Cardiac Arrythmia

[seniorcit]

I have had an irregular heartbeat for over three months. An ECG test was normal, vas was a thyroid function test. I now have to wait for over two months until I can wear a 24 hour monitor.How do I go about having this test done privately? Many thanks, in advance, for all comments.

[Sqad]

Contact the secretary of your Cardiologist and tell him that you want it done privately.

[Etch]

How often (per day/week) does your arrhythmia occur, and how long does it last? From what you say it doesn't appear to be continuous, otherwise the ECG would have revealed its nature

[Sqad]

Etch........agreed, but that is why seniorcit is being monitored for 24 hours, to pick up the abnormal heart rate....frequency and origin.

[Etch]

Sqad... yes, I know, but I'm wondering how similar seniorcit's case is to mine, where even monitoring for 24 hours might not have captured the arrhythmia. I ended up reporting to A&E whilst experiencing a persistent occurrence and the resulting observation/treatment gave a diagnosis

[retrocop]

Etch
I waited over a year from discovery to receiving the cardioversion.This was due to admin blunders with the consultant's secretary. I went to see the consultant after a year and he asked me how I felt since the cardioversion. I told him I hadn't had it yet and was still waiting.
He went ballistic and I got it next week. Iwish I had badgered his secretary more a year previously when it ws advised.

[Etch]

retrocop
They actually tried cardioversion on me when I first went to A&E, but it failed to restore normal heart rhythm. From my discharge summary (after being kept in for 24 hours observation):
"On arrival his heart rate was found to be 162bpm, irregular" ...
"His ECG showed fast atrial fibrillation" ...
"He was given [beta-blockers] and [...] intravenous magnesium. This failed to revert his heart to sinus rhythm so electronic cardioversion was attempted twice, whilst the patient was sedated with [...]."

[Etch]

With mention of A&E and attempts at cardioversion I might have made it sound as though I was in a critical state! That wasn't the case: like seniorcit, I was simply wanting to capture evidence of what was happening when my heart was "palpitating". My first thought was to see my GP, but was concerned that my heart would be behaving normally again by the time I got an appointment. Whilst looking up their phone number on the surgery website I saw mention of the 111 number for non-emergencies, so I rang that and after going through my symptoms they said I should go to A&E. I wasn't prepared for how seriously the hospital responded: I had imagined that they could just do a quick ECG and then let me go, so I hadn't gone prepared for an overnight stay!