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Heart issues - looking for input from Doctors/Nurses or someone with same issue (Read 2983 times)

Trent


Good Bad & The Monkey

    Dry, sorry you got offended.  That was not my intention.

     

    This was:

     

    assuming a condition with similar symptoms is what you and treating it like that condition w/o knowing for sure can be dangerous

     

    None of us can possibly know ANYTHING about the OP's condition other than that it involves the heart's rhythm (which is never good but can be many many things).  Blindly guessing about what it is, whether based on our own personal anecdote or years of medical education, will not help the OP and could be harmful.  No, there is nothing wrong with the OP mentioning your story to the doc, "hey, some random internet person was diagnosed with afib".

     

    However, my concern was that the OP or anybody else reading will self diagnose as afib and then hop onto another medical website and determine that afib is relatively benign in many cases (it is) and not see the doc, when they actually have a more serious condition OR have a serious version of afib. I would think, as a heart and stroke patient, you would have the same concern for your fellow man.

     

    Your intentions were good.  That does not lessen that they could potentially cause harm.  I am sorry that my strongly suggesting that folks reading this thread ignore any heart-specific advice until more is known offended you.

     

    Anyways, since afib is an ECG diagnosis and any ole Doc or Cardiologist should be able to figure it out with a glance, it is unlikely that the OP has afib and would hear just this: "Yeah, these aren't normal".  Given that and other similar quotes, I suspect it is not afib, although there is simply no way to know from our vantage.

    krishmd


    7

      As one who spends his whole professinal life diagnosing, treating and ablating arrhtymias, I have to agree with Trent.

      Insist on getting  the diagnosis they made on the ECG.;

       

      I could give you a long list of possibilities, but that would be fruitless and unhelpfull.

      JerryBZA


      Runs with the pack

        Went in for my follow up last Tuesday.  My right leg (the side they did the angiogram on) was so sore I could barely walk.  Kept getting cramps in my calf and thigh.

         

        The cardiologist checked my leg over visually, checked the healing of the angio site and checked my pulse in my foot.  Also took my blood pressure.  He announced that everything was fine and there is nothing to worry about.  "go on with your life".

         

        I asked about the irregular ECG, and his reply was that there was nothing to be concerned about, sometimes those things happen to healthy people and their ECG changes over time.  I also questioned if there was a name for the irregularity he found, and he said there was not.

         

        It's nearly a week later and my dang leg STILL hurts, and cramps up when I walk.  But at least I'm getting around some.  I'll go back to the GP and pick his brain next week. 

         

        This has been a big mystery for me.  I've had other strange symptoms along with this too, and my guess is that they are related.  Night sweats, I've been soaking wet every night this past week, until yesterday.  No appetite, I've been able to skip meals, no hunger pains, nothing.  Lost five lbs this week.  Thirsty, been drinking water and juice like crazy.  My back hurts, only at night in the area of my kidneys.  All these symptoms stopped two or three days ago.  If my leg didn't hurt right now, I'd be out running again.

         

        Again, this is not normal for me. I'm the healthiest 55 year old I know.  First visit ever to the hospital.  I'm never sick.  Ran Boston this year for my sixth marathon.  This stuff is just bizarre!

          Ask your doc for a copy of your ECG printout, scan it into the interweb and post it here for Trent to analyze.  I'm curious about this no-name abnormality.  Even if the abnormality doesn't have a silly name like Wenckebach block, the abnormality will still have a description in terms of the P, Q, R, S, or T waveforms.  

            It isn't good, nor right to put Trent in that position. The EKG that he may get may not show the abnormality. I think Jerry has the right idea, ask his GP, and tell him he really would like to know. In fact, leave a message with the office staff or nurse prior the visit, so there is enough time to get anything needed together. A good GP may be booked, and not have time if you wait until the office visit to ask. Otherwise, he can get a second opinion and ask for all his records to be forwarded.

            2018 Goals:

            Get Lucky Half  1:47:59

            Grandmas Marathon

            Fall Marathon - Twin Cities??

