HI, i wonder if anyone can reassure me on my problem, i feel like a right hypo but felt i must post.(again)
I posted once before about my palpitaions, i have a mild heart problem (pulmonary valve stenosis and a murmur,i'mnot sure if they mean the same thing).
Anyway i have had palpitations all my life so am used to them, 18 months ago they got a lot worse and a lot harder, sometimes up to 11 thousand missed beats a day. I saw a heart doc who did a chest xray, echo and a heart traceing thing and he said i was getting that thing where your heart beats a beat too quick and then misses the next one, well this is happening to me every 3rd or 4th beat and now i am getting a horrible sort of pain in my heart. It feels like my heart is being sqeezed or squashed, i have to keep rubbing my chest to help the pain but it won't stop.I have noticed that when i lay down in bed it is much worse and it frightens me. It does not feel at all like a heart attack but i how am i meant to carry on like this, it has been going on for a week now. My mum had a heart attack at 36(i am 39) and my dad has an enlarged heart????. I do have a lot of stress in my life atthe moment and i feel almost sure all my problems are down to i am having an early menopause but my doc won't have it. I have noticed that i am a bit more short of breath than i normally am, especially if i shout at the kids i am totally breathless afterwards, and am also very very tired. The only other thing different is a bad pain in my leg that radiates up and down the leg???
I do hope someone can help me and reassure me this is all normal.
P.S. i have an underavtive Thyroid and take 125mg thyroxine


Thank you...

cazajacks,

You need an intense consultation with a GOOD cardiologist. Pain, shortness of breath a history of some known heart problems is a sign of trouble. A couple of your phrasings ("a right hypo") lead me to believe you're British and I'm not quite sure how your General Health works but see somebody this week.
I don't think the palpitations (like 1 in 9 ballpark) are the major issue here. It sounds most like angina to me and an arteriogram (catheter) is the single best test.

The back radiation is sciatica caused by an irritated nerve root in your lower spine and of no concern to your heart.

Thyroxine can cause a raft of symptoms but I'm not well versed on them.

My guess is the cardiologist will give you a good workup.

Thank you for replying, i just don't know what to do, my doc says all my symptoms are down to the stress in my life but i am not so sure. I tell myself not to worry too much as the docs have reassured me all is ok with my heart, but when you sit here day in and day out for about a week having constant palpitations and this heavy pressure i just find it so hard to lead a normal life. How am i meant to carry on normal things whilst trying to rub the pain in ny chest away???? Yes your right i do live in England.
I rang for an appointment to see the doc today but she could not fit me in so i left it, now i am home and have done all the house work and dinner etc and am resting it does not feel so bad, but it will suddenly just start up again for no reason??? more so on excertion?
I worry because the heart doc told me that nothing showed up and i was to go away and not worry?? He did say that in later life something can sometimes go wrong with my heart condition but he said he won't tell me what as it will worry me???
Thank you so much for your reply, i need someone to guide me a bit at the moment.

It feels like my heart is being sqeezed or squashed, i have to keep rubbing my chest to help the pain but it won't stop.I have noticed that when i lay down in bed it is much worse and it frightens me.

I have similar symptoms. When I've come into contact with chemicals, smoke, dust or other irritants that make my symptoms worse I use nitroglycerin pills under my tongue. I primarily use the nitro for chest pain, but when I get chest pressure and my breathing is labored, I'll pop a nitro under my tongue, and it really helps. Has your doctor suggested nitro to you?

Recently I found out that the fabric softeners and detergents that I was using were really causing my heart to beat badly. We've stopped using fabric softener liquid and sheets, and detergents and it has had a dramatic effect on how my heart beats, especially when lying down at night.

My heart beats better when I am lying on my left side. Do you find that your heart behaves better when lying on a particular side?
.

