heart condition

[Evita]

Don't know if anyone can help with this, but maybe writing it down will help me anyway.

I've just been diagnosed with having an abnormal heart rhythm which may or may not link to some serious underlying cause. However, I've been feeling pretty lousy with it: depressed, lethargic, dizzy, breathless, etc. And what I'm really worried about is how I'm going to cope with looking after my 15 month old with this going on. I get in a real fret at the thought of my passing out suddenly when she's in the bath or when she's in her cot in the daytime. My partner often has to go away so I'm here alone and we have no close friends or family around who would even know anything had happened to me.

Is there any kind of social service I could call on to help me in this kind of situation?

expatKat, thanks for this. What are SVT's? I don't think I'm always having a skipped beat every 5 or so, it's not as regular as that. What they seemed to be worried about was the ECG showing a disturbed 'p wave' which seemed to signify an electrical signal problem (makes me sound like a train). Also it's because I'm feeling so lousy and passing out a bit etc. Scary!! did you ever black out?

dinosaur, what's happening with you? As I know so little about this, other people's stories and experiences are very valuable to me.

butterflymum, thanks for this link. Actually someone mentioned this to me recently. I'll look into it more.

Evita, you may find some other useful info etc on arrhythmia here , although the site is only being developed. You can also link from there to STARS, the main charity involved with the site, who may also be of help.

butterfly

butterflymum thanks for the info on this and the other thread you just started.

Evita, I don't know anything about P waves. I have a weird "T" wave. It sounds like your situation is different from mine. I get to the stage of pre-syncope where I am just about to faint, but I have time to change my position (head low, feet up) so I haven't yet blacked out.

SVT is a rapid, regular but abnormal heartbeat which last anywhere from seconds to an hour or more. It's not the same as an ordinary tachycardia when your heart accelerates due to exercise or stressit's just a weird (but regular) rhythm which comes out of nowhere. It's usually not serious but can be scary & uncomfortable andif it doesn't resolve on its own--you need some kind of medical intervention b/c it can be dangerous if it goes on for too long, I gather.

Good luck with your tests & keep us posted.

Thanks butterflymum. I'll check out the link.

I've been feeling so truly dreadful today. Did any of you with heart problems find it affected your sleep? I've slept a total of 6 hours now in 2 nights. I just can't seem to get off. My heart pounds and the pressure in my chest is awful. Part of me wonders how much of it is exacerbated by stress and how much the actual condition. Do you think it's normal to have such a constricted feeling in ones chest so much of the time? It's been here all day today. Awful.

I a finding this very interesting reading. I am currently under the cardiologist consultant (erm - not literally ) having my heart rate and rythem investigated. I know I have tachycardia and my heart rate rarelt goes below 90 and is normally just over 100. The last monitor picked up an irregulaity which is occuring every so often during the day where 4 or 5 beats are irregular. Many of these I am unaware of. Often it is when I relax that I notice it - generally just an awareness but sometimes as palpatations. The last bad palpatations lasted over 2 hours and would not stop for me, despite breathing exercises - this is when I decided enough was enough and I needed to get it sorted out. It does not appear to be serious for me at all and is just uncomfortable or annoying/inconvenient. It makes exercise harder as my heart rate increases so much (gym buzzers go off for me!) but not impossible. I have never yet fainted or passed out but an episode can make me feel weak and very tired. I have mentioned to the consultant that I feel far more tired and lethargic than before and I am often aware of my heart beating during the day. I have just had a heart ultrasound and a 48hour ECG monitor on last week. I next see the consultant in March (seeing him every 3 months for now).

I know I am fortuante and do not have to suffer like many of you guys. But thank you - yur stories I have found interesting reading.

stress definitely makes it worse on several occasions I was on a monitor when I was having an 'episode' and nothing showed.This was almost certainly anxiety.Sleep is often disrupted with arrythmias I was told it is because the heart responds to situations inappropriately for example starts pounding when you are relaxed and makes you dizzyIt really will get better I was a virtual prisoner for nearly 2 years!Now and again I get a bad spell but the tiredness is the worst for me.Sleep is vital try everything camomile tea is good and magnesium supplements help.A lot of heart patients are deficient in magnesium and in the states that is sometimes the 1st line treatment for minor cases.Please keep in touch Can you get anyone to be with you even a few hours a day until you see your doctor just knowing someone is there can alleviate the symptoms a bit and give you some peace

Hulababy, I know what you mean--it's interesting to find that you're not the only one worrying about your heart rhythm, and also to see how many varieties of arrhythmia there are. I find this interesting (& reassuring) reading as well. Please keep us posted on your diagnosis.

