Aa
Defibrillator at 39???
For many years I have had episodes of heart flutters and what felt like quivering. I went to a Cardiologist four years ago. After wearing a holter, stress test, and echogram he said, "Sounds like atrial-fib, don't worry about it, it is not life-threatening!" I lived with this condition for years. I am a firefighter in Oklahoma and was fighting a house fire in December 2000 when I felt the quivering. Since noone actually recorded this rhythm, I went to the paramedics on scene and had them hook me up to their monitor. They said, "I was in V-Tach!", which quit on its own within minutes. The emergency room doctor diagnosed the rhythm as SVT. During an Electrophysiology study, V-Tach was induced and an ablation was not possible. The next day they implanted a Medtronic defibrillator. One week before my first post-operative check up, I had another episode which I received two shocks at 30 joles. During this episode, I was conscience and felt ok as usual. This was the same feeling I have had in the past. When they read the ICD, I was in V-fib. They placed me on Sotalol 80mg twice a day. Since I have been taking the medication, I have not had any episodes. Although, the heart flutters seem to be constant now. I have worked out with free-weights and ran most of my life. I would like to start working out again, but I am afraid! I have never had an episode from weightlifting, but usually after running I would go into the rhythm. Also, they thought I would be able to return to work as a firefighter. I do not see any possible way to return to such a "safety sensitive" job. What do you think?
I JUST TURNED 40 IN FEBRUARY.
I FIRST NOTICE A FAST HEART RATE FOR NO REASON, IN OCT. 1993.
FROM THAT FIRST DAY I WOULD GET THESE EPISODES EVERY DAY .
ESPECIALLY AFTER EATING, BUT USUALLY FOR NO REASON. THEN IN SEPT.
1996, I BENT DOWN TO PICK UP SOMETHING, AND WHAT I FELT WHICH SCARED THE HEK OUT OF ME, WAS I FELT A FLUTTER, THEN I WENT TO FEEL MY PULSE, AND I CAN HARDLY FEEL ANYTHING, REAL SLOW IT WAS GOING, THEN WHAT I USUALLY DO IS COUGH OR DO SOMETHING WITH A QUICK MOTION, AND MY HEART GOES FROM THE SLOW RATE, TO A VERY FAST RATE, THEN BACK DOWN TO NORMAL, AND THEN THE EVENT IS OVER WITH. SOMETIMES WITH EVENT, WHEN MY HEART GOES TO THE FAST RATE FROM THE SLOW, I FEEL LIKE A HOT FLUSHED FEELING IN MY FACE AND ALL OVER SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES THAT PASSING OUT FEELING OR EVERTHIN G IS STANDING STILL FEELING. THIS EVENT USED TO HAPPENS
EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO, NOW AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH.
I NOTICED ALSO AROUND THE TIME OF OVULATION OR MY MENSES. THEN IN FEB. 1998 THIS DAY MY HEART WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN LIKE IT USUSALLY DOES . JUST GOING FROM THE CHAIR TO THE COUCH IT WOULD BEAT FAST.
I FINALLY WENT TO THE ER THAT NITE, AND THEN A WEEK AFTER TO A CARDIOLOGIST FOR THE FIRST TIME. HAD A BLOOD WORK, CARDIOGRAM, ECHO, TOLD PICTURE PERFECT HEART, BUT STILL HAVE THE SINUS TACH, THE WEIRD EVENT ALSO I GUESS I ALSO GET THOSE EXTRA BEATS, IT IS LIKE A HARD BEAT OR SOMETHING, YOU FEEL IT AND ITS OVER WITH IN A BLINK OF AN EYE. SO THESE THREE SEPERATE ARRYTHMIAS I FEEL I FINALLY STARTED TORPOL 100 MG. IN SEPT. 1999. I STILL HAVE ALL THREE ARRYTHMIAS, BUT THE MEDICNE HAS HELPED. THE EVENT I GET WHER MY HEART GOES FROM NORMAL TO SUPER SLOW, THE SUPER FAST THEN NORMAL STILL HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, BUT WITH THE TOPROL, WHEN IT GOES FROM THE SLOW RATE TO THE FAST RATE, THE FAST RATE IS NO WHERES AS FAST, AS IT WAS BEFORE THE TOPROL.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD BY MY CARDIOLOGIST WHAT THIS OR CALLED.
