Arrhythmia problems

[GaryA]

Hi Folks
Recently diagnosed with some form of Arrhythmia Ive always suspected my heart had the odd flutters but in jan I had a minor heart episode (very slow heartbeat for a few min) that caused me to collapse ..the heart eposode was prompted by a nasty virus so it wasnt the cause of the hospitalisation..it was more a faint.
Since then Ive has ecocardiogram blood tests and chest x-ray which all confirm the heart is healthy and disease free. I also had a 24 hr heart monitor which showed one 2.6 sec pause when i was asleep but wasnt that unusual Ive been informed. I was referred to cardio unit in the meantime...last thursday.
On monday, at work I had heart flutters which made me nearly faint and was sent to A&E by then the ECG trace was normal and was sent home. Tue pm had heart flutters and went to A&E and this time they captured the heart skips on the monitor one every 30 sec, rate was 72ish and not any speeding up had blood and chest x-rays again...heart healthy nothing to show. Sent home and had the worse night of my life trying to sleep with the heart fluttering in my chest but not speeding up as in artrial fibrulation.
Had decent day yesterday resting on sofa where the irregularities seem to improve to a skip every 180sec or so-fairly random.
Its worse today; cant eat anything and irregular which makes me a bit lightheaded going to A&E would just mean wasting 4 hrs only to be sent home.
The annoying thing is they dont seem to me motived to get me into the cardio unit or see a cardio specialist- the appointment could be weeks away...they say its not life threatning
So really I'm looking for any reassurance/info from anyone who has been in a similar condition
the big question is how long after one of these eposides does the heart system take to get back to normal?
It really is frightening not being in control ... it sounds melodramitic but i even wrote my last will and testement last night

Sorry for the long query but thought i should give out as much info as possible
Thanks

Edit my BP is usually normal but been elevated over last few days 166/111

 

[fossyant]

Anything stressful going on. Certainly can cause me to get the odd jump, and it did my brother. Also caffeine and or alcohol. Are you on the waiting list for a referral.

 

[ColinJ]

I had similar problems when I clotted up last summer. The clots were pressing against my heart as well as actually blocking the arteries. It really isn't nice, is it!

There was another thread which I posted in recently. Hang on ... this one. (I mentioned a support forum and a heart rhythm control technique which may help you while you try to get a better response from your doctors.)

 

[The Jogger]

Why don't you ask your doctor for an urgent referral to a cardiologist and for a stress test. It must be really scary and if it is stress see if they can give you something to calm you down and see if that alleviates the symptoms.

FFS don't come out in sympathy with Maggie

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Andrew_P]

The stress could defintely be making it worse and it is well known. Holiday Heart (excessive Drinking without a break) and Thyroid can be causes. Have they taken blood tests?

 

[GaryA]

Hi folks thanks for replies Ive read the other thread and colins very good piece but that technique would only work to slow a racing heart and so far mine hasnt and yes stress (marriage break up last year) and my frantic lifestyle could be root causes...but if I ever get right Ive learned a lifetimes lesson; time to slow down and act my age.
the heart palpatations forum has reassured me that I'm not alone with these problems.
Fingers crossed for a recovery.
One question I cant eat anything- I dont feel hungry- is that a side effect of stress or is it part of the mechanism of recovery after an episode?

 

[Andrew_P]

Hi folks thanks for replies Ive read the other thread and colins very good piece but that technique would only work to slow a racing heart and so far mine hasnt and yes stress (marriage break up last year) and my frantic lifestyle could be root causes...but if I ever get right Ive learned a lifetimes lesson; time to slow down and act my age.
the heart palpatations forum has reassured me that I'm not alone with these problems.
Fingers crossed for a recovery.
One question I cant eat anything- I dont feel hungry- is that a side effect of stress or is it part of the mechanism of recovery after an episode?

Have you stopped regular excercise? Some people find excercise helps control iregular heart beats and palpitations. Also Helps with stress. Lack of appetitie I would say is more down to the stress you are feeling. I would try and tackle that easier said than done I know. Indigestion, Acid reflux or bloating can also cause irregular heartbeat by irritating the vagus nerve. I only know all this because I had palpitations a few years ago.

 

[ColinJ]

One question I cant eat anything- I dont feel hungry- is that a side effect of stress or is it part of the mechanism of recovery after an episode?