Hi, thanks for replying, i don't know if it is any better if i am laying on one side as have not really taken any notice. I felt a bit better yesteday and i feel a bit better even more today, but...... I know this is not the end of it, maybe in a week it will all start again and it is just a real pain. The doc says ignore it its stress but how the hell can you ignore it,it is really painful sometimes. I do get frightened about it, but who wouldn't.
I do notice that chocolate can make the palpitations worsebut not the pressure feeling, that is there when it wants to be. My doc has never suggested anything to me apart from something called betablockers, and to be honest i don't know what they are and i also don't want to take more drugs if they won't help a great dea.. I still am unsure if this is just stress or if there is something that they've missed, surely if something was wrong it would have shown up on the tests i had??? so many questions, if only these docs took a bit more time to listen i wouldn't be so anxious/stressed now.
If it comes back as bad as it was i am going to go straight back to the doc and tell her to do something. P.S.i have just bought a humidifier for my daughter so this might help rid any chemicals/dust in the house and help me as well. I don't know if detergents make me any worse or not, its not something i have thought to look at .
will speak to you soon.

Caz

Hello cazajacks and everyone else...I appologize if I have missed the answer to this ?...Is a heart murmmur and pulmonary valve stenosis the same thing? My daughter was just Dx. with both. She experiences short/breath and skipping beats. I know from other's that a murmmur alone doesn't neccisarily mean anything serious, but then the Dr. described the pul. stenosis. It would seem to me that if the artery is narrower than normal the heart has to pump harder to get the blood thru. Is p. stenosis something that gets worse or not neccisarily?

All info. is appreciated. Thanks,
Lorie :wave:

Hi Lorie
I still don't know if my murmer and pulmonary valve stenosis is the same thing???????
I was born with both conditions and led a normal life bit found i got more breathless than the next person. From what i understand it does not get any worse with age at all. I did find it hard when pregnant( just more breathlessness) and was offered a c section. With this condition you MUST always have antibiotics before any dental treatment or operations to protect your heart. I have been told you should also have anti biotics beofore you have your ears peirced( i didn't as i did not know this) and also before a tatoo?
The only thing is now i am finding these problems with my heart I.E. the huge amount of more palpitations ( but not all time) and this pressure feeling in my chest.
When i did see my heart specialist he said that there is something that can go wrong with Pulmonary Valve Stenosis in later life but he said he won't tell me what it is as it would worry me??? Trouble is i now sit here wondering if this is what is going wrong with me now with all these extra palps etc.
I hope your daughter gets on fine.


cazajacks

Hello,

I just stumbled onto this thread and I am so glad I did. I too get chest pressure of unknown origins. Many times it is centered right over the sternum but sometimes it is lower, sometimes higher. Sometimes it is at the base of my neck or even in my neck. It usually is not painful (although sometimes I get a little pain) but more often just a pressure sensation - sometimes the pressure can be quite strong. It is scary because the pressure feels like my heart. Oh, by the way, I too have been diagnosed with palpitations (supraventricular tachycardia and PVC's) which I suffer from on a daily basis.

I do get esophagus spasms too which can cause pain and that pressure feeling but lately I am not so sure the esophagus is the problem. Sometimes lately the pressure has increased upon exertion. Also, the palpiations have been worse right at the same time as the pressure.

My doctor thinks I may have some type of autoimmune condition which is the underlying cause of many health problems for me - with my heart being the most concerning!

Cazajacks - Have you had any testing done like EKG's or echocardiograms or anything like that? Have you noticed that you can provoke that pressure feeling by exercising? (Sometimes I can seem to provoke mine but most of the time I cannot).

Beerzoids - What type of heart problem do you have that you were prescribed the nitro? I take nitro too but for my esophagus problems.

-Mr. Strangeheart.

Your symptoms are alarming. First off you are not too young to have a heart attack and it doesn't matter that you are female. A first heart attack is more likely to kill a woman than a man. More women than men die of heart attacks each year. Iwas 41.
If I were you I would want at least a stress test with nuclear imaging or even better a catherization. Don't just ignore this. I know the health care system is different in the UK and I've heard it takes a lot longer for people to have procedures like catherizations done. Your body is telling you that something is really wrong.

It usually is not painful (although sometimes I get a little pain) but more often just a pressure sensation - sometimes the pressure can be quite strong. It is scary because the pressure feels like my heart. Oh, by the way, I too have been diagnosed with palpitations (supraventricular tachycardia and PVC's) which I suffer from on a daily basis.

