cardiactec

Hey Suzanne, i was tested about three years ago for addisons, but i think i was to be re-tested. did you have to request to be retested or did the doc just order the testing the second time around? wow i never had them test my adrenals with a needle........is that how they checked you for addisons? all they did with me was have me lay down and draw ACTH levels immediately, and then again after quiet resting for thirty minutes.........

hi all, just wondering. does anyone get tachycardia FROM beta blockers? i know that if you abruptly stop taking beta it can cause rebound tachy/increased blood pressure..... i am just wondering because i wake up in the morning, pop a beta with water, wait 5 minutes and get out of bed..........usually my heart rate isnt up at all when i get out of bed (which is odd because a lot of people here have tachy mainly in the morning or getting out of bed)........anyway, the rates are pretty decent when i get out of bed and start the day.........but i have found more frequently lately that i get extremely short of breath mid-day/mid-morning (about three hours after i take my first dose of beta) and then my heart starts racing.....when i wasnt taking any beta, i could never feel my heart racing and it could be high as 210......now, usually in the morning hours after i take my first dose, it seems like i get this strange sudden SOB feeling and then the heart starts going crazy. has anyone ever had a problem with beta's CAUSING tachy? BTW, my BP is fine (114/68 or so and the beta doesnt plummit it out, usually no less than 105/60's STANDING).........

hi dionna, have you been checked for gastroparesis? i know that having this makes it very difficult to eat and properly absorb nutrients because the stomach is paralyzed and has a hard time promoting intestinal reabsorption by pumping the food to where that occurs most (in the small/large intestine)...... as for what to eat, i have been trying to add instant carnation breakfast in between meals..... there is about 330 cals total if added with whole milk (2 cups)....i think there are more cal's in ensure but from my own experience, i found ensure rather discusting (didnt like the taste).... i also have a hard time keeping weight on or gaining weight. i weigh 120 and am 5'8'. according to BMI, i should be at 140 for my height/age.......anyway, it is hard enough trying to keep my weight not from dropping out lower than 120. i have been at 110 before and felt pretty sickly........and of course everyone around me thought i had an eating disorder. ugh! so frustrating! i'd try either ensure or instant carnation to help with the weight gain. take care and hang in there.

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone here had ever been tested for addisons disease?

i second this. florinef also depletes potassium (causes you to excrete it in the urine) and hence can cause arryhthmia disturances on top of our ALREADY rhythm problems!

hi there, i was also recently diagnosed with gastroparesis after EGD and GES and prescribed domperidone. i cant take it though because after talking to my cardio about it, he told me it interracts with my beta blocker (sotalol).... gastroparesis can be do to a multple of conditions/problems including dysautonomia (not sure why the pharmacist wouldnt push for the med because you mentioned dysuatonomia, since gastroparesis is a form or added condition of dysautonomias)............ i would say it doesnt hurt to try it (meaning it cant kill you). i know it stinks to have to pick between one symptom or another, but which is worst for you, the gastroparesis symptoms or the spastic colon? if you suffer nausea/vomiting from the paresis, i would take the colon issues any day over nausea/vomiting! i hope you get some relief of your symptoms soon. sorry to hear you were diagnosed with gastroparesis.... take care!

mack's mom, when your rates were 180-200, what did they diagnose? just panic? do you have POTS? inappropriate sinus tachy?

i was on toprol xl, 100mg's and at one point 150mg's and my rates occasionally were still high (usually with activity, heat, etc). overall though, most of the time anyway, it kept the rates in control for me......... like with any beta i have been on, it makes me pretty tired.........i am currently on sotalol 160mg's and it does the job at keeping the rates around 100 standing, 65 lying down....and best of all, it doesnt kick my BP out that much........i switched from toprol to sotalol because sotalol manages the rates more.......sotalol though is a pretty potent beta and has significant risks for causing QT prolongation (leads to ventricular tachy in some people) so you have to be monitored closely..... i'd give it some more time with toprol. it actually can take about two weeks or so before the "TRUE" extended release effects kick in.......at least that was how it was with me........

hey there, thinking and praying for you. hang in there.

tachycardia at 200 standing without meds, 110 standing on meds/, crampy/painful/"full" feeling in legs, nausea from gastroparesis, fatigue. i am on sotalol 160mg's, a potent beta blocker.....i am in the process of trying to find a med for the gastroparesis/nausea........i also wear compression stockings for the pooling problem that causes crampy/painful legs (which the NY doc actually DID find people, 2-3 times the usual of what "normal" people pool when upright)........ i think a lot of you that deal with the dizzy/light-headed factor are the ones who unfortunately are hit the hardest with being symptomatic........it all depends, once again, on the precise etiology/origin of the dysfunction for each person individually. and as far as i know, from talking with most of you, the majority of your guys deal with, primarily for symptoms, dizziness/light-headedness, syncope or pre-syncopal events.......once again, all depends on the origin of the condition itself. some may do better with working full-time/part-time than others depending on the cause of their auto dys. i would think pots would be somewhat easier to deal with in daily living than someone who suffers from neurocardiogenic syncope or neurally mediated hypotension because of the plummeting BP problems. ...but i speak for myself on that one!

