So, I've just been to Cardiac physiology to have a 24hr holter monitor fitted. Even the physiologist agreed with me that it probably wont catch anything as my symptoms can be random. He advised I ask my GP to refer me to Palpitation clinic. To be honest ive never heard of it but, if I do get a referral it will allow them to do longer holter monitoring such as 7 days or even 14 days.
I dont even see my consultant just have telephone appointments with random registrars. The latest one told me to quit coffee (I drink decaff), cut down on alcohol (Im teetotal), not to stress (I have 3 autistic children) and do 150 mins of moderate exercise a week (I have 3 autistic children).
He said if things dont improve then he will increase my bisoprolol. Sounds like a threat because I dont know if im correct but perhaps the bisoprolol is what causes a heavy pressure feeling on my chest when i exercise.
Today's physiologist seems to think that tweaking around with bisoprolol will not solve the problem and perhaps we now need to find the cause.
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DanniC88
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I can't help, I'm afraid, but do offer you my extreme sympathy: you wait months, if not years, to see a specialist for help and then you get a few minutes' call from someone who is too flippant/arrogant/tired to bother to listen to you and you then go back to the back of the queue with a "blocking death sentence" feeling, where you know people's reactions are inclined to be "you've now seen the specialist and he wasn't worried so you must be OK".
I like the principle of telephone consultancy - it saves me time and fuel getting to appointments - but it does make you feel like it's even easier to just get dismissed.
While I've found the "war" between hospitals and GPS frustrating, I can see where they're coming from and the advantage is that they can be quite sympathetic and have learnt the art of obtaining second opinions!
Its a funny old world. Yesterday's cardiac physiology suggested a referral from my GP to palpitation clinic.Gp says palpitation clinic does not exist and its under the same cardiac dept im with.
Physiology says it does exist GP is misinformed.
I says GP speak to Physiologist but both say NO can't possibly call eachother 😒🙄
Maybe a call to the BHF nurse would give you an idea of what should be available and what to ask for so that you are actually asking for something that exists! It is so tricky/impossible as a patient to know what the terminology is, what the appropriate process should be etc .
Working with your children, you will have learnt to throw the rule books away and just reinvent your world to make life happen somehow, with outcomes as your focus, not prescriptive ways of doing things, so you must find the "computer says 'No'!" attitude all the more frustrating.
I hope you find a way around it somehow! Good luck! 😃
Hi. Can I say I had had palpitation attacks since my early teens, they were getting worse as I got older. I had several ECGs, monitors etc but these showed nothing up. My GPs just said it's nothing to worry about and so did nothing. The second week in hospital, after I'd a type A Aortic dissection, I had a palpitation attack and the consultant put me on bisoprolol 5mg am and 5mg pm a day - he was shocked my gp had never prescribed anything for the attacks before. I've not had an attack since and that was in 2017. I've since reduced the pm bisoprolol to 2.5mg. So in my experience a) palpitation attacks don't show up in tests i.e. ECGs b) gps don't take them seriously and just say it's nothing to worry about blah blah!
Ive just been back to cardiac physiology to return the holter monitor. The receptionist kindly gave me the name of the doctor who runs the palpitation clinic and his number so I can give it to my GP. Proof it does exist. 1 nil to me 👍
Can I just ask did you get any side effects from the bisoprolol? Im on 2.5mg and have been for 3 years but im starting to wonder if its that that's causing some chest discomfort when I exercise. It goes away when I stop.
Hi DanniC88 - I was diagnosed with A/F earlier in the year (almost certainly caused by pre-existing heart damage from heart attack and bypass surgery 19 years ago). I was put on bisoprolol and warfarin. I used to exercise fairly intensively and regularly prior to this but have certainly found that the bisoprolol has made exercise more difficult as it slows heart rate down - I also get the heavy feeling in the chest experience. I guess it's the lesser of 2 evils!!
Im finding it difficult to lose weight due the pressure feeling. Im wondering if its worth switching or just sticking with it. Its been 3 years though.
Hi sorry to hear about your palpitations I do have a similar experience my self started bout a year ago I have quite I few heart problems anyway so I told my consultant and they organised an ecg holter monitor I even had a stress test, ecg monitor showed nothing as like your self my palpitations were very random so I kept getting them all the time everyday worst was at night then I had a 7 day holter monitor again didn't show anything it wasn't until I said how I was feeling while I was getting the palpitations that they looked in to it futher showed I had 12 extra beats so now I'm on verapamil 40mg. Hope your able to resolve the issue of your palpitations. 😊
Listening to everyone on the forum and I just don’t know what to think.
Prior to summer was average health with rheumatoid arthritis. On Methotrexate.
In July developed breathing issues and tachycardia along with a big flare of RA then it settled.
In October developed another big flare of RA but with worsening breathlessness and tachycardia. Was admitted in November to hospital via A&E. had CT; continued ECGs; Echo - telemetry; no cardiac or lung issues. Sent home. 24 hr ECG - no issues.
All I have now is my 5mg bisoprolol prescription which I now cut in half as despite my anxiety that my heart was dropping to 43 bpm no one was interested.
Honestly- it seems that Drs are clueless and of course the elephant in the room is that I had two Spikevaxx boosters this year in May and September. I’ve done yellow cards and I won’t be having any more.
Ive had 3 but im undecided about the 4th. Can't say what they are otherwise my post will get removed however 1st two were AZ and 3rd began with a P. I'll be honest i didn't have any cardiac issues until at all until 2019. Ive had lots of tests done too but however im still none the wiser. All im being told is that if symptoms persit then perhaps my bisoprolol should be increased. I dont want the bloody thing increased.
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