Frustrated

[snarky348]

Hello, I posted here a long time ago about my heart going out of rhythm periodically.  But here is an update.  I'm 33, male, a bit overweight, normal echo, normal EKG, only thing is potassium is borderline low and TSH borderline high.

I seem to go through phases. Sometimes I become fatigued easily and my heart feels very overworked from walking up stairs, but then I'll get PVC's for a few days and my resting heart rate drops into the 50's, and very strangely when this happens my exercise tolerance actually becomes vastly *higher*

Also, my heart sometimes beats very irregularly and very noticeably for up to 3 minutes nonstop.  I will sometimes go 3 months up to a year without this happening, but then when it happens again it happens up to several times a week for several weeks,  and half the time it happens,  I will begin to black out....I have collapsed in public before, more than once,   also I don't drive because of this (my own decision).

The extra beats I get are PVC's, that's been confirmed, but I don't know what the arrythmia is.  To me, it sort of feels like just continuous PVC's that don't let up for 1-2 minutes.  The last episodes were 3 months ago.

I've seen a new cardiologist, and wore an event monitor for 2 months, and nothing happened because I'm in a lull period. But as you probably know insurance doesn't pay for more than 2 months. So what do I do?  I desperately want to know what's wrong w/ me and how to treat it.  Do you think I would qualify for one of those under-the-skin monitors?  I would personally prefer to wear the external monitor indefinitely as opposed to that...why don't they just let people wear external monitors instead for extend periods, is this due to perceived patient preference or is there another reason?

Thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions surrounding my symptoms and my problems in figuring out what is wrong w/ me

[blueyankee441]

I am hardly the last one to say for you to give up doctors. However I usually change doctor
s if I see one whom is not good for me in treating my problem.I usaully have to diagonis myself and go to the out patient clinic for testing of my suspicions and given the results do
try to act accordingly.In my time I have been involved in just about all the test which are av
ailable and which are too expensive.I have some meds prescribed and try them for results.
Never seeing the same doctors twice is a benefit at times and you get a choice of the differ
ent knowledges of thought and care.
    Personally I have experienced better results without doctors and doing it on my own exc
ept for surgeries and possible hospital stays.Once I am explained the problem I make my
own judgement ,and usually fare much better. I try my own experiments of my own exper
iences and advice from those whom deemed capable solutions of past years ,and doing
research on my own to find cures,and have found through endurance and good decisions
I fare better as I know my pains and my own body better than someone for the first time
and just out of  med school or a old doctor with a reputation.
  I am much better without doctors care and its always less money and patience is a great
thing when you seek to find a solution for any illness you aquire.
  

[CCF HeartMD3]

snarky348,

Sorry to hear about all of the problems that you have been having. Palpitations and arrhythmias can be very difficult to diagnose and treat.  The diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrythmias depends on being able to obtain an ECG during the time of the arrhythmia. The difficulty arises in casessuch as yours were the symptoms are infrequent.

Increasingly implantable loop monitors are being used for patients with infrequent symptoms in order to catch some of these infrequent arrhythmias. I would certainly discuss this possibility with your physician who can explore your insurances willingness to reimburse for the procedure.