View Full Version : 14 day ecg left me with more questions !
Hi guys so I had a 14 day ecg as directed by a cardiologist. I have had heart anxiety for many years. There are some members of my family with cardiac problems so that probably doesn’t help and over the years Iv had some bizarre symptoms. A few times in the distant past Iv called ambulances and the paramedics picked up an irregular HB that has always righted itself. When I had my son about 1-2 weeks after his birth I woke up in night feeling really funny in my chest turns out my heart beat had gone mental dropping to as low as 30 bpm then going up to 80 in a matter of seconds. I had an echo done that was said my heart was structurally normal and never really got to the bottom of it, also suffer from so bad palpitations. Anyway Iv told myself I’m going to see the cardiologist And if he says I’m fine I’m going to draw a line under this years long fear as I have to start living my life free of this shit. So he gave me something called a zio patch which is a monitor that can record for 14 days. This morning in the post I read his summing up letter. I don’t know what it means and it’s giving me even worse anxiety. If I Google I will probably diagnosis my impending death. Can anyone tell me what this means ? So predominant underlying heart rhythm was normal sinus rhythm (I know that’s good) Slight P wave morphology changes where noted, 1 run of SVT occurred lasting 4 beats with a maximum rate of 116 BPM. What the hell does that mean !!!! It’s sending my head all over as my mood is already super low at the moment and my coping skills are not in tip top condition. It also said isolate SVEs and VEs where rare at less then 1% … they are palps right ?
Not a doctor but SVT = Super ventricular tachycardia, ie a fast heartbeat. Again, not a doctor but only 4 beats and only 1 run over 14 days, plus your doctor's nonchalant way of notifying you, means this probably means.... nothing!!! (If it makes you feel better, I went in for a doctor's visit a few weeks ago and my heart rate was 115 for *several minutes* while they tried to record my pulse and ox sat. I was having a LOT of anxiety at that moment, so chalked it up to that.)
"P wave" is also the beginning wave in a heartbeat graph (the peaks and valleys are labeled PQRST and sometimes in some people U, if I recall correctly.) It's the atrial beat, or the beat at the top of your heart that starts off the heartbeat for the other chambers below. I don't know anything about proper P wave morphology because again -- not a doctor -- but it sounds like your report is saying you won't end up in a textbook as an example of a perfect pretty P wave. Whether that means anything for you, I have no idea! But again, if nobody has told you to worry, I wouldn't worry. Easier said than done, I know. But honestly, really, all bodies are slightly different.
Can't help with the last line, don't think I know what SVEs or VEs are.
Honestly would just call your Cards doctor back and ask: if this were your EMG, would you worry? And trust what they say.
All the best to you.
Hi thanks for reply. Yeah I’m gonna ring the gp as I’m sure they will have received a copy of this report too. I’m not going to bug the cardiologist as I’m sure he’s a very busy man plus I imagine I would have to fight my way through is secretary first 🤣 to be honest it was p wave morphology bit that threw me the most. As I was like what the hell does that mean. Cardiologist seemed unconcerned anyway and said if I keep having episodes of palps to try a beta blocker so it’s surely nothing serious?
It's lethal sending these reports to patients with HA! Why the hell do these medics do it?!!! Of course you won't know what all the medical guff means and why the hell should you? (Unless you have HA and a layman's knowledge of Dr Google's all-you-need-to-know-cardiofacts of course!)
I wouldn't even attempt to decipher it by asking people on here or by googling the terminology. Your GP is the best bet for preservation of your sanity and a quick interpretation to reassure you. That's if you can get past the surgery receptionists of course...
It's lethal sending these reports to patients with HA! Why the hell do these medics do it?!!! Of course you won't know what all the medical guff means and why the hell should you? (Unless you have HA and a layman's knowledge of Dr Google's all-you-need-to-know-cardiofacts of course!)
I wouldn't even attempt to decipher it by asking people on here or by googling the terminology. Your GP is the best bet for preservation of your sanity and a quick interpretation to reassure you. That's if you can get past the surgery receptionists of course...
Really wish he hadn’t to be fair Pul, having a relapse anyway in HA so I obviously didn’t need this. However I have resisted the urge to Google which I’m quite pleased with. I have decided I will just ring up the doctors tomorrow and explain this has done my head in and hopefully he will give me an explanation and I can just get on with that x
It's a lazy and ridiculous practice and another example of how doctors don't understand what they can do to minimise anxiety in the way test results are relayed to patients. I'm sorry you've had to deal with too much information..A simple breakdown of all the jargon and what it actually means for you in plain English from your GP would have been far better but now it's all about the patient being able to access all their medical information which is such a poisoned chalice with HA.
I hope you get the information you actually need to know from your GP today and that you get some reassurance from the results which makes the tests worthwhile xx
It's lethal sending these reports to patients with HA! Why the hell do these medics do it?!!!
100% agree P.
