Should I be worried?

[A_fi_bR]

Ive got hypertension related enlarged heart and get daily extra beats, long pauses, fast beats, sinus bradycardia. I've had chest pains, breathlessness and near passing out. My last ekg showed no structural damage and my last ecg came back with a result of "nothing significant".

All sounds like a good result but every day feels like I have a gun to my head (heart). The weird heartbeats are not changing even though my blood pressure is now under control. I've resigned myself to waiting until something bad happens and then deal with it at A&E. Last visit to the GP resulted in "come back if you start passing out"! Really?

I'm sure GPs see this sort of thing all the time so they can be laid back about it but it's the first time for me.

Do other people have this type of experience and how do you cope with it? Do you keep going back for more and more tests?

[Midgeymoo17]

I have a very different condition that is managed by a cardiologist. However this is what I would say:

1) Have you had a 24hr holter in the last year- 2years? If not I would maybe ask your GP for this test as it gives a much greater information of arrhythmic behaviour an can often be ordered without cardiology referral. I assume by your diagnosis you have had one in the past.

2) Do you mean echo instead of ekg? If I am not wrong an ekg is just the american anacronymn for ecg.

3) I have extra beats. There are medications that can be used to control these. However, most of them are rate control (lower your heart rate) and this is not necessarily safe with bradycardia. Maybe ask your GP about alternatives or ask to speak to a cardiologist specialising in electrophysiology? They are more likely to know what medications will be safe for you and work if their are any.

There are also treatments that can stop them altogether (if I remember rightly they have about an 80% success rate), however, this is not available on the NHS as extra beats are not dangerous.

4) I would assume that your tests were reviewed by a cardiologist or advanced cardiology practitioner. If they thought something really needed to be done they would have referred you for it. So I would be reassured by the fact you are dealing with your GP.

[A_fi_bR in reply to Midgeymoo17]

Hi thanks for the reply. Last 24 hr monitor was in the last 6 months. That was the one that came back with "nothing significant". Doesn't feel like that though.

Echo is correct. That test showed no structural damage but an enlargement of the left side due to high blood pressure.

I did see a cardiologist a couple of years ago when I first found out. That's when he put me on Ramipril. Then I got a terrible rash on my arms that we now think is just eczema but as a precaution changed over to Amlopidine. The eczema is just as bad and definitely started when I began the tablets.

Last August I had a weird episode where I was getting a lot of extra beats one morning and decided to check my pulse. It was around 46 and I was feeling a bit light headed. I then got a sort of ache/pain in my back/left side that spread to my arm. My fingertips and face felt tingly, like when you're foot goes to sleep. After about 2 mins it gradually subsided and I was fine but made an appointment to see the GP. They messed up the booking and it took a whole month before I finally went. I did another 24 hour monitor. Results were the same. Beating in normal sinus rhythm. A bit slow with extra beats but nothing significant.

After that I sort of decided that maybe I should stop worrying about it, don't bother the GP any more and if something like that happens again, just call an ambulance.

[A_fi_bR]

That's sounds familiar. I bought a Cardia heart monitor for that reason. Initially to catch the ectopic beats. They happen in both upper and lower parts. There's no doubt that that is happening. Still not managed to catch a fast one though. It tends to only last around 5-10 seconds where it's racing and then there will be a big pause and then back to normal. By which time I'm still fumbling the cardia monitor and starting the app. Very frustrating because I'm sure there's more to this, I just need to catch it. My HBP is under control now for at least 12 months but the heart stuff continues. I'd also say the "fast runs" have increased. Although only for short periods the frequency has increased.

I've had my pulse down at 36/37 at night, which I know it's fine to be low when you're asleep but it was the extra beats that woke me up. Like several per minute. Almost a mis-firing if you see what I mean.

[A_fi_bR]

I’m sort of in limbo. Ive seen 2 GPs and they were pretty dismissive about the kardia monitor, stating it wasn’t really accurate enough to give me a referral. I have the same device btw. One said he would only really go off symptoms. That’s when I stopped using it.