Panic attacks.... AN UPDATE.

[john-e89]

Well glad to hear they now are looking into it John. Goes to show that sometimes going to the doctor, even if you think you know what it is and they'll turn you away can actually provide a different answer and solution.

I know when I had my heart issue diagnosed people said to me I was possibly having panic attacks and palpitations but I knew it was my heart skipping beats and after going there they diagnosed another issues with my heart I had just disregarded as 'normal' for many years.

I wish you all the best and hopefully they'll have you living a more 'normal' life

Thanks Angie, much appreciated.

Crikey you're too young to be having problems, have they been cured now?

I don't ever slate the NHS or GP's but I'm a little bit pissed that it's taken 5 visits and 7yrs to diagnose this and dismiss panic attacks, it's affected my work and home life quite a lot, still, there it is.

 

[rhys4]

Hi John,I had a pacemaker fitted in June,and the difference is incredibleI was a bit tired for a few weeks,but now back to doing everything.Car insurance didn't want to know,so good news there.Travel insurance has gone up,and Im banned from the kitchen when the induction hob is on,but all my meals are cooked for me,so no worries there !!!!!!!!!!.Best of luck if you have a pacemaker,its a simple procedure,and I was home the same day.

 

[dr_john]

Tbh I hope they put me a pacemaker in, I'm not keen on taking drugs, would much rather have a mechanical trigger.

All the best John.

I play guitar in a rock band, our drummer has had a pacemaker for over 10 years now and belts the drums with amazing energy, not at all like a man with a heart condition. Goes to show what can be done!

 

[john-e89]

Hi John,I had a pacemaker fitted in June,and the difference is incredibleI was a bit tired for a few weeks,but now back to doing everything.Car insurance didn't want to know,so good news there.Travel insurance has gone up,and Im banned from the kitchen when the induction hob is on,but all my meals are cooked for me,so no worries there !!!!!!!!!!.Best of luck if you have a pacemaker,its a simple procedure,and I was home the same day.

Thanks for the post Rhys4,

I'm pleased to hear your pacemaker is working so well for you, good news indeed. Do you mind me asking how old you are? I'm a bit alarmed as I'm 49 tomorrow and was always, well up until these started, pretty fit, half marathons, distance swimming etc, it's come as bit of a shock tbh.

Many thanks Dr John,

Was a pleasure meeting you at the Watermill, same time next year? What sort of stuff do you play? If I had to guess I'd say, obviously Beatles, and some Led Zepp, Deep Purple, Doors, Who, America, stuff like that?

Yes these pacemaker's sound good kit, hopefully I'll get one and not drugs.

 

[MrPT]

Great to hear they have gotten to the bottom of it, John. I've had a less serious arrhythmia (PSVT) since my teens and it was terrifying until it was properly diagnosed. When the local hospital finally caught it on an ECG, my pulse was 243bpm! Now I just live with it, even though there's a relatively simple op available that will fix it (catheter ablation). For a while, the anxiety of having an episode or worrying about an episode occurring really affected me - probably a vicious cycle, since the mental and physiological sides of these things always seem to be linked, to some degree.

I think if I were in your position I'd go for the pacemaker route too. It seems to be a more targeted and manageable solution than most cardiac meds.

 

[ronk]

243 Bpm is going some! Mine is doing 150 ish during an episode and that's bad enough.
The catheter ablation has about an 80% success rate . I hope I'm in that catagory next month.
I think there is a possibility of a pacemaker for me if the area of ablation requires it.
Can I ask you why you haven't elected to go for an ablation ?

 

[MrPT]

243 Bpm is going some! Mine is doing 150 ish during an episode and that's bad enough.
The catheter ablation has about an 80% success rate . I hope I'm in that catagory next month.
I think there is a possibility of a pacemaker for me if the area of ablation requires it.
Can I ask you why you haven't elected to go for an ablation ?

243 was when I was 12/13 years old. I'm 33 now. Seems to have gotten lower in line with my resting heart rate (resting is now mid 50s, SVT at 180-ish).

Haven't gone with the ablation because while there is some risk, no matter how small, I don't think is the right decision for me, given that I only get a few episodes a year now (had 20 events in the past 5 years). I think I've managed to reduce the frequency of it happening by being more aware of posture, breathing etc, and I can also stop it quite reliably with the Valsalva maneuver, whereas in the past it has needed cardioversion. It also keeps me honest - most of the time I get it when stressed or hungover, so it's a good incentive to look after myself a little better! Most heart conditions are far more serious than this.

Is yours atrial fib/flutter or SVT? I'm sure the ablation success rate is higher than 80% for SVT, but could be wrong.

 

[ronk]

My condition has been classified as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation .
Eating a meal can start it or drinking . A pint of beer is about all I can risk - two almost guarantees it, as does eating dinner much later than 20.00
Coffee and tea intake has to be limited an in reality I have eliminated tea for some time now.
I've also reduced wine to about 300ml max.

It's taken me over two years to get to the surgery stage and think it's the way forward for me - I hope it is!

 

[AndrewZ4MC]

Hi John / Everyone else,

I have had episodes of SVT my whole life that have got worse with age.

I had the investigation surgery a few months back which is the same as the ablation only they don't burn anything. It was a bit uncomfortable but very straightforward and very quick.

For SVT the success rate is 90%.

I too have decided that I wont have the ablation until it becomes more frequent or limits me so at the moment I wont be having it done. This sort of ailment seems very common.

Good Luck John - it'll be fine. Let us know when you have had it done - I would be interested in your opinion.

All the Best

Andrew

 

[ronk]

The procedure is 22nd October for me.
I have the pre op talk and tests 15th Oct.

