Posts by Jessica Brown7

The name alone tells you everything... My doctor is sending me in for some kind of battery of autonomous tests? What on earth does that even mean?

Thanks

So, long story short: I deal with occasional tachycardia and palpitations—basically my heart skipping beats. I’d gotten pretty used to it, but lately, from ovulation all the way until my period starts, my heart just goes absolutely haywire. It feels like it skips up to 400 times a day. You’d think it’s a hormone thing, but nope, I’ve had everything checked out already. I don't take anything for the racing or the skipped beats, though, because beta-blockers basically make me feel like a zombie. Is there any chance this could actually stop, and how dangerous is this really? My doctors here in the States act like it’s no big deal, but from what I’m reading online, it doesn't seem quite so harmless. Best,

I'm 32. I was dealing with some health issues recently that kept me stuck in bed for quite a while, but now I just can't seem to shake this feeling. My heart keeps racing and I'm getting these constant palpitations... It's unsettling. What other tests should I be looking into to get to the bottom of this?

Everything is looking perfect on paper. My kidneys, iron levels, electrolytes, blood pressure, thyroid... everything. The tachycardia happens right after I eat. I’d honestly take beta blockers at this point because what started as an issue every other week has turned into a daily thing, and I'm just stuck waiting to see my doctor. In the US, a regular GP could easily prescribe a beta blocker for this. What actually scares me is those skipped beats during the stress test. I’ve heard that can be a bad sign... does anyone know anything about that? Thanks to you both. :-)

So, I ended up seeing a cardiologist because I’ve been hitting the ER a few times lately due to some sinus tachycardia issues. They basically told me it wasn't anything life-threatening and sent me right back home. These palpitations have been hanging around for a while now, especially when I get worked up or push myself physically, and then the tachycardia kicks in. Honestly, I run out of breath pretty quickly and just feel exhausted. It used to happen maybe once a week, but now it's happening every single day, and frankly, it's starting to scare me. When it hits, I feel like I'm about to pass out. My heart rate can spike up to 150. My primary doctor put me on some Concor, but those pills just make me feel completely lifeless. Meanwhile, my specialist told me to hold off on everything until she can run a full battery of tests. The 24-hour Holter monitor and the stress test both picked up the skipped beats and the tachycardia, but I can't say for sure what the specifics are since we don't really get our lab results handed to us immediately here. Should I be taking the medication or not? To be fair, my ultrasound came back totally normal. Thanks for any input.

So, I just got back from seeing my cardiologist. Since I don't live here in the States, they don't just hand over the results on the spot. My doctor said we can't really sit down and go over everything until next week once the blood work comes back.
From what I gathered, I’ve got some mild tachycardia and extrasystoles—both while resting and during the stress test. Honestly, I could barely hang on for three minutes on the treadmill. It doesn't seem like there are a ton of them, but they're definitely there. It's categorized as sub-extrasystolic. The ultrasound came back fine, though. From what I understand, having those skipped beats show up during the stress test isn't exactly great news. The doctor kept insisting that the main thing is that the ultrasound looks good, but she didn't want to dwell on the rest. Can anyone give me a better idea of what this actually means? I won't have the official report for another week, but I'm starting to get a little anxious.
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The weirdest part is how it only hits me during lunch, and even then, it’s totally hit or miss. I can't even find a link to a specific food because one day I'll eat the exact same thing and feel fine, and the next? Boom. My heart rate just spikes straight up to 160. It's enough to make you shiver. My heart is perfectly healthy—my doctor confirmed that—and I get those little skips when I'm actually working out, which is normal. But if this were a heart issue, it wouldn't be so selective about when it shows up. I don't get it. No numbness or anything, just this constant feeling like I'm about to pass out or stop breathing.

My stomach isn't really giving me any trouble at all. I rarely deal with bloating, except maybe right after a meal, but the heartburn is constant. I try to stick to a bland diet and I don't even drink anything while I'm eating, yet here we are. Thanks.

My stomach isn't even bothering me. Bloating is rare. I get some heartburn every once in a while. I stick to baby food and I don't drink anything right after a meal... So where is this coming from then? Thanks, everyone.

