Question:

Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill — I used to have a handle on life…but it broke off.

It does sound like this definitely *has* been bothering you (shoulder pain, lack of sleep, etc.).  However, it might give you a bit of comfort to know that my mother was first diagnosed with arrhythmia when she was in high school.  She is now 89 years old and has never had a bit of "heart" difficulty.  She would sometimes be aware of something that felt like heart palpitatons, but that was annoying rather than dangerous.  There were also a couple of instances in her life was doctors delayed surgery because they detected the arrhythmia and wanted to be sure that she was a suitable candidate for surgery.  In each case, she was cleared and had the surgery (with no problems) a day or two later.  Perhaps this type of event is what your doctor referred to — but if so, he needs to be more forthcoming about your other symptoms. MaryL

Response:

Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill — I used to have a handle on life…but it broke off.

I was just going to ask how you are feeling. Purrs continuing to come your way. Winnie

Response:

Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill

Admittedly, I might have a different perspective, but I simply wouldn’t accept not knowing WHICH arrythmia, and how it is being judged minor or not. Now, there’s no question that some arrythmias are, in any form, emergencies. There are others, however, that might just happen every so many beats, and it’s useful to know how frequent the events were now — so that if you have problems in the future, there’s a basis for comparison. It would seem appropriate to sit down for a discussion with a cardiologist, reviewing your symptoms and making a decision whether the arrythmia is causing them or not. A wise physician once said to a group of young doctors, busily looking up lab values, "Gentlemen, treat the patient, not the chart. The chart isn’t sick."   Interpretation of tests can go both ways. They can point to disease that needs to be monitored, and can also cause worry over something that truly is not clinically significant. Again, it’s hard to judge without seeing the report. In my own case, I was having significant angina, which did not show up on 12-lead basic EKG, treadmill EKG, or on Holter, because electrically, my heart was essentially normal. It took nuclear scanning to define the problem. Once that showed something, I moved fairly quickly to cardiac catheterization/angiography and then to an angioplasty.  One of the major factors in this was having a cardiologist who knew and trusted me, and vice versa, and listened when I said "Michael, I don’t care if the ST segment is isoelectric. I’m having a classic clinical presentation of unstable angina. Keep looking, and observe that medical (drug) therapy isn’t working." I’m really not trying to be alarming, just to point out that cardiology is not cut and dried, and the cardiologist has to treat the patient, not the test.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill Admittedly, I might have a different perspective, but I simply wouldn’t accept not knowing WHICH arrythmia, and how it is being judged minor or not. Now, there’s no question that some arrythmias are, in any form, emergencies. There are others, however, that might just happen every so many beats, and it’s useful to know how frequent the events were now — so that if you have problems in the future, there’s a basis for comparison. It would seem appropriate to sit down for a discussion with a cardiologist, reviewing your symptoms and making a decision whether the arrythmia is causing them or not. A wise physician once said to a group of young doctors, busily looking up lab values, "Gentlemen, treat the patient, not the chart. The chart isn’t sick." Interpretation of tests can go both ways. They can point to disease that needs to be monitored, and can also cause worry over something that truly is not clinically significant. Again, it’s hard to judge without seeing the report. In my own case, I was having significant angina, which did not show up on 12-lead basic EKG, treadmill EKG, or on Holter, because electrically, my heart was essentially normal. It took nuclear scanning to define the problem. Once that showed something, I moved fairly quickly to cardiac catheterization/angiography and then to an angioplasty.  One of the major factors in this was having a cardiologist who knew and trusted me, and vice versa, and listened when I said "Michael, I don’t care if the ST segment is isoelectric. I’m having a classic clinical presentation of unstable angina. Keep looking, and observe that medical (drug) therapy isn’t working." I’m really not trying to be alarming, just to point out that cardiology is not cut and dried, and the cardiologist has to treat the patient, not the test.

I am scheduled to go in and talk with my doctor on Monday afternoon.  He is not a cardiologist but I’m not willing to let them just say don’t worry about it.  If I have to demand a referral to a cardiologist, so be it. Because whatever it is, whether it’s my heart causing the arm/shoulder pain or something as simple as a pinched nerve, I want to know and I want it treated.  Period. Jill

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill Admittedly, I might have a different perspective, but I simply wouldn’t accept not knowing WHICH arrythmia, and how it is being judged minor or not. Now, there’s no question that some arrythmias are, in any form, emergencies. There are others, however, that might just happen every so many beats, and it’s useful to know how frequent the events were now — so that if you have problems in the future, there’s a basis for comparison. It would seem appropriate to sit down for a discussion with a cardiologist, reviewing your symptoms and making a decision whether the arrythmia is causing them or not. A wise physician once said to a group of young doctors, busily looking up lab values, "Gentlemen, treat the patient, not the chart. The chart isn’t sick." Interpretation of tests can go both ways. They can point to disease that needs to be monitored, and can also cause worry over something that truly is not clinically significant. Again, it’s hard to judge without seeing the report. In my own case, I was having significant angina, which did not show up on 12-lead basic EKG, treadmill EKG, or on Holter, because electrically, my heart was essentially normal. It took nuclear scanning to define the problem. Once that showed something, I moved fairly quickly to cardiac catheterization/angiography and then to an angioplasty.  One of the major factors in this was having a cardiologist who knew and trusted me, and vice versa, and listened when I said "Michael, I don’t care if the ST segment is isoelectric. I’m having a classic clinical presentation of unstable angina. Keep looking, and observe that medical (drug) therapy isn’t working." I’m really not trying to be alarming, just to point out that cardiology is not cut and dried, and the cardiologist has to treat the patient, not the test. I am scheduled to go in and talk with my doctor on Monday afternoon.  He is not a cardiologist but I’m not willing to let them just say don’t worry about it.  If I have to demand a referral to a cardiologist, so be it. Because whatever it is, whether it’s my heart causing the arm/shoulder pain or something as simple as a pinched nerve, I want to know and I want it treated.  Period.

Unless your primary physician is in a very large group practice, there may very well be a cardiologist already involved. These days, Holter recordings are analyzed by special-purpose computers that tend to be cost-justified only by cardiologists. In other words, just as if you had an X-ray taken and there would be a radiologist report, there’s probably a cardiologist’s report with the Holder interpretation.

Response:

I am scheduled to go in and talk with my doctor on Monday afternoon.  He is not a cardiologist but I’m not willing to let them just say don’t worry about it.  If I have to demand a referral to a cardiologist, so be it. Because whatever it is, whether it’s my heart causing the arm/shoulder pain or something as simple as a pinched nerve, I want to know and I want it treated.  Period.

Jill, That is the best attitude to have when going in to talk to your doctor.  You and your doctor are in a partnership regarding your health.  Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you know and feel. Good luck! Diane

Response:

Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me. More later… Jill — I used to have a handle on life…but it broke off.

Response:

Okay, I got a message from the doctor’s office.  I have minor arrythmia but it’s "nothing to worry about and no treatment is necessary unless it continues to bother you".  Uh… it’s been bothering me, that’s why I went to the doctor!  I called back and left a message because this sure does sound ambiguous to me.

Please let us know what the doctor says (is that what’s causing the shoulder pain, or is that from something else that *does* need to be treated?). Whatever it is, purrs that it stop bothering you. Hugs, CatNipped – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – More later… Jill — I used to have a handle on life…but it broke off.

Response:

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