In my opinion, there are a lot of bad doctors. They don't know how to diagnose and they don't know how to properly prescribe medications.

Even if you have a qualified, competent doctor, if you want to get the most out of your test results, you need to be proactive and try to understand them as best as you can.

Question: When you get that pressure sensation, is your breathing more difficult? Does it take more effort to breath, especially to take a deep breath?

Do you get tachycardia on a daily basis, or just the PVC's, "heart jumps" or palpitations, on a daily basis?

Constant tachycardia, or any kind of heart jumping puts a strain on the heart. Over time, constant strain on the heart is not a good thing.

Have you ever had a 24 hour holter EKG test? This test catches every hiccup of your heart over a 24 hour period and can provide some very detailed information on how well your heart is beating.

Have you been able to relate any event, food, time of day to an increase in your heart malfunctioning? Does it happen after you go outside, or after you come inside? An hour or two after eating? An hour or two after taking a particular medicine? Right after you lie down in bed?

Beerzoids - What type of heart problem do you have that you were prescribed the nitro? I take nitro too but for my esophagus problems.

-Mr. Strangeheart.

I have major heart disease. I take nitro under my tongue when my blood pressure gets too high, or when I get chest pains, or when I have difficulty breathing.

Good luck at finding out what is causing your heart problems, and at finding a solution!

Mr. Strangeheart...My daughter was 1st seen by a gastro. because of pressure in her chest, w/ the finding of mild gastro. reflux. Then she was Dx. by cardiologist with palpitations and mild pulmonary stenosis. So, I am not sure if the pressure is from the reflux or cardiac now. What interests me, is that I have wondered if what ever is going on with her, is an auto-immune disorder. She already has 2 A/I's and it runs rapid in my family. (I have several as well). Do you know of specific A/I's that have the symptoms of pressure in the chest, palpitations and dizziness. Those are her main problems. (She also has DDD of the spine) and she is only 16 yrs. old.

Thanks for all input and info.

Hi there :rolleyes: Sorry you are having such problems. A beta-blocker is a drug used to help the heart function. It dilates the blood vessels to allow the blood to flow more freely. Caffeine in chocolate can cause your heart to have more palpitations if you are having a problem with that, coffee also. The previous poster who said you might try nitroglycerine was correct if your cardiologist recommends this. It sounds like you are having classic angina symptoms. If it occuring at rest and exertion you really need to have a cardiac catheterization to check for blockage. Ask your physician also about adding one aspirin per day, this helps your blood thin too. Good luck, and keep going back to the doctor until you are satisfied with the care you have received and feel better! :bouncing:

Hi Guys, in answer to Mr Strangehearts question, yes i have had ecg and an echo but all looked fine????
I also had a 24 hr tape done and for that day i had only about 3 episodes of the thumping chest, sods law isnt it. The trouble is
i can have a terrible time with my chest for 2 weeks and then nothing for 2 weeks. I have tried the deep breathing as some one on here advised but it did nothing at all. The nurse said i should have one of those 7 day heart monitor things but the dr said no.
Sometimes it frightens me but now i say to myself, this is all ok, calm down and sit down and it will pass but sometimes it can take the whole day to pass.
I have noticed it can get worse when i have eaten a meal and worse when i lay down in bed at night, but again at the moment it has gone away again and i am fine,( but i do have frequent mini episodes everyday) it is no different wether i go outside or if i have just come indoors. I now only drink decaf tea and coffee.
If i start getting that heavy pressure sensation i find it a bit more harder to breath but not where i struggle to breath, i find i have to keep taking deep breaths but then i feel i am not getting enough air???? I feel absolutley fine in myself otherwise apart from a very sore and painful arm so i must be alright like the doc says but i don't like it when my heart starts to play up.
Do these symptoms sound like yours mr strangeheart.

Kazajacks- your symptoms are almost identical to my daughters. As I posted earlier in this thread, she is 16 and experiences palpitations, skipping beats, some shortness of breath with pressure (but not pain). When she eats or talks a lot her heart rate gets up to 150-200. The worse episodes only happen 1 or 2 times a week and worse when she lays down or eats. She was Dx. with Pulmonary Stenosis. She has just started using a 30 day event monitor. I will post agoin if I learn anything else from her cardiologist and hopefully you will do the same.

