Heart test results, I KNEW there was something wrong :(

[87sal87]

Hi guys,

I went for my heart test results today & I don't think it was good, I didn't understand it but I'm worried sick now. I don't need this...
Apparently, the ECHO & the 24 hour tape where alright but the ECG picked something up, I don't know if it was a palpitation or anything. She mentioned something about a number...it should be 120 but mine was 118 on the ECG. Now I have to have a Cardiac Memo box with me for a week to record any palpitations as the 24hr tape didn't pick up the problem or any palps obviously...
I'm so confused, I don't know what this means. I'm worried I've got one of those fatal irregular heart beats now, like that Long QT syndrome or something that's just gonna make me drop down dead at any moment... :'(
But to be honest, I suppose that would be a sweet release from all this worry & upset. & At least then I'd be with my cat :(

Has anyone had this kind of result before? Can you help cos I really don't understand & I was too panicky in the hospital to ask the doctor any questions :(

[Ella_Jayne]

Don't worry about Long QT, if you had this you would have experienced a lot of symptims since you were young, fainting for no reason is one of them. It's a positive thing that your Echo and 24hour Monitor came back fine. As for the ECG, i'm not sure about that one really, what did the doctor actually say? Maybe you should give him a ring and ask a few more questions if you're unsure.

[87sal87]

Thanks for the reply Ella, it's really worried me.
I didn't get any of what she was saying...I think the ECG had picked up a palpitation or something & she wants to investigate further. That's what the cardiac memo is for, to press a button when I actually get a symptom. Then from that she'd decide what to do with me...whether I need to go on medication or something...
I'm not sure...
I might have to go & see my own doctor about it cos I'm worried sick :(

[87sal87]

I've just looked it up & it looks like it was my PR interval whatever that is, it should have been at least 120ms but it was 118ms...still have no idea what it means :(

[Ella_Jayne]

Go and see your GP, just to get a few of your questions answered. I've just read that short PR intervals can be caused by several things. Also if you did have a problem I'm sure the short PR interval would have been present on the 24hour ECG. I doubt it would just appear once every now and again. It may just have been an error. Try to relax.

I had dodgy results from an ECG once but it turned out to be nothing. Although I actually worked myself up so bad that I cried my eyes out minutes after the junior doctor said that I had 'potential arrhythmia' which turned out to be complete and utter rubbish! Try to relax and definitely go and see your GP. If you want a pro's opinion on this before you see your GP then maybe ask RLR, the website is http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl He's a retired physician. Hope I've helped. x :)

[87sal87]

Thanks so much hun, you've helped loads :)
I hope it's nothing...it's still really worrying me x

[Going home]

I wore one of these monitors for a week about 5 years ago because id been suffering with missed beats...which i still get and probably always will so have kind of learned to live with them as part of me. I had to press the button every tme I felt a missed beat and the results came back negative. The irregular beats showed up on the printout but the cardio told me they were not serious. The cariologists can usually tel the difference between negative and positive palps and if they thought there was anything to worry about they'd have admitted you so try not to worry about this too much.

Anna xxx

[lucyeast]

hi please try not to worry too much i know its easier said than done. i had an ecg back in feb and it showed i had irregular t waves i got sent straight to hospital and had to be monitored for 3 days was a horrible experience. since then i have had a holter monitor and due to see cardio doc soon. however no one is too worried about this and i am now on anti depressants and feeling much better. apparantly some people just have abnormal ecgs so i hope this is the case for us both.
take care and hope you feel beter soon

[countrygirl]

As your echo and 24 hr ecg were normal I would strongly suspect an error with the short ecg- am I right in thinking the problem if there is one only showed up on the very short ecg????? I worked in a Dr's which is not necessarily a good thing for someone with health anxiety! but I did learn huge amount and one thing was that a short ecg the type where they just stick 12 leads on you and it takes about 20 seconds if that are very prone to errors- its all down to the competence of the person sticking the leads on and the machine and its very common to get what look like problems that aren't really and costs nhs quite alot in further testing.

It would be extremely unusual for this type of problem if it ws genuine not to show up on a 24hr ecg- they are only doing the 5 day on to see if they do pick up this problem again and if they don't bet you they say it was just the short ecg.

As others have said best to discuss with your Gp and hopefully he can also clarify what I have said about short ecg's not necessarily being cuper accurate but then again its best that they do check out anything the short ecg throws up to be on the safe side.

