Arrythmia - Anyone Have It?

I'm not sure what it is you want to know. I have an irregular heart beat (an arrhythmia) that is benign. I've had a carcinoid tumor removed from my right lung. I think it's the same cancer you had. I've been cancer free for several years now but had to have a chest x-ray or CT scan every 6 mos for a couple of years and then once a year for 3 more years. Are you doing that?

You mention doctors that you've been dissatisfied with but none that you're seeing now. I urge you to find a family practitioner that you trust so that he can refer you to specialists when you need them. I've been fortunate in that I had an excellent GP who referred me to doctors that he knew and trusted. The GP did the follow up visits after the cancer surgery. And when my heart was skipping beats he referred me to the cardiologist. I was feeling stress also at that time.

You really need to be seeing a doctor regularly. At the least, yearly check ups. Find a good family/general practitioner who will keep up with your history and will refer you when you need a specialist.

Stress will cause an increased heart rate and arrhythmia. And an arrhythmia will cause stress. The numbers you give sound within normal range. And I've heard my heart pounding in my ears from time to time. I would find ways to relax and not worry so that you can wait for your appointment. You can call the advice nurse at the cardiologist's office and give your symptoms to ask for reassurance that it's OK to wait 3 weeks for your appointment.

BTW I'm glad you're still with us on this site. And I do remember you from a conversation about carcinoid tumors.

what I want to know is how you keep hitting drs who are clueless? How does this keep happening? Look at your method of choice, your attitude, & really try to prevent this from happening again. My Gma is almost 91 & she can entertain us (her opinion) for hours on end with stories of her "bad" doctors! Please find a way to prevent this!

Moving on, more thoughts on the heartbeat pounding in your ears: when my blood sugar is up, I feel a heartbeat in my ears. Seriously, yes.

I also have this symptom when I have fluid buildup in my ears. Right now, I have a headful of gunk & the "beat" is driving me nuts!

As Marda said, find a good general practitioner & stick with him/her!

I second Marda-- a good family practice doc/general internist (and there are some gynecologists who also do primary care) is worth his/her weight in GOLD! Find one, and keep trying until you find one that's a good "fit" -- the doctor who's perfect for me might rub you the wrong way and vice versa. Once you find a primary care doc that you trust you can rely on them to refer you to GOOD specialists AND to watch the big picture. A lot of times the specialists are so narrowly focused they miss things or forget to think outside their own little box.....

Victoria, we aren't doctors here, so I wouldn't want to talk about heart problems other than seeing the cardiologist. However, I think that you ought to be taking your blood pressure twice a day - morning and afternoon. You should have your own blood pressure machine (you can buy one at the drug store) and take it WITH you to the cardiologist along with your chart that details your readings. That way they can take your blood pressure with your machine and then with theirs. It will help the doctor assess you, especially since you hear your heart beating in your ears.

I would also not exercise so much until the doc has pronounced your heart as healthy enough to withstand it, regardless of what your heartrate is while you are exercising.

Talk to the cardiologist about reasons why the other one might have wanted you on statins. I think that you let his wierdness about you undressing color your opinion of him, to be honest. There are good reasons to take statins that you might not understand, and you didn't get far enough into this to know his reasoning, which you should have.

Part of taking care of yourself after such a terrible ordeal you have been through is listening to your doctors, asking questions, and getting second opinions if you are not comfortable. I really think you dropped the ball in not getting a second opinion regarding the statin.

I hope that you are fine within these 3 weeks you have to wait, but please check your blood pressure like I"m suggesting. It will help your doctor help you.

Dawn

I was diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth, it was monitored all through my life. It some how sorted itself out during my teen years.

Then bam, at 18 I swore I was having a heart attack. Went in, and was put on EKG's and monitored for hours. Given tranqs and sent home. After years of severe anxiety attacks and many trips to the hospital thinking I was dying, stress tests, at home week at a time monitoring, and MRI's. I was diagnosed with PVC's, or Premature Ventricular Contractions. Just a random, unexplainable electrical malfunction. Its brought on by stress and anxiety, aggravated by certain drugs, and simulators. I have a list of things to avoid. I was told if I have less than 14 a minute, I am at a maintaining level and that I do not need a pace maker. If it continues to go up or wont stop on its own. I am a candidate for a Pace Maker. I dont want one, I dont think I need one, but occasionally when I am laying there and I hear my own heart in my ears, feel it flip flopping in my chest, and feel the extra skips and thumps as if trying to catch up to something. I think "hmm wonder if I will finally get some sleep in the morgue". Not that this is what you have, cause like everyone else says. Truly need to get to some more doctors to have them check out whats really going on there. Sounds like you have had one bad news after another, I do hope you catch a break soon.

I have arrythmia, but none of the accompanying issues you've been dealing with. Mine is definitely brought on by stress and caffeine consumption.

Best wishes.

My doctor is Dr. James Daniels at UTSW (St. Paul) on Harry Hines in Dallas (I live in Denton). ###-###-####

I too, was told over 15 yrs ago that my issue was from scar tissue. Low and behold, it is not. I have heart rates commonly over 200bpm, and every month or so, episodes over 250bpm. Dr. Daniels has been very good to me and we are now able to diagnose and properly treat my abnormal beats. Good Luck!