I've gone to both extremes when stressed and/or depressed.

At one time, I virtually stopped eating and became horribly skinny - 10 st 10 lbs for someone who should have a similar physique to powerful pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara is not a good weight!

At another time, I ate and drank myself up to 16 st 9 lbs and a side effect of that was the clotting that almost killed me last year.

Work stress made my heart go crazy, which is why I packed it in and went self-employed.

Good luck sorting yourself out, Gary!

 

[GaryA]

Have you stopped regular excercise? Some people find excercise helps control iregular heart beats and palpitations. Also Helps with stress. Lack of appetitie I would say is more down to the stress you are feeling. I would try and tackle that easier said than done I know. Indigestion, Acid reflux or bloating can also cause irregular heartbeat by irritating the vagus nerve. I only know all this because I had palpitations a few years ago.

Hi loco
This week i have stopped even walking around outside never mind exersise because I have constant (2-3 per minute) flutters when I'm upright and feel a bit light headed just walking around the house. when horizontal on the couch its one every 90 sec or so and in bed I hardly notice them (ive stopped counting) so at least I get a decent nights sleep.

 

[Mile195]

I had a difficult period a couple of years ago, and got palpatations regularly. Sometimes this was accompanied by light headedness, which made me feel like I would pass out, which made me more stressed and thus it went round in circles.

I did see a heart specialist, but there was nothing wrong. I have a slight heart murmur which apparently is normal for about 30% of the population. Therefore, the symptoms were mainly stress related.

This might not be your problem at all, but given what you say above, stress could simply be the cause of the problem, and working on that may improve the physical symptoms you're experiencing with your heart.

Obviously if you're worrying about it though, keep pursuing a specialist appointment. Even if they check and find absolutely nothing wrong it will put your mind at rest, which may in itself help.

Also, as has been said above, stress alters your appetite dramatically. If you have any symptoms like: constantly feeling tense and/or sick/ tired/anxious, biting your nails when you don't usually, having racing thoughts and unable to slow down your train-of-thought, constantly feeling an urgency that there's something needs doing, even when there isn't, those are also indicators that you might be suffering with stress-related symptoms which include heart palpatations.

 

[Andrew_P]

Hi loco
This week i have stopped even walking around outside never mind exersise because I have constant (2-3 per minute) flutters when I'm upright and feel a bit light headed just walking around the house. when horizontal on the couch its one every 90 sec or so and in bed I hardly notice them (ive stopped counting) so at least I get a decent nights sleep.

Sounds horrible, mine were thumps more than flutters. The light headed could from lack of food? If I were you I would try and get an appointment with your GP as soon as possible and get some re-assurance from them most GP have instant access to notes on your file created at the Hospital. He might be able to give you something to help you relax a bit as well. your brief description of your previous 12 months more than suggests it could easily be a buid up of stress. Even the stress could be causing the woozy light headness. Imagination is very powerful and tends to run riot in these situations!

The fact they saw the flutters on the ECG and let you go home without any immediate other tests suggest they think they are benign?

 

[Herr-B]

Watching with interest.

I got a letter from my GP surgery yesterday saying that there isn't an appointment available with the cardiology dept. but they're working on it. If I haven't heard anything further by 30th April then I can approach them direct and ask for an appointment. What a joke.

I hope you all get a successful resolution to your problems, you're all making mine look a little insignificant now.

 

[flissh]

Hi Gary, I second going to your GP. You have got reasonable questions that you will just keep fretting about if you don't get the chance to talk about them. I know everyone says it but write them down, then sit with your GP and run through your questions.
Do you drink tea or coffee. I switched to decaf tea and coffee and my palpitations mostly stopped. Alcohol also triggers them for me.
It is very scary when you can feel your heart beating irregularly, so your GP won't think you are wasting his/her time.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The only advice I can ofer is stay out of P&L lite but as a fellow heart patient you have my sympathy, it's scary. Hope it clears up soon.

 

[Herr-B]

Do you drink tea or coffee. I switched to decaf tea and coffee and my palpitations mostly stopped. Alcohol also triggers them for me.

Also be advised that coke contains caffeine (somewhere in the 70-80 mg range) and diet coke is around 128 mg! This was a surprise to me that it was almost double. Caffeine free from now on.