my nightmare came true !!!

[ilsonbunny]

Well having suffered Health Anxiety for years and having the ultimate fear of having a heart attack I rang the NHS line as I was having these horrible missed heartbeats. I was told that as I had them for over 15 minutes I should go to A&E within the hour. PAANIIC! my daughter took me and after having an ECG was told by the doctor that it looked like my heart was being starved of oxygen and I may have a blocked Artery. I was admitted onto an acute assessment ward. There was no doctor available or a registrar who apparently had gone walkabout. The heart beats were all over the place and no doctor saw me for over 12 hrs. The Consultant asked the junior doctor what he thought of my ECG record and the doctor said he disagreed with the comments on the record. The Consultant agreed and prescribed me with a Beta-Blocker to take if the problem got out of control. I was sent home and told to keep my appointment to have the 24 hour tape fitted. Strange how I only get these frightening episodes when I relax. Anyway I have googled my symptoms and diagnosed PCA`s and PVA`s. Think I have more of a chance of diagnosing myself than incompetent doctors at my Casualty deparment Anyone else having these heart problems ??

[Hidden]

Wow, I'm sure they have diagnosed you correctly, well I hope they have.

I have high blood pressure and cholesterol, recently diagnosed, I had to have an ECG to see if I had had a heart attack, it came back ok. 35 years of panics do take their toll eventually

Have they checked your blood pressure etc, and what's the tape fitting? sounds interesting as I'm worrying about my symptoms too.

Wish you well,

[ilsonbunny in reply to Hidden]

HI Luv

Well I have great blood pressure and walk a fast 4 mile walk 5 times a week swim 40 lenghs once a week and go to zumba once a week. At 62 I think I do ok.The tape will show any irregular heart rythmm. I have also have to take the stress test which is the treadmill, but I think I will pass that.My dad had a pacemaker fitted because he had panic attacks and they thought this would solve it, well it did not. However when he moved into a flat across the road from me he never had another attack.

xx

[ilsonbunny in reply to Hidden]

Hi

my blood pressure is spot on and I am otherwise fit and active..The tape will show any irregular heart rythm.I am also going to have the stress test which is the treadmill.

I have requested a cholesterol test through my GP . I am very assertive and will ask for tests from my GP. I was once told by a gp I had Arthiritis as my thumb was a little swollen. I requesred a bllod test for rheumatoid factors and it came back negative with no sign of Arthiritis. I am not going to pay excessive travel insurance for health problems I dont have

xxx

[jobrisley]

Good luck with your appointment, taper will hold information about condition so then doctors will be able plan set step.

[Mandy26]

Hi ilsonbunny. I had the exact same thing. My heart was in a constant skipping state for around 20-30 minutes with a BPM of 130 and carried on like that on and off for around 3-4 days. It was horrible so I understand your panic. I too was put on BETA blockers but they actually slowed my heart rate down to 50-60 BPM and I couldn't climb the stairs without heaving.

I would say try your best to control your anxiety with deep breathing. And I know BETA blockers won't be the same for everyone but just take note of how your body is feeling on them. I had a heart monitor for a month and although I recorded some erratic moments, I was told my heart was OK and with the anxiety came palpitations, I just had to learn to get through them as they are quite common although not nice.

The consultant said the only time he would worry is if the heart did not drop back to normal beats per minute (which it always did). When I asked if these constant erratic episodes were having a negative effect on my heart, he said not at all as they heart is one of the strongest muscles in the body and was built to cope with fear and anxiety which is what this is essentially. It made me feel much better and now, although I still have little episodes, I am living a normal life

I hope you feel better soon, sorry for blabbering on.

xxx

[ilsonbunny in reply to Mandy26]

Hi Mandy thank you for replying. Its comforting to know someone has the same problem and it is quite normal to feel these episodes. We often feel we are alone and come to this site for help from those who empathise. I will be glad when I have seen the Cardiologist next week and can hopefully share my experience with others

Take care luv xx