i think i'm going to die

[blake093]

for the past 5 months i have had a very strange heart arrythmia that has had me living in constant fear of dying.. my heart rate has been getting progressively more abnornal as time goes by started off with a very rare skip that would happen every hour or two that would concern me a little bit.. to now where it happens almost every fifth beat and when i change body positions like if i stand up ill get several skipped beats in a row. also when i take a deep breath my heart skips.

i have been to a cardiologist and was tested with a 24 hour halter monitor 14 day event monitor,  Tilt table test, and Cardiac Stress test and was told that i had a very minor heart arrythmia and that it would go away on its own eventually..

but the other day while i was home alone in my house i felt a funny feeling in my chest and all the sudden my vision started getting fuzzy and i passed out. i woke up to my dad waking me up slapping me on the cheek and asking me what happened i told him i didnt know i just passed out randomly,  it happened again a day after i fealt my heart skip and i collapsed right in my upstairs hallway...  i am almost positive that i have a serious heart condition that isn't being diagnosed.. i have no faith in healthcare anymore i have been to the hospital 14 times with strange heart palpitations and they just sent me home after being monitored for 3 hours.. i am scared my heart is going to pause one time and not start beating again..
is there anyone that can shed some light on what is happening to me?

[Stone9600]

sorry this is happening to you. I feel I have a great Cardio Doc.he has published a book on heart repair and several articles, the point being he believes in second opinions and also Docs. talking to each other, family doc with cardio etc.and getting answers to your specific problems and again you know your body like no one else. Keep a log of times this happens ,foods you eat time of day, what your doing and make sure the doc is hearing what your saying,if not time to search for one who does. Good luck.

[Stay_Frosty]

Definitely get an event monitor from your cardiologist. It's similar to a holter except that it only records when you tell it to. So if your vision goes fuzzy and you start feeling funny, press the record button and you'll catch it without a doubt.

I assume you already had an echo to show that your heart is structurally normal? If not, ask your cardiologist about getting one of those too.

How's your blood work? Make sure that your electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, sodium) are well within range, and if not, get them in range with a better diet.

Good luck, I'm sure you will be fine. Remember to be proactive. Keep bugging your doctors until you get a proper diagnosis. Your #1 priority should be getting that event monitor.

[moni1572]

so sorry to hear about your heart troubles. The frustration of not knowing whats wrong can feed into anxiety and you end up in a pretty vicious cycle. I was given a beta blocker the first time my heart went wild, and like you, i think i felt worse. i have been through two ablations, and I am currently on a different beta blocker that makes me feel MUCH better! I didn't know there were different types of beta blockers, but maybe you can ask your Dr. for his/her advice. Don't give up, sometimes you need to try different meds and get second opinions. Best of luck!!

[blake093]

yeahh man i'm getting a second opinion with a doctor that saved my grandfather's life 3 times so hopefully i can get an answer from him i will trust the answer he gives me because of the great work he did with my grandfather.

i just wish i could have a doctor hook me up to a monitor and sit there and wait for me to have an episode but unfortunately that's not how the world works

[rixsta]

has anything traumatic happened in your life before you started feeling this way like the death of a loved one,emotional trauma is high on the lists of heart and anxiety problems.broken heart can do it.

[outofbeat43]

I understand totally what you are saying, I have been there and still occasionally go there, when I feel these crazy erratic arrhythmias strike.  DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.. or DONT WORRY!!.  Syncopal episodes with arrhythmia is no joke. keep moving on to another doctor until someone listens and reacts!

[blake093]

Stopping driving is not an option for me unless I want to drop out of college..  my doctor gave me beta blockers to help ease my symptoms but they made me feel even worse but I guess now I'll need to start taking them :(

[Pum67]

If you are passing out and you didn't have that symptom when you were previously checked out then you need to let your specialist know this new information.

You also need to seriously consider not driving while you are not on top of this issue.
Take care.

[blake093]

cuz my heart did actually stop once or twice and start again.. i felt it in my chest along with a very strange bodily sensation i've never felt before.

[blake093]

i just want some one to sit down with me and figure out what is wrong with me instead of tell me " I'm sure it's nothing from what i can see it's a minor arrythmia don't worry you are not going to die"  and then sending me on my way when i know they are wrong....  Nobody knows your body like you do.. and trust me i do not feel Safe or Healthy in any way.. i don't even feel safe in the house by myself for fear of my heart stopping and not having some one to perform CPR on me.

[JoKelly]

That is good advice as I know it was the best part of a year before my arrhythmia was detected and diagnosed, and then only by my marching into the doctor's surgery and demanding an ECG while I knew it was happening.  Many times before that I was told nothing was wrong.

[MichelleP_3811]

Go back to your doctor who you already saw and tell them you have passed out twice.  Arrhythmias are hard to catch and it sounds like when you had your monitor you didn't have any of the more dangerous symptoms at the time.  You can get a 30 day that would give you more time to capture what is going on so the doctors can see.  That said, if you are passing out an ablation or ICD may be called for.  The thing to remember is in the medical community they can only go by the results they see.  So it isn't that they are trying to brush you off you just need to be persistent until you get the most concerning stuff documented.  It is your health and life so you have to be your own best advocate.  Until then I would really watch any stomach issues like acid reflux.  And try to not stress so much because the fear you are producing about all this is very well making the situation worse.  Best of luck and just be persistent until you get the help you need.