Should I switch cardiologists?

As you wait for the new cardiology appointment your parents are getting set up it may help you to try and focus on ways you can relax. I totally get that this is easier said than done, but I really think it is focus well spent. It sounds like you are getting exhausted and I imagine, scared. This is a super difficult situation for you.

I started sleeping in a recliner a few years ago when I had problems laying down flat. Maybe it would help, at least in the meantime to elevate your head and maybe chest up a bit when you go to bed.

I have one other thought you could run by your parents. You mention asking someone in your cardiologists office for copies of your testing and it sounded like they were helpful. I think if it were me as I waited, I would call the office and ask to talk to a nurse. You could tell them about your symptoms when you go to bed and during the night, and that relaxing is get more difficult. Tell them the drug you are taking, that it doesn’t seem to work like it has been. Ask them, ‘what do I do’?

Please come back and comment as you make progress with finding a new cardiologist and/or learn more.

Are you able to keep up with your commitments? How about spending time doing something you enjoy?

Sounds similar to sleep apnea. You may want that test.
Good luck and hug

I am a retired nurse (psych) with a diagnosis of A-fib over a year ago; I have used meds and had an ablation and am doing very well. Let me just express my empathy for your feelings of confusion and anxiety. I do a lot of research online and utilize my drug books, etc. I have had really good docs over the years and some real duds! From what you have related, you need to find a physician that knows how to communicate, if nothing else. Having tests and not getting prompt information as to the results is NOT acceptable. Ignoring questions or skirting the issues is NOT acceptable. Even though I have a great cardiologist, I always tell him that I am paying for my 25 minutes of his time and I intend to use it! I take my questions on paper and I don't leave until I am satisfied with the answers. I have no idea what your condition is but I know that mild mitral regurgitation is not a huge problem depending, on your age, but that is not for me to guess. What you need is a physician that will communicate with you in a respectful manner. There are A+ docs out there and there are C- docs out there. There are also A+ docs that have no people skills whatsoever, but they do know there stuff. Find one that is recommended by others, ask the nurses you may know. Look online for the doctor's patient ratings. Call your insurance provider to ask them whom they recommend. Lots of insurance companies have good feedback to help their customers. After all, they don't want to pay for incompetence. I hope you find someone who will give you answers to your issues and reassure you if certain things are not worrisome; some conditions have to do with aging and lifestyle. Too much caffeine, alcohol use, sleep problems, dehydration, stress, weight management, and aging etc--all those things contribute to A-fib issues (not your issue) but these things are triggers for other issues too. Good luck and keep looking. You deserve answers and it is never okay for a doctor to say "don't worry about it" if he can't give you a reasonable reason for your problem.

Yes

@jaki101 I agree. If your cardiologist is being a vase of it doesn’t talk to you or he doesn’t give you the information you need and yeah, I would get a new cardiologist. Maybe ask somebody around a friend or a relative if you have someone nearby they can recommend another cardiologist.

@sjm46

Yeah, I just found out today that I actually do have all the listed things. Which were in my patient file. My moms boss was able to access my patient portal 🫠. Thank you so so much. Your comment means a lot to me ❤️

Sooo I found out today that I do have these listed conditions. I bugged my mom about it a bunch. Her boss is a MD so he was able to call the office and request my patient records. With this information we are going to be switching cardiologists. I want to thank everyone for their help and advice💕

Jaki, you should see a pulmonary hypertension specialist. It might be a pulmonologist or a cardiologist.
https://phassociation.org/pulmonary-hypertension/find-expert-care/
The doctor's list may have been a differential diagnosis which only indicates "maybe this and rule out that." But the possibility of pulmonary hypertension needs to be ruled out or treated. Bless your heart for looking at your patient folder.

@sjm46

This reminds me of a conversation my wife overheard last Fall on my first Mayo visit. A senior doc and a “student” doc were walking down the hall. The senior said, “Look everyone knows you're a doctor. Stop trying to prove it to each patient. Prove to them you’re a human.”

@altilla Great example! I taught a class to new nurse hires and included a short film on empathy, trying to teach them that they needed to remember that every patient is an individual and that they might never know what that person was dealing with when they interacted with them. In the film one person had just learned that they were going to be a parent for the first time, another had just been given a cancer diagnosis; one family had just made the decision to stop life support for their grandfather, etc. When the film was finished (something that I can't watch without tearing up) I looked for a reaction from these young ones, and from most it was a blank stare! I needed to remind them that they won't always be "young" or "healthy" or "lucky" that they don't have to deal with some of life's challenges. Physicians have a lot on their plate, but if they can't relate to people in an empathetic way, they should just be surgeons, where their patients are unconscious. LOL