Picking up event monitor for my heart tomorrow

[Fluffysmom]

I just got a call from the hospital where my PCP ordered an event monitor to check out the reason for my pounding increased heartrate with minor exertion, and sometimes just while lying in bed.  Trying to knock down one odd symptom, figure it out.

I pick it up tomorrow late morning.  Today I just feel too lousy; had a rough injection last night, sleepless with aching and low-grade fever, worst side effects I've had in several weeks.  Today my dizziness and fatigue rule; hard to even type.

The dizziness I've tried to figure out; tried stopping taking Tegretol 3 days, improved slightly, started taking it again for the nerve pain, not as often, and does seem to make the dizziness worse, but maybe not the cause?  Vestibular PT exercise don't seem to be helping, though I maybe haven't done enough of them.

I've been reading positive articles in my care 2 newsletters, lurking on the forum, listening to the birds singing in the sunshine outside my window.  I've also had to clean up a messy poo Fluffy made; he must have found something I dropped while cooking last night; his tummy doesn't tolerate anything but his special food.

I'd like to go to sleep and wake up to a better tomorrow, or even later today,  but don't seem to be able to fall asleep, tired as I am.  I feel like I should get something accomplished, but feel stymied in everything I think of; I need to call insurance company about coverage for up-coming upper endoscopy at a different facility, as well as the heart event monitor, since there have been changes this year, but don't feel clear headed enough to make a lot of sense.

Taking a shower seems beyond my ablities right now,and I'm the sort that takes one daily.  I want to cook again tonight, but it doesn't seem likely.  Oh well, last night's leftovers will be yummy.

OK, the plan is to take a quick shower and see if that clears my head enough to call the insurance company.  That way I'll feel like I've accomplished something, and stop having to stop myself from kicking myself in the patootie.

Hey, I'm sorry for not commenting on posts; I read them, and care; I just don't have the oomph to comment right now.  I'm thinking about you all, OK?

Kathy

[Fluffysmom]

I just read this morning's post by me, and noticed some mistakes I made; oh well.

Quix, I'm riding out the storm, and things are going better today.  I put off my first dose of Tegretol until I got home (didn't want it messing with my driving), and did fine, even stopped at a store after I got hooked up.  I took my Tegretol with lunch, and don't seem to be having as much problem with dizziness today.

Jensequiter (btw, like the history behind your screen name!), I did my first recording on my event monitor shortly after I got home; walked up the stairs, hit the button, and recorded that elevated heart rate.  It actually got more rapid while I was standing still after I got upstairs, weird.  At least the weird stuff didn't hide out when it came time to record it.


Guitar grrrl, I doubt the person that set me up with my event monitor was as cool as you, but she was pretty nice.

Pastor Dan, the tech told me the difference between the Holter Monitor and the event monitor; the holter monitor you use more leads and record everything that happens for 24 hours (or whatever time ordered).  

With the event monitor, I just have two leads attached to a little machine that I wear on my waistband.  I push a button to record the "event" each time I feel whatever weirdness that got the monitor ordered for me.  I change the sticky pad thingys each time I shower.

They want to have 6 - 10 events, and I can keep the monitor for two weeks, or up to a month if needed without extra charge.  I already called in my first event and recorded another, so I figure I'll be turning it in fairly quickly.

So, there you have it.  Now I'll see what other people are up to.

Kathy

[Fluffysmom]

Morning, all,

Another not-so-great night, but I don't ache as badly and I took 100 mg. of Provigil, so I'm alert enough to drive, and decided to check in while eating my cereal.  Thanks for all of the responses!

I have had a problem with dizziness on and off for years, mostly on since things really kicked up neurologically in Feb. of 08.  I went through vestibular PT, and the eye exercises really helped calm things down.

My audiology and vestibular testing showed mixed results; my hearing is excellent, my ECoG showed evidence of diffuse cochlear disease in both ears, but the other big test (escapes me right now) didn't back that up, so the testing really didn't point to anything.

I had a really bad flare of dizziness during my trip to Florida; seemed to be connected to walking on beach two hours looking for shells. It calmed it down after a couple weeks.  I was doing the PT exercises; don't know if that is what helped, or if it was just done with me.  

Maybe since there's evidence that I may have had a mild bout of ON, my eyes don't want to give up their malfunction right now, and the Tegretol increase is just making it a little worse.  

