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Old 07-28-2013, 06:06 PM
 
Location: Chicago area
1,122 posts, read 3,492,362 times
Reputation: 2200

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A few years ago I came across an article about a heart disease with symptoms that are very, very similar to the symptoms I've had since age 12. I read a bunch about it back then but unfortunately didn't save any articles and now I have completely forgot the name of the disease and can't seem to find it anywhere. I'm hoping someone here may know it if I describe it.

The disease causes palpitations that come out of the blue and can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. It's caused by a problem with the electrical impulses that cause your heart to beat. If I remember correctly it usually starts during the teen years or early adulthood and sometimes gets better as you get older. The disease and the palpitations it causes are, at least for the most part, benign but can be treated with medication or even surgery.
According to what I read the disease is hard to diagnose since EKG's will be normal unless the patient is having a palpitation while the EKG is being done. The problem is that most of the time the palpitation is usually over by the time the patients gets to the hospital. Because of this patients are often diagnosed with having anxiety attacks or other psychological conditions.

I've been dealing with palpitations since I was 12. It was worst during my teens and early 20's but has gotten much better as I've grown older. The palpitations will come out of nowhere at any time and causes my heart to race at over 300 beats per minute. I think it was registered to be 360 bpm at an ER once. Most of the time it lasted for less than fifteen minutes but once lasted for 10 hours. It causes pain in my chest and especially arms and feels like the blood in my veins is cold. At the worst I got it about twice a month but now it's just about twice a year. There is nothing I can do to stop the palpitations. None of the tricks I've been told to use, like holding my breath or relaxing, helps. Meds, like sedatives or anti-anxiety meds, don't help either. One time I took Xanax which caused me to fall asleep. I slept for about three hours and when I woke up my heart was still racing.

Every doctor I've ever seen has told me that it's psychosomatic, that I have panic or anxiety attacks. I'm pretty sure that is not the case, though, since I have none of the other symptoms and don't feel anxious or panicked at all, but so far no doctor has listened to that. One jerk of a doctor literally told me that it was all in my head and to treat it I should shove my head into a bucket of ice.
When I came across the article about the heart disease with symptoms so very similar to mine I felt a bit vindicated, knowing that at least there is a disease that can cause these kinds of symptoms and it doesn't have to be psychosomatic.
Now I'd like to bring it up with my doctor at my appointment next week but I don't remember the name. Does anyone here any idea which disease I'm talking about?

Thanks.
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Old 07-28-2013, 07:38 PM
 
826 posts, read 1,926,108 times
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Could you be thinking of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome? It's a fairly common named syndrome that fits your description.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff%...White_syndrome

This is also a nice overview (although with some technical/medical terms) of all the different kinds of arrythmias commonly seen in the pediatric and teenaged population:

http://www.cme.umn.edu/prod/groups/m.../med_99534.pdf

A cardiologist would be the best person to diagnose you and see if there is even any need for any kind of treatment if you are only experiencing this twice a year (although annoying and inconvenient, I'm sure).
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Old 07-29-2013, 07:39 PM
 
Location: Greater Greenville, SC
5,893 posts, read 12,764,991 times
Reputation: 10699
Sounds like atrial fibrillation to me.
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Old 07-29-2013, 07:42 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,082,245 times
Reputation: 73913
Psvt.
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Old 07-29-2013, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Out there somewhere...a traveling man.
44,548 posts, read 61,249,428 times
Reputation: 125551
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhotogGal View Post
Sounds like atrial fibrillation to me.
Me too, that was my first thought since my wife has atrial fibrillation which seems to parallel the op's. . Here's an excellent site by Mayo Clinic explaining it. OP should see a different cardiologist for a second opinion.
Atrial fibrillation: Causesl - MayoClinic.com
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Old 07-30-2013, 12:08 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,082,245 times
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Would be extremely unusual for a fib to start in teen years, and the rate seems a bit high.
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Old 07-31-2013, 01:17 AM
 
Location: Out there somewhere...a traveling man.
44,548 posts, read 61,249,428 times
Reputation: 125551
Atrial Fibrillation in Teens

Although not as common, teens can also have symptoms of atrial fibrillation. It can be a single, isolated event or a sign of an underlying condition if repeated episodes follow.
Signs and Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
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Old 07-31-2013, 11:52 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,082,245 times
Reputation: 73913
PSVT would be a lot more common and the rate would make sense.

People with afib seldom complain of heart racing. They feel it's irregular. Or pounding strangely.
The lasting 10 hours thing seems odd, though.

Op, if they caught it in the ER, then they know what it is. Go look up your records.
Get to a cardiologist.
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Old 07-31-2013, 12:25 PM
 
Location: On the west coast of the east coast
484 posts, read 757,050 times
Reputation: 743
Long QT?
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