Heart Problems, Cardiac Symptoms, But Test Results Normal

Posted by deepakkumar @deepakkumar, Apr 11, 2019

m heart rate had go to very fast last night at 3.00 am about 120 to 130 per minutes, when i change position and go to outdoor slowly and return to bedroom, it become normal and I sleep again. Again when i weak up in morning, again heart rate is about 110 to 120. This type of happen three times in 5 months . I tested for ECG, EcoCG,EEG, Ions, CBC,BP and DC. all are normal. Also sometime when i am in standing or sitting, a sudden cardiac arrest type of event occur and I have faint, sweeting.

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I ended up in er put there by myself after strong palpitations and slight breathlessness.. weakness
all normal like you..On my own bp machine get readings like you
Had two ablations already

Maybe a third or pacemaker suggested..don't know what to do myself.
How does one figure out any of this? depressing me.

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@windyshores

In the ER, was your heart rate elevated to around 120-5? Are you on a beta blocker or diltiazem already?

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No, mostly only 100 - 110 (at most).

No, I'm not taking any cardiac meds apart from Xarelto.

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@realitytest

No, mostly only 100 - 110 (at most).

No, I'm not taking any cardiac meds apart from Xarelto.

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My guess is that concern was not enough at that rate to initiate treatment for tachycardia but I don't know the facts. I think comfort should be considered a factor.

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@realitytest

No, mostly only 100 - 110 (at most).

No, I'm not taking any cardiac meds apart from Xarelto.

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I often see Xarelto and other anticoagulation meds referred to as "cardiac meds." My Afib team has told me these meds are not cardiac meds, since they offer little if any therapy to the heart. Their effects are felt wherever your blood flows -- in my case causing slight bleeds wherever a sore opens, usually in my internal and external epithelium (skin or internal organ lining such as of the bladder). That's why they're often referred to as "blood thinners," which may be slightly off-kilter also.

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Anticoagulants are used to address the risk of blood clots from atrial fibrillation. They do not address the afib itself: there are other medications for that. There may be other reasons for anticoagulants as well. The only one I know of is VDT, deep vein thrombosis. So yes they are not just for heart issues.

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Well, here I am with my pulse still (mostly) in sinus tachycardia and up to 135. Understood that I am at rest when these measures are recorded. Unlike when I. was in the ER, they can't tell if these abnormal rates are accompanied by AFIB.

Still my doctor doesn't think he needs to see me before (our already scheduled appointment in) May.

Even his nurses I'm dealing with are aghast.

Today at least I got him to agree to order me a cardiac "event monitor" for a week's use. This is one instance when my usually helpful googling isn't helping as I plainly see this symptom could signal a situation requiring intervention (for instance ablation).
Sample diagnoses: Sick Sinus Syndrome, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, "tachy-brady syndrome" (this one fits as my pulse also drops as low as 50). Also, my pulse becomes more elevated from only slight exercise, such as going up one flight of stairs at home. I also become slightly breathless then which didn't used to happen.

I see my pulse is 63 now - I can check for AFIB with my Apple watch. Oh, lord! It began at a normal rhythm, then kept randomly skipping beats, but my Apple Watch said sinus rhythm. I think that app isn't working which just makes everything that much harder to cope with.

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About ten days ago, my pulse suddenly started to come out in tachycardia (100 to 135 BPM) alternating with dropping to anywhere from the 50s to the 80s, but mostly tachycardia. My cardiologist told me to go to the ER and they monitored me for three hours. To my surprise, they told me that though the pulse was abnormal as described (over 100 even lying down the whole time), it was in sinus rhythm. I.e., not AFIB - a longstanding problem.

They sent me home, saying (I agreed) they didn't think it would help to keep me overnight but I should follow up with my cardiologist. I was horrified when he said (I asked) I could return to the gym and that he didn't need to see me until May (already scheduled appt).

Since then the pattern has continued pretty much and I remained concerned especially when I started Googling (Mayo and Cleveland Clinic sites). It seems there is such a thing as Sick Sinus Syndrome a sub-type of which is tachy-brady syndrome (tachycardia alternating with lower rates with a pause of a few missed beats as it changes "gears". This is EXACTLY what I see on the Apple Watch's EKG readout!)

The prognosis is NOT good (less than half survive 5 years) one cause of death being sudden Cardiac Arrest! What's more, this prognosis is the same even if I had a pacemaker installed. I already had an appointment for a different purpose at the Cleveland Clinic in mid April with an excellent arrhythmia specialist and fortunately my sons were already coming then and can drive me (It's over four hours away and I can't/shouldn't drive so far.)
And right now, I'm trying to figure out how to attach the fancy "event monitor" which will track my heart for a week. (Persuaded my cardio to order it. You wouldn't believe how complex this device is! Have done it before, but the design has changed a lot.)

I just wonder if any of you have heard of such a thing or know of it? All comments and advice welcome! (I've already figured out something has gone wrong with my sinoatrial node (the SA node is our natural pacemaker).

PS I feel fine when this is going on - no fainting, weakness, or breathlessness - well, maybe a little when my pulse gets to 125 - 135 (always sinus - or so it was in the ER anyhow).

Also my normal resting pulse was 55-60 and regular (going about my business) pulse no more than 75. It's really unnerving to be lying down or otherwise sedentary and look at my Apple Watch and see its recording a pulse of 120 or so! (Note, I can't check for AFIB - why we bought this expensive device - because it can't do it when my pulse is over 100. I think I AM in AFIB occasionally but no more than before.)

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