I have had ectopic heartbeats for past 30 years - I have them all the time- unless they get to every 5th beat I don't notice them but they are horrible when they are coming every few beats - they are horrible but harmless as I have been told loads of times or as my Dr said after my last 24hr ecg ( I have one every 5 yrs for my own peace of mind) that I have a normal abnormality with my heart!

[87sal87]

Thanks so much for all the advice guys, I honestly don't no where I'd be without you sometimes... *hugs to all*

I have been trying to calm myself down over it. I just keep saying to myself that if the ECHO & the 24hr tape were fine, then it can't be anything too bad. An Echo is meant to pick up heart disease & everything isn't it? So if that was ok....
Plus, that particular ECG was my FIFTH one! & That's the only one that has ever shown anything up apart from a fast heart rate when I've been panicing as usual.
Plus, I was really wound up yesterday, I was nervous, no one was with me & I was panicing over the results abit. Plus, with the all the stress lately what with my cat going off & everything I'm not suprised it was that one that showed something...
AND, 118 from 120 isn't too bad I guess...not like it was really under.

I'm still really worried about it though because I've always been worried about my heart, but all I can do is ask my doctor & see what happens with the Cardiac memo.
Hopefully it'll just be an error like you guys have said...the palps have certainly gone worse now though. I've been having the breathing trouble too...*sigh*

[Ella_Jayne]

Try not to worry about it hun.

You're fine. Although I know how difficult it can be to ignore worries about your heart. You should be relieved after the ECHO and Holter came back fine. I remember when I got my results, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, you should feel the same. Don't let that ECG result get to you. The docs are doing everything they can to ensure you're ok which is a good thing. When you get your results from your event monitor and everything is normal, you'll feel so much better and hopefully it will convince you that your heart is fit and healthy.

:) x

[87sal87]

Thanks so much Ella. I've tried not to let it get to me, but I feel like it's sent my anxiety through the roof! I am relieved about the ECHO & 24hr tape but because the ECG showed something, I keep thinking those two tests have missed something :(
I keep having horrible arm pains, shoulder pain & back pain. I'm checking my pulse a million times a day again, I've come close to a full blown panic attack a few times now & I've not been like that for a good few months & it's EVER since I went for that appointment at the hospital. It's just put me back to square one. I'm convinced that I'm gonna have a heart attack soon... :'(
Would the ECHO have shown angina or impending heart attacks up? Can they detect most heart problems?

I'm just so angry with myself now for getting so worried...it's my sister's birthday today & it's been so hard not to show how bad I've been feeling, I don't want to ruin anything :(

I got the appointment for the cardio memo through this morning for the 5th of July so all I can do now is wait...unfortunately :(

[Ella_Jayne]

An ECHO would show up any structual heart abnormalities, and can see if your valves are working as they should, so that alone is an important test and since it came back fine then you can get all thoughts of angina and impending heart attacks out of yur head. ;)

An ECG and holter monitor look at the electrical activity to make sure it's normal and can dectect an arrhythmia. Most arrhythmia's have an underlying cause, whether it be a scar on the heart itself, valve problems, heart disease etc... But you have none of these so rest assured. The only ones that can be possible are harmless arrhythmias such as SVT where the heart just speeds up and runs at a fast pace for little or no reason, but I'm sure this would have been picked up by now if you did have it.

I know the abnormal ECG must have scared the life out of you but you and your doctors are doing your best to get to a cause for it. It may and probably was just a simple error. But you'll know soon and then hopefully you can get back to normal.

The 5th of July is only around the corner, it's not long off atall. Just try and take your mind off it until then. I know it's easier said than done but remember that your ECHO and holter were normal. Focus on the positives.

:)

[nursey4]

I had a short PR interval as well. I've had so many ECG's and my PR interval was short on most of them but it has now gone to normal. The cardiologist said this can be normal when you're young and is nothing to worry about. That was 7 years ago and I'm still here:)

[87sal87]

Aw, thanks so much Ella, you've really, really helped me *hugs* I just hope you're right & I can get back to the Gym without worrying about dropping dead lol :(

& Thank you Nursey4, that's great advice & has put my mind at ease. Thank you both so much *huge hugs*

[Ella_Jayne]

No problem hun, I know how you feel.
I've just recently started going back to the gym and trying to get used to that pounding heart feeling after a workout. I keep thinking it shouldn't do it, but obviously it should! What are we like, eh? ;) x Only 8 days until you get your results!!!! :)