Anyone gone private to see cardiologist?

[Sam32102]

I am stressing an awful lot! Keep getting eptopic beats which is getting me really down. I have had a few of episodes a year once every 2 months. I will be exercising normally a trigger and I will get like a thump feeling in my chest and my heart rate will race at 200+ beats per minute. I feel light headed and a bit breathless after 20 minutes it stops and goes back down. It has lasted longer. I feel exhausted after it. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas? I’ve had ECG 3times, blood tests and came back clear. I also get peptic beats quite regular. Also if I drink alcohol and eat a lot of food my heart rate is irregular. I am waiting a heart monitor but seems to taking forever. is it worth it to go private. Feel I’m making myself worse with worry

[Thecyclist]

Worry will not make this any better and even though I know it is challenging to practice, stay calm and don't worry as chances are it's nothing that cannot be helped or even resolved. However a heart rate up to 200 is serious tachycardia and should be looked into very soon. You should go to A&E next time that happens they will hopefully catch the episode.

I have not gone privately personally as I have an excellent NHS in Wales. I was worried about my palpitations in January and I had a 7 day event monitor in February, I guess I am very lucky my consultant seems to get things sorted quickly.

I believe an initial consultation may cost you £250 ish with an EP or Cardiologist, a 7 day monitor might be another £300-£400 I am guessing? But you will probably be seen very quickly (in less than 2 weeks). However my advice would be go to A&E as soon as your next episode occurs if the private route is prohibitive cost wise.

Also avoid alcohol and any other food triggers, I've had to stop drinking and it's improved my palpitations already, alcohol is definitely a trigger for me. Have a look in the Afib forum they are very knowledgeable on all things electrical heart-wise. Your symptoms sound very Afib like but only a Dr and an ECG can determine this. The good news is symptoms can be managed and ablations and cardioversion can even cure these rhythm disturbances.

Get it checked though ASAP, you shouldn't be suffering like this.

[Sam32102 in reply to Thecyclist]

Yeh I have been to A n E but they couldn’t catch it. I am waiting on heart monitor but it’s been over a month and haven’t heard anything! Yeh I need to sort it out soon it’s taking over my life!

[Thecyclist in reply to Sam32102]

You need an event monitor it's the only way, however if they are really intermittent you may need an ILR (Implantable Loop recorder), a good alternative would be to get a Kardia (kardiamobile.co.uk/), they're £100 and are reckoned to be good at picking up Afib, PAC/PVC's. Might be good enough to catch and record what is happening and give your doctor at least an insight.

I had exactly the same, numerous ECG's in the surgery, 2 x 48hr ones and nothing showed. Just had my 7 day one and had loads, just waiting to hear back on what they are, which I hope are just ectopic's mostly bought on and triggered by alcohol and then worsened with worry. So I totally sympathise, they are the worst.

In the first case chase up your event monitor, you may have just gone to the bottom of the pile by accident, however if Coronavirus explodes then anything routine like this will be put on hold for sure.

[Simcoxh in reply to Sam32102]

Hi there I have AF and have found no - one seems to be bothered I want to sit down and talk to a cardiologist about my fatigue and dizziness but it's like trying to see god. It's hopeless feel abandoned..I know how you feel though

[Sam32102 in reply to Thecyclist]

Also every ECG comes back normal

[Beith]

A private consultation will cost between £200 - £300. I paid £250 for a private consultation when the GP suggested I get a second opinion when I was first diagnosed. I felt it was definitely worth it to get confirmation of the problem.

[Sunnie2day]

Although my GP referred me as urgent the waits to be seen were (to me) a bit long in an urgent situation. I went private after my first Rapid Access Chest Pain appointment and I'm glad I did. Investigatory tests were booked faster (days rather than 4+weeks) and once test result were analysed I was transferred to the cardiologist's NHS list (I'm in Scotland). Oddly enough, even though I'm now back on the NHS care lists, my waits for tests usually have been less than three weeks.

That may change now with the coronavirus crisis as especially if patient loads mean certain specialist fields like cardiology and pulmonology are seconded to help with the severe cases.

[Hidden in reply to Sunnie2day]

I was told tests are being put on hold till May because of the virus. Meanwhile people are dying !

[Sunnie2day in reply to Hidden]

I was already at the back of the queue (a very, very long queue) for an MRI as my need for one isn't urgent. My mid-April cardiology appointment has been changed to an emailed report the day before the scheduled meeting (including temperature, weight, and BP taken that morning, worsening or improving symptoms, and any questions I would have asked at the f2f meeting) and he will email his reply on the next day.

Suits me for a number of reasons, lol, I'd cheerfully go to all email appointments if I could (unless something serious crops up, of course).

My GP is asking patients to stay away from the physical surgery location and only telephone. Appointments are being cancelled and no rebooking dates have been offered, same at the dentist.