Evita, I don't want to be irresponsible & jump to the conclusion that your inability to sleep properly is NOT due to your strange heart rhythms, because I suppose it could be, even though I've never had that problem to quite the extent that you're describing. I can say, however, that when I've been in your position of anxiously waiting for an appointment with a cardiologist, my weird heart rhythms & feelings of discomfort in my chest were the worst. I, too, would feel tightness, pounding & be more aware than usual of irregularities of my heart beat.

So, yes, anxiety makes arrhythmias worse, annoying enough (b/c there's so little you can do about that).

That said, it still makes me uncomfortable that you're suffering as much as you are. Is there a way you can call your doctor & jump the list. Can that be done in the UK? Feel better. Expat x

My post crossed with Noddy's. So I guess sleep problems ARE consistent with arrhythmia.

I agree with her about getting someone to stay with you. even just for parts of the day or evening. It's comforting just to know someone will be coming round soon. And I agree with Noddy that it will get treated & will get better. . .just hang on a bit longer.

noddy5 and expatKat, thanks so much for your support. Today has been AWFUL. if I don't sleep tonight I think I'm going to be in a truly dreadful state by tomorrow. All day today when dd has napped I've tried to sleep but the same thing happens, just as I'm on the verge of sleeping I wake up with a jump as though I can't breathe. It's happened on and off for the last 2 nights and I don't think I'll stand another night of it tonight.

Gosh, I SO wish I could jump the queue to see the cardiologist. Doesn't happen in this country unfortunately unless you have a lot of money which I don't.

And I SO wish I could have someone to come round. I've thought that time and time again recently. My mother's a 3-4 hour journey away, my brother's even further and most of my friends are across London busy doing other things. So there's nobody very close by. And nobody who could just come over. I could do with a surrogate auntie type figure!

Thanks expatkat - it is reassuring isn't it?

My heart problems do get worse when stressed or under pressue, and when exercising, although the consultant has said that they are not the trigger. He is currently trying to figure that one out, hence the 48 hour monitor last week. I cut caffine out of my diet for a while, and chocolate, but tbh it didn't seem to have much affect at all. Not even going there with alcohol though I don't think the ultrasound will show anything up at all.

Evita - sorry I am not really familiar with your progress but how long have you been waiting? Is it very recently - the wait may not be as long as you think - I hope.

I first went to the doctors in October. In Nove,ber the hospital cardiolgy unit called me in for blood tests and an ECG in November, and a week or so later to have a 24 hour heart monitor. I saw the cardioligist on 15th December. He then asked for me to have an ultrasound and a 48 hour monitor - that was last week. I have a second appointment with the consultant in March. I have been really suprised at how quick it has gone.

Really interesting to read all your posts. No advice to offer but I am also having heart problems investigated. I have had 3 episodes of unexplained fainting (total blackouts with absolutely no warning) in the last year, which meant I was referred to hospital for a 24hr ECG and an echocardiogram. The 24hr ECG showed episodes of tachycardia, bradycardia and arrhythmia - so I have no idea what on earth is going on (probably stress related!). However, I'm off to the consultant next Monday, so I should know then. Currently not drinking alcohol at all and have cut right back on tea & coffee. Seems to help a bit.

Bugsy2, I'm having a similar thing in terms of the blacking out v. suddenly. It's extremely frightening, especially when looking after a little one and being alone.

I felt so dreadful yesterday that in the end I went to see a Dr. at local hospital who I used to see for something totally different and told him the whole story and that I'd been told I'd have to wait maybe 3 months to see a cardiologist and he said it was unreasonable and got me straight in for a repeat ecg (showed same problems with p wave) and now am wearing a 24 hour tape machine thing. Needless to say as I'm wearing it am having a much better day!! Wish they could have heard yesterday's heart all over the place.

That is excellent Evita! Typical isn't it, when ever I have had the machines on I had a good day too.

What do you think it means? I'm wondering if it's purely coincidence or if it means that generally the symptoms feel worse when one is stressed. I mean, it's kind of reassuring that one is being 'monitored' even if only by a little black box and maybe that makes me feel better? Who knows ...

Does anyone else have days that are good and days that are awful for no reason they can pinpoint?

Yep! No idea what makes mine good or bad generally. I can have good days when in the middle of OFSTED insoections at school and bad days whilst wandering round town on my days off. Wierd isn't it?

