MeganMN

From some one who works in the ER, if I saw any of those on the monitor I would not be concerned about any except the vtach, but that can also be artifact from moving. Moving around causes lots of funky stuff and those monitors are not stellar. Hard to say without being there but as an ER nurse, I would have reassured my patient as well and not been concerned, but it really is hard to say for sure without seeing the monitor!

Hello! Finally feeling like my heart rate is stabilizing. I am tapering the Beta Blockers some, and seeing my Primary next week for some more referrals to ENT and/or Neurology. Since all this began I was having dizziness with some nausea, followed by headaches (never really had headaches before). The headaches seem to be worsening and the dizziness is still around. Today was particularly bad with my head feeling like it is being squeeZed in a vice. My headaches are always gone when I wake up, then progressively get worse throughout the day. Today is a doozy. Seriously feels like when I had a spinal headache years ago... Slowly getting better as I lay on the couch. Anyone else get this? What is the deal? Any ideas on what works to make it less painful? finally feel like my body is settling down, but these headaches........

I have been noticing this more and more frequently lately. I also am getting unrelenting dizziness despite treatment for the heart rate. Ick- feels like my head is being squeezed in a vice.

Wow, thanks to everyone who reponded! I am on Day Two now of incessant dizziness, extreme sleepiness/fatigue, headache, ringing in my eaR, and low BP. The EP's office called this morning and I guess he fired himself. He recommended I coordinate with my GP to go on down the line to a Neurologist and/or ENT. Still somewhat frustrating as it may be weeks to get that sorted out, but in the meantime, I trudge onward! At least there is a plan of sorts.

Have you had a holter or event monitor? If not, it seems that should be first. An EP study might be in a cath lab where they actually go in under radiology and look at the electricity of the heart and determine if anything is out of whack. I think it is good they are looking for other things. I think many of us, if a cause or reason could be found, would want to sort it out! That being said, I am personally am getting more leery of docs and their rabbit trails!

Well, I reached out to my GP and she recommended that I call the Cardiology office here at the hospital where I work. I called them and they do not want to see me because they do not want to step on the Electrophysiologists toes. Nice. So I got nothin'.... The EP said he is not concerned about the dizziness and take some Florinef and see him in March. Seriously.......sigh. and this is why I do not even want to bother.

On this topic, @Pistol and @jklass44 and other, how do you deal with doctors not listening to your wishes and wants? The EP keeps wanting to throw more meds at me and I REALLY STRONGLY feel that my symptoms snowballed and worsened intensely when I started the medication. I do not want to be on the Beta Blocker and have now resorted to self-tapering because it is making me so sick. I know my body and know how I respond to things and I am so much worse on it than I was before. I do not want to be dubbed non-compliant, but I need to get off of it- it is seriously making me very ill. I would much rather taper with a doctor's blessing than without, but.......he will not listen. So now I am uncertain of going to see any doctor, because I want to be truthful with them, but I am not taking the meds as he prescribed. I just know that I went from being occasionally dizzy and tachycardic, to being dizzy all the time with a multitude of other symptoms. I feel like poo, and before I was managing! I just know my body and how I respond to things!

I think I need to still find a doctor that I like. The EP only comes up here once a month. I am planning to maybe switch back to the regular Cardiologist because they have office hours every day as opposed to once a month! I do not even have a way to see the EP again until March. Good advice from all though! I think the tough part is that one day with bad symptoms can seem like an eternity, and I have to know when to call for help or get a sooner appointment, and when/how long to wait and be patient.

there have been days when I felt like I did not even look like I should be upright, ghost white face and dark circles. Ick. Not sure what the culprit is, my labs are always fine, but it is on those day s when I have the most dizziness!

I was just commenting on this the other day as I w as complaining about the constant and unrelenting dizziness on the beta blocker and the crazy heart rates off of it.... I was wishing the doctor could experience it just for a day.....and it does feel frustrating and lonely!

I have thought about this too. the extra chemicals are still floating around in our bodies and we may take meds or do things to help with the symptoms, but the extra adrenaline is still there. I guess that is my best guess, too. On beta blockers, the amount of beta receptors in our bodies can actually increase also, so it seems like that could maybe cause trouble too. Not sure about what is going on in the brain, but there were many days that I felt absolutely awful and my numbers were okay. Someone at some point mentioned that the lower heart rate (especially induced by a beta blocker) can decrease the heart rate and cause MORE dizziness because then the brain is getting even less oxygen. the higher heart rate serves a purpose, to try Nd get enough blood up to the melon! Made sense to me!

Thanks everyone! It helps to hear from others. I know they will not kill me, but it feels gross. I was most concerned because there are many times when I get them every other beat with a heart rate of 60 and I felt like I might actually pass out. EP thinks the Florinef will help with blood flow to the brain. He said that even though the ectopic do not get as much blood out with each beat, it is still okay. I know that, but......It still feels super crummy and hard to work through, makes me more anxious, which makes it worse! Thank you so much for the replies!

