Heart experts

[Anonymousxo]

Just posting for some knowledgable people on here! I've had near fainting spells and palpitations for 4 months now and I just got my 24 hour holter monitor results back which showed my heart was in a normal rhythm but cardiologist noted some slight abnormalities were my heart was beating much faster than normal.
What could be causing this? Could my symptoms be related to this? Doctor didn't say much just said she isn't sure how significant the abnormalities would be relating my symptoms because she isn't a specialist but has referred me to an arrhythmia clinic

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Sorry no advice, but I’m sure the cardiologists will get to the bottom of it. I have a Linq implant to monitor arrhythmias since a heart attack in 2019. Cardiologists seem to feel like the most thorough medics I’ve met. I hope you get some answers soon

The arrhythmia clinic may prescribe something, like beta blockers
I have an irregular heartbeat and had various tests including MRI,
on a beta blocker and blood thinner. Lived with this for about 10 years, so dont worry too much. Its probably the GP being belt and braces!

Caffeine, peri menopause, all sorts of reasons.

@GoodnightGrandma

Caffeine, peri menopause, all sorts of reasons.

I don't think it would be caffeine tbh I've had this for a while now and I'm symptomatic but peri menopause...I'm 26 could that happen now? I think I'm a bit early for even the early menopause

@thereisonlyoneofme

The arrhythmia clinic may prescribe something, like beta blockers I have an irregular heartbeat and had various tests including MRI, on a beta blocker and blood thinner. Lived with this for about 10 years, so dont worry too much. Its probably the GP being belt and braces!

I'm being investigated because of my symptoms - fainting and palpitations so it's definitely something! I just want to get to the bottom of it now it's been months :/

The arrythmia clinic may do a physiology study of the heart. I have had this done and they can detect and trigger any rythym disorders and pin point exactly what the cause is.
Then sometimes they can fix it there and then or if not, knowing what it is they can prescribe drugs to control it.

Caffeine has a huge effect on your heart, dh has Arrthymia and even chocolate sets him off. But you are too young for this and the cardiologist will find out what’s wrong.

But you are too young for this and the cardiologist will find out what’s wrong. Those things are not age related. DS1 is 25 and has had palpitations since he was 16. It was investigated and found that he was hugely sensitive to caffiene among other things.

@Glinsk

But you are too young for this and the cardiologist will find out what’s wrong. Those things are not age related. DS1 is 25 and has had palpitations since he was 16. It was investigated and found that he was hugely sensitive to caffiene among other things.

Surely caffeine wouldn't be causing my symptoms or a faster heart rate, from what they told me it wasn't a consistent fast heart it was at random points throughout the day and I've had a morning coffee since I was 18 and I'm not sure if I'm too young but I am having symptoms that match a lot of conditions on the nhs website so it is just a case of being seen I guess

Normally no but the cardio wards dh has been on so far has had caffeine free tea and coffee so for people with a condition it’s a contributory factor.

Dh can’t even tolerate chocolate unless it’s white choc with only cocoa butter not solids.

Junk food like pot noodles sets him off too, mc Donald’s and oddly white bread. I’m “normal” but alcohol sends my heart rate up to 120 from a resting rate of 60.

It is just a case of waiting for a diagnosis.

@Fluffycloudland77

Normally no but the cardio wards dh has been on so far has had caffeine free tea and coffee so for people with a condition it’s a contributory factor.

Dh can’t even tolerate chocolate unless it’s white choc with only cocoa butter not solids.

Junk food like pot noodles sets him off too, mc Donald’s and oddly white bread. I’m “normal” but alcohol sends my heart rate up to 120 from a resting rate of 60.

It is just a case of waiting for a diagnosis.

Oh ok I see what you are saying now, sometimes when I'm sat down I notice I can feel my heart rate racing as if I'm doing a workout which is kinda weird.. Not sure what's causing it but hopefully I find out soon!

Have you looked at PoTS OP? That causes dizziness, and palpitations. And fainting in some cases. You can test your heart rate on standing by doing the 10 min NASA test and measuring your HR every 2 minutes. If it goes up by more than 30bpm, PoTS is indicated. You can also measure your blood pressure and test that too, as another form of dysautonomia is when your BP drops on standing (I can't remember if it's the first or second number to look at).

Most cardiologists don't pick this up as it's not a heart problem per se. It will depend if they specialise in dysautonomia or not.

@Fluffycloudland77

Normally no but the cardio wards dh has been on so far has had caffeine free tea and coffee so for people with a condition it’s a contributory factor.

Dh can’t even tolerate chocolate unless it’s white choc with only cocoa butter not solids.

Junk food like pot noodles sets him off too, mc Donald’s and oddly white bread. I’m “normal” but alcohol sends my heart rate up to 120 from a resting rate of 60.

It is just a case of waiting for a diagnosis.

Look at MCAS for your DH. His reactions to those foods sound like they could be histamine related.

@BonnesVacances

Have you looked at PoTS OP? That causes dizziness, and palpitations. And fainting in some cases. You can test your heart rate on standing by doing the 10 min NASA test and measuring your HR every 2 minutes. If it goes up by more than 30bpm, PoTS is indicated. You can also measure your blood pressure and test that too, as another form of dysautonomia is when your BP drops on standing (I can't remember if it's the first or second number to look at).

