Sick Sinus Syndrome On a visit to China last year I decided to have an healt...

On a visit to China last year I decided to have an health check, which included a total MRI scan, cardiac ultrasound scan, blood tests, barium meal etc. Unfortunately they found I was suffering from several problems, including bradycardia, low glucose tolerance, thickened septum in heart, swollen duodenum, too much uric acid in blood.

They told me I should lose weight, take more exercise and moderate my diet. I am now just over 15 stone - height 6foot 2". Age 59.

About three months later I started having palpitations from around 7 in the morning for two hours and then about 2-3 hours from around 4pm.

Initially I went to an A&E where after an ECG I was told that it was normal- which regarding the irregularity it was at the time of the ECG. From around 4 hours a day the palpitations grew to most of my waking hours and were there if I woke during the night.

My GP was able to catch it on an ECG and referred me to a cardiologist.

17 weeks for NHS 3 weeks privately, I booked a private appointment.

I went to a chinese doctor friend of mine who gave me a herbal mixture to be taken twice a day. After about 2 days the episodes started to decrease until they were only around 15 minutes per day- usually in the evening.Christmas came, the chinese doctor had a baby and I was in bed for a week with a cpmpressed sciatic nerve.

after Christmas I stopped taking the herbs mainly in order to display the symptoms to the specialist.

The palpitations came back. One time I felt so faint and dizzy and short of breath I went to the A&E again,the nurses quickly did an ECG and the doctor - (a consultant from her badge )told me that it was normal.

I said that it could not be normal and if she thought it was she needed re-training.

She asked if my GP had ordered a 24 hour heart monitor and when I told her no, she ordered one for the next day.

The results were sent to the cardiolist who I saw four days later.

Three minute examination with stethoscope, a look at the ECG taken 30 minutes earlier, then told me I would probably need a pacemaker sooner or later to treat Sick Sinus Syndrome.

He suggested I should come back in 3 months, which pleased me because it obviously wasnt serious.

The next few days I continued to have a lot of palpitations together with giddiness, a vacant sort of feeling and sometimes unable to converse normally.I also seemed to have to try to take deep breaths at this time.

I had started to read about Sick sinus syndrome and discovered that there were tests availble to try to ascertain the cause and some drugs that could help.

When my GP(who has spent 2 years in a Cardiolgy unit) saw the results of the 24 hour monitor he told me he was surprised that the consultant had called 6080 atrial.......? moderate. He was also surprised that nothing was suggested except a 3month appointment. He told me that with this condition it could deteriote quickly.

He also told me that I should not do any strenuos exercise.I asked to see another specialist which he referred me to.One months wait to see him privately.

I startd again with the Chinese herbal mixture. After two weeks the episodes have almost finished. Some days I have had none, other days maybe 15 minutes.She tells me that the sinus poblem is treatable but I should be careful because the ECGs show that the "T" wave shows that all is not well with my heart.

For maybe 2 years before I had the health check in China I would awake with a nervous feeling in my Chest/stomach. I could never understand this but put it down to a symptom of stress. Now I think it was connected to the Bradycardia and may have been an initial symptom because I have that same feeling when I have an episode but do not now wake up with it.I have found that lying on my left side will prompt them to begin and also I feel that sugar level may have some bearing.

I have given up tea and coffee which I am sure aggravated the situation.

I have decided to take a trip to China where in a first class hospital tests are done immediately.

I have found your pages helpful, thank you, from my experience as you can see I have found the medical profession sadly lacking and hope it improves in the future.

Rodney Randle

[i:25fdafb7a3]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:25fdafb7a3]

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