then drops low and so does my blood pressure. I went to the doctor and she referred me to a cardiologist who did an ekg, echo, and oxygen level test. All were normal except the oxygen test. It was low (84). He said the I must have pneuminia and did a chest x-ray and ct scan. Both were also normal. He was not sure at that point what was going on. He did a 24hr monitor and I went back today for the results. I also had another ekg today and it was abnormal. The results for the monitor he said were that my heart rate was high and low and I had almost continual irregular heart beats. He prescribed me a beta blocker and said that should fix everything. I am just not sure that is all that is going on. I feel like I am getting worse. Last night I felt like something was putting pressure on my chest for about three hours. My left arm got numb and my jaw hurt. I am just scared he is missing something and I am not getting a lot of explanation. He has had me at the doctor every day this week and still no answers really. Please advise...

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

If you were told you had a low and high heart rate the treatment depends on where the beats are originating-- if this is all sinus rhythm or beats orginating from elsewhere. You may be experiencing SVT (supraventricular tachycardia); if this is the diagnosis you can often try beta blockers; sometimes it requires an invasive procedure (ablation) to stop it. That would not explain your low oxygen saturation though and I would recommend seeing a pulmonary specialist.

[underinformed]

The doctor said that the low oxygen level could just be from the rapid heart rate. Is that possible?
He did put me on a beta blocker that I have taken for two days. It is making me feel worse rather than better. If I even try to walk across a parking lot, I feel like my heart is going to explode. My blood pressure drops really low ( it was 94/58) and heart rate was 56 when it should have been higher because of the excursion. Should I be concerned about that or is that a possible side effect of the beta blocker. If so will it stop once my body gets used to it? I am also having tingling and numbness when that happens, normal? Thank you for your help.