My heart rate definitely goes up when I exert myself, like climbing a flight of stairs, vacuuming, etc.  I started getting concerned when it spiked up after standing up from sitting on the floor with Fluffy.  That could be the orthostatic hypotension; I had been having pretty low blood pressure for someone who doesn't get a lot of regular exercise any more.

I count it with a second hand, but estimated that it was 120 or much more.

When lying down, I notice that my heart is really pounding in my ears.  I do mindful breathing, but nothing seems to quiet things down.  Its not as high a rate then, just annoying.

I also started noticing that the increased heartrate would continue for more than five minutes after I was sitting down, breathing to calm the heartrate.  I started doing relaxing breathing before I'd climb the stairs.  Finally, I considered medications, though I've really been taking most of them for a long time.  I had increased the dosage on Tegretol, as well as taking 200 mg. of Provigil more consistently during the holidays and while preparing for my rent review.

I had a heart monitor back in 2007, months after a pesticide exposure.  It showed some sinus tachycardia, a very few PACs and PVCs.  My neuro suggested anxiety, my PCP suggested stress.  My bp was normal and heartrate 88 when I saw her.

I'm not sure if the event monitor and Holter monitor are the same, since I've never had a Holter monitor.

Oops, better get going, see you all later,

Kathy

[PastorDan]

My experience with vestibular rehab was just as Quix described it.  Two ear experts had already said my ears were good, but the neuromaniac sent me to the PT lady for six or eight weeks anyway, and it just made my balance problem worse.  That was around a year ago, near the time I joined here.

Is this heart event monitor the same thing as a Holter monitor?  If so, I've had two or three of those, and in my case, they provided some specific forensic records to tell them some of the same things they later confirmed with the echocardiogram and the stress test.  Still nothing to be too concerned about, they tell me.  The last two tests led my PCP to d/c my Norvasc and put me on carvedilol, and that has helped a lot with the PACs.

[Guitar_grrrl]

Kathy,

I put event monitors on folks every week.  I sounds like the King of Hearts is the least of your worries.  The K of H may give you some answers either benign or otherwise.  I hope you feel better.  

Sending warm hugs,
Guitar_grrrl

[jensequitur]

I asked my neuro about PT for my dizziness, and he just shook his head no and said it wouldn't help.  But he's a little odd, so take that with a grain of salt.  

I had vertigo for what felt like a year, and it certainly isn't fun.  But believe it or not, after a while I got used to it!  

Kathy, is the heartrate problem completely at random?  Or does it seem to be connected to exercise, or to being upright/laying down?

I've had consistent heartrate problems.  Normally my bpm is 60-70.  Sometimes it'll shoot up to 100-110 for no apparent reason.  But just like my shortness of breath, it doesn't stick around long enough for me to get tested for it.

I also have some on-again off-again orthostatic hypotension.  When it's on, I can lean over and pick something up off the floor, then when I stand up my heart starts hammering and my breath becomes really short.  I pant for a little while, then everything evens back out.

I'd be more worried if I had an unusually high heartrate during exercise.  But no, it's usually around 120-136, which is fine for my age group and weight.

It's really annoying that none of this stuff stays long enough to show the doctor what's going on - it's like that problem with your car that disappears when the mechanic shows up.

[Quixotic1]

Hang in there, Kathy.  Sorry you are going through all of this.  Just weather it thru.  There are times when vestibular PT makes things worse.  It is often geared toward the person with a normal brain, but an abnormal inner ear vestibular system.  Then it trains the brain to ignore wrong input.  If the very organ that handles all the integration and processing is out of whack, then the exercises can increase the vertigo.

Quix

[Fluffysmom]

Well, I did call the insurance company, and learned less from the customer service rep than I did by reading my evidence of coverage book.  I repeated back what lack of information he had given me, after asking for clarification, then thanked him for his time.

I called the endoscopy center, and was given the answer, no problem; $25 procedure charge. The lack of service rep said it would be a $300 co-pay, since he didn't find that address for the company, so it wasn't contracted with them, and I could move my endoscopy to the hospital and only pay a $100 copay.  The lady at the endoscopy center laughed when I told her that.  So, I got some laughter in!

I watched some funny shows, had some more laughs, so I'm feeling better.

Kathy