Just Diagnosed with Arrthymia and Anxious/Depressed anyone else?

[Anonymous]

I'm the immediate PP, and I forgot one thing. I do have a murmur, but the doctor keeps saying it's nothing to worry about. How do they know when it is something to worry about (like in OP's case) and when it's not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the immediate PP, and I forgot one thing. I do have a murmur, but the doctor keeps saying it's nothing to worry about. How do they know when it is something to worry about (like in OP's case) and when it's not?

OP here. I understand what you are going through and had the same issue with two male cardiologists. One wouldn't even give me a holter without a battle and refused to give me an event monitor. I finally saw a woman cardiologist affiliated with Johns Hopkins and she ordered the 30 day event monitor immediately. She said she understood and that while she was pregnant with her two kids, she often felt flips and flutters and said "if I hadn't been a cardiologist who knew they were harmless it would really scare me."

She took me seriously and now I am glad. Even a 24 hour holter monitor doesn't catch the more uncommonly occurring arrthymias.

So, PP, my advice is to find another cardiologist who is affiliated with a large hospital with more resources. I saw two smaller practitioners prior to this last one and one doesn't even use 30-day monitors at all (doesn't want to deal with the insurance issues) and the second wouldn't either. Both are highly regarded cardiologists who are often mentioned on this board. I think they don't want to have to expend the resources contracting with third party telemetry companies who do the monitoring.

Try Cardiocare in chevy Chase, Virginia Heart in NoVA, or go to the best Johns Hopkins - a drive but also have locations in Columbia and Odenton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Pap, No have not yet had to be cardioverted. Have heard the adenosine is awful. But Have been to ER twice with SVT but it converted on its own, once in ambulance.

Have already given up caffeine. Looks like carbs/sugar and alcohol are next. I am not a heavy drinker but do enjoy a nightly glass of wine. It does cause flareups though.

What was your cardio version like? Was it for SVT or afib? How old are you?

A fib. The first episode the drugs worked, but it took 12 hours; I stayed in the hospital for 3 days. The second time, the drugs never worked so they cardioverted me on the 4th day. They take you down to OR, put you to sleep and then you wake up not that long afterward. Then they sent me back upstairs to pack and go home!

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear this. Be sure and look into Lyme disease too especially if the recommended course of treatment doesn't seem to work for you - most of your symptoms you mention are also Lyme which is unfortunately often hard to diagnose and not responding to meds for your "diagnosed" condition is one sign it could be something else. Tests can be negative but there are lists of symptoms of late stage Lyme in this document. http://www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf