palpitations, lightheadedness... curious

[girlstar]

I'm a 18y/o female, don't smoke or drink and average weight for my height. I've been experiencing palpitations for a while now along with some minor chest pains, but when I went to get it checked out, I was told the chest pain was "growing pains". I was diagnosed a year ago with asthma, based on the symptoms that i was short of breath at rest and worse with exertion. I was taking advair and ventolin and each time I went back to the doctors, they would increase my doseage because it didn't seem to work for me. However, recently I had to stop taking my asthma medication because it was making my difficulty breathing even worse. The palpitations I've been experiencing has become a lot more frequent and intense, sometimes to the point where I'm just about to pass out. Even the smallest of activities wear me out and leave me breathless, with my heart feeling like it's beating out of my chest. It's making the littlest of everyday activities a chore. My resting heart rate is anywhere from 100-140 bmp. My family does have a history of heart disease on my mother's side. Should I be concerned? I'm beginning to think that I was misdiagnosed with asthma...

[girlstar]

hm.. no opinions??

[leeanne172]

Of course I don't want to say anything that will worry you anymore then you may be but I fairly much went through the same thing you are, was told I had asthma and was given puffers to take twice a day .. fine so I did. Over the course of this past summer I noticed (I am 35 btw) my breathing feeling "off" .. heaviness in the chest and becoming out of breath for walking a block, I was used to walking 3 and 4 miles so this was a totally shock and disappointment. Went to the Dr and I was told I had anxiety but I didn't believe it, I had dizziness, heart pounding for no reason, chest pains and breathing has not been normal in months .. went back to the Dr and she did a heart ultra sound, they found I have a narrowing in the aortic valve, I am in the process of waiting for an appt to see a cardio Dr to find out if it will require a valve replacement or not.

You should insist they look into this and don't let them write it off as asthma, if you think something is wrong chances are it is .. get it checked out

[girlstar]

Thanks for writing back! Anyways, I went to the doctors yesterday where they did a ECG, which was normal for the 1 minute they did it for. haha i'm scheduled for a 24hour holter, but that isn't until december. So it's going to be a long wait... Anyways, I think they're lost as to what to do with my breathing difficulties since I can no longer take the asthma medications. Regardless, they didn't help to begin with anyways.

By the way, did the puffers every work for you? Did you have a ECG?

[Jack51]

Here is some information on the side affects of the 2 drugs that you were taking. Maybe your palpitations will go away. I hope so
WARNING
Data from a large placebo-controlled US study that compared the safety of salmeterol (SEREVENT® Inhalation Aerosol) (ADVAIR) or placebo added to usual asthma therapy showed a small but significant increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol (13 deaths out of 13,174 patients treated for 28 weeks) versus those on placebo (4 of 13,179). Subgroup analyses suggest the risk may be greater in African American patients compared to Caucasians (see WARNINGS).

ALBUTEROL SIDE EFFECTS
Cases of urticaria, angioedema, rash, bronchospasm, hoarseness, oropharyngeal edema, and arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, extrasystoles) have been reported after the use of albuterol.

Inhalation Aerosol

The adverse reactions to albuterol are similar in nature to reactions to other sympathomimetic agents, although the incidence of certain cardiovascular effects is lower with albuterol.

TABLE 1 Percent Incidences of Adverse Reactions in Patients ³12 Years of Age in a 13-Week Clinical Trial*

Percent Incidence Reaction

Albuterol - Isoproterenol
Tremor <15% <15%
Nausea <15% <15%
Tachycardia 10% 10%
Palpitations <10% <15%
Nervousness <10% <15%
Increased blood pressure <5% <5%
Dizziness <5% <5%
Heartburn <5% <5%
* A 13-week double-blind study compared albuterol and isoproterenol inhalation aerosols in 147 asthmatic patients.