What a past few weeks!

Hello everyone! 

Back again with some news. Boy these past few weeks have been rough. I've been to the ER 4 times in the past 3 weeks. Twice in the past 24 hours. I can't shake this dizziness, the lightheaded feeling, chest tightness, arms burning, weak, sweaty, rush feeling. It's driving me nuts! I took my BP last night and for the first time ever it said Irregular Heart Beat. It's NEVER done that before. It showed 158/73 and HR of 73BPM. That made me go back to the ER at midnight. I left earlier around 5:30pm. Ugh! The first time around it was for the same episode, just not as bad. The first time the tech did some adjustments and nothing showed on the monitor. OF COURSE! She did say my PM reported two 6 second Atrial Tachy episodes but that was it.
 

Last night it was the SAME THING but they kept me overnight. But this time they put a live event monitor (Zio Patch AT) on me for the next two weeks. Let's see what this brings. They cancelled my Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test on the 13th because of COVID but I still have my Tilt Table Test on the 27th. My 2nd opinion Cardiologist ordered a Tilt Table Test so it will be nice to have two results to look at. This has been a nightmare and doctors are stumped. Out of nowhere I can feel faint, weak, dizzy, chest pain, etc. It normally only lasts about 1-2 minutes but last night it continued for about 10 mins straight. I had just taken a cool shower. I wasn't worked up at all then BANG out of nowhere I started to sweat profusely, body tingling, arms and chest burning, palpitations and extreme sense of weakness. By the time I got to the ER it subsided and it hasn't happened since. This is NUTS! Anyhow that's my rant for the day. Oh and I tested negative for COVID. She said t the test would tickle my brain... UM IT HURT SO BAD! I thought she would poke out my eye balls!! Lol!! Take care everyone! Hope you're well!! God bless!

Alejandro

8 Comments

I'd want data...

by CyborgMike - 2020-05-08 01:50:23

Alejandro, that really sucks. It is good that they got a Zio Patch on you. Hopefully you can catch "in the act" and log the event. If it were me I'd also push for the stress test. Are you doing any type of exercise? 

Before I got my PM 18 months ago, I had a lot of crazy symptoms for months. I got an Apple Watch and when crazy stuff would happen I'd log the ECG. You have a zio patch, so it is doing it for you now, but if you want to see precisely what is going on during the episodes you might make the investment. It would be another data point for your EP. 

CyborgMike

by arent80 - 2020-05-08 02:18:54

This is going to sound crazy but this is my FOURTH Zio Patch since October 2019. It's a long story but the first two proved my pausing while I slept and the brady. The third one came after my PM and was normal. This fourth one is with the hopes of nailing anything else that might be going on. I've done a stress test back in late Nov of 2019 before my PM and it was completely normal. I've had two echo's. One in Oct of 2019 before PM and one in Jan 2020 post PM. I've even done a CT Angiogram and it came out perfect. Zero calcium, no stenosis, nothing! I was scheduled for a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test next week but it's been cancelled for the 2nd time due to the COVID. I even have a Tilt Table Test scheduled May 27th; three days before my 40th birthday. This birthday will be one to remember that's for sure!

I also do have a Series 4 AW. I've sent the EKG's to them and they see nothing. This is becoming so frustrating. Exercise was going OK for a bit then about two weeks ago I was walking my dog, felt faint and almost dropped on the sidewalk in broad day light. It has me scared so I haven't been doing too much. I honestly feel like I'm just being tortured, slowly. It's insane how many tests I've had, what I've been through physically, mentally and emotionally. This has been one wild ride to say the least. I just want to get back to SOME type of NORMAL. With this pandemic, my health, working from home and the overall uncertainty in all aspects of my life it's been nothing short of hell these last few months. All I can do is continue to pray and hope for the best. I'll continue to keep everyone posted as I've been doing. Everyone I've interacted with on the site has been great. I appreciate all of you so thank you!

sounds like intermittent, frequent arrhythmias

by Gemita - 2020-05-08 08:12:54

Hello Alejandro,

Sounds like arrhythmias are occurring.  A two 6 second atrial tachycardia episode may not sound very much but it would depend on the 6 second heart rate at the time.  A heart rate of above a certain limit, for whatever brief period, can certainly do it for me.  Sometimes in and out arrhythmias can be more troublesome than going in and staying in an arrhythmia for a longer period of time.  My EP always used to tell me this and it was frequently the cause of my syncope, near syncope, dizzy spells, chest pain, breathlessness and similar symptoms to those you are describing. 