Does anyone find the cold weather is making them any worse? I have certainly felt my chest is tighter this week. I think your heart has to work harder in the cold and that might be the reason.

Well, I had the day from hell on Wednesday but yesterday and today not quite so bad.

So, if they get a tape without much on it, is it still helpful for them do you think?

Hulababy, what constitutes a bad day for you by the way?

For me it's extreme exhaustion (feel like I can't lift my arms or move my legs), tightness and crushing in chest (rarely pain), some breathlessness and a feeling of missing / strange heart beats.

Evita, so sorry to hear of your problems. I had a few dizzy spells after dd was born (not sure what the cause was) and got really depressed over it. I too was worried about passing out on my own with dd to look after. I also have no family around me and most of my friends work full time so I felt very isolated. It got so bad that I wouldn't go out for fear of fainting and I ended up with quite bad PND. So I know exactly how you feel. I can't over any real advice other than to say inform as many people as you can about it and ask people to keep in touch. Do you go to a toddlers group, are there any mums there who would be wiling to help? However, I recently have been experiencing funny heart beats, particulary missed beats, yesterday it happened about 7/8 times throught the day. I sometimes get palpatations as well but otherwise I feel okay. THe day before yesterday I had been very upset because ds is being quite badly behaved at the minute, so I suppose I'm hoping it's just stress related. But I have to say my excercise level is zero, I'm sure this isn't helping matters.

Evita - although when I wore my tape it wasn't a bad day the consultant still found a series of irregular beats throughout the day. Most of these I am apparantly not aware of.

Luckily I don't seem to suffer as much as you (and others on here). For me a bad day could mean palpatations but fortunately not that often - can be quite bad and have lasted over 2 hours before. If I have palpatations even if only for a few minutes it makes me very very tired and I just fee like I want to sleep. Obviously this isn't really possible as I may be at work or looking after DD.

Other times it feels like my chest is really tight and as if pressure is being puched on to it. I get brealthless more easily too - I guess that is because my heart is working faster.

I do get tired quite easily - a physical tiredness rather than sleepy though. Luckily I have never fainted or anything; doesn't seem to have that effect for me.

I am dreading the next 12 weeks though as the lift in my apartments will be out of order. There are over 120 stairs to my 5th floor! Exercise does make me very tired quickly, even when I went to them gym.

What about you?

Pigwig, sorry to hear you're not feeling great. For what it's worth, a few irregular heart beats isn't supposed to be something terrible to worry about, apparently it happens in a totally normal heart. Hope you feel better though xx So what's your ds up to?

Hulababy, when I feel really bad it's as though I have no energy at all and my hands shake and I feel as though someone's got their hand around my heart and is squeezing it. It makes me anxious but also totally exhausted. Hard to explain really.

Do you think that if they pick up on some irregular beats etc. that's still enough to tell them what's going on? Or do they need to hear the heart at its worst moments? I guess I should wait to ask the consultant that ...

Evita, ds is driving me nuts!! He's started hitting, kicking and even biting dh. Don't know where all this is coming from but it drove me to breaking point the other day and I just cried for hours. I am currently 16 wks pg and don't have the energy/stamina for this at the minute, also I'm probably alot more emotional too at this time. But I think this might be how the problem arose, dh had been doing all the feeding, child minding etc because I had been really sick for about 13 weeks. So I think ds is rebelling at my lack of interaction with him. Anyway I've decided in true parent style that his behaviour is partly mine and dh's fault, maybe we're not being patient/attentative enough. So the last 2 days I have been at home with ds and have been a model mother, playing with him, singing, drawing etc and I must admit it's made a difference,he's much more pleasant and manageable. However, I'm no model mother so I'm sure there are more turbulent times ahead!!!!

Evita - my consultant could see what was happening but not what was triggereing it or causing it to happen. I had further blood tests, and this month I had an ultrasound and also a 48 hour monitor. I go back in March to see the consultant.

Other symptoms I have are a feeling of anxieousness or as if I am nervous about something, even if I am not. I feel jittery too and on edge for no reason.

Sorry to hear your symptoms are much worse. Hopefully your wait to see the consultant won't be too long.

Hulababy, that's EXACTLY how I feel, on edge and jittery about something I can't put my finger on. Do you find it makes you sleepless too? Do you think it's part of the heart thing or just a more general stress thing? And how much of your heart thing do you think is affected by stress? It's all very complicated to me how these things work.

How soon after you gave birth (sorry don't know the age of your child) did it all start?

My tape has run out and my heart has started playing up ... WHAT DOES IT MEAN???