 

[dr_john]

Many thanks Dr John,

Was a pleasure meeting you at the Watermill, same time next year? What sort of stuff do you play? If I had to guess I'd say, obviously Beatles, and some Led Zepp, Deep Purple, Doors, Who, America, stuff like that?

Yes these pacemaker's sound good kit, hopefully I'll get one and not drugs.

Great to meet you as well John. Yes, I should think same time next year.

The band's called Six Dollar Hat (catch us on youtube!) and we do mainly bluesy rock (Rolling Stones, BB King, Eric Clapton etc) and a whole load of other obscure things

 

[MrPT]

The procedure is 22nd October for me.
I have the pre op talk and tests 15th Oct.

Hope it goes well, ronk. For what it's worth, I would be in the surgery camp too if the effects were as pronounced as you describe. Pretty horrible!

 

[ronk]

The surgeon said to me a good analogy re my arrhythmia was that the engine was in good condition but the electronics need sorting !.

 

[paulgs1000]

The procedure is 22nd October for me.
I have the pre op talk and tests 15th Oct.

All the best with this ronk.

I have a defibrillator fitted beneath my left collar bone as a result of dropping dead 9 years ago with Cardio Myopathy. (I was 49, like the OP, fit, running half marathons and training/teaching martial arts for decades). Steph, my wife did a brilliant job of CPR and 7 (!) shocks to my heart, from the paramedic, eventually got me going again - (13% chance of success without brain damage we were informed later, so I'm very lucky - great job from Steph)

At the time of my tests and implants I was also 'bricking it' and you are right, these doctors do this all day every day (as I was told by one doctor when on the operating slab - he wasn't best pleased when I retorted 'That might well be the case but this is MY first'!)

Anyway - the doctors and technicians were and are marvellous and I'm functioning and living very well and as mentioned above, am 9 years on (On my second set of batteries). I have 3 monthly check ups when the defibrillator is downloaded and functioning checked.

Things could be a great deal worse

 

[ronk]

Good to hear a positive Paul
I thought it was just us old crocks but apparently not!

I think the biggest factor is "choosing" the wrong parents

 

[Angie4m]

Well glad to hear they now are looking into it John. Goes to show that sometimes going to the doctor, even if you think you know what it is and they'll turn you away can actually provide a different answer and solution.

I know when I had my heart issue diagnosed people said to me I was possibly having panic attacks and palpitations but I knew it was my heart skipping beats and after going there they diagnosed another issues with my heart I had just disregarded as 'normal' for many years.

I wish you all the best and hopefully they'll have you living a more 'normal' life

Thanks Angie, much appreciated.

Crikey you're too young to be having problems, have they been cured now?

I don't ever slate the NHS or GP's but I'm a little bit pissed that it's taken 5 visits and 7yrs to diagnose this and dismiss panic attacks, it's affected my work and home life quite a lot, still, there it is.

Hey John, I have pericarditis as well as a suspected small hole in an internal chamber in my heart.

Basically after any physical excursion or doing something quickly like sitting up after tying a shoe lace for example you can hear a 'ticking'/'swoosh' noise, like a clock. People can hear it and usually ask what's that noise looking about and I have to say, it's me. I always thought it was normal but turns out it's not and I know I've had since at least 14.

When being seen for this the specialist said my 'missed' heart beats is due to blood pluming from one charmber to another and rushing back due to a hole and when the chamber pumps there is nothing there making it feel like a missed beat and it can make me feel a bit 'panic attacky'

I've been offered an operation to sort the issues but it causes me no discomfort and it's not life threatening so I've so far declined the offer. Although my sister, who is a nurse has said I should get it done as eventually it will cause me an issue.

So I'll wait till I'm a bit older and maybe get it sorted. It is strange though, you see news of young people, fit and healthy just dropping down due to heart issues, being young, fit and healthy seems to set no real alarm bells ringing and it took an age to be seen but if I had been older, overweight, a smoker and basically just a heart attack waiting to happen I would of been seen quicker.

I had to be persistent to be seen unfortunately

 

[rhys4]

Hi John,yes I an 67.I had no symptoms at all until one weekend when I felt dizzy.I was given an ECG at 10 am at the surgery and my heart rate was 24.The doc said by rights I should be dead!!!!!!!.I was on the CCU of our local hospital by 11am,all wired up.Lots of tests etc and the pacemaker was fitted on the 4 th day in hospital,and I came home the same day.Lots of people having pacemakers fitted but most were 93 plus.My age worried me,but the surgeon said it was a problem for all ages.He also used the analogy of the car engine with some adjustments needed for the electrics.I am extremely fit for my age,and thought I would live for ever,never been ill before.I would walk the dog 60/70 miles every week.I am nearly up to that at the moment,so just about back up to speed.The problem for me was the shock that it was me that was having a problem,but got over that now.Good luck with what they decide to do.

 

[john-e89]

Amazing the amount of conditions people have.

Thanks very much for the posts regarding your own conditions MrPT, Angie, Rhys, Andrewz4mc, Paulgs, Ronk, I hope the ones who are monitoring and leaving for now continue to do well and the symptoms keep at bay, and it's good to hear the chaps already treated are doing well.

And thanks for the other well wishing posts from all the 'non afflicted'... :lol:

Wednesday I see a cardiologist so we'll know more then.

Cheers all, here's to good health.

 

[RickRob]

The surgeon said to me a good analogy re my arrhythmia was that the engine was in good condition but the electronics need sorting !.

Makes you the ideal Zed owner. Good to have some empathy with your car. :lol:

hope OP's procedure goes well.

 

[jimbo1958]

Wednesday I see a cardiologist so we'll know more then.

Cheers all, here's to good health.

Wishing you all the best for Wednesday John.