Hopefully your Zio Patch will give your doctors a better understanding of what is going on on a second to second minute to minute basis.  Are you on any heart rate lowering meds like a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker to calm all this down ?  158/73/73 is not a bad blood pressure reading (systolic of 158 is a bit high) but the other values are normal.  But an arrhythmia can play havoc with our blood pressure, sending mine well above my normal and crashing to very very low levels almost in an instant and it is this "instant" that is so hard on our bodies.  No wonder we can experience the symptoms you are describing.  You will get there and they will see what is going on and hopefully be able to help you through med changes, pacemaker setting changes or other treatment.  Good luck and keep us posted

Gemita!

by arent80 - 2020-05-08 12:24:33

Hi Gemita!

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The reason my BP was worrisome was because typically my numbers are closer together, not so far apart. Plus I'd never seen that Irregular Heart Beat symbol before. While checking my BP my heart beat did seem pretty wacky. I have pretty good blood pressure when I check it. I'm typically in the 117/80 range. As for meds at this time I'm not on anything. I'm sure if this Zio Patch shows anything that might change. The Biotronik rep was amazing! She said she knows the programming like the back of her hand. She turned back on my rate response (CLS) setting to help with the syncope/presyncope episodes. I guess the base setting is 55BPM and the CLS base setting only allows me to increase 20BPM which would only bring me to 75BPM. She changed it to 120BPM which would allow my heart rate to increase much more to help with these episodes. She also turned off V-Pacing as I don't use it and I am currently only using the PM 4% of the time. She did some other changes but it started to get really technical and she lost me. I really hope this Zio Patch catches something. I just want to be normal again. Anything better than what I have going on now would be a normal I'd accept! Anyhow I will definitely keep everyone posted. Thank you for commenting. Much appreciated!!

Stay strong and keep pressing for answers

by CyborgMike - 2020-05-08 12:56:49

Something cardiac is definately going on and is undiagnosed, so you should keep pressing your EP and Cardiologist for more testing or go to another EP.  I see you are in LA. I am in OC and also had months of bizarre symptoms. The top cardiologists and EP in OC couldn't give me a diagnosis, so they referred me to Scripps in La Jolla. Scripps was orders of magnatude more thorough and ultimately diagnosed me with a rare genetic heart disorder. Stay strong, be patient, keep your own logs, and keep pressing for more diagnostics, until you get answers. Also, stay grateful. We are all supposed to be dead and we're on borrowed time. Cherish it and use it wisely.

CyborgMike

by arent80 - 2020-05-08 13:14:52

Amen brother! I am 100% grateful everyday. This was truly a blessing. If I didn't feel like I was going to pass out at home on the night of 9/29/2019 this may have never been discovered and I might not be here today. The ER doc was the one who recommended a Zio Patch and that's how we found out. I owe him my life for taking the extra steps just to be sure I was ok when in fact I wasn't. Ive been seen at the VA in West LA by very well recognized EP's and Cardiologists who work hand in hand with UCLA. I've also see an outside Cardiologist in Northridge. He happens to be head of Cardiology at Northridge Hospital. My outside second opinion EP in Encino was Director of EP at Mt. Sinai in New York. I've been fortunate to find quality docs but I've yet to yield the results I'm looking for. I'm also working with the Cleveland Clinic to try to get a referral to be seen there. I grew up in Lorain, Ohio so I'm very familiar with the CC so I hope to get a third opinion there. Thanks for the words of encouragement and taking the time to respond. I appreciate it very much. All the best!

Other Causes

by Mike417 - 2020-05-11 12:27:40

Your symptoms may be caused by low or high potassium and/or magnesium.  Have the checked tose levels?

Mike

Mike417

by arent80 - 2020-05-11 13:02:31

Hi there!

I've had blood panels done while in the ER and nothing was mentioned about my levels being low. I'll double check with them today to be sure. Thanks for your comment! Appreciate it!

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