a few well known docs/neuro's have told me autonomic dysfunction is now a very common condition, only because more people are finally being diagnosed, compared to 20 years ago, not a lot of people were diagnosed because many medical professionals didnt even know there was such a thing as auto dys. yep, i was diagnosed by laparoscopy. wierd though cuz my primary symptom was nausea and not necessarily pain (although i did have some pains as well).......most likely the nausea was from the POTS/gastroparesis which hadnt been diagnosed with me yet......but everyone jumped on the banwagon with the endometriosis diagnosis for the cause of all my nausea (after a lengthy GI work-up revealed nothing of significance, MINUS the GI motility study which they actually JUST did on me that found paresis)........so they put me on birth control pills to help with the nausea, didnt work.......finally two years after the laparoscopy and endo diagnosis, they found POTS and most recently gastroparesis. my doc is looking into research/published research on endometriosis and auto dys......

Hey all, just wanted to know if any of you had endometriosis along with your auto dys? i have endometriosis and POTS and my cardio thinks that there is a link btwn endometriosis and auto dysfunction....

hey ernie. sorry about your time with the doc. he sounds..........INTERESTING! man oh man. just curious? what is your BP like before you pass out cuz most docs will disregard a true diagnosis of syncope (passing out) if the pressure doesnt fall that much.......still no reason for him to be so mean anyway! there are some docs that do tell you to try and combat passing out when you feel like you are about to go down........he should have chosen his words more wisely. nobody can be in total control of what their bodies sometimes do, but there are preventative measures you can take before your body hits the floor........i'm sure you already know a few, dont stand still, move or squeeze your calf muscles while upright, drink/eat lots of salt, dont go places where you know there are crazy lines to wait in, etc............there are some things that can be done to try and control a passing out episode, but ultimately if you have tried these techniques and are still passing out, it is nothing that YOU are doing or not doing to cause your body to collapse...... sorry there is no sympathy, care, concern from your doc. you have all the sympathy, care, and concern you need whenever you want/need it right here hun! i hope you can get another doc who will walk with you through this thing and not be more burden to your load. take care.

right bundle branch block is a pretty common finding. i have incomplete right bundle branch block. usually it is not a true block but more of a delay between the electrical impulses of the right bundle with the left bundle (they are supposed to depolarize almost simultaneously)....not sure what the nurse was talking about with pacemaker therapy for right bundle branch block, i have never heard of that for treatment for a right bundle branch block. pacemakers are primarily for people whos rhythm's are too slow, so the pacemaker is implanted to pace the heart when it drops below normal rates, or for some kinds of 2nd degree blocks and most always 3rd (complete heart block). hm, i'd definitely check with the cardio in follow up. dont get too concerned. i hope you feel better. i know how the breathing thing can be. it's horrible. take care.

hey sarah, most docs dont get too concerned by the actual pressure numbers (usually not low numbers, they get more concerned with high numbers) unless the patient is symptomatic. actually my cardiologist told me that they dont even classify a patient as having true hypotension unless the patient is symptomatic. my professor's BP is low, but this is normal for her - her BP runs around 78/60 and the docs arent alarmed by it because she is not symptomatic........organs (especially the brain/kidneys) are compromised once systolic pressure hits around 60 or lower. 79/30 is definitely low, and i am assuming you were/are symptomatic with those numbers? i'd let your doc know either way, whether symptomatic or not... take care and feel better.

florinef can cause ectopy. florinef can deplete potassium levels, so be very careful. i'd check in with your cardio to grab some bloodwork on your serum electrolyte levels. potassium plays a huge role in conduction (electrical) activity of the heart.....both high and low levels of potassium can lead to ectopy (skipped beats) and/or dangerous arrhythmia's. check with your doc to see if your potassium levels are okay. take care!

i just got back from the grocery store with my mom. i was in there a whole 45 minutes and after about 25 minutes my legs started cramping up and hurting so so so bad!!!! the pain was TERRIBLE!!! it felt like someone was grabbing them and SQUEEZING them as hard as they could. they still hurt so so so bad. does anyone have a lot of legs pains/cramps? interesting since i dont get the light-headed/dizzy effect, but i have terrible problems with leg cramps/pains/weakness...........ugh!!!!!!!! you'd think if i was pooling, hence causing the leg distress, i would be dizzy from malperfusion to the brain....BUT since they have concluded i am not pooling much, who knows why my legs are KILLING ME!! what a NIGHTMARE this conidition is, that is, WHATEVER this condition is!

