Arrythmia, looking for peace of mind.

[dande4]

First, thank you for a wonderful site. I am a 36yr old female with 3 small children. I have had several echocardiograms the last one in August of last year. As always it says I have a bulgin in apical 4 chamber view which is suggestive of MVP but do not meet the stirct diagnostic criteria of MVP. Short view demonstrates normal orifice size. I have tested positive on tilt table tests and have low b/p. I also get an ekg on every office visit.

I have suffered from panic attacks, pac and pvcs on an off for several years. About 2 years ago I had what felt like a pac and my heart began to race. I was wearing a montior and recorded it. My Dr. said is could have been PAT but it was not definitive. Since then I have had an episode which I thought was more of an anxiety attack. While driving I became tense and anxious and my heart rate began to speed up. I had no preceding pac or pvc etc. One other time I had begun to take Tequin within 2 hrs I was naseauous my hands began to shake and my heart began to race. My Cardiologist does not seem concerend by any of this He has reassured me I am not suffering from any dangerous arrythmia and will not die from it. DI take 12.5mg of tenormin as needed. He also told me I am hypersensitive to adrenaline and create to much of it and this was just another way of it coming out. That I do not need an ep also. I want to put this behind me and enjoy my children.

Are you born with this tendency?
Does a stressor or some cause usually precede an attack?
What is prognosis?
Looking for peace of mind..

Thank you so much for your time..

[declan]

last april 2002.i was hospitalized  for  3  days. i  had   difficulty  in   breathing   and  had  irregular   heartbeat.the doctor's  diagnosis   was   cardiac  arrythmia (pvc) actually.My  question  is , is  there   a  chance   that  my  condition would  lead  to  other  form  of   arrhytmia.
By the  way, i had  a   test  , they  call  it  2decho .The findings  here  is  normal.Thus  the   doctor  told  me  that  i  have  nothing  to  worry.I am  just  curious, if  the  doctor  told  me  that   there's  nothing  to worry, how  come that once  in  a   while  i can  feel  the   palpitation  in  my  heart. Sometimes  i  have  difficulty  breathing,lightheadedness, and  headache.

[jemm]

I think you might find this website useful:

www.mitralvalveprolapse.com

Good luck!
Jem.

[briane]

Thank You!!

[wen]

An "EP" is an Electrophysiologist, a physician specializing in heart rhythm disorders.    A tilt table test is used to determine whether you suffer from neurocardiogenic syncope - or fainting episodes with a cardiac origin.  It artifically simulates an environment (sometimes also using drugs) that might cause a syncopic episode.

You may want to check out the NASPE web sight (North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology) for information.

[briane]

What is an ep?  and what does a tilt table test tell you?  Thanks for the info.

[dande4]

My heartrate was not over 142 during the first episode and last two episodes occured 2 years later..

Thanks

[itsa4847]

He also told me I am hypersensitive to adrenaline and create to much of it and this was just another way of it coming out.

i just followed up with an ep. and i was told i have a disorder that is much in the same called postural tachycardia, he said this after doing a tilt table test, and my pulse would go up to 139 on three occasions....within 1/2
so, what iam doing now are excersises to help get my heart stronger.  he does not want to put me on meds because i already take carizm, toperal, imdur for cornorary artery spasms, that i found out i had in jan when i was taken by ambulance because i had chest pressure the artery was closing to 50%, but has nothing to do with the other.

They are also doing an mri because i had a brain scan and it showed that i have an enlarged putituray gland, which in turn could be causing alot! of my heart problems so we shall see.

good luck to you
ps i also take meds for anxiety! but don't know now if i really need them or not.

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Arrythmia

I think it is very important to get proper help for your panic attacks. I say this because panic attacks will give you the sensation of a rapid heart rate along with chest pain. I would recommend seeing a professional to try and control these symptoms.

Your holter monitor showed PACs, PVCs and possibly PAT (Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia). If this is correct none of these findings  in and of themselves put you at great risk of sudden death. Taking a beta blocker as needed  could possibly worsen your symptoms. If one skips doses of a beta blocker after having started a regimen it is possible to  get a rebound increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and PVCs and PACs. Maybe you need to be on a daily dose of beta blocker, I would discuss this with your doctor.

I would also recommend avoiding tobacco smoke, alcohol, caffeine and stimulants such as those found in decongestants. From what you have described I have not found any symptom or diagnosis which significantly worsens your prognosis.

Thanks for your question,



CCF-MD-KE