Help! - Heart Disorders Message Board

sara103 · 12-14-2003, 09:05 AM

I have some questions and need some answers or reassurance.

I have had panic attacks and anxiety for a really long time. I had it conquered up until about a year ago. I had some very stressful times at home and with work. My mother was very ill and passed away in April, but this started b/f that.
I started having a racing heart and all the normal stuff, but since I hadn't had any symptoms for 9 years it was all new to me again. So countless visits to the ER, I have had ton's of EKG's, a Echocardiagram of my heart, treadmill stress test and wore a Holter monitor for 30 day's. Now, here is my question, I can pretty much keep the palpitations under control, but now I am having a problem with a slow heart beat...anywhere from 45-60 bpm while just sitting around. My chest hurts all the time, but I am convinced that it is stress and I have really bad reflux. I almost can't eat anymore, for fear of reflux...but anyway after visiting with the Cardiologist, he stated that all they had found with the ekgs, stress test and holter monitor was bradycardia, he told me I should exercise and that should help. Funny I thought I was having palpitations and turns out that I was indeed having them, but most of the time it was a slow heart rate. My blood pressure usually runs low as well 100/60...

My question is this, should I be worried or just relax and deal with it?

Any input would be great.

Sara

butterflytrans · 12-14-2003, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sara103

I have some questions and need some answers or reassurance.

I have had panic attacks and anxiety for a really long time. I had it conquered up until about a year ago. I had some very stressful times at home and with work. My mother was very ill and passed away in April, but this started b/f that.
I started having a racing heart and all the normal stuff, but since I hadn't had any symptoms for 9 years it was all new to me again. So countless visits to the ER, I have had ton's of EKG's, a Echocardiagram of my heart, treadmill stress test and wore a Holter monitor for 30 day's. Now, here is my question, I can pretty much keep the palpitations under control, but now I am having a problem with a slow heart beat...anywhere from 45-60 bpm while just sitting around. My chest hurts all the time, but I am convinced that it is stress and I have really bad reflux. I almost can't eat anymore, for fear of reflux...but anyway after visiting with the Cardiologist, he stated that all they had found with the ekgs, stress test and holter monitor was bradycardia, he told me I should exercise and that should help. Funny I thought I was having palpitations and turns out that I was indeed having them, but most of the time it was a slow heart rate. My blood pressure usually runs low as well 100/60...

My question is this, should I be worried or just relax and deal with it?

Any input would be great.

Sara

Actually...you should be happy that your heart rate is there and that your blood pressure is there! Those are excellent measures that will actually keep you healthy! The only problem with those WOULD be if you are having fainting spells or lightheadedness, which it doesn't sound like you are.

Also, if you think the chest pain is from reflux, and it's related to eating (which makes it sound like GERD even more), why not go on a proton pump inhibitor? It's different than the over the counter antacids in that it actually attacks the enzymes that make acid themselves. You probably want to do that too because chronic GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) can lead to Barrett's esophagus which is a precancerous state.