To be utterly 100% terrified of what my ECG could mean

[ohnonotyouagain]

Hey all

There isn't a medical-esque forum here that I could find. I've always found the advice on AIBU to be really useful which is why I hope you don't mind my asking for it on this occasion.

Basically I'm 27 with a family history of cardiomyopathy and enlarged heart which starts in the mid-twenties usually.

Now I've always known this and made an extra effort to keep myself healthy, fit and trim; hoping this would protect me somewhat.

I've been experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath for a couple of months which I originally put down to increased stress (I've moved house and dealt with a lot more responsibility at work). However, on the advice of my parents and DP I went to the doc and was referred for an ECG.

My ECG says: Right Ventricular Hypertrophy and Repolarzation Abnormality. I don't believe in consulting Dr Google for every little thing as it can make things seem scarier, but thought that it might be useful on this occasion.

Do any of you know what RVH is? Do of you have it? I have an appointment with my GP booked but wondered if any of you have had this appear on the print out of an ECG.

HELP!

*Sorry, meant to say that I've been looking on Google for help and find nothing but obscure medical journals. Hopefully you guys can help :)

Sorry you're worried ohno. My dd has RVH (and LVH also) - it basically means the ventricle is enlarged. dd's RV is enlarged because she has a narrowing of her pulmonary artery and her heart works harder to push blood through. I think the repolarization abnormality is also an indication that the ventricle is working a bit harder than normal.

Hope the GP can shed some more light on it for you. As your family has a history of cardiomyopathy I would push for a cardiology consultation, not because you should be immediately worried about what the ECG report says but if it is the beginnings of something then it's good to catch it early. The treatments for cardiomyopathy are very effective.

Hope this doesn't worry you further.

Sorry I can't help but I can tell you that there is a General Health forum under the Health topic and you might get more responses there or even in Chat. Hope everything is ok.

Hey, have also reposted in general health so thanks for that Millie1 :)

SMBK I'm sorry to hear your daughter has both RVH and LVH, do you mind my asking how it was discovered and what the Drs say about it?

I hope she's okay and not feeling too rough.

Appreciate the advice about asking for a cardiology referral, will speak to GP about it at my appnt on Monday.

I'm not a medic, but I think yabunderstandablyu.

Keep in mind an ECG is much like a blood test, it gives pointers to things that may need to be investigated further. You could have a low iron count on a blood test which could be caused by hundreds of things.

I'm too stupid to link off the iPad but I googled 're-polarisation abnormality wiki' and the info wasn't horrific by any means.

Hopefully someone more knowledgable will come along, but try not to over think it till you've spoke to your gp.

I have to say that if you have any more symptoms don't hesitate to go to A&E. If nothing else performing an ECG while you're experiencing symptoms may give your dr more to work with.

Hope everything works out for you

Thanks Best, really appreciate you taking the time to reply. Am experiencing some shocking shortness of breath right now actually. If it gets worse I'll go to A&E. Hopefully this is nothing, just massive stress or something.

Is there anyone in the family who could help - someone with the cardiomyopathy who might be more familiar with the terms relevant to their condition?

Visit British Heart Foundation website. They will offer support and provide you will lots of info. I found them a comfort and they are very positive.

Try not to worry.

Sorry you're worried, ohno. There is a support thread for people awaiting and undergoing test and treatments which you might like to join.

Ooh thanks for the links. Great suggestion about asking family as well. I don't really want to worry them though until I know more...

She's fine - she has some congenital structural defects and has had a partial repair but has damage to her LV which causes symptoms akin to cardiomyopathy. She's on medication to manage it and has regular cardio check-ups but does pretty well, although does get short of breath and a bit worn out.

Poor thing, I imagine it's hard to deal with something like that as a child but it sounds like she's in great hands.

ohno - i hope you are ok (re shortness of breath). years ago now dh had to rush me to a&e with really bad shortness of breath, turned out to be a panic attack.....how bloody embarassing although it turns out alot of people get rushed to a&r with the same (thinking there is something wrong with their heart), hopefully you are having a stress related moment, very common although still bloody scary

You had an ECG and didnt ask the medical professionals at the time?

