How do you know when...

[Nettle]

.... your heart rhythm is dangerous/life threatening?? My most recent visit to the cardiologist has diagnosed ectopic beats, which are benign, and a junction rhythm issue for which I've been referred to a rhythm specialist for further investigation - still got a couple of weeks until my appointment. Over the last month or so my heart rhythm has been getting progressively worse - attacks or irregular beats have gone from lasting 10mins max to well over an hour, and often on and off through the day, it not only skips but races, slows, pauses, beats very hard then very soft and on and on.... and just feels all over the place, I spend half my day checking my pulse! I can also feel quite lightheaded and strange. I reassure myself by checking I'm not going blue, re-affirming that although I feel odd I'm not getting tunnel vision like I'm about to pass out - and I can still breathe ok, and so far it has eventuallly passed (how crazy do I sound :)). Has made me wonder though, how I would recognise if there was something more serious going on and that I should get medical help rather than waiting for it to pass?

[Nettle]

Thank you both for replies, I'm only too aware of the terrible cycle of heart issues and anxiety making the other worse but just can't seem to help going to the dark places in my head sometimes. Will continue to make efforts to ignore and continue life as normal......

[Jerry_NJ]

Grendslori gives good advice.

I am in constant/permanent atrial fibrillation and have no immediate life threats from that condition.  I take a beta blocker to lower my HR, runs around 130 at rest (driven by the AFib), with BB it runs in the 80s most of the time.  I'd like lower, but 80s is ok.  I also take an anticoagulant to reduce the clot risk associated with AFib.

Why this about me?  I just want to give an existence proof that one can have a heart rhythm problem and not be at risk... well I'd be better off if I didn't have the problem, but there are no immediate concerns.  I continue to seek ways to mitigate the AFib.

[grendslori]

The type of arrhythmias you are not coming from the ventricles which is where the life threatening arrhythmias are found. The more you go around checking your pulse, the worse things are going to be for you because the stress is causing the adrenal glands to pour catacholamines into your bloodstream which will cause all kinds of havoc on her heart. try and settle yourself down and that may help as well.

[Nettle]

Hi Jerry, thanks for replying - no medication as yet, and yes my appointment is with an EP. Am trying not to be too anxious as have been told I'm not in any danger and reassure myself with that when things feel bad, but just wondered how you would recognise if things had got dangerous iykwim :)

[Jerry_NJ]

You didn't mention any medication.  Perhaps there is something your cardiologist can prescribe that will help you cope while you are waiting for the Electro-Physiologist (EP, I assume) you have an appointment with.