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heart always pauses

So I have been battling this annoying heart condition for amost a year now and for the first few months my symptoms were scaring the cap out of me I went to the hospital 11 times in 4 months and was told I was fine however I didn't feel fine.  I have this very strange heart problem let me list my symptoms
-constant heart pauses especially while standing up from sitting down, or bending down to pick something up
-dizzy when I stand up
-sensations of warmth in the chest and neck
-head rushes, headache when I stand up fast
-sometimes my heart pauses and I can't breathe
-trouble breathing
-heart skips while exercising
-light headed
-chest pain
-I can see my heart beat my vision pulsates sometimes
-heart beats hard and slow or weak and fast
-sometimes my heart skips several times Ina row

I have had an echo a Holter and 2 event monitors and multiple blood tests however the monitors did not catch any of my symptoms

So in the fall of this year I went to one of the best cardiologists in my area who came highly recommended after seeing him the first time he listened to my chest with a stethoscope and diagnosed me with mitral valve prolapse syndrome due to the trademark "click" he heard while listening to my heart he is a very good cardiologist and I want to believe him but sometimes my symptoms feel so severe that I feel as though there is something worse going on that none of my doctors have been able to catch . He told me that as scary as the symptoms feel there is nothing causing any serious concern and I should continue to live with an active lifestyle what do you guys think?  Any feed back would be great
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Avatar universal
Blake,

BTW, after seeing your previous posts you should be aware that certain medications can lower your blood pressure so if low blood pressure is causing these episodes for you and you are taking a med that has that side effect it is most likely going to add to the situation not help it.

Lots of people with this situation are told they just have anxiety when in reality the problem is causing the anxiety not the other way around.

So if they rx an anti-anxiety med like an SSRI some can lower the blood pressure where as SNRI are opposite with blood pressure.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello!

Have the same episodes as you and have had 3 nuclear stress tests, 3 echocardiograms and countless ekgs and numerous ER visits which result in a 3 day stay so they can run all these tests amongst others.  Holter monitors in hospital pick up nothing other than according to them....your heartbeat is not textbook normal but just must be normal for you.  Hmmmmmm.

Outside cardiologist had no clue so went for Tilt Table Study.  That test resulted in inconclusive but "suggested" orthostatic hypotension. Told to drink 2 litres of water a day and 3 gram of salt.  That's ALOT of salt.  Still didn't work and told could try compression stockings waist high.

Big episode happened close to passing out (now I know what people experience when they pass out) and again cardiology in hospital clueless.

Went to Electrophysiologist (EP) he rx Florinef for orthostatic hypotension.  Blood pressure drops and heart rate increases causing symptoms such as you described.  

Original Tilt Table Study cardiologist suggested repeating the study again.

I did wear a holter monitor 3 times and a 30 day event monitor 2 times.  I did notice on the report from the 30 day event monitors that every episode that I called in about they noted.  From the report EVERY episode noted I was actually bending over doing one thing or another.

Interesting and apparently alot of people have this problem.

The regular Cardiologist suggested this is all caused by Acid Reflux and rx acid reflux medications.  

Two opinions from two different cardiologists.  However, the EP explained more in depth why this type of situation occurs and has to do with the autonomic nervous system.  He further explained that these episodes can happen when lifting, moving, straining, etc.

Good Luck and you should try an EP.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello!

Have the same episodes as you and have had 3 nuclear stress tests, 3 echocardiograms and countless ekgs and numerous ER visits which result in a 3 day stay so they can run all these tests amongst others.  Holter monitors in hospital pick up nothing other than according to them....your heartbeat is not textbook normal but just must be normal for you.  Hmmmmmm.

Outside cardiologist had no clue so went for Tilt Table Study.  That test resulted in inconclusive but "suggested" orthostatic hypotension. Told to drink 2 litres of water a day and 3 gram of salt.  That's ALOT of salt.  Still didn't work and told could try compression stockings waist high.

Big episode happened close to passing out (now I know what people experience when they pass out) and again cardiology in hospital clueless.

Went to Electrophysiologist (EP) he rx Florinef for orthostatic hypotension.  Blood pressure drops and heart rate increases causing symptoms such as you described.  

Original Tilt Table Study cardiologist suggested repeating the study again.

I did wear a holter monitor 3 times and a 30 day event monitor 2 times.  I did notice on the report from the 30 day event monitors that every episode that I called in about they noted.  From the report EVERY episode noted I was actually bending over doing one thing or another.

Interesting and apparently alot of people have this problem.

The regular Cardiologist suggested this is all caused by Acid Reflux and rx acid reflux medications.  

Two opinions from two different cardiologists.  However, the EP explained more in depth why this type of situation occurs and has to do with the autonomic nervous system.  He further explained that these episodes can happen when lifting, moving, straining, etc.

Good Luck and you should try an EP.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Blake, its your cardiologist an electrophysiologist?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Blake. If they have caught your pvcs on an ekg or monitor and you have had an echo then it is great news that the cardiologist is not concerned. I get lots of pvcs and everything I have read (and I have read a great deal) suggests that they are usually benign in a structurally normal heart. Pvcs are easy to identify on an ekg and an echo would show whether your heart was structurally normal or not. They are not pauses, though it feels like it. One beat comes fractionally earlier than it should, at no point does your heart pause or stop. However, they can cause great distress and anxiety and can be very alarming. I have heard they can also be caused when the heart touches the chest wall - standing, turning over in bed, lying on your left side. Suggestions to subdue them include cutting out all caffeine, eating smaller meals to avoid gas, relaxing more to avoid adrenaline. Some docs will give beta blockers if symptoms are upsetting you,
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey, I am a 37 year old male with a lot of the same symptoms you are having. I don’t have mitro valve prolapse but I know people on this forum do.  From reading some of their posts it sounds like they have the same symptoms and have lived with them for 20, 30 40 plus years.  

I was having a lot of skipped beats due to high stress and panic attacks.  I exercise and lift weights all the time.   I had all the tests done and was told I have PACS (about 2400 in a 30 day period).  I have a healthy heart and was told these symptoms are a symptomatic annoyance rather than something that’s going to damage your heart or cause a sudden catastrophic cardiac event.   I would find re-assurance in what your doctor is telling you.  These doctors specialize in this and see it all the time.  They are very smart and see the effects of all these heart issues.  I know how it feels to think that something very serious is going on when it involves your heart.  

It sounds like you have had all the tests and that is good so you can be re-assured of what is truly going on.  I would say to trust the doctor’s diagnosis.  Take Care,

Rob      

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Avatar universal
I have had an echo and 2 stress tests passed them both even though my skipped beats showed up during the stress test i am an avid weightlifter and excersize every day
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612551 tn?1450022175
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am not about to argue with a cardiologist, and would think his diagnostic would be good news.

But, with the symptoms you list I wonder why no other tests were run. Did you mention an EKG?  I overlooked if you did.

I'd also wonder about taking a stress test and maybe an echocardiogram.  All these things may be considered "over testing" which the USA medical industry is often accused of as the reason for high medical cost in the USA.

At age 20, your heart should be fine, some of what you feel is normal and may be simply below our consciousness and thus not known.

I see adds for some of the high-tech medical scans that can detect everything from colon problems to, maybe hear physical abnormalities - like an echocardiogram.  In fact I saw an advertisement on TV just a couple of days ago and they were marketing.  I think they said the cost was about $200, less then an office visit with a specialist.
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