funnyfrog Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Hi - I just got home from the doctor a little while ago- They put on a 24 hour holter monitor to see if they could figure out my shortness of breath issue and see if my heart will show any ansers to the problem. Have any of you benefited from having the 24 hour holter monitor done? If so or if not, could you tell me your experiences? I have a cardiologist appointment on Nov.15th and maybe your insights will help me ask some of the right questions. Thanks. Hope you all have a great day. My fingers are so freezing cold now I can hardly type. -Its a wintery cold day in New Jersey today. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrill Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Hi, Beth. Ask your cardiologist what happened to your heart rate overnight, while you were sleeping. (My doc went back into the data to check that after other tests had been done to rule out inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Apparently, if you have IST, the rapid heart rate is with you 24 hours; if not, the hr will slow to within normal ranges. My tilt table was positive for POTS. Have you had that test yet?)Take care,m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyfrog Posted November 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Hi Merrill - Thanks for answering so quickly - I had the tilt table test done in 2002 when they diagnosed me with POTS. Thanks for the info about asking the question about the hr while I am sleeping. I am going to write down all these questions so I won't forget what to ask when I go to my appt. I forget everything these days-Its so frustrating The upside is if I ever get Alzheimers, I won't know it!!!Not funny, but true. Thanks again for your info. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Sawicki Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 The holter monitor (years ago) showed I was having tachycardia and ST segment depression during the day while having bradycardia at night. I think it was one of the few tests that did show something. It's definitely worth it...hopefully the docs will gain some knowledge as to what is going on with you from it.Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star382000 Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 I had a 24 Hour Holter Moniter and the doc said it came back clear which really baffles me because I know that couldn't have been so when just this morning my pulse went up 50 beats just from standing..but yes, I agree that it is worth it, I think the point I mean to make is to be sure to put down what you are doing when Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypso Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Mine only showed "sudden, unexplained" sinus tachycardia. Of course, I tried to tell my first cardiologist that this sudden change was due to my standing up, but he didn't seem to believe me. So in my case, it really didn't show anything except a fast heart rate. But if you are having anything abnormal, this is an excellent test to have done. Many others here have coexisting arrythmias like supraventricular tachycardia or atrial flutter, which this test will pick up.Did your breathing problems begin when your POTS began, or is this a fairly new thing? Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyfrog Posted November 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Hi Calypso - My breathing problems began not long after my POTS began 2 years ago, but in the past 2 months the breathing has gotten alot worse. I walk up a flight of stairs in the house and am so short of breat that I am huffing and puffing and have a tightness sometimes in my chest that feels strange - This is fa fairly new feeling so I figured maybe I should get it checked out sooner than later - Thanks for asking. I woke up from a 2 1/2 hour nap on the couch a little while ago and now I am wired and ready to go, but at 1:30am in NJ with a holter monitor and my pajamas on, I don't have anywhere to go so I figured I would come on here for a little while. I hope it is not the middle of the night where you live right now. Good night. Thanks for your reply - I appreciate the information Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyfrog Posted November 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 P.S.-Excuse my typing and spelling errors - I guess the brain fog is setting in,usually I don't spell that bad. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 I've had several over the years ordered by a couple different cardiologists who were not knowledgable about POTS. They interpreted my results as "normal"--even though it seemed to me that I had a very large range of resting bmp, usually falling between 50 bpm and 140 bpm.A holter monitor does help rule out any rhythm abnormalities, so is important for that reason. Also, as Merrill says, it can held differentiate IST from POTS in that, in POTS patients, bpm usually goes down during sleep.Failing the tilt table test was how I was finally diagnosed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mary from OH Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 YES!! The Holter monitor can help differentiate between different types of rhythms. There is a certain atrial tachycardia that presents with a specific circadian rhythm, for example. Also, it detects abnormal HB and how fast/slow for a 24 hr period. IF you have any unusual "spells" during that period you can write down what you were doing during that time for your dr. It gives them more info about you since they can't "monitor" you in a normal setting all day. This gives them a way to. Also it can pick up minor heart arrhymias too.Hope that helps! Good luck for getting an informative report!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Girl Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 Hi Beth! I had a holter monitor a year ago and it showed a high number of PVC's but was interpreted as being "normal" for my age. The cardiologists again did not know I had POTS even when I flunked the first tilt table test I was given by them. I don't go to them anymore. I also get extremely out of breath climbing the stairs as well. I think the holter monitor is useful to rule out other causes of your symptoms. Hope your test results are ok. Martha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GayleP Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 I found the event monitor more helpful because I could only wear the holter for 24 hours. If I wasn't haveing symtoms during those 24 hours then nothing much would show up.I was able to keep the event recorder for a month and because of that I finally ended up having some incidents that got recorded.If you are symptomatic on a daily basis then the holter is probably fine. Also like someone else said, the holter can record your HR while asleep.GayleP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyfrog Posted November 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Thanks everyone for all of your replies - Atleast I will feel a little educated when I get the report back later this week from my doctor and when I see the cardiologist next Monday - I will keep you all posted. I hope everyone has a good week, thanks for all of your support.Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 hi, I've had some experience with 24hr monitors. While they can be useful if you have problems every day, a better option might be a 30 day monitor. It's inconvenient and uncomfortable but if your symptoms occur irregularly(like mine-I can gor for days and be"normal", then faint from arrythmia). it might be worth asking your dr about. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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