I FIRST NOTICE A FAST HEART RATE FOR NO REASON, IN OCT. 1993.
FROM THAT FIRST DAY I WOULD GET THESE EPISODES EVERY DAY .
ESPECIALLY AFTER EATING, BUT USUALLY FOR NO REASON. THEN IN SEPT.
1996, I BENT DOWN TO PICK UP SOMETHING, AND WHAT I FELT WHICH SCARED THE HEK OUT OF ME, WAS I FELT A FLUTTER, THEN I WENT TO FEEL MY PULSE, AND I CAN HARDLY FEEL ANYTHING, REAL SLOW IT WAS GOING, THEN WHAT I USUALLY DO IS COUGH OR DO SOMETHING WITH A QUICK MOTION, AND MY HEART GOES FROM THE SLOW RATE, TO A VERY FAST RATE, THEN BACK DOWN TO NORMAL, AND THEN THE EVENT IS OVER WITH. SOMETIMES WITH EVENT, WHEN MY HEART GOES TO THE FAST RATE FROM THE SLOW, I FEEL LIKE A HOT FLUSHED FEELING IN MY FACE AND ALL OVER SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES THAT PASSING OUT FEELING OR EVERTHIN G IS STANDING STILL FEELING. THIS EVENT USED TO HAPPENS
EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO, NOW AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH.
I NOTICED ALSO AROUND THE TIME OF OVULATION OR MY MENSES. THEN IN FEB. 1998 THIS DAY MY HEART WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN LIKE IT USUSALLY DOES . JUST GOING FROM THE CHAIR TO THE COUCH IT WOULD BEAT FAST.
I FINALLY WENT TO THE ER THAT NITE, AND THEN A WEEK AFTER TO A CARDIOLOGIST FOR THE FIRST TIME. HAD A BLOOD WORK, CARDIOGRAM, ECHO, TOLD PICTURE PERFECT HEART, BUT STILL HAVE THE SINUS TACH, THE WEIRD EVENT ALSO I GUESS I ALSO GET THOSE EXTRA BEATS, IT IS LIKE A HARD BEAT OR SOMETHING, YOU FEEL IT AND ITS OVER WITH IN A BLINK OF AN EYE. SO THESE THREE SEPERATE ARRYTHMIAS I FEEL I FINALLY STARTED TORPOL 100 MG. IN SEPT. 1999. I STILL HAVE ALL THREE ARRYTHMIAS, BUT THE MEDICNE HAS HELPED. THE EVENT I GET WHER MY HEART GOES FROM NORMAL TO SUPER SLOW, THE SUPER FAST THEN NORMAL STILL HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, BUT WITH THE TOPROL, WHEN IT GOES FROM THE SLOW RATE TO THE FAST RATE, THE FAST RATE IS NO WHERES AS FAST, AS IT WAS BEFORE THE TOPROL.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD BY MY CARDIOLOGIST WHAT THIS OR CALLED.
Oops, I meant to say Capital letters, not bold ones.
Please stop typing in bold letters. They are very difficult to read. Thank you.
. IT IS THE VENTRICLES PAUSING TO CHANGE GEAR AND TO START BEATING VERY RAPIDLY FROM A SPOT IN THE ATRIUM TAKING OVER THE HEART'S REAL PACER THE SINUS NODE.
Hankstar-can this create that awful pause? Can you explain this a little more? If this was the case, it wouldn't be a-fib like my doc thought?
Jodie
Hankstar-can this create that awful pause? Can you explain this a little more? If this was the case, it wouldn't be a-fib like my doc thought?
Jodie
Savannah,
Please let us know how your appointment went!
Jodie
Please let us know how your appointment went!
Jodie
I can not wait to get back to the gym, however I have not been released to do so. My whole life is at a stand still, and I have to retire as a firefighter. Guess our healthy hearts are nice to have, but I too would trade. I feel every little bump, and it scares the hell out of me. Although, I have never had any episodes from weight training, running seems to trigger v-tach pretty much everytime. Good luck!!!
Getting fat in Oklahoma
Tim
Getting fat in Oklahoma
Tim
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