Thanks BOC, you could be right. Panic attacks sound very scary so don't feel too ashamed, you did the right thing going to A&E x

Do not panic.

Is this from the words printed across the top of the ECG? They are often totally wrong. Ignore, ignore, ignore! We never take any notice of them. You need a suitably qualified professional to interpret the ECG themselves.

RVH is right ventricular hypertrophy. However this is a diagnosis made on a heart ultrasound scan (ECHO) an ECG can suggest it but not confirm it. Similar ECG appearances can also be due to lots of different things. Different body shapes, lead positions can all give different ECGs which sometimes the machine may think are abnormal when it's not at all.

JTH I had the ECG, the nurse then went and showed the cardiologist and asked if she needed to see me right there and then. I heard them debating for about two minutes but I was sent on my way, chest pains and all.

The nurse gave me my ECG and told me to book an appointment with my GP to discuss. I did as she asked.

Maybe I should have asked more questions but I was a bit scared (and a little embarrassed at having had to remove my t-shirt and bra eeeek!).

It depends who did the ECG Jumping - sometimes it's a technician or at my GP's it's a healthcare assistant and they can't discuss the results.

toobreathless, the words were on the bottom of the ECG, you're perfectly right of course that this could be nothing.

This is meant to reassure you, I took someoone into the cardiac care unit and their ECG said normal- it wasn't , he was having an acute MI. Most ECG's say they are abnormal when they're not and the odd one says 'normal'. Sometimes they are, sometimes they're not.
So not worry, the cardiologist would have whipped you in if they had spotted something serious.

Yes, the ECG machine often 'diagnoses' things that are not true so to speak.

Any diagnosis needs to be confirmed by an ECHO which would indicate te severity of the problem, if indeed there is one.

Some of the changes on an ECG which can indicate structural abnormalities of the heart, such as RVH are often demonstrated by subtle changes, therefore the ECG needs to be interpreted by a cardiologist alongside a review of symptoms and results of other tests.

Honestly don't worry about it. Easier said than done I know!

Just being slim is enough to give an RVH 'pattern' on an ECG & as we have all said those ECG comments are more often wrong than right. In fact I don't ever think I've seen a 'normal one' & I look at them every day (Doctor)

As NCIS says the cardiologist would have see you on the spot if they had any immediate concerns.

I didn't realise ECGs could be so unreliable so thanks for reassuring me. Will go to GP and stay positive. Thanks again. Hopefully I can help you guys on here when you need it :)

Do any of you know what RVH is?

Yes, but I also know that automated reports are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

You mentioned keeping healthy - are you by any chance a thin athletic person?

history of cardiomyopathy and enlarged heart Cardiomyopathy IS an enlarged heart.

I didn't realise ECGs could be so unreliable
They are not - but the auto reporting is. I hate, hate, hate them - they should be banned.

JTH I had the ECG, the nurse then went and showed the cardiologist and asked if she needed to see me right there and then. I heard them debating for about two minutes but I was sent on my way, chest pains and all.

Are yo usure it was a nurse? If it was a tech or a cardiographer then don't worry - your ECG has been read by a professional, if you needed to be seen you would have been put ona trolley and sent to A and E.

Right ventricular hypetrophy means the muscle of the right ventricle is thickened. Left ventricular hypertrophy means the same but for the left ventricle.

Cardiomyopathy, by contrast, is an enlargement, sort of stretching rather than thickening.

I can thoroughly recommend a charity called CRY-cardiac risk in the young. They deal with people up to the age of 35 with problems like this. I have a form of prolonged repolarization called Long QT Syndrome. I also have a device called an ICD fitted in my chest which works like a pacemaker as well as a defibrillator.

CRY were utterly fantastic at the time of diagnosis... arranging for sufferers to ring and text me, allowing me to get a second opinion with their electrophysiologist (heart doctor specializing in the electrics rather than plumbing) and providing support all round when needed.

Please get in touch with them, and don't forget that your gp may not know much about your ECG. Ideally you need to be referred to a specialist.

Good luck, pm me if you need too.