i'd look into an office job! a three year old with your kids on top of it, from 7-4 is way way too much! paperwork is much easier on you and is usually a 9-5 job, much easier with the hours too since getting up early seems to be especially hard for most people with autonomic dysfunction.....9 is still early but beats 7am! ..... kids are a handful, especially a three year old and if you feel the way most people on this site do, you probably wont have the energy for a three year old. i watched my friends 2 year old for about an hour and it was a nightmare. i was very sick after, very tired, and that was only for an hour! i couldnt imagine 7-4. sorry to sound pessimistic, just dont want you feeling more terrible than you probably already do. i'd look into a part time desk job....

do any of you have stretch marks like on your lower back or thighs?? i am by NO MEANS overweight, if anything i need to gain like 20 pounds (i am 5'8' and weigh 126) but i have these zebra strip marks across my lower back and on the sides of my thighs. i have never had children either. what is up with that?!?! i shouldnt have this at 24 years old! is this part of EDS or something? one doc told me it was just from losing and gaining weight too quickly, but i havent really gained or lost more than like a total of 8 pounds in a quicky time frame??

HEH, i'm up at 5am every saturday for a lovely 12 hour shift at the hospital and have a very hard time getting up, tired.........but i must do it. is everyone here always symptomatic mostly in the morning?? i notice the horrible fatigue for me usually sets in around 3pm or so, especially when i am up and going at 5am! by 3 i am ready for bed on those days. luckily i dont do too much past 3 at work and get to lay down in the back room til i leave at 7PM!

hi, i was just wondering if there are a lot of people here that are cold all the time? it is about 75 degrees outside, sunny, and i am LITERALLY freezing! i have jeans and a sweatshirt on and i am still ICE COLD!! anyone have this problem? the winter time is HORRIBLE for me, i can never stop shivering!

you didnt offend me at all!! we are all in this together and i appreciate any suggestions/info/input from anybody. thanks for your thoughts! take care!

histamine is released by mast cells in the body in response to certain allergen's -- if you have allergies to something, histamine is released in the bloodstream....that is only one cause, but usually the main cause. hang in there!

hey hun, i know it is hard to wait for the results without getting worked up.....try and listen to some soft, relaxing music if you can. i know it helps me sometimes..... if it is pheochromocytoma, most always they are benign anyway and can easily be taken care of....so dont fret.... hang in there!!! praying for you! HUG!!!!!!!!!!!

hey nina, yes, i have seen dr. low, dr.bonyhay/dr.freeman, the latest dr.stewart, and finally on multiple occasions my very smart and awesome EP doc here in my home state. i dont have any flipped T waves (i am guessing they did the cath on you because they thought you had a coronary disease, since inverted T waves can usually indicate that/ischemia? or as you said, they are just "non-specific)..... oh yes, i know all about the ekg machine. it interprets what it senses for voltage criteria mainly, so if your P waves are huge in inferior leads and you also have a more prominent positive QRS in V1, than it might think you have right ventricular hypertrophy (i know you may not know a lot of ekg, so i'm just giving you an example).......usually what will happen is, if the ekg picks up two or three types of waveform morphologies along with voltage changes, it will assume what it has been programmed to interpret as "abnormal"......cardios, as you know, then usually follow up these abnormalities (which some can be normal variants) with echo. ekg is usually pretty accurate in it's interpretation for rhythm disturbances. it is not so accurate in it's interpretation for things that are diagnosed mainly on voltage criteria of waveforms (like your T waves inversions, since ischemia is usually seen when the voltage of the T wave is over a certain ''number'', not necessarily just on the fact that they are inverted....docs also look at how deeply inverted they are, and in what leads they are inverted in, etc, etc...the ekg machine isnt smart enough to discern so many variables)... ....so it spits out an abnormal finding, and thankfull depends on a docs expertise to reveal if it is really abnormal or not (thank God there are some docs who dont just depend on what a machine thinks is going on! lol!!) ........yep, left ventricular hypertrophy is one that comes up a lot on ekg machine interpretations, and the majority of the time, it is not appreciated on echo. with left ventricular hypertrophy, usually true hypertrophy, you wont just see a voltage change in the QRS in certain leads, but you will also see funky T wave changes as well.....did they see this with you? why did they do a cath on you? were they checking pressures? or coronaries? oh by the way, just to take note, excessive tachycardia (which we all know so much about, lol! more than we want!) can cause st-t abnormalities on ekg, especially in inferior leads (this is usually where it is definitely non-specific). if you were hooked up long enough to ekg, enough to settle the heart from tachycardia, it would resolve. same goes with things like hyperventilation and such....because the heart isnt receiving the oxygen demand it needs, especially with fast heart rates...so usually you see non-specific st-t changes, but that arent indicative of true ischemia (lack of O2 to the heart/coronaries).......if someone with coronary artery disease came in, however, and whether or not tachycardic, you'd see deep deep inverted T's (in leads that are more specific for coronary disease and not just inferior leads) instead of just inverted T's with no depth to them..... dont ya love the cardiac conduction system! hahaha! great talking with you....i'll let you know what the doc says about my ekg when i hear back from him (he sent it to a EP guy in canada)....... oh yeah, my EP doc mentioned grubb. i'm considering going to see him at some point if we cant figure this out!!