It looks like I’m not the only one dealing with tachycardia. For me, it mostly kicks in right after I eat—it feels like it might even be triggered by the sparkling water I have with meals. My fitness level is pretty much non-existent right now since I was stuck in bed for a while recovering from surgery. Still, I can't quite put my finger on why this is happening. My stomach isn't giving me any trouble, no pain or anything like that... and as far as my heart goes, doctors say everything looks fine. It doesn't even happen every week.
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My sister’s been going through the ringer lately with all these medical tests. Over the last five years, she’s had five MRIs, twenty X-rays, and two CT scans. The most recent one was a brain scan, but they used a brand-new machine at the hospital. I’m just wondering how much radiation she’s actually soaked up at this point. What are the odds of this causing cancer? And is there even a way to neutralize the effects of radiation exposure?

Doctors here think I might have Meniere's, but they aren't totally sure because my symptoms are kind of all over the place. So, I wanted to reach out and see if anyone else has dealt with this. For about a year now, I've been getting these strange dizzy spells. It starts with this sudden weakness on one side, then the sweating kicks in and I get hit with this wave of fear. If I try to stand up or even just sit down, I end up stumbling forward and the pressure is so intense I can't pull myself back up for a few seconds. It always pulls me toward the left. During those moments, there isn't even a specific spinning sensation. But then there's this other thing—this constant dizziness pulling me to the left that lasts for days. Lately, it’s been sticking around for two weeks at a time, usually following a couple of these acute attacks. I don't have any nausea and my hearing hasn't dropped off; honestly, during the attacks, my hearing actually feels sharper than usual. They also mentioned BPPV as a possibility. Has anyone else gone through this? My doctors are basically just guessing at this point and haven't given me a straight diagnosis. Thanks.

The middle part is peeling. I forgot to mention that.

So, about five days ago, this weird growth popped up on my elbow. It’s got this red, raised border that looks kind of like a ring, and the center is just this grayish color. It’s itchy, sometimes stings, and my arm is feeling a little tender too. I didn't burn myself or bump into anything—it just appeared out of nowhere...
Does anyone know what this could be, and should I go see a dermatologist?

She’s got glasses, but only for driving and reading—just a tiny -0.5 prescription. Her cervical spine hasn't been imaged, but it’s perfectly healthy. We’ve done every single medical test available and everything comes back clear, yet she’s still not feeling any better. The thing is, at the exact moment the pain hits, there’s no actual ache, just this intense pressure in her head that lasts for maybe a few seconds or minutes. Honestly, I don't see the connection to what you're going through, rustypanther39. Thanks.

So, I’m dealing with this situation involving my sister. She’s getting this weird, intense pressure on the left side of her head. It happens whether she’s sitting up or standing, and it lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. She says it feels like she’s about to black out—her legs go numb, she breaks out in a sweat, turns pale, and sometimes she actually does lose consciousness. It’s like her head is going to explode. Lately, she’s also been feeling some minor pain in the left side of her neck, but we’ve had everything checked out by doctors and all the scans come back normal. The only real issue is she’s struggling with short-term memory loss. Every single test comes back fine.

It was better for a few months there, but now she’s dealing with this weird pressure on the left side of her head again. It hits whenever she's sitting or standing, and it lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. She feels like she’s about to black out—legs go numb, she starts sweating, turns pale, and sometimes actually passes out. Lately, there’s been some discomfort in the left side of her neck too, though we've had everything checked out by doctors and those tests came back fine. Her short-term memory is also acting up. I don't know. The doctor says it isn't psychological, and I trust him. Thanks.

Yeah, we got them. Now there’s this new symptom popping up ever since the dizziness started letting up. Every time I finish lunch, I just get hit with this massive wave of exhaustion, chills, and then this rash breaks out across my face. It lasts for about two hours... what on earth is going on now?????

Got the test results back. Hormones look fine. But honestly? This whole thing is enough to drive you insane.

It’s not that we’re just hunting for a referral, but the doctor is dead set on thinking this isn't an immune issue. I have a gut feeling it’s something else entirely.