Heart worries again! :(

[Jj8]

Please can someone help me I just don't know how long I can carry on like this for :( last year I nearlly fainted and had a racing heart beat I had three ecgs and the doctor sent me away and blamed stress I had a full blood count which came back as normal also, but I keep getting the skipping beats even when I'm not stressed, which causes me stress so i just keep going round in circles all the time and I don't know what to do it's causes me so much upset and it's making me be ratty with everyone because I'm so worried about it, I keep reading that the skipped beats have to caught on an ECG, mine never have so this makes me worry even more :( please help me I havnt gone into work today because I had one in the car and now just feel so low x

[ann88]

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I have suffered with anxiety/panic attacks for over 4 years and am utterly convinced that I have some kind of undiagnosed heart problem. I have had an echo, countless ECGs, 24 hr & 48 hr monitor, blood tests, etc, and all have been fine. But, like you, my 'funny beats' havent been picked up on the monitor so I can't help thinking 'but how do they know there's nothing wrong? I could drop dead any time'. I'm forever having pains in my chest, arms, jaw, shoulders, back, neck etc, and I can have a few weeks without really having any then they will come back with a vengeance. I know how awful it is when you feel your heart doing unusual things. If I'm out somewhere, I just want to get home, and if I'm getting ready to go somewhere I usually change my mind and stay home instead. This thing pretty much rules my life. The important thing is that I'm still here, despite being convinced that I have been on death's door many many times. And you're still here too. If your doctor says you're fine, you have to try and believe them, no matter how hard it is. try thinking about your risk factors for heart disease, and I bet you will feel much better. for example, how old are you? Family history? High blood pressure/overweight/high cholestorol? I bet you don't have many risk factors at all. Your chances of having a heart problem are probably so slim, you have more chance of winnning the lottery.

[Jj8]

Hi There

Thank you for your reply. I went to the doctors the other day as it was really worrying me and he had a bit of a go at me for smoking which is fair play as I am not doing myself any favours, as my dad also died of a heart attack and my doctor scared the life out of me by saying that I am playing a very dangerous game! I havn't had a fag since and he has agreed to put my mind at ease by giving me a 24 hour ECG.
I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm 24 and I just feel so depressed
:( I'm so worried about the ECG, stressed that I can't ever have a cig again, the cravings are so hard to deal with and I just don't look forward to life anymore, I used to love life and now I just feel so depressed and low all the time. My family are all smoking around me :( I've been like this for a year now and I don't think i'm ever going to get better :weep: People cant understand why I'm so down, and neither can I :weep:

[ciccone-hassell]

i no the feelin my family dont understand that i'm constanly down about my heart i had had 3 ecgs over few years and a 24 ecg bk in dec nothing shown up even tho i had pains in my chest but my docs refused to take it any further as sayin its stress related :( its not easy and i get angry when people just seem to think it is , i'm constanly going though my head that i'm gunna drop dead or not wake up , minds play horrible tricks and i hate it :( , all i ever get from doc the paps are stress , the fast beating stress , the pains stress :( OMG wish they listen to me ,, i'm only 32 so we only young i guess but my grandparents all had heart problems , my uncles do , and my dad had heart falure in 2000 " he still alive thank god but even so " :( ,,, docs dont care ,,, if i could take a tablet just to end everything i think i would just dont see me havin a furture anymore :(

[holly1986]

my papa has had this all his life and the GP assured him, and us, that it doesnt matter if the beats arent caught. There would be other symptoms accociated.

Now also, you need to remember that if you can get all these tests and none of the time have symptoms then maybe youre not having them as often as u think? or maybe youre so relieved that youre getting checked that you relax a bit and the symptoms arent there?

please relax - 99% of all problems are caught in one test, how many have you both had done?

Its ok to panic i do it all the time but use your heads not your panic!

