Palpitations, arrhythmia - heart stuff!

Since my nose dive early February I have been experiencing the worst palpitations I've ever had. I have the feeling of my heart pounding for hours on end, before the nose dive it was just a few minutes numerous times a day particularly on exertion. Its new to me and new is scary especially when I've been told I have an arrhythmia.

The arrhythmia was discovered during the tilt table test last month. I listened to my consultant as he stroked his beard and said over and over again "wow, I've never seen this before". When I asked him what he was referring to he said during the tilt my heart never sustained a rhythm but went all over the place and my blood pressure never steadied. It dropped and rose all over the shop. It didn't seem that surprising to me as I've witnessed it on hospital equipment and my own medical equipment. I actually went into hospital due to the weird heart rhythm in May 2011. As it was a bank holiday and my condition wasn't acute they decided to release me with a promise of a follow up to a cardiologist something that never happened.

Bank holidays are never a great time to be admitted into a UK hospital as their are fewer nursing staff and even fewer drs. The Dr that saw me admitted he had spent 30 minutes googling my condition before he came to see me. I really hate the fact this is a rare condition and most drs course of action is to just leave it alone or wait and see. That's because both of these approaches do nothing to help me. Hence my reticence now of going to hospital when things get rough.

A worrying development on the palpitation front is the new style ones, which can only be described thus, I feel like there is a balloon expanding in my chest the feeling goes up into my throat and then makes me cough several times. I will be honest I've had these in the past too, mainly when stressed out. However these are also happening several times a day. Although they take seconds to end they leave me feeling dizzy, fatigued and with a horrible ache in my chest. I think I need to call my gp about this on Monday and let him freak out about these as well.

I just wondered if any of my readers had also come across these horrid little things as well? I would be most I interested to hear if any of you have. I will of course update you on any progress I make towards seeing a cardiologist.

 Presently my gp is waiting for me to have the drug trial in April before referring me to see the cardiologist, those in the UK will know that what he's actually waiting for is the change in the financial year now that the budgets have been handed over to the gp's.  A good gp he maybe but budgets are tight and its not currently considered an emergency. Things may change after Mondays phone call!