And I've just had an email from a wife of one of my late husband's colleagues who retired two years ago - she says he's been 'quietly contacted' to see if he would be willing to come back to work if needed.

[Sunnie2day]

I'm hoping not to hijack Sam's discussion - but I have recurrent pericarditis so I can well understand your concern. When you see your cardiologist (or the cardiac nurse) be sure to ask specifically about pericarditis. It's such a rare condition in the UK that many doctors don't see enough cases of it to think of it without a patient prompt.

Message me or start a new discussion - I'm going to 'follow' you so if you start a discussion I'll get an email notification. Best to you going forward!

[Maisiemay13]

I had a private appointment with cardiologist and paid for a two week monitor as he was not sure about the ECG I had at doctors,it turned out I had PAF so for me it was worth the money

[Mikedabike]

Hello, I can only stress that the below is my personal view. Once you actually get onto the NHS system, the service seems to be excellent. In my own case my local GP had diagnosed me with aortic stenosis and a bicuspid valve only twelve months ago. After an echocardiogram they were happy that I would only need regular annual monitoring, and I was to just take it easy with my very active exercise regime. Within just a few months my health began to deteriorate rapidly. I was very short of breath even doing the simplest of tasks. I had some private medical cover, even with this I spent over £1,000.00 on examinations. The net result of these private consultations - I would now need 6 monthly checks. Instinctively I knew something was not right. I presented myself to my local A & E department, they gave me a CT scan. Result, they would not let me move, kept me in the hospital and 2 weeks later I had an aortic valve replacement. Bottom line, if you persist and get onto the NHS system, they are excellent. Depending on your condition it may be worth trying a private consultation, the problem then comes with the diagnosis. If you require further tests (of which there can be many) you are then posed with the question do I, or can I lay for the further tests, or do I go back onto a possibly waiting list with the NHS.

[Boharford]

I have been in Benenden health care for years. If there is a wait for NHS over a few weeks they will pay for you to see a consultant, I also had a CT Angiogram and offered a couple of 24 and 5 day monitoring treatments. Costs a tenner a month. Also 24 hour helpline so you can talk to a GP. I think there is a wait period after you enrol for a few month s fo r full facilities. Maybe for the future if you are a worrier- like me

[valezio]

Think I would get a private appt, this needs sorting out sooner rather than later. It could even be Wolf Parkinson White syndrome, a very serious condition that can be fixed. Good luck, hope you get the help you need x

[Truckerclark]

It’s not clear if your heart rate is going to 200 bpm as you exercise or not ,, but I’d probably with your symptoms go see your doc and ask for exercise tolerance test , that’ll show up blood pressure heart rate & changes in ecg , while doing it , that night catch it quicker for you ,

[Whatamug1]

YES - go privately and see an EP as they are the experts on the 'electrical' parts of the heart (they have already been Cardiologists !). It will be quicker, your ecg will probably be done while you're there by their cardio nurse and the EP will probably read it and advise you there and then. If there is anything they are concerned about they will let you know what tests they want done and arrange them. This can all be done on the NHS.

wishing you all the best....

[Hidden]

Agree with much faster tests via private. Also agree once you’re fully diagnosed within NHS, they do look after & fix you up.

The tachycardia is less familiar to me (my one time of this i was in Afib & had a simple, successful cardio-version). But well worthy of rapid check up. Maybe you need an exercise ecg, if that’s your trigger (an ecg done whilst on bike/treadmill I think).

However I’ve had ectopic beats a plenty (though they’re reducing now). Initially worrying, I’ve learned to slow-breathe them down a bit. But with tachycardia, needs looking at. I agree, get referral for 7 day ECG. Or I’ve just bought an Apple Watch cos they take ecg’s you can then email to a doc - no idea if would catch much yet, though.

I also found a helpful blog, by a patient who researches things - myafibheart.com. Learned about ectopics (PVCs in my case). Some matches what I’d already suspected.

My learnings were - (summarised, see his detail). ~~

✅ slow my breathing right down (a doc has confirmed this is important) ✅ avoid gut irritation (constipation, wind) ✅ get my electrolytes right ✅ hydrate ✅ Chew my food (who knew?!)

❌ Not too much of... ❌ caffeine incl chocolate (I thought I was imagining re choc, sadly not !!) ❌ alcohol & stimulants ❌ overeating ❌ stress ~

🥼 This fits with several docs mentioning a Vagus link - vagus is the longest nerve, between brain, gut & heart, that tries to automatically keep your system balanced (my lay words). May also link to your mention of peptic beats, though I’m not sure what those are exactly.

Hydration (incl to avoid dizziness), no chocolate, no Coke Zero, & avoiding over-exertion work best for me. Do get the beats & tachycardia checked. Good luck, update us.