Youre okay :) x

[s11fyx]

im th same ive had all the test twice over with different consulatnts and i still think theres something wrong im only in my early 20s and ive been panicing for 6 years its awful im not practcing meditation and deep relaxation x

[Jj8]

Hi there

Thank you for your replies.
I went to the doctors and he said that he would give me a 24 hour ECG to put my mind at rest. So I went to the hospital today and they said that they can't just give me a 24 hours ECG I have to have the nornal 12 second ECG first then the doctor will have to look at that then refer me to have the 24 hour ECG if needed! I told her that I have already had 3 of these and now needed the 24 hour one but they were having none of it :weep: So Im back waiting for a test result that I've already had 3 times!!!!!

I'm just so fed up. The Nurse also told me that the palps need to be caught on an ECG for the doctors to know what they are. So that's set my panic through the roof.

This is what stresses me out the most one minute someone saying ''no they dont need to be caught on an ECG'' then the next minute people say they do!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whats right here??????

What happens if mine never get caught on an ECG? Does that mean I'm doomed?? :scared10:

[Whitetrash]

Hey, I did a Cardiography course a few years back... I may be able to offer you some advice/reasurance!

The "skipping" beats you're feeling are probably what are known as Ectopic beats and these will be totally harmless variations in your heart rythm im sure! Your heart will react to stress levels and when you panic your heart beat will feel more pronounced. I know its very hard but try not to panic about it!

Im sure the 24 hour tape will show nothing, they may also offer you an Echo or a Novacor and these are routine/nothing to worry about.

Peace x

[Jj8]

Hi There

Thank you for your reply. The thing that bothers me is if I don't have the palps whilst having the ECG then will that be enough to say that I don't have a heart problem? As everyone keeps saying that the palps need to be caught on the ECG? What happens if they can never catch my palps on an ECG? :weep:

[nomorepanic]

Hi

Have you read this website page at all...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/palpitations/

It may help.

Try and remember that palpitations are not harmful as well.

[Whitetrash]

Palpitations are harmless, if you had a problem with your heart then a cardiologist would easilly pick something up on a normal resting ECG

Try to stay calm

[Jj8]

Hello

Thank you for your replies, I understand what you are saying about a normal resting ECG and if this is ok then this is reassuring, but why do they say that palps need to be caught on an ECG to know if they are dangerous or not? I've had three people say this to me now?

This is the main trigger of my anxiety and until I know why this is said then I wont be able to calm down or get this out of my head. I think it would reassure other people too as there is so much conflicting information on this topic, some people say a resting ECG is enough then others say it isn't? All this is enough to make someone need mental help!
Sorry I don't mean to come across as being rude or ungrateful for any help you have given me I just need to know this before my head pops! x

[Typer]

Jj8 - they never caught mine on a normal ECG and I was referred to a cardiologist who ordered a 24 hour holter. But it seems you were told they wont do that until they catch one on an few seconds style ECG.

Will your GP refer you to a cardiologist?

Most of us who have suffered from these for years would agree, that you need the tests for peace of mind, if nothing else. In fact once you know they are benign, it often settles them a bit.

I've had these for 2+ years and I still get scared, despite having all the tests. I know they are fine and harmless...but the stress and anxiety they cause is farm from harmless in my estimation. They have ripped my life away as far as I am concerned and I am afraid to go anywhere.

Some people manage them far better though - and the first step is having all the tests for reassurance - like I said once you know its okay, they may even stop

[Jj8]

Hi Typer

I know exactly how you feel

I was supposed to have a 24 hour ECG yesterday but the hospital said that the GP had to see a normal ECG first? Even though I've already had 3 last year??

My GP got really arsy with me when I saw him and basically said that it's stress, so I asked him how he knew that if mine haven’t been caught on an ECG? He couldn't answer my question and then he reluctantly referred me for a 24 hour ECG.

He then went on to say that I have a strong family history so he is completely contradicting himself by saying it's just stress?!

He then starting asking me questions about what internet provider I use? and then said 'Don’t worry I'll deal with you in a minute!'

I can understand why not many people want to put their lives in the hands of some of these people sometimes!