            JerryBZA


            Runs with the pack

              I appreciate everyone's concern.  Feel like I need to give another update.Smile

               

              Went to my GP today and he was very helpful.  I got copies of all my tests and the recap from the cardiologist.  My EKG abnormality does have a name, they call it "Inverted T-Waves".   It's now my new pattern and is the new normal for me. The GP said if I ever have another EKG done, I should present them with my old EKG so they don't freak out.  (He said to shrink it, plastic coat it and put it in my wallet)

               

              He wasn't too concerned about the cramping in my leg since there are no other issues that suggest a blood clot.  For now we are going to treat that with aspirin.  But we scheduled a pee test, blood test and an ultrasound.  If its not cool in another couple days, I'll get those done. 

              Trent


              Good Bad & The Monkey

                Inverted T waves can be normal, they can be abnormal.  it depends on where they are.

                 

                I am glad your GP is paying attention.

                  It isn't good, nor right to put Trent in that position. The EKG that he may get may not show the abnormality.  

                   

                  I was kidding, knowing Trent to follow good medical practice by always avoiding to diagnose or recommend treatment for conditions based on internet posts. 

                    For what its worth, there is a very time consuming certification process for Physicians to truly be considered experts in reading ECG's.  http://www.ibhre.org/

                     

                    Most GPs and many cardiologists don't even have this training.  For them to take awhile to understand and communicate something they don't see very often sounds reasonable. 

                      Seems to be geared to electrophysiologist.  It is amazing how much specialities are being sub specialized.  

                      2018 Goals:

                      Get Lucky Half  1:47:59

                      Grandmas Marathon

                      Fall Marathon - Twin Cities??

                      JerryBZA


                      Runs with the pack

                        So this goofy thing continues on.  At the last visit with my GP, he reviewed my blood and urine tests.  All are normal.  No reason for my leg to be swelled up.  This angiogram is now almost six weeks ago but my right ankle, calf and knee are still swelled up.  Aspirin, ice and ibuprofen don't phase it. 

                         

                        He said it may be a hematoma between the calf muscles.  Soccer players get something like that when they get kicked.  Takes them about six months for it to go away.  He advised me to go ahead and run, adding that it may speed the healing.

                         

                        So I ran today, made one lap around the reservoir near me.  1.7 miles.  Had to stop every 100 yards because of severe cramps in my calf.  So every 100 yards, I stopped, stretched and continued on.  Much harder than any last mile in a marathon I've ever ran.  This really sucks but I'm going to try and run 2-3 times a week till I beat this thing.  I'm sick of sitting on the couch and I have the Disney half to train for.

                        northernman


                        Fight The Future

                          Sorry you are still having troubles with the running. That really sucks. It sounds like you are doing the right thing, and I expect it will continue to improve if you take it slow. If your weight is back to normal and night sweats are gone, carry on. If not, might want to bug your doc to get a MRI to see if he/she can really see the hematoma and it is ok. Good luck!
                          JerryBZA


                          Runs with the pack

                            Swelled up ankle

                             

                            So this is the new routine.  Run a couple miles, stretch every quarter-mile.  Watch ankle and calf blow up.  But, I did get to run longer before hobbling to a stop today compared to Tuesday's run.

                              I'm not a doctor...but I keep thinking DVT.  Did they check for that?

                              JerryBZA


                              Runs with the pack

                                They were supposed to run a D-Dimer test but the lab work got screwed up.  The lab called to have the D-Dimer test redone but it got confused when the doctor told me they had all the results and they were all normal.  So when I had another blood test done this week I asked about the discrepancy; was the test bad or was the doctor confused?  I finally discovered what had happened.  I don't know how you miss the one critical test if you are looking for DVT, but keep in mind that doctors screw up too.  When I asked about it tonight he said he "missed it".

                                 

                                It looks like DVT to me too, almost exactly like the wiki page on it.  I'm going to go into emergency now and have the Doppler ultrasound done.  Hope they don't find a clot though.  The treatment lasts nine months ??

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