Occasionally having rapid heart beats, dizzy, short of breath

Yes, definitely get a second opinion.

When you say a 'catheterization', do you mean an angiogram to see if you have blockages or was it a full ablation? Makes a difference.

Were you given a Holter monitor to wear for a week or so? That, or a very long ECG, 12 lead, is the only way to detect intermittent arrhythmias.

There are many syndromes not detected by labs or cardiac tests.

Are you more dizzy when you change position. - like lying to standing?
Does your heart rate fluctuate more than 30 points when you change position?
I had those, plus other symptoms, 3 years before my cardiologist diagnosed POTS.
(My POTS is a side effect from Long Covid but everyone is different!)
They might recommend a tilt table test - non invasive and no needles, if that’s a concern.
Ask CHAT GPT for a full list of symptoms.

They haven’t found a med which helps me but at least I have a diagnosis.
YouTube has exercise videos for the LEVINE PROTOCOL which is for POTS…
Even if you don’t have pots, these exercises don’t cause worse dizziness.

Good luck.

I have PVC and I can go into atrial fibrillation. When I go into a-fib my t rate will jump up to around 160 BPM

I was first put on propanol for the PVCs but then that medication was increased to help with the a-fib.

I’m also on Eliquis, a blood thinner as a-fib can cause clots.

I wore a heart monitor for a month and was dx with a-fib. Yesterday I had a cardiac ablation done to control or diminish the a-fib.

Yes definitely get a second option and ask for a long/extended time frame for a heart monitor test. I went a month so the cardiologist made sure she would catch when I went into a-fib. Which it did. After that we moved forward with the ablation.

Good luck!
Jackie

Get a second opinion.
Doctors are not gods

Get a second opinion, even if you have to pay for it! Not worth the risk of another heart attack or stroke. Why not a blood thinner? Go to an electrophysiologist for specializing in arrhythmias.

The only thing I can think of looking at is hormonal imbalances. But a second opinion on anything is worth doing if you feel unsure of the answers you are getting. Good luck. The episodes sound awful.

I was fighting a similar set of symptoms for several years, with only a little atenolol to help reduce symptoms. Several doctors just shrugged it off, one did offer to send me to a specialist but since PCP thought it trivial (he was wrong) I declined.
Wore a variety of Holter monitors over several years, even when I felt significant symptoms they didn't see anything they recognized or waved it off as PAC and PVC. Even one monitor's "AI Software!" said NOTHING. I tried to call the company and ask them WTF, but got nowhere. It may not be much but you cannot just wave off all PAC and PVC!
I'm always watching and fiddling with my diet, I made a couple of small changes really hoping to address blood sugar, and possibly blood pressure, but that's when the arrhythmia suddenly reduced by about 90%. If you want to play a long shot, do a consult with a nutritionist and see what happens!

Hi, Im a former patient with arrythmia problems so a bit familure with you symptoms. The problem is it can be from a few different problems of which until its Identified is hard to say what it is. So in reading your post I have a couple of questions that typically when a problem cant be identified they use these tests to see what your feeling. Known as a Halter test they put a type of EKG recorder on you for a period of time. Ive had them anywhere from 24 hours to 72 hours. It records you heart and the beauty is when you feel the problem you can make a note of time and date so they can look at your heart during that period.
The other question is are you under the care of a regular cardiologist or someone that specializes in Heart Rhythm problems known as a Electrophysiologist Cardiologist or EP Cardiologist. for short. They are the ones who concentrate in the electrical parts of the heart and specialize in that area. General Cardiologist are great as I like to call it the plumbing of the heart or the physical parts and if they see it during an ekg can identify a problem but if its determined it electrical then usually you will see an EP Cardiologist also.

sounds like it might be paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which is very hard to pick up on an EKG because it's occasional. Getting a Kardia Mobile might help because then you could see for yourself, or ask the doc to do a holter monitor which would track your heart rate and rhythm over a period of about 2 weeks. Now, they have a patch that you wear called a Zio patch instead of carrying a clunky machine around your neck. Symptoms of Atrial fib include shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue, high heart rate. Also, maybe just increasing your metoprolol might do it...sounds like the dose you're taking isn't adequate. Take care!

@jlair

By all means, get a qualified second opinion. For 2 years, I had similar symptoms as yours--in addition to getting very sick at even moderate altitudes preceding that and concurrent. It took an Urgent care visit at Whistler Clinic, B.C., where the ER Doctor asked me if I had seen a Cardiologist after reading my EKG after an episode of severe altitude sickness. (My Local Seattle PCP told me "There's nothing wrong with your heart!" when I subsequently asked her for a Cardiologist referral)

6 months later, after having visited the ER 3X that year, an Electrocardiologist told me I had to get a pacemaker. got one installed--which I did--but I kept passing out. After fighting with doctors, I changed clinic and providers and my new EC performed an ablation. Issues are gone for the time being (I'm 76).

Watch out for the Eliquis which cardiologists appear to prescribe easily. I'm currently recovering from a spinal surgery where I bled and got a hematoma (I had been on the thinner for 6 months, quit before surgery--) Thinners are serious meds, that can cause huge negative implications for ER care or surgery.

Online research is very helpful in getting educated about things. Also trust your common sense when a medical practitioner appears to ignore issues, or take a templated approach instead of adhering to your specific health situation; particularly with medications.