I feel like my life is on hold at the moment and I can't handle it, What happens if they never catch my palps on an ECG? What will they do then? xx

[Whitetrash]

If your cardiologist is at all worried about your ECG he/she may organise an exercise tollerance test or extended ECG such as a 24 hour tape/Novacor.

Generally even if Palpitations arent caught on the ECG a cariologist can still make an assessment of your heart from the information the ECG provides. Have they done a cardiac enzyme test? Urine collection etc?

Try to remember that anyone working in cardiology is highly specialized and you are in good hands


Alex

[Jj8]

Hi There
I just wanted to say thank you for all the advise you have all given me. I'm going through a really bad time at the moment and my GP has completely messed up my hospital appointment. The PA there keeps booking me in for a normal resting ECG when it should be the 24 hour one! So basically I have to go back to my Doctor's tonight to try and solve this mess! I've stopped smoking for 7 days now the cravings are so hard to bear but at the same time I'm really scared to carry on smoking :( xx

[ben_jamzin]

Jj8
Just came across this and feel I should share my experience as it seems relevant, I hope you read. I used to frequently worry about my heart (although a little less these days) I also have spells of chest pain on my left side, which has been very painful in the past. I have had three ECG's, one time i complained of palpitation and the doctor called me in straight away, as a result, i was "lucky" enough to have my skipped beats recorded on an ECG. The upshot of which was that my skipped beats turned out to be nothing but ventricular contractions - these are normal, and a great deal can be determined by both the rate at which these contractions take place, and how heavy they are on the diagram. I daresay most palpitation cases are harmless contractions, people such as you and I are also much more conscious of our heart beat, this serves weirdly as a blessing in disguise, as although it can be scary, it also provides a very functional warning system, as it would be very apparent if something was amiss, (e.g. arrhythmia). I hope you manage to accept and come to terms with the awful thing that is panic. I wish the same for myself! I would always recommend Doctor Claire Weekes' publications, she was a certified General Practitioner, who went on to write and record many books and tapes specialising in anxiety and panic.

Sorry for the lecture!

[LucyLiz]

I think it's easy to become overly concerned with your heart as we have so little control over its function, feeling my pulse is confirmation to me that however bad my panic is, at least it must mean i'm still alive. I've been on a week holter for irregular beats, bblockers to lower my heart rate and had countless ECG's yet I still get anxious when I get the odd missed beat, extra beat, fast or slow beat even now. I hate being so aware of my heart beat as it stops me from sleeping and i'm always analysing it.

[pussy cat]

oh dear i do feel for you - it seems that your doctor could do with a better approach,he seems to be making you worse-it,s no wonder that the nhs is in such a mess,what is the point of sending you for the same test that you,ve already had 3 times ! i do hope you manage to sort things out-another more understanding doctor may be an option-if you have faith in a doctor your half way there-as you have seen by the replies loads of people have these palps,me included & they are stress related but that doesnt mean that they are frightening but as someone else said-we,re still all here & nothing has happened to us - as for the smoking-my doctor who was a kind,understanding man who for once didn,t blame every illness on smoking as most of them do said to me if you suffer from anxiety/stress/panic attacks & you smoke-we all know that smoking is bad for you & you need to giveup but 1 of the worse things you can do is to stop smoking abruptly-you should wean your self off them gradually,bit by bit over a period of time-far better way of doing it & less stressful - hope this helps :yesyes:

[Jj8]

Hi Everyone

Thank you so much for all your replies, it has really helped me.

