Help pls!

[noblesalute07]

Hi everyone,
my name is jean pierre and i really need some help here...
About one year ago on jan 2010, i had a really bad experience which end up to the hospital. it all started at a friend's place which he held a party... after some glasses of rhum i started to feel really weird like my heart was really beating fast i thought it was due to the alcohol effect but after some rest it was still the same and started to feel dizzy and really tired too. i asked a friend if he could bring me to the nearest hospital cause i have never been like that before... arriving there they did an ekg wich came back normal but with a fasting beat tho of abt 130bpm...they told me it was an anxiety attack and it got worst due to the alcohol effect. the next day i woke up and after some hour it started back again and i rush to the hospital again and they told me the same thing again it was panic attack... i never had panic attack before in my life and was never a stree person so i decided to get an appointement with an cardiologist. i did and ekg and an echo of the heart which came back normal also... he told me i might be stressed out... from the day i had that first episode i started to have skipped a heart beat which is called pvc,s . i told that also to my cardiologist who tlod me its not serious.. i started to get some dizzy spell pratically everday from that on and stop all excersice that i was doing before like soccer or jogging  cause my heart was racing too fast and could feel the skip beat too, i did a full blood count cause of the dizzy spell which came back normal, did a tyroid test  cause of the palpitation which came back normal too!  at the end of 20110 i started to feel really dizzy and my heart whould beat fast or hard like that without any effort... i took another appointement with my cardiologist ,did nother ekg and echo which came back normal too. he told me it could be  something related to my head so i went to a nero who asked me to do an mri which came back normal too... as from january i had severe dizziness  and palpitation that i had to quit my job. im on lexotanil 1.5mg twice a day with 20mg anderall twice a day.... theses medicines has no effect on me and i feel its getting worst... just did another full blood test yesterday and will get the result tomorrow... im tired to got to the doctor, im running out of money.... my life have changed completely, pls could someone out there help me,  i dont know what to do anymore... im so tired and dizzy all the time, heart would beat really hard and u could literally see it through my t shirt... i feel like two to five skip beat per day these last days....

test done,
loads of ekgs ;)
two echocardiogram , one in feb 2010 and one in dec 2010
one full blood test in june 2010
tyroid test on dec 2010
mri done on feb 2010
all these test came back normal...

Question,
Is there some other test that could be done?
is dizziness related to the heart?
Pvc's increases with exercise, is it dangerous?
and finally with all these ekgs done and the two echocardiograms , if i had something serious, would  the cardiologist see it through the tests?

Answers with be most welcome
Thanks in advance
Jean pierre

P.S sorry for my english, i lives in mauritius island and we speak french here :)

[noblesalute07]

Hi Lisa,
thanks for ur answer and the link too, its really interesting and im going to talk with my cardiologist abt the ANS. and for the Electrophysiologist , i think hes just a cardiologist and need to find one (electrophysiologist) Im going to get my blood test result in the afternoon and let u know if its good.

Thanks
God bless
Jean pierre

[noblesalute07]

Hi ,
thanks for ur answer, ive been to an ENT specialiste too and he find nothing wrong too. about the holter monitor im looking forward abt it and also a stress test too just to be in the safe side.

Thanks a lot
God bless
jean pierre

[noblesalute07]

Thanks a lot for ur answer, im looking forward for the meditation and yoga.

God bless,
Jean pierre

[Mom2four85]

It sounds like you  may have ANS which is very common with some of the symptoms you're experiencing; sometimes even autoimmune issues are cross linked, but you need to find a specialist to make sure.  How is your blood pressure?

Sometimes there is a simple miscommunication between the heart and the brain.  If you stand up, move or exercise - this takes more blood away from the central part of the circulation where it is needed, as a result we may feel lightheaded, dizzy or faint because not enough blood is getting to the brain.

Dehydration from things like alcohol, exercise or being in the heat may make symptoms worse, so try to avoid these triggers you have until you get answers. You could ask them to do a tilt table test to see what happens to your blood pressure and heart rate.

Pvc's in a normally structural heart are 95-99% benign, and they would most likely see any cardiac problems in some of the testing you've had done.  Have you seen an Electrophysiologist not just a cardiologist?  You need to find out exactly what it is that you have and what your triggers for that type of arrhythmia is, not everyone is the same.

You should see an ENT (ear nose throat) also just to rule out anything such as Grendslori says. I don't think this was caused by infection which is a common cause of dizziness because you had blood work done, which they would have seen.

I have major ANS (autonomic nervous system) cardiac related issues and I've had lightheadedness, dizziness and fainting and arrhythmia's such as PVC's for over 35 years. I was told from the age of 9 that I did it for attention, then anxiety, then stress and finally at the age of 42 a doctor took me seriously and I found out my problems are cardiac related, which is very rare.

