Read a heart thing that really freaked me out

[Freaked]

So, due to the severity of my symps (passing out, pains, palps, vomiting, can't do anything, unilateral vision probs and reflex loss) I've been trying to reduce my fear of death, within reason. Docs think my condition is probably benign, but my symptoms are so bad all the time that my thoughts go there anyway. It's often said that most people who actually go through cardiac arrest lose a lot of their fear of death, so I was looking for that sort of thing.

Instead I found a mother's account of her daughter who died of long qt syndrome (heart rhythm thing). I always thought its symps were solely passing out and feeling dizzy cos that's what the literature always says. But for a few weeks this girl felt dizzy, had pains in her left arm and neck, and an episode of pain in her chest where she felt like she couldn't breathe. She was fourteen and her doc put it down to stress. Then she died in bed.

I've had ekgs which that poor girl didn't I don't think, but it's still unsettling to hear of that happening to someone with symptoms we've all had. Shows the importance of getting a proper cardiological work-up I suppose. Docs should never be laid back about these things.

And still I worry there's other tests I should have done, or something was missed. HA is crap.

[joelhall]

An ECG will pick it up, although LQTS is inherited, so if there is no family history it's extremely unlikely you have it.

[Freaked]

The thing with LQTS is that even though it's normally inherited, different family members can be at completely different risks for events. So you may have two relatives with it who may not even know, and only get screened after something happens to you. That's why I find the 'has anyone in the family dropped dead' question a bit thick; they should evaluate your symps just as carefully anyway. Also, you can have hidden LQTS which only shows up sometimes when the heart's going fast. Personally I've had more ekgs during tachycardia than any other time, but it's all these nuances that make being reassured about my heart so difficult for me. Atm it's endothelial dysfunction worrying me :-/ I wish I had the money to go to the states or somewhere where they're more willing to look into these more recently discovered problems.

[joelhall]

If they've done an ECG or EKG while you were having symptoms, and the Q-T interval wasn't elongated, then why do you suspect you have LQTS?

[Freaked]

I don't particularly; I just worry I have something. Like I say, endothelial dysfunction worries me atm.