Hello,
Following on from having a holter monitor that picked up an abnormal rhythm and my heart rate going 200, I was referred to cardiology and my appointment is tomorrow with an electrophysiologist.
Although I’m happy to finally hopefully get some answers I am so nervous and don’t know what to expect. Does anyone know what happens at a cardiology appointment? Do you get results there and then? It’s through nhs.
What typically happens when I see a cardiologist is that they will ask about my symptoms and discuss my results. They may investigate further and ask if I have any triggers, the frequency of my symptoms, and the medications I’m on. Based on this, they then determine if further testing is required and whether to commence on any new medication. I have found during my appointments that a physical examination is also conducted, i.e., listening to my heart rate with a stethoscope, checking my calves for swelling etc. I’m not sure if an appointment with an electrophysiologist would be massively different, but I would think it’s probably something similar.
Good luck.
Tos
My EP gave me a quick once over on my first meeting with him and funny enough that’s the first place he started on my ankles and above. I’d already had my ankles inspected by a cardiologist and many other nurses in the early days of presenting at A+E when I was having Afib episodes.! I was beginning to think everyone is obsessed with ankles.?😂
I think it’s protocol to check the calves and ankles for swelling when diagnosed with a heart condition. It can be an indicator of heart health which is why most health professionals check! At least they’re thorough :).
Hello 
We all feel nervous at times like this and I think it helps to think they are human like us but they specialize on the heart and they are going to find out what is happening and what might need if anything to be done so they are there to make me better
They will go through your results with you ask you some questions which I always try to answer honestly and explain things to you and what they want to do next
You will be fine and remember they are there to make sure everything is ok and to care for you so they are the best people you could be having an appointment with and nothing to be afraid of
Good Luck and let us know how you get on x
Our hospital gives you an ecg before you see the EP
Well depends what the appointment is for, sometimes they do your ecg and then echo and then immediately see consultant but sometimes it's just ecg and echo and before hand a nurse will check your vitals like blood oxygen heart rate and blood pressure and weigh you x have you been refered for more tests or just the ecg?? Hope your appointment goes well let us know how you get on ❤️
I've been seen by electrophysiologists in cardiology for the past 18 months. I was terrified, but also curious before my first appointment.
Most of it will be a chat about your experiences, lifestyle and symptoms you've felt (if any). They may pull up some of the data from your Holter monitor to help show you what has been happening. They may already have enough information to start formulating a treatment plan. If not, then there is an established suite of tests that they may suggest (e.g. treadmills, echo or MRI scans) or they may ask you to tweak your lifestyle - it all depends on what your Holter data says. As others have said, they may give you an ECG - I've lost count on the number of ECGs I've had. To be honest, I'm tempted to keep those bits of my body pre-shaven 😆.
Electrophysiologists look way deeper than just your maximum recorded heart rate - there is a lot of useful information captured a heart trace and they are the experts at deciphering it all.
They have been the most interesting and caring consultants I've ever encountered. They are the specialists to seek out abnormal rhythms, so it sounds like you are on the right track.
Dont' forget: They know that most people who walk through the door for the first time are terrified. But trust me, they are there to look after you.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions here if it helps. 🙂
200! That seems very fast. When my heart goes near 100 I feel very bad. Is this all the time?
It only goes to 180-200 for less than a minute, sometimes only a few seconds. It does feel uncomfortable and I wouldn’t want it any longer! 100 is about average for me through the day, and it can jump to 120-140 without much exertion. I seem to just have a very reactive system as it drops back down to 70-80s almost as quickly.
Thank you so much everyone for your responses, it has certainly eased the anxiety a bit! I’ll update after I’ve been!
Hi and don’t be afraid to ask questions during your consultation.
Good Morning
I hope everything goes well with the cardiologist, please let us know, I am having my holter monitor fitted a week Friday and am nervous about results. Good luck and hopefully everything will be okay.
My husbands collecting his on Monday 25th . We already know he s in persistent AF so hoping they don’t pick anything else untoward up .
all my appointment letters stress that test results will not be formally discussed at the time of the test but will be dealt by the appropriate specialist and then discussed if necessary.
Good luck! ...and please keep us informed.
As was pointed out to me once, a cardiologists is akin to a plumber as an EP is to an electrician, they may ask for ecg's & echo tests. If your arrhythmia is not consistent it can be difficult to catch it on an ecg. When my HR was in svt I was told to call an ambulance so medics could catch it . It worked & my diagnosis was made & treatment started. Best wishes on your own journey.
All went fine this morning, I had an ecg and blood pressure check then spoke to the electrophysiologist who was very nice. Almost all was fine and he isn’t concerned that there is anything harmful. It is atrial tachycardia I get which was confirmed by the ecg on the holter and I am also getting an ultrasound done too, to check on the structure of my heart. He wasn’t sure if he could hear a murmur or not, because I am slim my heart was quite loud through the stethoscope! So it’s just continue with beta blockers to control symptoms and not stop exercising as that the best thing I can do to stay healthy. Feeling relieved and glad it’s over. Thanks for everyone’s support!
Ah glad your appointment went well x and you know what the issue is. Did they say they wanted a follow up appointment or have you been discharged back to your GP.
He said that he won’t book a follow up appointment yet as the wait is very long, but he was going to put on his secretaries details and he’s happy for me to contact him if I need to, or if anything changes. So I think that means it’s still open and not discharged?? Also if there was anything major on the scan it would change too
Ahh that's good and like so reassuring. Sounds really nice 😊. Hope your scan dosent show anything too worrying x
Hi there nothing to be worried about I have had a few cardiology appointments over the years..its just a relief to get to see someone.. just write down any questions you want to ask ..
Are you having an eco cardiogram , my husband was told at his appointment he had heart failure , the doctor who was looking at it got a second opinion from the consultant . We were referred that day to heart function clinic and at this time waiting for an appointment at the arrhythmia clinic . It will be my husbands second ablation if they decide that’s best for him . His heart rate was 160 when he had his stroke . Thankfully they’ve caught yours in time
Regards Jackie
Yes I think that’s what they said, an ultrasound scan of the heart. Sorry to hear about your husband, it’s such a scary thing to deal with when it’s anything to do with your heart. Sounds like your husband is being looked after by all the right people though, I’ve noticed if there is any concern at all, they are very quick to react and get you to the right people and treatments.
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