I'm rather confused and worried



?

^_^

Guest
Hi,

I'm not sure this is the right newsgroup to post to, but I couldn't
find anywhere that looked more relevent, so I'll use this one.
Apologies if this post ends-up rather long, but I'd appreciate it if
you read it anyway and let me know what you thought as I'm rather
concerned. Thankyou.

About a year (or more) ago, I found that if I lay on my left side, I
would experience palpetations, which I found rather odd, but -- with
hindsight rather strangely, as I'm only 18 years old now -- I didn't
think much of it, I just made sure I didn't lie on my left when I went
to sleep.

Anyway, since about 2 weeks ago, my chest-area has started to worry
me. Sometimes I get aches in what seems to be my heart, which come
and go, although they're much more common when I lie on my back --
they'll almost certainly be there after 10-15 minutes of lying down.
It sometimes 'twinges' too, but not twinges of pain, it's a bit
difficult to explain, but it's closer to a tickle than pain -- either
way, a little bit disturbing. The last few days it's got more and
more common as far as I can tell, and I've started to get other things
too. For instance, now quite often I can feel sort of "fizzes" around
the general chest area, and sometimes down my arms, legs and the base
of my neck. I suppose another description (which I stole off someone)
could be pins and needles, although I doesn't feel numb or anything.
However, it's not very pleasant as I have no idea what they are,
although coupled with the problems I've already mentioned, I find it a
frightening addition.

I went to the doctors' a few days ago and told her all this (but not
about the 'fizzes' as they hadn't started then). She took my
blood-pressure, which she said was 110/70. However, I think she was a
bit distracted as I had had to roll-up my sleeve for the
blood-pressure thing, which exposed my scar-covered arm from when I
used to self-injure a few years ago (what can I say?, I'm a mess). I
think she just looked at me, a young, underweight person and decided
that this was probably more important than some (perhaps in her view)
phantom heart problem. She said that there was nothing wrong with me,
and the aches were caused by something-or-other rubbing against
something else, although I'm afraid I can't remember exactly what she
said very well. I wasn't convinced though.

My mother, who's a nurse, just thinks that it's stress, as in the last
few months I've had a driving test, extremely important exams which
will decide the rest of my life, as well as other stuff. I really
don't think this is caused by stress, it seems far too extensive for
something as simple as that. And I know far better than her how I
feel.

My diet used to be quite poor (hardly any fruit and vegetables at all
for rather a long time), although recently I've began eating much
better, with what I would say is far below the maximum limit for fatty
foods, and I now eat lots of fruit, etc. However, since I left school
after the exams, I haven't really been very active, and it is since
then that the aches have begun, so I've started just walking around
aimlessly to try to get active again (but only in the last few days).
I also played some sport with the rest of my family (partly as a
response to my visit to the doctor), but I found that my chest began
to ache after some running around.

In short, I can't see at all how there can be nothing wrong with me,
yet everyone else seems to think there isn't. Earlier today I had to
pick my mother-up from the hospital in a car, and, despite getting
enough sleep last night, I felt very lethargic. By the time I'd got
back home, I found I had to reverse into quite a tight space to park.
But I couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to get out and do something
else, I didn't care if I parked elsewhere, so I did -- across the road
instead. Once I got in, I completely fell apart emotionally, and went
to my room to try to recompose myself. I'm getting so worried about
this thing -- that only I seem to think is serious -- that it's
probably not doing the problem any good anyway.

Please (if anyone's still reading this stuff), can someone tell me
what they think. Surely this isn't normal, surely I have some sort of
problem that needs urgent attention? Should I go back to the
doctors', or perhaps a hospital or something? I'm very worried.

If you're still reading, thanks. The ache's been here the whole time
I've been writing this, BTW.
 
Sounds like you are getting some kind of arrhythmia possibly like
A-fib. What you are describing is how mine started. I would see if you
can get an Event Monitor which is one that you can wear, push a button
when you get the palpitations and send it via phone line to someplace
where they can read what is happening to your heart rhythm. If you are
getting them everyday a Holter Monitor would also work .

Don't let it drop, keep going back to the Doctor until you get a
satisfactory answer. For me it took a Doctors Visit, and 2 trips to
the ER to finally get it diagnosed. At the ER, the doctor said he
could see nothing wrong on the heart monitor I was hooked up to. I
asked him if I could lay on my left side.....Bam... A-Fib and the
admitted me for a 2 week stay!!!!