Hi Pul, so went to see the doc on Friday. She’s not one I’m particularly fond of she’s a bit airy fairy and very vague. She said it’s all quite fine and just sounds like I have an excitable heart 🙄 lol I will just take that at face value and assume all is fine. However she also prescribed me doxycycline for a sore throat Iv had for going on 9 days now.,8 said is there actually an infection there tho and she was like yeah well it is red and you have had it for some time now so take these 😳 of course my anxiety is quite high atm and Iv sat and stared at them all weekend then about an hour ago I plucked up the courage to take one. Now sat up in bed scared waiting for something. I have had a globus sensation for days and now iv got it quite bad doctor thinks it’s from apparent throat infection but in my twisted little mind now I’m sat here thinking it feels worse than usual is this bloody antibiotic closing my throat up. Don’t know what is up with me honestly I feel not very well atm mentally x
I think you will feel the globus sensation more when you are very stressed ie after taking the first scary tablet (presumably you haven't had these ones before?). The GP was right to prescribe them as you have a throat infection and really need them to kill off the bacteria...You've done really well and started the course now but it'll take a little while before they have some effect as you know.
I get all sorts of globus stuff. It's not nice but very common with anxiety. Have you spoken to the doc re your anxiety? I don't mean the airy fairy one but one you respect and trust? You've got such a lot to contend with in your life so you're "entitled" to admit what pressure you're under and how your HA overwhelms you at times? it's horrible living with so much fear and feeling you have so much responsibility xx
I think you will feel the globus sensation more when you are very stressed ie after taking the first scary tablet (presumably you haven't had these ones before?). The GP was right to prescribe them as you have a throat infection and really need them to kill off the bacteria...You've done really well and started the course now but it'll take a little while before they have some effect as you know.
I get all sorts of globus stuff. It's not nice but very common with anxiety. Have you spoken to the doc re your anxiety? I don't mean the airy fairy one but one you respect and trust? You've got such a lot to contend with in your life so you're "entitled" to admit what pressure you're under and how your HA overwhelms you at times? it's horrible living with so much fear and feeling you have so much responsibility xx
To be honest Iv never had any globus symptoms until about a week ago so I suppose if coincided with my sore throat so could actually be something to do with the throat infection. It’s vile now Iv noticed it I can’t un notice it and sometimes it feels almost like I’m being choked. I had to be up at 5.30am for work so I took another doxycycline at 7am when I got here. Currently sat assessing every body sensation behind my check in desk 🙄 honestly I don’t know where on earth this breakdown of sanity has come from, as I said maybe it’s the change of starting a new job ect. Feel like a wreck like I want to quit the job even though I do actually enjoy it. Feels like intense pressure to be here and be present and work. I probably need to make an appointment with him and have a chat it just annoys me that I always get referred for cbt which I think is a load of crap (personally) I think I need to try something different x
CBT does seem to be the "answer" for everyone according to NICE guidelines but not everyone responds well to the standard package on offer and it certainly has its limitations.
Have you heard of ACT? (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) Or just Counselling?
Is the new job just too much for you even though you enjoy it and would enjoy it if circumstances were different? You can't get much sleep with erratic working hours and a little boy who is very demanding?
Hey pul sorry for late reply Iv been working 3am starts 🤣 I dunno if the job is to much for me I would be sad if I quit aswell I would miss a lot of my work pals. Working in an airport is like a community I love all the banter and chat ect… can’t stand the shifts the are horrid. Just random starts like 3am-11am stuff like that it’s 6 on 3 off. I start work at 8 tomorrow but I fell asleep at 1.30 today cos I was exhausted when I got home as 3am starts involve getting up at 1.30am 🙄 now I’m wide awake when I have to be up at 6am still last day today then I’m on my 3 off. He is much better lately sleep wise although I shouldn’t say it as I will jinx us. We where saying it the other day and then lo and behold I woke up at 1.30am and he was sat on the landing in his nappy shredding bog roll. His dad said he stayed up till 6am. But he’s been sleeping thru the night quite a lot lately I can only think it’s something to do with school as up until lately he had never slept all the way through in his life. So cautiously optimistic. I have never heard ACT ? Is it something I can pay for is it an nhs treatment ? X
https://www.talkingchange.nhs.uk/acceptance-commitment-therapy-act
It is available on the NHS but I think it depends on what's on offer where you live. Sometimes it's a question of "exhausting" CBT and then you are offered an alternative therapy. Your situation is different and you have to contend with challenges at home that others don't. It's obviously more accessible if you decide to pay and you can choose who you see.
If you ignore the waffle and buzzwords in the spiel it may interest you?
The work shifts sound gruelling but I get what you mean about enjoying the social side and it must be a glorious respite from the grind of daily life and an escape from trying to second guess what your little boy will be up to next! As for his sleeping through the night...Hopefully school will wear him out with loads of physical activity. I had terrible problems with my son's body clock and my daughter was 8 before she slept through the night even once. It just becomes the norm and it really isn't!! xx
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