So scared...

[carolpetunia]

Please make sure you follow up on this. It does indeed sound like a panic attack, but please have them rule out every physical cause first, okay?

Here's why I say that: I talked to a man today whose younger brother had developed some strange symptoms at the age of 25 -- memory issues, changes in his speech, confusion, etc. -- and was diagnosed schizophrenic. He was treated for schizophrenia for five years... and then, when he started dropping things and falling down so much that they could no longer ignore it, they finally discovered that what he actually had was Multiple Sclerosis. Five years of potential treatment wasted. He went down very quickly after that, and died a few months ago.

So... please exhaust all the physical possibilities before you let them diagnose a psychiatric one.

 

[stormchickx]

Originally Posted by catloverin_ks

Wow!!! That is scary!! But I have had pain and fluttering before too....

I have been to the ER as well, and they found nothing! I know when I went a few yrs ago the dr told me I was way too young for heart problems...

I still every now and again get fluttery in my chest and it is an awful feeling!

to you!!!! you will be better soon!!

I agree it is very scary and when it does this, I freak out and run up to the hospital. At some times though I just let it pass and go on about my day. Still in the back of my mind though.

Originally Posted by catsknowme

This someone is telling you that you are very special to your kitties and us and we are glad that you are being proactive in managing your health!
What a scare that you had - esp. with your family history. I am so sorry that you lost your mom & sis. I'm sending lots of vibes that you find out the cause & that it gets taken care of for good

Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Ah, misconceptions - you're never too young for anything.


I get chest tightness/pain, tachycardia with palpitations, dizziness and lightheadedness that often put me on the floor, along with a lot other little problems. In my case - my heart is fine or should be, the holter monitor showed nothing.

If your doctor does do the holter monitor you may or may not be stuck in the hospital for it. So be prepared for that. I failed an EKG so maybe that's why I was put in (something silly too, the left ventricle wasn't full).

Try what was suggested - cut caffeine out. It's easier then it sounds. The high blood pressure needs to treated, maybe this is your warning that you need more than a diuretic for it. I have to commend you though, at least you sought medical help - I've had a couple situations that I know I should have gone to the ER for but didn't. I hope you can get this figured out and treated.

When I had this last time, they did a holter test and it looked normal, but the dr said that occasionally I'll have a rhythm disturbance and should see a cardiologist, but I lost my insurance and couldn't get in to one. I remember though that day I had no sleep and my bf and I drove to Bowling Green, and I had drank some caffeine the night before.

Originally Posted by Strakatz

I've been 29 for about 20 yrs now,I suppose I should change it to 39. I have something that was found by wearing the portable monitor that was mentioned before. I can't remember the name of it but my heart will just stop for no apparent reason and after a bit it would restart. I didn't have a clue it was happening because it only occurred while I was asleep. I now have a pacemaker/defibulator installed so that this doesn't happen anymore.It's entirely possible that the portable monitor saved my life. I do have to admit that going to sleep and not waking up is not a bad way to go. I would just hate to do it at this age.

omg that is scary

Did you get medications for that? It sounds pretty ominous. Good thing you got it checked out before it was too late.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

That is so true! I had a patient that was 21 years old and she had a massive heart attack on a transit bus. They had to do CPR and use the paddles before they even transported her to the hospital in the ambulance. Her heart stopped twice enroute. Turns out it was an undiagnosed congenital heart defect (forget what) that they ended up repairing in the OR. She had been so sick that none of us thought she would pull through. I remember the day she was discharged home. It was nothing short of a miracle that she survived.

Dang how could they have not caught a heart defect earlier in her life? Glad she survived that though. That would be scary.

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Sounds like the palpitations I get. I have had faintness with it, though rarely, and have had stretches of it being "regularly irregular" as well as some little runs of tachycardia.

In my case, I back off the caffeine, and was found to have a sloppy mitral valve - sometimes it prolapses, sometimes it works as it should.

This was found in my late 20's. In my case there seems to be a familiar aspect, some of my cousins have issues. My grandmother, late in life, required a pacemaker due to sick sinus syndrome.

I agree with everyone who's posted that a referral to a cardiologist might bring you more information and some peace of mind in knowing what is going on.

I'm definitely talking to my doctor more about this now. I can probably go see one at the university hospital here.

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Yes, yes, yes. Low potassium is nothing to fool with.

I'd had this before a couple of years ago and I thought I was having a heart attack. Woke up with the same racing and skipping I had last night. Scared me to death. It turned out that I had pneumonia right on top of it and had to be treated for that as well. This was in 05 I think.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

Just as another thing to look at, have you been checked for mitral valve prolapse? I have that and my heart races, more so if I have caffeine. I don't have the other problems, but I hear that some people do.

Can't say that I have but I'm thinking about it now. I was told when I was little that I had heart murmurs and would outgrow them. That's something worth checking into as well.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Please make sure you follow up on this. It does indeed sound like a panic attack, but please have them rule out every physical cause first, okay?

Here's why I say that: I talked to a man today whose younger brother had developed some strange symptoms at the age of 25 -- memory issues, changes in his speech, confusion, etc. -- and was diagnosed schizophrenic. He was treated for schizophrenia for five years... and then, when he started dropping things and falling down so much that they could no longer ignore it, they finally discovered that what he actually had was Multiple Sclerosis. Five years of potential treatment wasted. He went down very quickly after that, and died a few months ago.

So... please exhaust all the physical possibilities before you let them diagnose a psychiatric one.

Hmm that is similar to some of the stuff I have going on at times, short term memory loss, mixing words, and some confusion at times. One time I even fell when I got out of bed and had to have my bf help me up cause I had to be at work that day. My right knee just gave out from under me when I slid off the mattress. My sister also has MS, Lupus, and mitral valve prolapse. Really lupus runs in my family more than heart disease but that doesn't mean I'm not terrified I could get both. With a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, I'm already heading in that direction it seems.

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words!

 

[blondrebel76]

you are never too young for heart problems, i am 30 and have high blood pressure and occasional heart "flutters", my bf's mom was 32 when she suddenly died from a heart attach, and my friends son is 12 and has heart problems. please be carefull, the more you stress yourself out the more risk you are taking, stress raises your bloodpressure.

 

[stormchickx]

I'm sorry to hear that... I started having blood pressure problems at around 25, 4 years ago, though I think they were starting around maybe 6 years ago? I remember having migraines pretty bad and going to the ER for a couple of them. Then in March 2004 I felt so dizzy and sick that I could barely walk. A trip to the ER probably saved my life. My BP was well over 200/140, so I spent about a day in the ER getting iv's and stuff. But what yesterday scared me even more so I'm getting checked out further today.

 

[stacyd1987]

When I was pregnant, I had experienced similar sensations towards the end of the pregnancy. They were heart palpations for me and I got my answer from others at yahoo which I had verified with my doctor.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0233631AALEa85

I hope it's nothing serious for you!

 

[stormchickx]

I hope not either. They seem to be gone for now. I haven't had any sensations since the other night. I'm thinking I drank too much caffeine and just didn't drink enough water to flush it out of my system. But at any rate I am feeling better and went on a new BP med. My bp was a bit high at the dr wednesday so she added Coreg.