Hi all...long time no post ;-)Lately, I've been having trouble with those feelings of skipped beats in the chest, aka heart arrythmias (palpitations). My doctor checked it out, but tests show all within normal range, except for periods of a somewhat fast pulse (sinus tachycardia) and an occasional premature beat (PAC's). Boy are they annoying. They come and go, esp. around mealtime, certain activity etc. They usually feel sore, when I have them. The thing is, I had those feelings about 4x more than what the heart monitor showed. That makes me wonder if there's some other part of my body being affected, and it just feels like it's my heart. The doctor really doesn't know.
This all leads to a question (I'll bet you thought this was an off-topic post...). Has anyone else with SD had problems with arrythmia? I ask this, because arrythmias involve neuro-electrical type signals, and so does SD. I also have acid reflux, and found out that quite a few people with reflux, also have palpitations...and a few of us have SD, too.
Re: Heart arrythmias and SD
Hi Nancy. I've experienced all your heart symptoms and also have a hiatial hernia.
After my last trip to the ER with PAC's I saw a cardiologist who said my heart was fine although my BP and cholesterol levels were elevated. I've also been diagnosed with esophogeal spasms, probably due to dystonia which travels. The spasms cause pretty much the same chest sensations as heart arrythmias due to close proximity to the vagal nerve (or so I was told). Anyway, I take 25mg Atenolol, 2mg. diazepam daily and 4mg. diazepam at bedtime. Plus I keep a bottle of nitroglycerin tablets handy for pain. PLEASE NOTE: I'm not recommending these meds, this is for information only. Good luck in dealing with this as it is very anxiety provoking. Sandra
Re: Heart arrythmias and SD
Hi Nancy,
That's interesting, I've had those funny butterfly like feeling that I thought was my heart also, but I had my heart checked out and everything was just fine? I never associated it with dystonia, could be though. I've had mine for years, I get like funny spasms that feel like my heart is palpatating or skipping beats but no pain associated with them. They just come and go and I know when I drink caffeine they seem to be aggrivated for some reason. Now when I get them I try to visualize where their coming from and it feels like its right in the center where your esophogus meets your stomach. Also, I suffered from Acid Reflux and had some allergy tests done, I was very alergic to milk which I drank several times a day and in my Latte's( I now drink my Lattes with Soy). I stopped all milk products and I haven't had a bit of trouble with acid reflux(used to kill me at night...) or the funny butterfly feelings, only very seldon I'll get them. Just some extra info to think about....Barb
Re: Heart arrythmias and SD
I have had SD since I was twenty. It caused me many problems attending
college and in my profession-teaching. I worked through it, however,
because no speech therapist or doctor was able to help me then.
I have only recently learned exactly what my problem is. I was not
diagnosed by a physician, but because my symptoms fit exactly the
symptoms for SD, I am fairly certain that is what my problem is.I also have PSVT. I have had two serious episodes of tachycardia
where it was necessary to go to the ER to slow my heart rate down
with IV's and Inderal. I have had all the diagnostic heart tests:
sonogram, stress test, etc. and no heart defect was found. It never
occurred to me that the two problems were related until I read your
posting. I was in a serious automobile accident when I was twenty, and as that
is when my SD started, I have assumed it was caused in part by trauma
that occurred during the accident. I do not know this for certain,
however.
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