Hi. I am a 22 year old living in NSW in Australia. I have no previous health history, I consume no caffenated beverages and I am not overweight. My BMI is 24.5.
About three months ago i began having palpitaions associated with shortness of breath. I am an ED registered nurse and was working in the department at the time. I was given an ECG which showed sinus tachycardia, at a rate of about 130.
I went to see a cardiologist who thought it was propbably just a bout of mild dehydration and sent me on my eay. However, a week later I was sitting in front of my heater when my pulse rate jumped to 200 bpm, associated with shortness of breath, dizziness and palpitations. When I went to the ED, as soon as I sat on the bed my heart rate dropped to about 130. The ED doctor said the ECG caught me in sinus tachy, but it sounded very much like SVT. I was admitted to CCU and put on Atenolol 50 mg once daily. When I went back to the cardiologist he organised for me to go for an electrophysiology (EP) study, and ordered me to go off my atenolol in preparation for that.
Within a week, I was back at work with severe palpitations. I was put in resuscitation and given an ECG. Again, as soon as i laid down flat my heart rate dropped from 170 to 130 and my ECG showed sinus tachy. However (and I don't remember this part) at one stage I sat up to talk to my colleagues. The heart monitor showed my heart rate immediately jumped from 130 to 160, became irregular, lost its P waves, and inverted. I apparently became dizzy and passed out. As soon as they laid me flat my rhythm became normal again (sinus tachy).
I am now back on my atenolol but it is not working like it used to. I was on night shift again last night when the palpitations occurs. When connected to the monitor and standing, the monitor showed i was in SVT at a rate of 155 bpm. As soon as i laid down on the bed, the SVT dissappeared and sinus tachy came back. I also developed chest pain last night, aching in the middle of my chest, into my left arm and my throat. We connected the ECG and then i stood up. I immediately felt like i was about to pass out.
Because I was standing, the ECG readings are a little shoddy. But the results are as follows, as recorded from the ECG:
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Ectopic atrial or superventricular tachycardia, rate 144
Premature complex, uncertain mechanism
Borderline lateral Q waves
Borderline R wave progression, anterior leads
Abnormal T, consider ischemia, inferior leads
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Because the SVT dissapears when i lie down, I was unable to be given adenosine. When lying down my ECG just shows sinus arrythmia, rate 75-150. There are some T wave inversions also on this ECG.
My third ECG was recorded when I had chest pain. The results are as follows:
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Sinus tachycardia, rate 133
Right atrial abnormality, consider LAA
Abnormal T, probable ischemia, inferior leads
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The girls did a troponin on me which was negative (<0.03) but we did not wait 6 hours until after the pain to repeat the trop. I still have an aching, dull pain in the centre of my chest.
Now I know this has been long winded but i'm at the end of my rope. I'm an RN and even I don't understand whats going on. My doctor doesnt know whats going on. It has taken them two months to schedule my EP study, which I think is far too long for a 22 year old with no previous cardiac history. Does anyone else have these symptoms when they sit/stand up or change position? Is it normal to have ischaemia on your leads? Will this EP help me at all? I just need to know theres other people out there who have the same thing. Please help! Especially any doctors out there who have an ED/Cardiology background!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kas