quote:

Originally posted by Misty:
Actually while it is sitting normal I am doing great for the most part. But when I go into hypertension I get the same effects as I did when it would be low. I get clamy, lightheaded, and a migraine. So all in all high is no better than low. I have even still had my blackouts while bp is high. So I am still getting the same effects as if it were low. Its weird. But I dont think I am getting any better. Now I have gasteritis,peptic ulcer, and IBS with constipation. So all in all I am still miserable. The cardiologist thinks my heart is working an overload to much since I am so fatigue all the time and sleeping 12-14 hrs a day. This is why they need to send me to the ep cardiologist. My reg cardio said I may have to have a pace maker put in given the changing in my heart rate. Also I have a atrial flutter now and Premature contractions. So there are still problems going on with my heart which is making them concerned with the high blood pressure now.

I am sorry to hear this, I have AV Block and it is acting up now I just got off a 48 hr monitor that showed nothing well minor av and he is putting an event recorder on me now for thirty days, the other day It went on for like 8 striaght days and the eigth day I had such a premature or av that I thought sure my heart was going to stop. See my mistake, I have had premature beats most of my life and just found out 5 yrs ago it was benign winkiebock (av block)it doesn't usually bother me however; this one did, Ithought well it will work itself out I waited for four days to see if the flutters of the av would go back to normal finally they got so bad I went to the er than had to wait out sat and sun to get the holter the following monday, by than it worked itself out now seems okay but still the dr wants to do a 30 day recorder So I know how this part feels

I did the 30 day monitor already. They did this after my abnormal ecg's and ekg's. I am still having the problem and this is what they hope the ep cardiologist will be able to fix. They picked up so many things with the 30 day monitor. Sinus tachy, superventricular tachy, atrial flutter, and the premature contractions. And the last three Ekg's in the er have all been abnormal so I am hoping I will finally get some anwers here soon and know why this is going on. And what they are going to do to fix it. I know they are going to redo my tilt table test again without medications being used finally and a Echocardiagram since I havent had one done since 04 and the EP study again. But this time when they do the ep study I am going to make them keep me over night since the last one I had done after the study and laying for 6 hrs I got released and as soon as I got to my parents house to get my son I collapsed and stop breathing had no pulse and turned ghost white. They had to shock my heart back into beating again. I do not want to relive that again. As you can amagine that is a very scary thing to have happen.

Gracie, great job explaining IST!

hugs

misty - why did you collapse after the ep study???

also, all the arrythmias that were picked up on the 30 day holter, are they ones that wouldn't have been caught without the holter, or do your ekgs show that you have them as well? i have not had a 30 day one, just the 24 hour, and my doctor seems to think this would reflect everything going on, though i think i have unusual palpitations not caught during that 24 hours.

Gracie, my holter picked up the IST, but it was an event monitor that picked up the other (paroxsymal (sp) arrhythmias I have. I push the record button everytime I had palps. It was interesting.

hugs

quote:

misty - why did you collapse after the ep study???

also, all the arrythmias that were picked up on the 30 day holter, are they ones that wouldn't have been caught without the holter, or do your ekgs show that you have them as well? i have not had a 30 day one, just the 24 hour, and my doctor seems to think this would reflect everything going on, though i think i have unusual palpitations not caught during that 24 hours.

The doctors dont know why I dropped like that. When paramedics got there I had no blood pressure at all. I guess that would explain why I collapsed. They have picked up what is going on with my heart by Ekg's and Ecg's and confirmed them with the 30day holter monitor. I was never happier to get that thing off me after 30 days, but relieved at the same time they were able to see what I have been trying to explain to them what I was feeling. I can actually feel the atrial flutter I get this butterfly tickle feeling in my chest right where my heart is. They say usually you dont feel them but I have explained it to the cardio and he said yup I was infact feeling it.

I was told I had IST while pregnant. This was the first of tachycardia that I ever had. Was monitored during pregnancy, but no one seemed to consider it too serious and no follow-up after delivery.

I got "sick" 3 months later. Didn't discover heart involvement or dx for almost 12 years. Then I was told after holter event monitor I had SVT. They were going to do an ablation. Apparently, SVT involves a faulty electrical impulse interacting with the hearts regular electrical system and causing extra beats. Then the "extra beat" electrically sets off the "regular" beat and this becomes a vicious cycle, evolving into a rapid heart beat (tachycardia.) Often, this is treated by ablating (burning) the nerve that the extra beat is originating from and this solves the problem. (Although it can reoccur.)

So, I was being sent for ablation when a cardiologist looked at the tape and said it wasn't SVT. There was no faulty signal. No surgery required. And that was it! No explanation. I went on to have an echo cardiogram...word to the uninitiated- this test only shows problems if you have a physical abnormality with your heart or if you actually experience symptoms while hooked up. No tachycardia or other events = normal echo.
I was sent away with no explanation!

Found out later that the cardiologist I saw had retired within a week of my consultation. I can only imagine he had no compulsion to take on a new mysterious case. Can't believe I wasn't referred for any follow-up. I was just told that my heart was indeed racing (Over 150bpm for over 2 hours) but I didn't need an ablation! No comment on what I DID need!

So, that's a bit of my story, but I thought maybe it might help explain SVT...at least as it was explained to me.