I had a cig yesterday and it set me off into a panic attack for some reason, it felt as though the room was spinning it really scared me.
I think that I was having a nicotine rush!! So I havn't really had one for a week and my chest feels funny and when ever I stand up my heart pounds really hard so that's worrying me now :(

And as for my doctors they are a complete waste of time, it turns out that my doctors secretary has send me to the ECG ward instead of the cardiology ward! So now I have to wait for another referral! I don't know how long this is going to take? How long did it take you all to get a referral for a 24 hour ECG? I'm hoping that it will be before my holiday otherwise it's just going to wreck it as I can stop thinking about it all the time and it's really making me depressed :( xxxxx

[Jj8]

Now the hospital have lost the ECG results and the list of the places that they have sent them to :curse: I'm slowly losing the will to live :(

They shouldn't have sent me for this test as I needed the 24 hour ECG not the resting one, but it would still be nice to get the results. If I cant even get the results for a flipping resting one then how the hell am I ever going to get a refferal for a 24 hour one let alone the results!! Dont know what to do, thinking about changing Doctors. Any advice anyone xx

[Typer]

After the cig, the room was spinning cos you had not had one for some time.

Your doctor is actually adding to your anxiety - some are good and coughs and colds, but anything more complex like stress related illnesses and they seem to not know what to do.

Some on the other hand are very understanding and do all they can to reassure you.

When I had my monitor fitted, the lady did the ecg first, then wired me up...what a crazy method they have there. Sounds like another county with a failing NHS. I honestly believe that people with anxiety or related body problems feel more anxious by the way they go about it all. A kind thought and some advice might be helpful - not making you feel like a nuisance. Its your right to have treatment and to be reassured

[Jj8]

Hi Typer
Hope your ok
Thank you for replying to me today, I just felt so frustrated I had to tell someone! I've had time to calm down now and I've been thinking... My doctors have really added to my health anxiety over the past year, I had a blotched blood test because the nurse didn't take the blood properly and I had huge bruising all up my arm I thought I had blood cancer! Then an abnormal ECG because the nurse didnt put the sticky pads on properly they thought at the time I had a blood clot on the lung! And now all of this!
I'm not supprised why I'm a nervous wreck tbh! I think that by going to the doctors and hospital I have made all of this worse! Hope that your palps have calmed down now xxx

[white1989]

Ann - your message has reassured me so much. i read this and it looked like i could have written it myself - identical symptoms down to a tee! i can't explain how nice it is to know im not alone - it is the worst thing ever and often i wonder what on earth i did to deserve this life when i see other 25 year olds having the best time ever and i feel like im trapped in a 90 year olds body. it sometimes gets so bad that i daren't eat sugar or alcohol because im convinced they will give me a heart attack!! so stressful and draining. thanks for reassuring me :)

[Frenchy]

I'm sorry that you're getting the run around. I can't offer much advice on all that chaos but I can share one bit of insight - and maybe it will help. I'm not a medical professional, but I've researched cardiac issues a lot over the years and under gone just about every test there is - and asked a lot of questions along the way :D

One of the reasons why a resting ECG or holter monitor data is fairly well "trusted" - even if it doesn't happen to catch one of these skipped/extra beats - is because it is actually quite unusual for truly dangerous arrhythmia to occur spontaneously without there being some kind of underlying electrical and/or structural problem with the heart muscle. And the kinds of conditions that most commonly cause dangerous arrhythmia to occur ARE the kinds that do show up on resting ECG. In other words, if your resting ECG is completely normal (indicating totally normal electrical and structural heart function) that itself automatically means the chances that you would suddenly develop an arrthmia that could cause something like a sudden cardiac arrest actually becomes very very small.

Genetic conditions affecting the make up or structure of the heart muscle itself, cardio myopathies, other things like long QT syndrome - all of the types of things represent the VAST majority of sudden dangerous arrhythmia cases - and pretty much all of them are highly evident on a resting ECG even if the arrhythmia itself isn't caught.

My experience has always been that Drs and Cardiologists are not very effective at explaining this kind of stuff to people - or providing this level of clear concise reassurance to patients. But I wanted to duck in here and explain what I know.

There are a bunch of one off beats and flutters that can occur but the majority of the time these are completely normal, benign ectopics or PVCs that everyone gets from time to time - some more often than others, it's true - and also some people are simply more aware of them and find them more bothersome. And also occasionally these harmless beats come along as couplets, or triplets, one after the other in succession and it can be very alarming. But still not dangerous.

I hope this helps somehow.