arrhythmia palpitations sudden death

[kirstynic]

Hi so I had my neuro appointment today. I mentioned about how sometimes I get palpatations or funny feeling in my chest where it feels tight and not enough air is getting in. I know it isn't her area of specialities but she said it could be an arrhythmia and to ask my gp about getting reffered to a cardiologist.

Well last night I was researching how someone passed away and it said it was sudden death caused by an arrhythmia so you can imagine my worry when she said that. I had episodes of it last year too they would just come on suddenly and it is horrible like I need a big gasp of fresh air. I have had the normal ecg but nothing was found but I don't think that it would be and more testing like a 24hr test would be needed. I am in a worry and now with the doctors about to shut down for the holidays I feel even more anxious.

[bin tenn]

It's not unheard of for people to have an undetected arrhythmia that leads to sudden death. However, it IS very rare and very unlikely. Those, in my opinion, are likely congenital heart defects, among other circumstances that you do not hear about when you hear those stories.

ECG will only detect an arrhythmia if it presents during the test. Same with a 24hr monitor, or any other monitor/test.

Sure, ask your GP. But the neurologist does not specialize in the heart realm, as you stated. "Arrhythmia" is an umbrella term, and not all are harmful (most are not, as far as I know). Palpitations are very common. Pretty much everyone gets them at some point. But they're also considered a form of arrhythmia.

[AnxietyKillinMe]

Exactly what bin tenn said. Put the tips of your first and middle finger on your wrist on the thumb side not the pinky side and you should feel your pulse..got it? It should feel nice and steady no matter how fast with even time between each beat (beat-beat-beat-beat-beat) and if you're like me then maybe you can feel your heart rate increase and decrease when you take a breath, thats normal. I'm something like a-fib you might feel a (beatbeatbeat-beat-beat-beatbeat-beat-beat, etc) very very irregular. Even with people that have a-fib it's a chronic condition treated with meds it's usually only life threatening when ppl go without treatment for it for a very long time and develop a blood clot in their heart that goes elsewhere. I have palps all the time and have had 3-4 minute episodes of SVT where my heart rate goes into the 180's, talk about feeling like you're gunna die..but I haven't and hardly anyone does even when it's that. To have a fatal type arrhythmia something has to be so very seriously wrong with you like gravely ill, have blockages in your heart from many years of bad habits, an irregular rhythm like a fib that's left untreated for years, you get the point. I'm a RN and even in some of my sickest patients their hearts never fail them in the presentation of an arrhythmia usually it's something else. Don't worry palps are normal, just uncomfortable and we all have them from time to time. And of course neuro is gunna say that, any doc would because they want none of the liability. Try to chill and enjoy the holidays and believe me if something is up with your heart you'll know it you won't have to question it.

[swajj]

I think you need to have more faith in the ECG. I often quote a retired neurologist who used to contribute here. He had a great deal of knowledge about HA and an unmatched knowledge of neurological disorders (on this board anyway). The information he provided was always reliable.

I also want to express to you that it's not what we see on the ECG that is so highly critical in making the determination about whether a problem exists, but rather what is not present. Do you understand? When we evaluate any patient using an ECG, we are looking for the presence of characteristics that are universally present in all patients who are suffering a cardiac event or where pathology is present that creates imminent need for intervention to preclude such an event. If those characteristics are not present, then a problem in that regard does not exist. It doesn't mean that the test has somehow overlooked the problem. The difficulty is that you have established a pure reliance upon irrational fears and a gut feeling that something terrible is wrong with your heart. You have to at least pause and ask whether these feelings are accurate and whether it is more realistic that all of your tests and physician evaluations are faulty.