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24 Hour ECG

Posted , 6 users are following.

GYDA
GYDA

I made a thread a bit go saying that i'm having an echocardiogram and a 72 hour ECG because im struggling to beleive all these chest pains/flutters/Ectopic beats are down to anxiety, even though i admit myelf that i do have quiet high anxiety it's just hard to wrap my head around just what it can do to your body.

Anyway, long story short i went to the doctors about my chest pains, he said he could hear a heart murmur (ive been to god knows how many other doctors and they've never heard anything) he said it's properly just an innocent one but he'll refer me to a cardioligist just be to safe. Anyone with health anxiety will understand that I didnt think the murmur was innocent at all, i diagnosed myself with leaking heart valves, everything. One thing certain in my mind, was that its not an innocent one! Days waiting for the echo was hell, couldn't function properly at all anxiety was at an all time high, i was devasted.

Had my Echocardiogram, got my results a week or two later and it was all clear, turns out my heart murmur was innocent after all. I have read on a few websites that very very high anxiety can cause an innocent heart murmur, where as some websites beg to differ, but either way whether it's my anxiety or not causing it, its innocent and no harm to me.

Now i had my 72 hour ECG about a week after my echocardiogram, on the 22nd august. I had a follow up appointment with my cardioligist on the 5th september where he said that my ECG results wasn't ready yet, but he said he doesn't think theres going to be anything of concern anyway. Walked away from there a bit gutted that i didnt get an answer either way, health anxiety you just want a piece of paper with your test results on! So now we're on 1st October and i still haven't had anything, thats coming up to 6 weeks waiting for my ECG results? Is that normal? it seems silly it's took this long, it's not nice having some pending heart results over you day to day, wondering if it's all clear or not. A month and half to send me a letter with my results on? I don't know whether to take comfort in maybe if there was anything wrong they'd have sent me something by now getting me in for another appointment, or maybe they're just slow looking at it, i don't know what to think i just want my results lol

So basically anyone who's had a 24 hour ECG, how long did your results take to come through? Is it worth my ringing up and chasing them?

Cheers

 

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • cara11004
    cara11004 GYDA

    Posted

    You poor thing, I can so relate to you, I've been through the same, chest pain so severe I've been rushed to A&E...twice. Had ECG's, chest X-rays, the lot, all coming back normal. Weird that anxiety can cause so many horrible physical symptoms. 

    But don't worry about your results, I work in a private hospital and deal with results on a daily basis. If there was anything wrong, trust me you'd know by now. They have taken way to long to report on your results but if there was anything lurking that looked suspicious, they would have told you on the day of brought you back in sooner. Chances are they have your results but they having written up the final copy or your consultant/doctor hasn't seen them yet, therefore cannot pass the results on. Pain in the butt i know, but I'm afraid the NHS are under along of strain at the moment. But take comfort in the fact that it isn't anything serious. Let me know how you get on.

    • GYDA
      GYDA cara11004

      Posted

      Exhausting isn't it! It's so hard to just accept it's anxiety and that your heart's absolutley fine. I'm only 22 and I'm waiting on heart scan results, not how i imagined it lol 

      Yeah that's what i thought, if there was anything wrong then they would of been in contact by now, when i rang up to get my Echo results she said 'give me a day to look through them but if there abnormal they have a stamp on the folder saying 'abnormal, please deal with immediatly' so im presuming theres a similar protocol for the ECG's and they defiantly havent dealt with it immediatly haha! I'll wait one more day and then give them a ring, i'm off on holiday next friday and would defiantly love to have the results by then.

  • cara11004
    cara11004 GYDA

    Posted

    You poor thing, I can so relate to you, I've been through the same, chest pain so severe I've been rushed to A&E...twice. Had ECG's, chest X-rays, the lot, all coming back normal. Weird that anxiety can cause so many horrible physical symptoms. 

    But don't worry about your results, I work in a private hospital and deal with results on a daily basis. If there was anything wrong, trust me you'd know by now. They have taken way to long to report on your results but if there was anything lurking that looked suspicious, they would have told you on the day of brought you back in sooner. Chances are they have your results but they having written up the final copy or your consultant/doctor hasn't seen them yet, therefore cannot pass the results on. Pain in the butt i know, but I'm afraid the NHS are under along of strain at the moment. But take comfort in the fact that it isn't anything serious. Let me know how you get on.

  • cara11004
    cara11004 GYDA

    Posted

    You poor thing, I can so relate to you, I've been through the same, chest pain so severe I've been rushed to A&E...twice. Had ECG's, chest X-rays, the lot, all coming back normal. Weird that anxiety can cause so many horrible physical symptoms. 

