Is an ECG enough?

[Thunderbird 4]

Just some reasurance to all those reading this post.

Some 10 years back, I was feeling a bit off, with flutters in my stomach and chest, but kept on working and doing the normal things.

However, one day the futters (palpitations) were so bad I decided to pop into the local A&E, where they imediately rushed me into resuscitation room with a resting heart rate of 185 bpm..!! After administering various drugs the HR did not come down much, so as all on here was told it was sheer high anxiety. Numerous tests, and visit to cardiologist returned the same verdict.

Now and ECG will pick up a variety of problems, from those of a genetic nature...to those that have developed over years. So if all come back OK then you must rest assured and move ahead with the thought that your ticker is fine. I, as others still suffer from slight anxiety when I raise my HR, as I think it will never slow down again...but it does..!! Eptopic beats are very common, but the learch in your chest is quite alarming...however millions of people have these, some feel them....some are unaware.

With anxiety we tend to get tuned into what our body is doing, where a person not suffering from anxiety may suffer the same but just ignore it. I am affraid we have to live with the fact that we feel this way...but it will not kill you..!!

Think of sport people....motocross riders will have a HR of around, 180 - 200 bpm for the whole duration of a 45 minuite race. Rowing, and marathon running similar.

If your ECG was fine, try and relax and put this to the back of your mind (easier said than done).

Take care

[NeverRelaxed]

I had Two in one day...one at the local surgery and then later, as the symptoms were so bad, in the A&E dept. BOTH were COMPLETELY NORMAL!!!!and my heart was not making any strange noises(murmurs, snaps etc) as baffling as it seems to you and as convinced as you are tht you have a serious heart problem..Try your best to accept the opinion of qualified medical doctors..Besides..Even if they had the SLIGHTEST hint tht something sinister was going on they wouldn't let you go until they got to the bottom of it...Im just going to let time tell me tht this is nothing...like always.

[NeverRelaxed]

id like to add also tht a LOT can be gathered from an ECG if its looked at by the right sort of ppl..so yes, i think its enough...An echo would be the next step following a dodgy ECG.

[crazyhayz]

Ive had 6 ECG's in the last 3.5 months that were all NORMAL. I had my 6th one 2 nights ago at A&E Major Cardiac Unit when i called an ambulance as chest pains were soooo bad. I was having skipping heartbeats which ive NEVER had, so thats why i then assumed it must be my heart. I was in total agony. On gas & air on the way to hospital!! lol! Lovely stuff, havent had that since i gave birth 2 years ago!! Its amazing!! lol!! Anyway, so i got put on a CONTINUOUS ECG, i was there for 4 hours. I was having these skipping beats whilst i was hooked up to it, but they werent showing up on ECG and everything was totally NORMAL I also had Chest Xray which was normal too So i now have accepted that the severe chest pains are all down to anxiety. Funnily enough, ive felt practically fine since i found it i was ok, so what doesthat prove?! lol!! I blimmin' well HATE anxiety!!!!! grrrrrrrr!!!!!!

But yes. ECG's detect any problem with your heart. If anything shows up on an ECG then they will then further investigate with an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram).

[Ella_Jayne]

I'm not too sure whether an ECG is enough. I've read far too many stories where a person had a normal ECG and still had a heart problem. For a majority of heart related issues I'd say it's quite reliable but there are some where further investigation is required, e.g an Echo or holter monitor.

[s11fyx]

they usually only do futher investigation when the ecg is not normal! x

[Ash12222222]

Hello I am also new I all sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I have been suffering with a dull chest ack at the bottom of my chest which I think is related to reflux however it been there on and off for 6 months, i also get acid in my mouth from time to time. It all started after I had pains in my stomoch some 6 months ago. The symptons are getting better but some days are better than other. The intresting thing is that it is not at night but durring the day and I get a pulse in my stomach that I am not sure was there before Also I am a 6foot male weighing 12.5 stone. Can any one help?

[eight days a week]

If anyone isn't reassured enough by an ecg insist on a holter - especially if you experience things that don't occur during an ecg. Explaining that and being persistent should get you the holter at least!

That's what I did and, due to the huge family history of heart problems, it got me an echocardiogram too. I might not have really needed either but it was a huge relief to have total reassurance that there was no danger at all

Can anyone help Ash out? (The post above mine.)

[jaded jean]

I had an ecg a couple of weeks ago as I had achey chest and pain in between shoulders but I did have a bit of a chest cold and indigestion and.. had upped my meds. the trace was fine - the receptionist told me it was fine until the doctor rang me the next day saying well there are 2 lines on here did you have any chest pains?? no any shortness of breath ?? no so it was Fine . Doesnt make me feel any better tho By the way the acheyness has gone !!Doh
Jean

[LiquidSky]

Hi, I've had numerous ECG's all of them were normal except 1.
I had started a course of drugs and started to have breathing problems which progressively got worse over a couple of hours, I was taken to hospital and hooked up to an ECG, the ECG came back with a borderline query on it and the doctor at the hospital told me I'd probably had a small heart attack, which scared the living daylights out of me, I was rushed by blues and twos to the on call heart unit and pumped full of blood thinning drugs and morpheine, I was told that they are going to perform a cardio angiogram on me and wanted me to sign a consent form, I refused and said I had not did not believe them that I had had a heart attack, so they decided to put me on a 24 hour ECG monitor and did the 5 heart blood tests, all the tests came back fine and so was the 24 hour monitor.
I was told by the doctor ( and my GP, a consultant and 2 nurses since) that ECGs can sometimes report discrepancies that aren't there, due to stress levels, bad connectivity of the stickers they put on you etc, but the blood tests are far more accurate, I've been referred for a stress echocardiogram now, just to make sure there is no angina type problems with my heart, which I doubt, as I've had heart rates of 160 from panic attacks, without chest pain, although I have to admit the stress echo is making me panic a bit right now lol.