Newly diagnosed WPW
Posted , 5 users are following.
Found out earlier this month I have WPW. I have an upcoming appointment with an electrophysiologist and I'm scheduled to wear a 48 hour monitor this week. The cardiologist seemed confused that I had never struggled athletically growing up, and his surprise was a bit unsettling to me. The diagnosis is sort of confusing to me, I am in my late 20's and until a couple months ago I was fine. I went and got an ekg done in hopes of ruling out a heart problem and identifying my newly onset issues as anxiety and stress related. It's been a horrible year between a disastrous relationship (too complicated and messed up to get into), getting a really bad staph infection, and getting stressed out trying to keep up with grad school through all of this. Out of no where I seem to have a constant fluttering in my heart, numbness in my limbs, and I get dizzy/pre-syncope episodes when I go out in public. I feel like anxiety and stress have revealed this syndrome and are the major cause of the onset of related symptoms. I'm at a point where worrying if I'll get symptoms causes enough anxiety to set it off, and creates a vicious cycle. It's now hard to go in public due to numbness and pre-syncope when just a few months ago I was adventuring around everywhere with no problems. This is very confusing. Anyone else have a similar out of the blue onset of symptoms from this?
1 like, 13 replies
dxa038 anonymousjm
Posted
This sounds a lot like my case. I'm 29 male athlete, and didn't really have any symptoms at all. After my diagnosis I noticed an increase in numbing of limbs and dizziness. I was diagnosed with WPW on March 28 and had an completion April 5. Even after the ablation I still have heart fluttering. There is a medical diagnosis for the fluttering that eased my mind. That is to my mind only came to weeks ago. Since then life has been fairly normal other than the occasional anxiety. Let me know if you have any other questions I think we could relate on this topic. David
anonymousjm dxa038
Posted
I have to wonder how much of this is in my head and how much anxiety is triggering the symptoms. 6 months ago I was kicking ass and adventuring, now it's like I can't do anything. Even with the stress and catastrophes that I've endured all year I was fine right up until my staph infection got bad a couple months ago, and in retrospect I have to wonder what role WPW played in the experiences I was having during that.
May I ask, what led to your WPW diagnosis? Do you still get lightheaded and numb after the ablation? My cardiologist suggested ablation and I have an appointment with an electrophysiologist in a couple weeks but I'm worried ablation isn't the end-all to my symptoms
dxa038 anonymousjm
Posted
I was informed that the ablation would not cure my heart fluttering and or anxiety/dizziness episodes. The dizziness essentially came after my diagnosis with WPW. I proceeded with the ablation because I was informed that with WPW you could have a small percentage of passing with An episode and as you grow older the percentage can get higher. Since my Ablation I am said to be cured of WPW and when I am older it will be one less thing to worry about.
I have had heart flutters my entire life and that led to the diagnosis. I went in for a physical on March 28 and the machine noticed abnormality.that day a cardiologist was in the office and diagnosed me right there. Apparently it's very easy to tell WPW on an EKG.
After the ablation I had a panic attack that was similar to a heart attack. I was told it's all in my head. I was told to get a counselor and potentially take my pills. I have not gotten a counselor or taken any pills. I got to the bottom of my heart flutters two weeks ago,with a diagnosis that ease my mind. My flutters are non-life-threatening.
To ease stress after surgery I tried everything. I've done a lot of yoga, I eliminatedcaffeineand alcohol, I go to the chiropractor once a week, I get massage, you name it I've tried it. The only real thing that help for me was knowing that my flutters were non-life-threatening. Since then I've had a few alcoholic drinks and some soda. I hope this helps.
brooke58540 anonymousjm
Posted
I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with wpw. My brother is 21 and recently diagnosed with wpw. He does not have the rapid heart beat but instead pressure and pain in his chest that wakes him up when he is sleeping. This is confusing for us as well. He has always been healthy and this happened out of the blue.
mario03 anonymousjm
Posted
anonymousjm mario03
Posted
I went in for the electrophysiology study and ablation back in January. Because of the location of the extra connection they did not ablate. They also determined my extra connection does almost nothing and poses virtually no risk. The discovery of my WPW was happenstance and they determined it's nothing to worry about. Essentially the several months of worrying about this and doctors telling me there was something wrong with me led to an anxiety issue about my health. It was all very stupid.
dxa038 mario03
Posted
Mario- my case was not life threatening and I don't hear of many cases that are without other heart problems. Are u having surgery or ablation?
mario03 dxa038
Posted
dxa038 mario03
Posted
Mario, it sounds like you will be going in for an ablation. Don't be alarmed everything will work out. Feeling weak seems to be a symptom if the case is a little more severe. I had an ablation and I never felt weak, the ablation was a precaution so that when I was older I would have less things to worry about. Feel free to ask me any questions I feel very well-versed on the topic as I was frightened when it was diagnosed last year
mario03 dxa038
Posted
dxa038 mario03
Posted
No problem. I wish I had someone to help me while I was going through it so I'm happy to help.
You should have a little background on me I'm 30 and had the ablation almost exactly one year ago.
I never felt dizzy or weak before the surgery, in fact the WPW was found by chance.
Yours may be a little more severe than mine but if our you I wouldn't be worried. Simply because I've read about a lot of patience with this problem fainting and passing out. As long as the doctors aren't super nervous try to forget that you have the defect. Try and forget the defect and make sure you're at the right places at the right time. Forget about everything else.
Biggles09 dxa038
Posted
Biggles09 anonymousjm
Posted
I was twenty five when I was diagnosed with WPW and had an investigation then another investigation with a possible ablation in 1989 which was not a success, had some personal issues so left it alone for a little time but needed to have an operation in 1990 which failed coz the button didn't work on the new machine. Next operation was early 1991 and said to be 100% completely done. Twenty years later it came back made a phone call and hay presto am back in less then a few months. A year on go down to have new ecg's done all is good they say. Five years on it comes back but this time it has a purpose, it has a new lease of life and I am thinking wtf. Nearly an hour later it goes to normal rhythm. Made some calls and get a AliveCore portable ecg and wow is it great. Size of a lighter and fits on back of phone but give great live trace readings.
Send down to hospital and they say down now. Oh dear here we go again. Operation a success again but sadly after less then two years it is coming back again me thinks. I could be wrong.
Never had any dizziness or numb finger toes or such, just my chest moving, never had bare down/breathing or such.
Anxiety can trigger and as well as other things in our life but when sitting watch tv and then your hit with over 300 a minute you know something is not right. Mine was recorded at over 330 and on the AliveCore over 200.
Anyone out there with this condition wanting to chat, Me happy to respond.