Long irregular heart rate episode....scary!

[Rachey poos]

hope we both have a better night

[>>andy<<]

hope we both have a better night

Certainly feel a heck of a lot better than I did 24 hours ago! Here's to a ectopic free night!

[Dazza]

Hi Dazza, So how long have you had symptoms. Are you a similar age to me? i am 35. Thanks for the tip!

Hi Andy,

Yep, I am exactly the same age as you, 35.

I've had palpitations for a few months now, but it all really kicked off in May, when I thought that I was having a heart attack. It all came on just before i was due to move to Asia to be with my other half.

Once I got to Asia, it happened again, and then became a cycle... spent about 2 weeks in hospital, had lots of tests etc..

Am now seeing a cardiologist here in about a week from now. the whole thing has left me feeling terrified of dying of a heart attack. I'm not ready to go! There is a history of heart disease on my dad's side of the family, which only fuels my fear. I've had MRIs, CTs, echocardiograms, 24 hour ECGs... I've got an arrythmia, which is an irregular heart beat for which I take meds 3 times a day now. Hopefully I will not be on the meds forever. Other than the arrythmia, they haven't found anything wrong with my heart based on the tests done so far. There are only really another couple of tests that they could do and I would have had the A to Z of heart tests.

I've made some progress in terms of my anxiety, as only 10 days ago, sometimes I could not even get out of the house or up frm the sofa through fear of triggering 'the big one'!. I had a stress ECG last week and the result was fine, so at least now i am exercising again by going swimming several times per week.

Small steps each day.

Darren

[>>andy<<]

Hi Andy,

Yep, I am exactly the same age as you, 35.

I've had palpitations for a few months now, but it all really kicked off in May, when I thought that I was having a heart attack. It all came on just before i was due to move to Asia to be with my other half.

Once I got to Asia, it happened again, and then became a cycle... spent about 2 weeks in hospital, had lots of tests etc..

Am now seeing a cardiologist here in about a week from now. the whole thing has left me feeling terrified of dying of a heart attack. I'm not ready to go! There is a history of heart disease on my dad's side of the family, which only fuels my fear. I've had MRIs, CTs, echocardiograms, 24 hour ECGs... I've got an arrythmia, which is an irregular heart beat for which I take meds 3 times a day now. Hopefully I will not be on the meds forever. Other than the arrythmia, they haven't found anything wrong with my heart based on the tests done so far. There are only really another couple of tests that they could do and I would have had the A to Z of heart tests.

I've made some progress in terms of my anxiety, as only 10 days ago, sometimes I could not even get out of the house or up frm the sofa through fear of triggering 'the big one'!. I had a stress ECG last week and the result was fine, so at least now i am exercising again by going swimming several times per week.

Small steps each day.

Darren

Yeah when I was orignally under the cardioligist I had every test going,the blood pressure 24hr moniter,the heart tape recording,cardiogram etc. But nothing was ever found.
Yesterday was the first time that arrythmic difribuilation was mentioned as a cause brought on by stress,tireness,work etc. Apparently with this condition,the cardio doctor was inclined to think that my heart has an 'extra circuit' that sometimes causes the rate to go a bit haywire when stressed,tired etc.I also suffered a major SVT episode in February 2008 when my son was born by emergency C-section! Grr! Again at the time I was totally freaked and stressed out,but also very mad at myself for not being able to stop it!
Are you on a Beta Blocker? If so how do you find them?I took my very first one today!
All the best,
Andy.

[Dazza]

Yeah when I was orignally under the cardioligist I had every test going,the blood pressure 24hr moniter,the heart tape recording,cardiogram etc. But nothing was ever found.
Yesterday was the first time that arrythmic difribuilation was mentioned as a cause brought on by stress,tireness,work etc. Apparently with this condition,the cardio doctor was inclined to think that my heart has an 'extra circuit' that sometimes causes the rate to go a bit haywire when stressed,tired etc.I also suffered a major SVT episode in February 2008 when my son was born by emergency C-section! Grr! Again at the time I was totally freaked and stressed out,but also very mad at myself for not being able to stop it!
Are you on a Beta Blocker? If so how do you find them?I took my very first one today!
All the best,
Andy.

Hi Andy,

I'm not on beta blockers..I'm on an anti-arrythmic drug called flecainide. I was prescribed this by a doctor from whom I'd asked for a seconds opinion while I was in Vietnam. I wanted to know if I needed an EPS (electrophysiological study) whereby they put a catheter into your heart to diagnose exaclty what you describe: an extra electrical pathway in the heart. He said that from looking at my 24 ECG tapes that I didn't need it. But he did change me to flecainide, and so far each time I've spoken to any doctors here about it, they seem surprised that I'm on it, as my arrythmia is low level, and flecainide is normally given for serious heart rythmn disorders. Maybe my cardiologist will change the meds when I see him next week.

It does seem coincidental that this all kicked off just before I was due to move to Asia.. a big step! It mirror your experiences of it happening when you are stress / major life events like the birth of your son etc.

I hope that it is all down to this in my case, as I will know that I need to make some life changes to make more time for relaxing etc. I will know by the end of next week once I've seen the cardiologist. The doctors in Vietnam were great, and I was in the best hospital in Vietnam, but English was their second language. There is nothing quite like speaking about such scary things with a doctor who shares the same mother tongue as you. so that you can share all of your concerns and they can explain in clear terms, and not use words like 'it can be dangerous' as one of the doctors did in Vietnam... no wonder I've been obsessed with death these past few months!

All the best mate.

Darren

[>>andy<<]

flecainide! Been trying to remember the name of the drug that they put in the syringe drip to try and stabilize the rhythm of my heart rate.
Yes that was mentioned in pill form if the Beta Blockers don't workout for me.
Thanks mate!

[Dazza]

no worries mate - Reading and writing about on here makes me less worried about it, well at least for during the time that I'm typing, as I have to concentrate on something else for a few mins!

Darren

[>>andy<<]

no worries mate - Reading and writing about on here makes me less worried about it, well at least for during the time that I'm typing, as I have to concentrate on something else for a few mins!

Darren

SOOOO true! Lol!!

Have u ever considered anything like acpuncture,hypnotherapy,reiki?
I am going to expolore these avenues as well I reckon.

[Dazza]

Funny you should say that lol... I've got a hypnotherapy session booked for next Tuesday! It's a 4 hour 'breakthrough session' which combines CBT and hypnotherapy.

I've also been working through the free online CBT course at www.livinglifetothefull.com (as recommened by another No More Panic member!)

I've also had some counselling recently, which I intend to continue with. I'm going to do my best to get through this, get my life back and get back to my partner.

[>>andy<<]

ok, keep in contact. Its nearly bedtime for me, so see ya soon mate.