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Sudden Fast Heartbeat & Frequent Shortness of Breath

Posted , 8 users are following.

suzie06327
suzie06327

Hi, I am in my mid 40s.  I started having the shortness of breath symtom when I was pregnant with my 2 kids about 10years back.  Since then I start to have frequent bouts of shortness of breath.

Lately, I do experience fast heartbeat quite intermittenly.  I have been to the government hospital where they perform ECG for me and took my blood sample to chec my thyroid.  The doctor told me nothing is wrong with me though the ECG do show my heartbeat was a little fast.  The doctor said my thyroid is ok and I was probably stressed when I am having the fast heartbeat.

Is it true?  Why am I starting to experience fast heartbeat on top of the shortness of breath now?

Please, can someone advice if it's true what the doctor said or should I go to a private clinic for second opinion?

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Merryl
    Merryl suzie06327

    Posted

    Hi do you get palpitations as well as the fast heartbeat and shortness of breath. I was diagnosed wth ectopic beats about 3 months ago when in hospital. I was taken in for the palpitations and spent 10 days there having scans / blood tests. I also get shortness of breath but more like being winded.

    I was put on bisoprolol but did'nt like the side effects. I had a letter from the hospital for a follow up appointment for july 2015 this was too long to wait so I went private. I have just started on different meds to stop the palpitations and see how I go. I got a follow up appointment with the private Dr 4 weeks time to see how I am on the new meds. The ectopic beats was first picked up in my local Dr's surgery with an ECG. I was told by the nurse that the ECG was abnormal and my heartbeat was fast.Is your heartbeat fast all the time or on and off. I got my own blood pressure machine at home and that shows if your pulse is fast or slow.

    If you are not happy what your Dr said I would go private.  

  • suzie06327
    suzie06327

    Posted

    The doctor told me it was palpitation but she said nothing is wrong with me.  Just that I could be stressed out hence the palpitation.  She just did the ECG and check on thyroid & concluded nothing is wrong.  But I still get this fast heartbeat, not all the time but every other week & the shortness of breath is quite often lately.

    Private consultation is rather costly here, that's why I go to public hospital.  It's just that the doctor does not suggest any other follow up consultation or treatment and my symptoms are still recurring that is why I am worried here.

    • Merryl
      Merryl suzie06327

      Posted

      If your symptoms get worse at anytime you could always call an ambulance or see another Dr at your surgery for a second opinion. It can be a worry when you get the palpitations / breathless. 

      I am hoping my new meds will stop mine.

  • suzie06327
    suzie06327

    Posted

    i read some comments from other members here that caffeine does affect the heartbeat rate.  I am a coffee drinker, so I will try to monitor if it's due to this reason. I try not to take medication where possible.  But I do hope in your case you'll get better. Cheers!
    • Merryl
      Merryl suzie06327

      Posted

      Hi, I got no option but to have the medication. I have been having palpitations for years but only now got a name for it. The Dr at the hospital told me it is to do with faulty wiring going down the wrong pathway in the upper chambers of the heart. She also told me that there is a kind of operation called ablation that works quite well in stopping the palpitations if the meds don't work.

      It is good if you can manage without the meds. .   

  • sarah87793
    sarah87793 suzie06327

    Posted

    Hi Suzie06327

    It sounds to me like you are getting short bursts of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This basically means the heart rate comes from above the ventricles. It's very hard to diagnose if it is only happening every once in a while because unless you are wearing a portable ECG you won't catch it. I would ask your doctor for a 7 day monitor so they can see what is going on. 

    • suzie06327
      suzie06327 sarah87793

      Posted

      Hi Sarah, does this SVT comes with a life threatening effect?  Are you having the same symptom as me since you obviously know abt this SVT? I think it'll be hard to convince the doctor here that I may be having SVT if I can't tell them how I came to this conclusion.  
    • sarah87793
      sarah87793 suzie06327

      Posted

      Hi suzie. The only way to tell for sure is to catch the fast heart beats on an event monitor. You could ask to wear one for 7 days and hope you get an episode. SVT isn't life threatening unless you have structural abnormalities which your doctor would know about. Most of the time it is just a nuisance. Try not to worry. Ask your doctor for an event monitor. 
  • rosemary99760
    rosemary99760 suzie06327

    Posted

    I suffer from rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath if I've drunk wine, although it depends very much on the wine and where it is made. For instance, French wines, unless Bio, are full of fertilizer and pesticides whereas Spanish, even cheap ones do not have a bad effect. I've also found a good S.African wine from Lydl which I can drink.  If I get these attacks, I find drinking several glasses of water helps.  Perhaps a litre or more. Eating too much food can also have the same effect as wine.  I did go to the doctor who told me it was 'nerves' having given me a brief examination. 
  • josh2705
    josh2705 suzie06327

    Posted

    Hi Suzie I'm a 30 year. old male and I smoke and have gotten a little overweight and have similar issues your having ....they have done an ekg on Me and always come back to me with same diagnosis....I'm fat and need to quit smoking.....my friend with different symptoms got same evaluation so not sure if I got a cookie cutter diagnosis but have you found anything out yet? Hoping we can all figure this out cuz i get winded doing very little and it seems to give me some sort of anxiety attack ....would be nice to have my life back to normal again its going on 5 years with these symptoms.

  • lorenda
    lorenda suzie06327

    Posted

    need to know how many beats per min & does it snap into the fast beat then snap out

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