If anyone would be willing to send me a PM, I would love it! I am totally freaking out right now. Yesterday at work I had some weird allergic reaction a nd got super flushed and scratchy throat and dizzy, red and splotchy all over. Now it is happening again. I am splotchy and red and sweaty and chest tight and scratchy throat. I feel like my body is just flipping out. Anxiety I never had before and now feel like a basket case. I Do not even want to go back to the doctor because I feel like they are just going to label me mentally ill..... Eek.

I was wondering if any of you have gotten input from your EP/Cardiologists about atrial ectopics? I have had two Holters now that both show some short episodes of SVT, Bursts of Atrial Tachycardia, but mostly just the Sinus Tachycardia alternating with Sinus Bradycardia and 10-15% Premature Atrial Complexes. I have anywhere from 350-850 of them an hour. I know from my training and also from my research that PAC's are considered 'harmless' but I have so many of them and when I get them when my rate is super fast or slow, I get quite dizzy and gross feeling. My EP really did not seem to care about it. I know it will not kill me but it really stinks for quality of life. Any of you have similar experiences? Anyone actually had any luck with treating them, either with lifestyle or other methods?

Thank you! I called the office and they said that it was supposed to be dosed as 0.1mg once daily!

Thanks everyone. I was curious because my last Cardiologist recommended starting at 0.5mg and even my cousin who has Addisons is not taking 0.4! I will double check before I do anything. Thanks!

So the EP today has not yet reviewed my Holter results, but based on my continued dizziness with Propranolol, wants me to start Florinef. He prescribed 0.4mg a day as a STARTING dose. This seems way to high for someone already super sensitive to meds. What are your experiences? I am planning to wait a day or two to do anything different until I hear about the Holter report, and then I may try to schedule with a different Cardiologist to get a second opinion..

thanks everyone! The weird thing is that the bradycardia and bigeminy occurred on the lower dose of Propranolol. I asked the ER doc for advice while at work and he said I should go back to the higher dose of Propranolol and call the EP. So yesterday and today I took the higher dose and my heart rate is normal and I just have the constant dizziness and vertigo back again. YAy, trade one thing for another. Anyway, he was waiting for the results of the Holter but in the meantime, he wanted me to start 0.4mg of Florinef. This seems like a really high starting dose for someone already super sensitive to meds. I may start lower and see how I feel. I react to medications so much and am so dang sensitive to stuff. Does 0.4 seem high for a starting dose? Will hopefully hear from his office in a day or two about the Holter results..... As far as the work stuff, right now I cannot do anything but muddle through. I only work 10 shifts in a four week period, and they are all 12 hour shifts. We have three kids and my husband is in school though, so my income is it. No options there, so I am going to have to just plod ahead (or wobble and weave anyway). thanks so much for listening and understanding! Will let you know after I hear about the Holter.

Are you taking any medicine? I get this too. BUt for me it is worse with the beta blocker. I am thinking maybe related to a hypoperfusion of the brain? Walking is worse for me, or moving around, maybe because of the increased oxygen demand by the brain.just a guess.

I feel like I have sort of come to rely on all of you in some way, for understanding, and information, and support, and just to know I am not alone in all of this. I just got done with one of the worst days that I have ever had since all of this started three months ago. I feel so discouraged. I have had a rough week anyway with backing off a little bit on the Propranolol and having a high heart rate. Thankfully the severe dizziness was almost gone on the lower dose, but my heart rate in the 130's was not great. Then last weekend I began having Bigeminal Premature beats with a rate about 30-38 with symptoms. I got the 48 hour Holter 2 days ago so that is good at least. Today I woke at 4am with palpitations and a heart rate in the 40's. I went to work anyway and felt like poo. By 10:30am I was in the 130's so I took my Propranolol. It tapered off into the normal range and was up again by 5:30pm. I asked one of the ER docs what he thought, and he said to take the Propranolol because high was better than low, and now I am sitting here at 35. I just feel so frustrated. My EP made an appointment to see him again in TwO MONTHS! I cannot live like this for two months!!!! Feeling thankful that I work in a place where I can get advice, but this is crazy. How can a person survive like this and have any kind of normalish life.... Rant over.

@StayAtHomeMom totally! Those surgeries are terrible! Wearing the Holter now, hope it is helpful!

Feel like I have to be my own doctor, researcher, etc. Trying to sort all this out again. Finally have figured out that when I wake up in the morning, my heart rate is super high when standing and I have mild dizziness, but no nausea, or vertigo, or headache. After I take the Propranolol I have a normal heart rate but then also have nausea, extreme dizziness, headache, and vertigo. Guessing that might mean I need to add in a vasoconstrictor or switch beta blockers. Interestingly I was reading a study about cardiac specific beta blockers versus non-specific ones and the specific ones are sho wing more negative long term change s in the heart. Will see what the cardio says.

@potsiebarbie anytime you are in Minnesota, coffee will be ready!

Super interested I this topic. I was having weird episodes of dizziness and feeling off balance before I passed out and ultimately was diagnosed with POTS. Since starting treatment, my dizziness has become exponentially worse. After feeling rough all day, finally decided to try Meclizine and I feel a million times better! Wondering about the connections.

@StayAtHomeMom I have been feeling sooo awful the last few weeks and finally have been trying some allergy medicine and occasional sudafed. Today I finally took a meclizine and it really helped. Guess I will add ENT to my doctor list this year!