Loop Recorder Question

[anniefarber]

I have had my loop recorder for 4 months. I have to lie down by this machine at midnight and it transfers that days heart patterns to my Dr. I have a small device I put to my chest when I am feeling symptoms. But when I go for my check ups nothing shows that I had any heart problems..even tho I pressed the device I am to carry at all times. I have been having these electrical current feelings that go across my chest and leave me dizzy and are so painful luckily they dont last more than 20 seconds or so. I press my device when I am having that tugging pinching feeling..but again nothing shows up on my recorder when i go to the Dr. and he goes thru my patterns back from previous days. He did check to see if maybe the recorder had slipped out of the pocket. My implant is right in my heavy breasted cleavage which is annoying but that is where they put it..but its not in my breast tissue. Why am I having this symptoms but nothing shows up.. Dr said sometimes it wont..Then why do I have this Loop recorder?

[MichelleP_3811]

I am sorry you are having such trouble.  Can you ask the doctor if he spotted an ectopic beat at least, a pac or pvc?  The feeling sounds like it could be something akin to that but if not, if you are pressing the button and feeling symptoms but nothing shows up I wonder if it isn't heart related but nerve or muscle related.  I haven't a clue what it could be but I would press the doctor about whether or not the recorder is picking up pacs or pvcs.  My pvcs can feel like a pinching and then my heart can ache for a good 10 minutes afterwards.  The pinching though is only for the length of a beat.  I would suspect you have had an echo done and had your valves checked?  Have you had a cardiac mri?  Well I do hope you are able to get to the bottom of this.  Please keep us posted on how you are doing.

[anniefarber]

thank you Michelle for getting back to me..the heart rhythm specialist who implanted the loop is suggesting I see my heart specialist again...for further testing..I was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia from the heart specialist and he sent me to the heart rhythm specialist..So it is a back and forth thing now...I will ask about the Pvc's and the Pac. Never heard of them. The Dr's I have are not ones for explaining things to me.. and i dont know the questions to ask...I have a heart cath..all the tests nuclear stress test..Is it possible to have an Mri with this implant? I think I have had one.I have had so many tests I cant remember. The reason these heart Dr's got involved is I had a few mini strokes and extreme fluid in my right leg so much that it feels like it will explode..major pitting..my general practioner made an appt for me with the heart specialist thinking it might be heart related. And here I am today still major fluid which the heart dr's don't seem to want to address. I will see what they say.

[MichelleP_3811]

Are you on any heart meds?  Beta blockers or water pills.  All that water retention isn't good for the heart of could be a sign the heart is failing.  You say you had all the tests but did they say the heart is healthy or are there problems.  Honestly I would ask to get copies of all the tests to see what they say and then press the doctor to explain.  Sometimes doctors withhold information if it isn't not medically significant and would just worry the patient.  They sometimes do that with pacs and pvcs but if there is some heart failure or problems with the heart that needs to be addressed.  Depending on why you had the stroke it could have been a clot but it may have been something else.  My mother had heart issues and I pressed them to check her cartoid artery in her neck.  She had 70% blockage.  If you haven't had that checked I would suggest you did.  I assume since you had a stroke they would check but good to ask or get all your test results so you can see what they have found so far.  You can put in a request at the doctor offices or at the hospitals that performed the tests by filling out a form.  Check the hospitals website for how to do it.  In any event, ventricular tachycardia that doesn't resolve quickly in an unhealthy heart can be a danger so I can understand why they put the loop recorder in but unfortunately sometimes it take s a while to catch the concerning rhythms.  Maybe they see pvcs and are not concerned and are only looking for the vt.  Hang in there and hopefully you can get it caught and diagnosed and treated.  But do try and get your tests to see what is going on and maybe inquire about a water pill.  Check your meds and see if one contains it.  My mom has a bp water pill combo.  Water retention isn't good so just keep asking them about it.  It isn't something you want to ignore.  

[anniefarber]

I am on a  water pill and potassium.. and a beta blocker..atenolol .I try and drink a lot of water like they told me to.. but i still dont pee a lot. I have had the neck artery test and a sonogram of my heart and legs while I was in the hospital after my mini strokes.They said everything was fine.. I will ask to get my reports tho. Since we will be traveling more now since they cant find anything wrong.and my Loop recorder will still go to my Dr.s I am assuming.
I should have them if I should have to go into the hospital while on the road. We are fulltime Rv'ers and travel around the US but have been staying in this area of Az for my DR's..

[MichelleP_3811]

Sounds like you are on the right meds but maybe the water pill needs to be a bit stronger.  Keep following what the doctor says and keep pressing them about issues that are not getting addressed and hopefully the recorder will eventually pick up what is concerning.  They may suspect afib because it is when a person exit afib and go back into normal rhythm is when we have the most vulnerability to throw a clot.  I suspect maybe they are not finding any other reasons for you to have thrown a clot or have had the mini strokes.  But that is not to say it is afib either.  Well hopefully they catch something.  I have heard of people who do that, rv the whole year.  Sounds nice to not be tied down to one spot and free to go where you want when you want.  ;)