SVT Issues. Would just like to vent...

[MarleeH]

I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks to get the results from a haltor monitor I was wearing. My doctor has been on vacation and I have been anxiously awaiting the results. When I first went in to see him, I went in because I was feeling a "jump" in my heart. Almost like the electrical system in my heart was trying to kick start. It doesn't happen always, and when it does, it seems to go on all day. Some days are good, and some days are bad. I know that most of you can agree with that. I hadn't been having symptoms all day (that's how it always seems to work out when something is wrong, it doesn't happen you want to show someone). The nurses did an EKG, which turned out fine. When my doctor came in, I told him what I was experiencing. He listened to my heart for about 5 minutes. Had be sit, lay down, sit up, etc. LUCKILY, my heart decided it wanted him to hear what was going on. He got to experience what I had told him about. He immidiately sent me to a cardiologist in the same building to wear a 24 hour heart monitor. We discussed the possibility that it may not show on this monitor given the fact that it does not always happen. So after a week and a half of waiting, and even though my doctor is out of town, I get a call back from the office. The girl tells me that my doctor is gone until Monday, but another doctor on staff reviewed my results and said there were no abnormal beats, but that my heart was beating too fast. They wanted to start me on Toprol right away and follow up with my DR in 2 weeks.

I told her that this was a big step to take. To just start on a heart medication without even sitting down with someone to discuss what was wrong or what other steps I could take to keep myself healthy. It also bothered me that this doctor did not know my history and was just willing to have me take this medication without even meeting me. I decided I would wait to see my doc when he comes back and see if the thinks we should try another test for a little longer or if he thinks I should start this medication. Is this the smart choice? I really feel like it is, and I feel like something is being missed. If I take this medication and all my symptoms stop, we may never know what truly is causing this "jump" that my heart is making. It's hard to talk to my husband about this because he doesn't truly "get it", and we have opposite schedules, so I'm on my own here. I love this community because everyone is in the same boat and I feel so at home. I just want to know if anyone else has had this sort of experience and if I'm making a smart choice.

[sueinns]

I don't blame you for being hesitant about taking a beta blocker.  While many people do fine on them, I certainly wasn't one of them.  They did settle my heart down but I felt terrible otherwise.  I did much better on Cardizem but it eventually stopped working.

It sounds like everything was very poorly communicated to you. Go with your gut.  Most arrhythmias are benign and it's probably a good idea to wait until you can speak with your doctor.

[MarleeH]

Thanks Maggie! I did have my Thyroid checked and all of my bloodwork came back great. Thanks for the great info!!!

[maggiemag]

Marlee, make sure that someome draws some thyroid levels on you to make certain your palpitations are not caused by an overactive thyroid.  The TSH should be about 1.0, and a low number indicates hyPERactive thyroid.  Toprol is not a dangerous drug and the most common side effect, other than a lower heart rate, would be fatigue that usually goes away after a while.  You are asking good questions though, and you deserve to have them all answered by the cardio.

[MarleeH]

Thanks for the reply :).

First off, the cardiologist office that I went to was horrible. They were some of the rudest people I've ever met. The woman didn't even explain to me that it's importatnt to mark your symptoms and activities while wearing the monitor. I saw the bottons for them but she told me nothing. When my doctor's office called me, they did not tell me details on the findings, such as how fast it was beating. I know that Toprol is a beta blocker, I work in the medical industry myself, and know that it can have severe side effects, which is why I hesitate to just jump on board with taking something without speaking with my doctor first. One of it's major side effects is photosensitivity and with summer that will be really hard. I want what's best for my heart though. And I want to make sure I'm taking the right medications for me.

[sueinns]

Holter's are the best known cure for arrhythmias (just kidding but it does seem that way).  I had horrible symptoms but when I wore the holter, my heart decided it would settle down and was in sinus rhythm the entire time.

There are other monitors that are longer lasting.  I had what's called a loop monitor which I could have kept for 30 days.  I hit a button whenever I became symptomatic and then phoned the recording into a what sounded like a fax machine.  Within one week, I got a call from my cardiologist and a diagnosis was finally made.

Did they tell you how fast your heart rate was?  Beta blockers do slow down a fast heart rate and that's probably why you were prescribed them.