arteril fibrilation or panic attack

F

Finlay

New member
How does one tell the difference of arterial fibrilation and a panic attack,
sometimes about every two to three months I get this terrible out of breath feeling and go very dizzy if I stand up. my pulse rate at the time is about 160,
my doc says it sounds like arterial fibrilation but I wondered if it were more like a panic attack
 
wenlast,

If your doctor thinks it may be artrial fibrilliation, has he referred you to a cardiologist who specializes in electrophysiology? There is only one way to find out and that is to get an appointment with a cardiologist and let them run the necessary test to insure that you are only having panic attacks (which in itself is not fun) and nothing more serious.

Brenda
 
wenlast,

The fact that you get every 2/3 months is enough to warrant a referral. There are medications that could help control this condition.

Some doctors think because it is not a frequent event that it must not be a big deal. If you mention it, than it is a big deal because you took the time to mention it.

I began to suffer from the condition about 5 years ago, however, my heart would begin to race and I would begin to start choking. This scare me to no end and one of the doctors I was referred to had the nerve to tell me that "This is really not a big deal, it is not like it is going to kill you". I kid you not--he really said that, so my remark back was, "you being a doctor, if you were trying to work and live a normal life and your heart suddenly began to beat so fast that you thought your were going to die and it would continue off and on and a colleague of you're told you that it was no big deal..." do you think you would be happy with that remark." No surprise, he ignored the question.

Request a referral and insure that all is well.

Brenda
 
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