Most cardiologists don't pick this up as it's not a heart problem per se. It will depend if they specialise in dysautonomia or not.

Yes I'm very aware of pots, but from when I've done tests it hasn't shoot up to 30bpm and stayed there, it's gone over 30 before but it's come back down within 10 mins so I am not sure it would be that :/ Oh ok! I thought cardio checked blood pressure too, when I went to get my holter monitor they checked my heart rate and blood pressure both were very high but I was stressed because I was having back to back fainting spells so I'm not sure if that one was anxiety or an issue, cardio nurse seemed a bit concerned but cardio doctor had said I was ok to go home and just see what the monitor says

Thank you @BonnesVacances I’ll look now.

I'm thinking SVT. My daughter has it.

Did your monitor not have a button to press whenever you were experiencing symptoms? So they could correspond that with the ECG rhythm at the time?

I had a little stick on one on my chest recently, and it had a button. My episodes were being caused by runs of ventricular trigeminy and the longer lasting symptoms are just inappropriate sinus tachycardia, I’d also activated the button several times when I’d had ectopics which made me bradycardic.

The types of potential rhythm abnormality are vast and completely inappropriate for anyone to speculate.

My symptoms have stopped completely on a low dose of Bisoprolol.

You just need to wait to see the cardiologist.

@ZealAndArdour

Did your monitor not have a button to press whenever you were experiencing symptoms? So they could correspond that with the ECG rhythm at the time?

I had a little stick on one on my chest recently, and it had a button. My episodes were being caused by runs of ventricular trigeminy and the longer lasting symptoms are just inappropriate sinus tachycardia, I’d also activated the button several times when I’d had ectopics which made me bradycardic.

The types of potential rhythm abnormality are vast and completely inappropriate for anyone to speculate.

My symptoms have stopped completely on a low dose of Bisoprolol.

You just need to wait to see the cardiologist.

Yes it did...I wrote down my symptoms and what I was doing 'standing, cooking, walking' and I also pushed the button because honestly I ran out of room very quickly and it was only a 24 hour one.... So what il copy and paste the text from doctor....

Your heart is beating in a normal rhythm but the cardiologist has noted some slight abnormalities were your heart was beating much faster, I do not know the significance of this so I will refer you onto cardiology

Okay, well I know it’s difficult, but try not to worry or go googling anything, just wait to see the cardiologist. If the GP had seen anything life threatening they’d have sent you straight up to A&E so be reassured by the wait to be seen. There really are so many different rhythms, and so many potential causes, and possible outcomes that there simply isn’t enough information on this post for anyone to be able to offer meaningful advice.

There might be a very simple fix. I was having palpitations and feeling faint after nearly every meal, my heart rate was between 170-220bpm sometimes, but it slowed and I felt better as soon as I laid down. I have been diagnosed with POTS, and like I mentioned, a low dose of Bisoprolol has essentially fixed it.

@ZealAndArdour

Okay, well I know it’s difficult, but try not to worry or go googling anything, just wait to see the cardiologist. If the GP had seen anything life threatening they’d have sent you straight up to A&E so be reassured by the wait to be seen. There really are so many different rhythms, and so many potential causes, and possible outcomes that there simply isn’t enough information on this post for anyone to be able to offer meaningful advice.

There might be a very simple fix. I was having palpitations and feeling faint after nearly every meal, my heart rate was between 170-220bpm sometimes, but it slowed and I felt better as soon as I laid down. I have been diagnosed with POTS, and like I mentioned, a low dose of Bisoprolol has essentially fixed it.

Thank you for that info, I have been doing things to try and help my symptoms such as compression socks and more water but I'm not seeing much difference in regards to my symptoms so I'm hoping medication may help, I am going to mention this to the cardiologist when I see them as doctor won't prescribe anything as they say they are not confident to prescribe it incase it makes symptoms worse

My heart rate has been too fast, and I had palpitations, but I always put it down to anxiety/menopause, until I was in hospital earlier this year for something else, and an ecg was done.

I'm now on beta blockers, to slow down my heart, plus tablets for hypertension, and anticoagulants.

@TheCreamCaker

My heart rate has been too fast, and I had palpitations, but I always put it down to anxiety/menopause, until I was in hospital earlier this year for something else, and an ecg was done.

I'm now on beta blockers, to slow down my heart, plus tablets for hypertension, and anticoagulants.

Oh no :( yeah I do suffer from anxiety but anxiety does not cause me issues on a daily basis nor has it ever caused physical symptoms for me so I know it's not that. I'm hoping I will get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later, I couldn't even enjoy my birthday I had to go home early as I just felt so faint :( friends and partner have promised once I get better we will go for the meal and cinema again as I couldn't :/

I mentioned DS's sensitivity to caffiene above, high sugar intake has the same effect- fast heart rate. He also gets worse when stressed or anxious.
The cardiologist suspected SVT (which is what I have) but in fact it wasn't. He takes a small dose of beta blocker Bisoporol which seems to control it.

As @Fluffycloudland77 says they only serve caffiene free tea and coffee on cardiology wards. It's a stimulant.

You will only get to the bottom of it when you are seen by a cardiologist but meanwhile it wouldn't hurt to avoid caffiene.