Bob



^_^ <^_^@blah.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm not sure this is the right newsgroup to post to, but I couldn't
>find anywhere that looked more relevent, so I'll use this one.
>Apologies if this post ends-up rather long, but I'd appreciate it if
>you read it anyway and let me know what you thought as I'm rather
>concerned. Thankyou.
>
>About a year (or more) ago, I found that if I lay on my left side, I
>would experience palpetations, which I found rather odd, but -- with
>hindsight rather strangely, as I'm only 18 years old now -- I didn't
>think much of it, I just made sure I didn't lie on my left when I went
>to sleep.
>
>Anyway, since about 2 weeks ago, my chest-area has started to worry
>me. Sometimes I get aches in what seems to be my heart, which come
>and go, although they're much more common when I lie on my back --
>they'll almost certainly be there after 10-15 minutes of lying down.
>It sometimes 'twinges' too, but not twinges of pain, it's a bit
>difficult to explain, but it's closer to a tickle than pain -- either
>way, a little bit disturbing. The last few days it's got more and
>more common as far as I can tell, and I've started to get other things
>too. For instance, now quite often I can feel sort of "fizzes" around
>the general chest area, and sometimes down my arms, legs and the base
>of my neck. I suppose another description (which I stole off someone)
>could be pins and needles, although I doesn't feel numb or anything.
>However, it's not very pleasant as I have no idea what they are,
>although coupled with the problems I've already mentioned, I find it a
>frightening addition.
>
>I went to the doctors' a few days ago and told her all this (but not
>about the 'fizzes' as they hadn't started then). She took my
>blood-pressure, which she said was 110/70. However, I think she was a
>bit distracted as I had had to roll-up my sleeve for the
>blood-pressure thing, which exposed my scar-covered arm from when I
>used to self-injure a few years ago (what can I say?, I'm a mess). I
>think she just looked at me, a young, underweight person and decided
>that this was probably more important than some (perhaps in her view)
>phantom heart problem. She said that there was nothing wrong with me,
>and the aches were caused by something-or-other rubbing against
>something else, although I'm afraid I can't remember exactly what she
>said very well. I wasn't convinced though.
>
>My mother, who's a nurse, just thinks that it's stress, as in the last
>few months I've had a driving test, extremely important exams which
>will decide the rest of my life, as well as other stuff. I really
>don't think this is caused by stress, it seems far too extensive for
>something as simple as that. And I know far better than her how I
>feel.
>
>My diet used to be quite poor (hardly any fruit and vegetables at all
>for rather a long time), although recently I've began eating much
>better, with what I would say is far below the maximum limit for fatty
>foods, and I now eat lots of fruit, etc. However, since I left school
>after the exams, I haven't really been very active, and it is since
>then that the aches have begun, so I've started just walking around
>aimlessly to try to get active again (but only in the last few days).
>I also played some sport with the rest of my family (partly as a
>response to my visit to the doctor), but I found that my chest began
>to ache after some running around.
>
>In short, I can't see at all how there can be nothing wrong with me,
>yet everyone else seems to think there isn't. Earlier today I had to
>pick my mother-up from the hospital in a car, and, despite getting
>enough sleep last night, I felt very lethargic. By the time I'd got
>back home, I found I had to reverse into quite a tight space to park.
>But I couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to get out and do something
>else, I didn't care if I parked elsewhere, so I did -- across the road
>instead. Once I got in, I completely fell apart emotionally, and went
>to my room to try to recompose myself. I'm getting so worried about
>this thing -- that only I seem to think is serious -- that it's
>probably not doing the problem any good anyway.
>
>Please (if anyone's still reading this stuff), can someone tell me
>what they think. Surely this isn't normal, surely I have some sort of
>problem that needs urgent attention? Should I go back to the
>doctors', or perhaps a hospital or something? I'm very worried.
>
>If you're still reading, thanks. The ache's been here the whole time
>I've been writing this, BTW.
 
Hi.

You sound anxious. Go through the process of elimination regarding your
heart and then, if all is well, let it go.

You are right to be concerned. The doctors will tell you what the situation
is and then trust them. I remember the anxiety of those years. I wish I had
them back.

Regards,

Glenn
 
yes, the palpitations when lying on the side are associated with arrythmia,
which could be due to a bunch of different things.

i agree with bob that you must be persistent. i suggest you schedule an
appt with a cardiologist, who will know heart rhythms and valve sounds. ask
for an EKG and an echo (a sonogram) while you roll on your side to aggravate
the condition.
--
Dave Mausner / v.+1-708-848-2775 / f.+1-708-848-2569 / c.+1-312-wake-my-i

Bob Cardone <cardone1!@!mindspring.com> wrote:
> Sounds like you are getting some kind of arrhythmia possibly like
> A-fib. What you are describing is how mine started. I would see if you
> can get an Event Monitor which is one that you can wear, push a button
> when you get the palpitations and send it via phone line to someplace
> where they can read what is happening to your heart rhythm. If you are
> getting them everyday a Holter Monitor would also work .
> Bob


the original poster wrote:
> >About a year (or more) ago, I found that if I lay on my left side, I
> >would experience palpetations, which I found rather odd, but -- with
> >hindsight rather strangely, as I'm only 18 years old now -- I didn't
> >think much of it, I just made sure I didn't lie on my left when I went
> >to sleep.