Help me figure out what is wrong with me please

[joshandjamie]

I am going to see the GP next week about this but I sort of want to go in prepared because whenever I've been to see them about this in the past, it just gets dismissed.

I have had these symptoms off and on for years (like about 14 years). I go through phases when it gets much worse and then it seems ok for a little while, then gets bad again.

Symptoms:

• heart palpitations/fluttering heart/pounding heart/feeling like it skips a beat or races
• when the heart thing happens, I feel short of breath and have a dry cough
• I have frequent dull pain across the top of my left shoulder, down my left side and left arm
• When this pain gets really bad, it feels like I have no strength in my left arm. My left hand goes ice cold. Fingers get tingly
• Sometimes nausea, feeling slightly dizzy
• Frequent headaches (mainly around face/sinus)
• Very sensitive to heat the the symptoms often get worse if I am over hot.

About 10 years ago I had an ECG. They said my heart was fine. About two years ago, it flared up again really badly. Saw a GP who said it sounded like a nerve issue and suggested McTimoney Chiropractic. I did that. Didn't make an ounce of difference.

Now it is back again with a vengeance. This time the heart palpitations feel really really horrid.

Someone suggested it might be panic attacks. The thing is, it does worsen when I am stressed, but my general level of stress right now is not massively high. Yes there's Christmas and I've started a new business but I'm not manically busy. I have had more stressful times without the same level of symptoms. I do feel on edge though - like I'm constantly needing to jiggle my legs or tap my fingers type sensation and like I just can't fully calm down.

Could it be panic attacks? When looking up panic attacks I also saw something about an overactive thyroid. I know nothing about that but could that be it? Help! I am sick of feeling like this and want to sort it out.

The shoulder and arm pain could be explained by the tachycardia. The coughing too.
I have a heart condition (that results in tachycardia) that is triggered by temperature changes. It has got progressively worse (i.e. more frequent episodes) as I've got older (particularly bad during pg)
It is intermittent, and doesn't show up on heart monitors if I'm not having an episode- I was lucky to capture a recording of it on a heart monitor( one of the 24-hour monitor types) but only because I had the recorder for a fortnight.

Mine is exacerbated by tiredness- are you sleeping enough? The stress may be contributing to it too.
Go back to GP and tell them symptoms you've described here.

Sorry- the pain in your arms is due to lack of oxygen reaching them- your heart is pumping your blood through lungs too fast to become properly oxygenated during tachycardic episodes.

Thanks swanker. I think I'm getting enough sleep. But I'll explain all the symptoms to the GP. I think I might just ask to be referred to someone private as I have private healthcare through my husband's work - just not sure what type of doctor I need to be referred to.

How do they treat your heart condition?

It is dependent on age- if you're youngish they want to do ablation surgery (the problem is caused by some extra bundles of pathways on the heart, they just take some of them off), if you're older then it's controlled by drugs.

I didn't go ahead with the surgery because there is a risk of death (yes- it is minute, infinitissimal) but I had very young children at the time, and I couldn't take that risk. I don't need drugs- my episodes are fairly infrequent so long as I get enough sleep, or am not run down due to other illness (e.g. had episodes when I had a chest infection, and when I had anaemia). Of course this is subject to review.

Both sound pretty grim. I'm 39. Anyway, will wait and hear what the doc says before jumping to any conclusions

You're young enough for surgery then- it really is v low risk, but my baby was only 5mo, and ebf, so it was a no-no for me at the time.