update on cardiologist follow-up

I had my follow-up with the cardiologist yesterday. I'm not very satisfied with the lack of solutions.

as some of you know, i was experiencing extreme cardio symptoms a few weeks ago- palpatations, racing heart, chest pressure, etc... Luckily, they actually faded after about 2 weeks. Coincidentally, they faded at the same time my mild cold faded. I had 2 great weeks and now some of the symptoms are starting to slowly start up again. I happen to be getting a mild case of sniffles again.

So the halter showed that i definitely have tachycardia. It was a typical day- i went to work. The doctor asked if i was exercising at all that day- i wasn't. Apparently my heart did go up to the 150's and even 162 at one point. I was surprised that it was that high. There were some occasional extra beats, but nothing alarming- a total of 62 in the 24 hour period. And the type of extra beat was not dangerous. The halter did show that while my HR was high and varied, it was not due to any problems with the "electrical system." This is good apparently. He did another echo of my heart and compared it to the echo done during my last pregnancy. My heart is still structurally sound. So, he couldn't come up with any explanations for my problems other than pregnancy. Very helpful. He thinks that my body/heart is just reacting more drastically to stressors like fighting infection, hormonal changes, etc... Since my heart is structurally sound and I survived the last pregnancy, I should survive this one as well. I don't like the answers i got, so i asked that if my symtoms (symptoms) return, if i should just s*uck it up and deal with it. Of course no doctor in his right mind would tell a cardio patient to s uck it up if accute symptoms present themselves. especially a pregnant patient. He told me to ask my OB what he recommends patients do, but to obviously not push myself if i don't feel well. gee, thanks.

anyways, on paper i am a very healthy person. If my symptoms return, i will be sure to see another cardiologist for a second opinion.

[jenstam]

Man...well, at least you will survive. Geez, how comforting! I had symptoms like that in my pregnancies and I "survived" as well but just knowing that it will more than likely be happening again this next time and given my more "advanced age" I am scared sh@tless. I don't blame you for being scared as well.

I would do just as you said. Get a second opinion if it happens again. I know how scary it is and then the panic and anxiety sets in, which makes things worse! Good luck, keep us posted!

[cantwait4baby]

They did not put you on any medications?  My heart went into A-fib during my last pregnancy and they cardio-verted me back.  My heart then was normal but they put me on Sotolal (spell) just to be safe for the remainder of my pregnancy with many cardiologist appts to follow.  They took me off the meds after pregnancy and then required me to wear those monitors.  This pregnancy they asked me to wait until after I had a stress test done before I became pregnant even though everything was going good.  I am now 6 months pregnant and THANK GOD - it did not happen again.  I just feel they should be following you more closely - and to make you feel a little better - they believe the reason for my heart issue was pregnancy as well.  Sometimes a healhty body just cant handle the overflow of fluids/blood and hormones.  It does happen

Good Luck.

[tiredbuthappy]

it's weird. My cardiologist said there are no safe meds to give me. My OB said that beta blockers are safe during pregnancy- that we could try those, but he is hesitant because we don't know the cause of the tachycardia. Since we don't know the cause, he is not sure what kind of effect a beta blocker would have on me.

I actually asked the cardiologist if I should come back when I'm not pregnant. I expected him to say yes, and that he'd want a stress test. He said that I could come back if i wanted to, but since the heart looks fine physically and all of the electrical impulses are firing fine, there's nothing else he would do.

i am glad to hear that everything is going well for you this pregnancy. it's nice to hear someone else's experiences- both the good and the bad. I often take your past experience into consideration, which is why i missed so much work and went to so many dr's appointments a few weeks back. I am definitely going to see another cardiologist if my symtoms (symptoms) come back. right now i'm back to just feeling the occasional palpatation.

[cantwait4baby]

I still have an occasional palp too.  Mainly at night when I am laying down I can feel they extra beats but it always stops.  I do believe mine was part of the electrical system so maybe that is why they kept me on the meds?  Even though they fixed it maybe I was at risk for it to happen again and thankfully they are not worried about it happening to you?  

My favorite advice to give is - GO WITH YOUR GUT - You are the mom and who cares if you overreact - at least you reacted.  :)  

Thankfully I am very lucky and very blessed this pregnancy. My son does have a kidney issue but I am under care for it and staying very calm :)

[AndiJ78]

I had some serious runs of PVCs last summer, it was due to stress. I literally was having thousands in the 24 hours period but since everything else came back clear, they decided it was nothing serious. Interestingly enough, my first experience with the palps was while pg with CJ and the nothing for almost 2 years. I had that one high-stress period last summer where i actually ended up in the ER and then barely an issue since.

Some times these things just crop up with no real explanation. Peek has battled her own cardiac issues in the last few years, run the gambit of tests, and not gotten concise answers either.

I am happy to hear there is nothing serious as far as they can tell. I think your doctor's explanation is pretty good, I mean that it makes sense. Think of double the volume on the same heart, it is bound to react in some folks.

Keep it in mind, make sure your dh is aware, and look forward.

[jdarling]

Hi there, at 26 weeks during my first pregnancy, I woke up with severe pain in my jaw, and some radiating pain into my left shoulder.  I was admitted to the maternity ward and a blood test revealed that there was some damage to the heart cells!  So I waited a few hours until a diagnostic guy came and diagnosed pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart).  I subsequently had some heart tests done with a cardiologist, who said it looked like my heart was fine, and that it may have been caused by a virus (although I wasn't aware of feeling any sicker than usual).  Anyways, I also had/have tachycardia, that sits around 120 beat per minute, and goes on for three hours sometimes.  It happened through both pregnancies and the last episode happened at around eight months post-partum.  I still don't know what it is, the last round of blood tests were normal, so I just have my 'rest, and hopefully it will pass strategy'.  Can be pretty scary though!  Especially as we want another baby, and I am 39 now!  Julie.