Any advice?

[_cherry_]

Hello people,

I'm new here so I hope this is the right place to come to for some advice.

I'm an 18 year old female and I have a tiny abnormality on one of the valves in my heart, I used to see a pediatric cardiologist for that regularly but was always told that it's basically nothing. A few years ago I started having some "skipped beats" every now and then and the feeling that my heart was beating too hard sometimes. Again my cardiologist said it's nothing to worry about and normal in people my age.

About 2 weeks ago however, I started to experience these palpitations more frequently, sometimes accompanied by a very fast heart beat. This had been going on for a week when I decided to go swimming with my sister. Suddenly I realized that my heart rate was getting high again, even though we were just relaxing in the pool. Went back to my room about an hour later, my heart rate was 180bpm. I had some pain in my left jaw but didn't think anything of it and eventually fell asleep. I woke up 1.5 hours later, and my heart beat was still very fast, around 200 bpm this time. The jaw pain had gotten worse and I was very dizzy and nauseous. By the time I went to bed some hours later, I felt okay again. Since that day, I've been very fatigued and feel a bit short of breath (however I have asthma so might be just that). Has anyone ever experienced somehing similar or has some advice/idea why this happened?

Normally I'd just see a cardiologist but I live in a small village now and there are only pediatric ones nearby. The last time I saw a cardiologist was in November 2017 I think and everything was fine back then.

Thank you all!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I don't believe these pulses are at all healthy. Ring your GP to discuss but if it happens again especially with pain then 999

[Sueithy]

Yes I agree go see your go if needed he will refer you to a cardiologist. Anymore pain go to urgent care or call 999.

[BigT2013]

My son is a student Paramedic and I had a valve issue (now repaired)

He said if heart rates as high as u say u need urgent ECG. During the episodes Also possibly some sort of medical intervention.

Please call for help 999 next time u have an attack or episode. It could be SVT, or AF and a number of other things.

But could be putting yourself at risk of stroke.

[Hidden]

Spontaneous tachycardia like that absolutely needs investigating, and most likely treating - I have a condition called SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), and when I have a major episode my hr suddenly shoots up and stays there, often 220+ bpm. My first episode, the only symptom I had was the hummingbird in my chest. My second episode, by the time the triage nurse saw me in A&E after a 40 minute wait, I was grey, sweating, nauseous, and had pain in my chest. On both occasions they had to give me medication to stop my heart and normalise my heart rate, and I was physically exhausted for weeks afterwards, which is apparently quite normal for this kind of thing. I take daily medication to prevent it from happening, and have done since the first time in 2009, although I do still occasionally get less major episodes of 140 to 160 that pass on their own after a few hours. Quite often it’s idiopathic, in that doctors can’t find an underlying reason, but it still needs managing, and there are other conditions such as atrial fibrillation that can cause similar symptoms that need managing too. If it happens again, don’t hesitate, call an ambulance or get someone to take you to A&E - half the battle with cardiac events is catching them on an ecg when they’re happening, because without that there’s often no proof of there actually being something going on. In the meantime, I’d make an urgent appointment with your gp: they may not do anything other than refer you to cardiology, but it will at least be documented in your notes.

[gal4God]

Get it checked. Where I live if u are born with a heart condition you still see a paediatric cardiologist as an adult in a adult clinic. I have a valve issue and have had palpitations and chest pains and breathing issues and awaiting a op. Onli time I’ve ever had a fast heartbeat is wen I’ve been having echo, wen I see my cardiologist it drops back to normal. I’m be checked it on my phone and it’s never been high. Been dizzy and weak and nauseous tho and Bern told it’s heart related. I’ve also had leg and ankle and foot pains and swellings.