Anxiety can worsen your symptoms because too much oxygen reaches the brain, so try to control it when you start feeling those twinges of higher heart rates - breathe in through your nose for 10 seconds slowly, then breath out through your mouth for 10 seconds slowly see if that helps until the HR slows down.  Also, a cold glass of water will help very quickly calm you, plus help lower higher heart rates and help if you're dehydrated.

ANS issues are very difficult for doctors and patients to understand, most of us go many many years being mis diagnosed, until someone gets it right.  

Here's some info on ANS issues - http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Autonomic-Dysfunction-FAQ/show/181?cid=196 look at the Uncategorized section - you have some symptoms in there but may be completely unrelated.

Here's a list of doctors to see if any are around your part of the world: http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Dysautonomia-Specialists/show/717?cid=196

Here's some more reading and info: http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Autonomic-Dysfunction--Dysautonomia-Index-Page/show/857?cid=196

just throwing some thoughts out there, hope you feel better soon and find some answers.

[grendslori]

True dizziness is generally always caused by an ear or eye problem. Have you had those checked? Most heart patients have lightheadedness as opposed to dizziness. With all of the testing you have had done, I do not see that you have had a Holter Monitoring done; see if your cardiologist will consider doing that test. Basically you sound like you are suffering from anxiety and or panic attacks. Those will get worse if you do not break the cycle you are in. When you begin to panic your body releases catecholamines  into your blood stream which will increase your breathing and heart rate; it prepares the body to fight or run from a perceived threat. You need to get that under control. Premature beats (PVCs & PACs) are normal in the normal heart. ALL people the world over have them everyday, most people never feel them unless they suffer from anxiety. These premature beats are there as a 'backup system' for the heart's normal electrical sysytem and are really nothing to worry about unless there are different 'types' of PVCs in an already damaged heart. Try and forget about them and you will find they will begin to disappear. take care.  

[kev543]

Hey there,
sounds like someone might have slipped you a micky in your drink and when you felt the affects, it caused your first panic attack that was probably bound to happen anyways.
I know that it is scary but you have been tested for just about everything so the next step is to except what you have and try to heal.

Prevention
There are a number of things you can do to prevent anxiety. Some of these are:

a. Exercise, yoga and meditation: go light at first and do not give up. you have to face your demons head on.
A daily exercise program of at least a half an hour will help in relieving anxiety. By meditating correctly, you can regain mental clarity and may succeed in putting your problems into perspective. Yoga, exercises for the body and mind, can be a good way to help you deal with low moods leading to anxiety.

b. Avoid caffeine:
Drinking caffeine-laden beverage is like pouring gasoline on fire. It’ll not let you sleep and add to your worries. your body is making more adrinalin than it knows what to do with so the last thing you need is a booster drink unless it is an immune booster or natural energy drink.

c. Avoid alcohol:
Don’t get taken in by the idea that alcohol calms. It may seem so at first, but later you’ll feel much more anxious, because of the irritating effect that withdrawal from alcohol has on the brain. plus, your stomach can play a huge rule in anxiety so pay attention to what you eat before an episode because there could be an underlying problem with your stomach you and the doc overlooked. not to worry you though, that is alot better than the heart problem your anxiety would have you believe.

d. Avoid over breathing:
Hyperventilation or over breathing is known to cause anxiety and can leave you feeling light-headed, anxious and depressed, more so, if you breathe with the upper part of the chest rather than the diaphragm. So, the key is conscious breathing is through the abdomen, rather than the chest.

e. Set aside worry time:
Don’t let worries overwhelm you, set aside thirty minutes a day to do nothing but worry! If anxiety starts to creep in at other times, remind yourself to deal with it during your worry time.

Treatment
There is plenty of medication available for anxiety treatment, which can be prescribed by a qualified doctor. But, there is nothing better than trying out the home remedies for anxiety.

Let’s look at these natural cures:

a. Valerian extract:
This herb relieves anxiety, when taken in doses of 50 to 500 mg. It usually works quickly in about thirty minutes and can help you feel more relaxed and less worried. The best part is it’s non-addictive.

b. Passion Flower:
Research has shown that Passion Flower can also help calm your nerves and reduce worry. A few hundred milligrams of Passion Flower extract is enough to provide relief.

c. Green tea extract:
Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that, when extracted and used, has pronounced anti-anxiety effect. In fact, its effectiveness can be compared to some anti-anxiety drugs.

It’s best to prevent anxiety by conscious efforts. However if that fails, go for natural remedies for anxiety. They are effective and with no side effects. Try them and you may find your jumpy self, jumping with glee!

I want you to know that this does not have to rule your life. you are stronger than you think, you just need a nudge in the right direction.

God Bless,

Kev543