    But don't worry about your results, I work in a private hospital and deal with results on a daily basis. If there was anything wrong, trust me you'd know by now. They have taken way to long to report on your results but if there was anything lurking that looked suspicious, they would have told you on the day of brought you back in sooner. Chances are they have your results but they having written up the final copy or your consultant/doctor hasn't seen them yet, therefore cannot pass the results on. Pain in the butt i know, but I'm afraid the NHS are under along of strain at the moment. But take comfort in the fact that it isn't anything serious. Let me know how you get on.

  • cara11004
    cara11004 GYDA

    Posted

    You poor thing, I can so relate to you, I've been through the same, chest pain so severe I've been rushed to A&E...twice. Had ECG's, chest X-rays, the lot, all coming back normal. Weird that anxiety can cause so many horrible physical symptoms. 

    But don't worry about your results, I work in a private hospital and deal with results on a daily basis. If there was anything wrong, trust me you'd know by now. They have taken way to long to report on your results but if there was anything lurking that looked suspicious, they would have told you on the day of brought you back in sooner. Chances are they have your results but they having written up the final copy or your consultant/doctor hasn't seen them yet, therefore cannot pass the results on. Pain in the butt i know, but I'm afraid the NHS are under along of strain at the moment. But take comfort in the fact that it isn't anything serious. Let me know how you get on.

    • anne240
      anne240 cara11004

      Posted

      How do we deal with these palpitations?  If it is anxiety can we control how it affects our heart?
  • cara11004
    cara11004 GYDA

    Posted

    Sorry about the multiple replies, not quite sure what happened there.
  • richard89308
    richard89308 GYDA

    Posted

    ecg results are usually instant because they are recorded on the graph and the Dr can read if there is any problem. It depends who conducted the ecg and their diagnosis qualifications.  A Dr should be able to tell you on the spot if they have spotted an abnormality.

    Richard

  • anne73355
    anne73355 GYDA

    Posted

    I have a heart murmur - was discovered when I was 20 (30 years ago) and in hospital with appendicitis. I thought that meant I had a 'heart condition' but, many examinations, ECGs, etc later it became clear that it is just something some people have and nothing to worry about in itself. I have also suffered for many years from anxiety, so when the first panic attack came along I really thought I was having a heart attack - palpitations like a bird was fluttering in my chest. I was checked over again and diagnosed with anxiety. It still scares me, the missing heartbeats and palpitations don't feel 'safe' especially knowing about the heart murmur, but it passes. I don't think you need to worry about the ECG results - a friend was told there and then when he had a condition, otherwise it is just routine scanning and results come through when they are ready. You can always get your doctor to chase them if you are really worried. Let us know how you get on!
    • GYDA
      GYDA anne73355

      Posted

      Thanks smile you'd be suprised how many people have a innocent heart murmur, i saw somewhere that 10% have an innocent murmur! so it's actually not that uncommon. ive had countless normal ecg's, two stress ecg's and now echo, so the 24h monitor is the last test they can do for me 
    • anne240
      anne240 anne73355

      Posted

      Hello I am too.  How do we deal with these palpitations?  Do we just learn to live with them?  
    • anne240
      anne240

      Posted

      Sorry I meant my name is Anne too.  Do you manage to live with the heart flutters?
  • charlotte_65702
    charlotte_65702 GYDA

    Posted

    I'm in the same boat! I have palpitations, heart flutters where I feel faint, & been rushed to hospital with racing heart going 220 beats a min. Allotment tests so far are normal and I'm awaiting a heart scan to see. All my doctors have said it's anxiety and like you I just cannot believe that anxiety can cause my body to react so badly even when I'm feeling calm

    It's a vicious circle I'm anxious about my heart, but my hearts reacting to being anxious!! We can't win!

    My 24hr ecg came back within a day or so x

    • anne240
      anne240 charlotte_65702

      Posted

      Oh so many of us with these heart palpitations and flutters.  How do we cope with them.  The breathing exercises and relaxations do not seem to help me.  Do we just assume that anxiety does this to us?
  • anne240
    anne240 GYDA

    Posted

    Oh those flutters in your chest.  I get them all the time, but I just assumed it was due to anxiety.  I hate them.  I can understand why peoploe would think it is due to your heart, and I am glad that your results showed you do not have anything wrong with your heart.  The question is, were you told how to stop the anxiety doing this to your heart?  That is what we need to know.  Do we just live with this continue palpitations and flutters and accept it is anxiety?  

    Let us know what your results show.  If you find out there is nothing wrong with your heart, what will you do?  How do we continue to live with this?

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