To everyone else-Could any one tell me if my daughter's heart rate of 100 at resting and up to 220 with activity is dangerous. And, is it due to the pulmonary stenosis? Several times it has gotten over 200 when she is just sitting in class. The Dr. said to just keep recording it and at the end of 30 days he will have a clearer picture of it's seriousness. It would seem to me that this could be dangerous...but maybe not.

Thanks all,

Lorie :angel:

Lorie,
Yes, a rate that high is quite dangerous and yes, it's likely caused by the pulmonary stenosis.

Hi Lorie, i have no medical experience myself so i cannot advise you on anything but as you know i was born with the pulmonay stenosis and my heart rate is always between 100 and 120 when resting. ( has been all my life i think) if i do any form of exercise my heart really races and i get really badly breathlessness. (but i am fat)
The other day i felt strange and noticed my heart had actually slowed down to 58, this is very very slow for me and i felt really uncomforatable but i do wonder if it is the drugs i am on??? IWe have a new DR at our practice and she has prescribed me appetite suppresants, i have read the leaflet and it says if you have any thyroid problems or heart condition speak to your doc first, this new doc was lovely but had to keep reading from a book to see if they were ok for me to take as she had never prescribed them before???????? i have felt a bit strange since taking them but they do really help with the eating. Keep me posted about your daughter and i do hope she gets some good results. My heart doc doesn't want to know, he feels i should just get on with life and stop moaning so thats what i am trying to do .

Caz

Zip2play and Cazajacks-
Thanks for your input. Hearing both of your info. makes me believe her racing heart rate is due to the Pulmonary Stenosis.

I really wish there were Drs. who would be willing to actually say what they know. I love our Cardiologist for his work with kids. He was my younger daughters Cardiologist, and I went right back to him when this daughter started with problems. The only problem that I know from the past is he doesn't want to give you too much info. because he thinks it'll drive you crazy thinking about it. W/ my younger daughter, this Dr. gave her tons of gifts the christmas before she died. Looking back at the whole thing, I realized that he knew it was probably going to be her last Christmas...when we got the call that she has had a heart attack and died, we were in shock. We had no idea she was so close to death. I wish I had known. I plan on telling the Dr. that I can not take any more suprises and that I need to know exactly what to look ahead to for this child. I hope he listens and actually hears what I am saying. Sorry for the legnth...I guess I just needed to vent a little. Thanks again for your feedback. :angel:

Lorie

Hi Lorie, i am so very sorry to hear about your other daughters death, i did'nt realise that you had had this terrible time before with your other daughter. It must be such a worry for you now this has happened with your next daughter... but as i said i am 40 yrs old now and never really had any big problems with this condition,only little ones. i find that if i get flu or somethig i get a bad dose of flu and it knock me off of my feet, but i find i don't have a very strong immune system either so thats why i probably pick up all the bugs. I find that i get tired real easily but i also have an under acitve thyroid so that could be down to that. When i was a child i did suffer with repeated bronchitus all the time, but not now. I do lead a perfectly normal life really.
I have the same problem with my heart doc he don't want to say much , his attitude is 'you don't need to know anything unless you get really really ill then i will tell you;' trouble is where he won't tell me anything i spend more time worry about my heart,if he was straight with me i would cope a lot better i think. Please don't worry about venting off to me, you can talk to me whenever you want to, i will always listen. If you want to talk more please do so. What country do you live in, i just wondered if your health people are better than mine (i bet they are).
As i said feel free to talk if you want to, i will be here for you.
Godbless
Caz

Caz, I was told I had a murmer not to worry, so I didn't. I would have sporadic heart arrythmias and heart pain, and again, I was told not to worry, so I didn't. Well now I have aortic stenosis and will need a heart valve replacement in 5-10 years. You need to take an antibiotic before dental work and any surgery. Throughout the past year my murmer has worsened and I have notice left chest pain frequently. I am tired and get very tired going up the stairs. I take a beta blocker (timolol) and it really helps me control the irregular rythms and controls the release of histamine when stressed. A beta blocker will never hurt you. Believe me.