Question: I just had an EKG and was told there is a disturbance in the process of repolarization of the myocardia. The technician said I should consult with my cardiologist (which I will do) but the doctor is out of town for a week. Is this something urgent or can I wait a week before consulting? Is there anything I should do/not do while waiting?

I am trying to get my scanner working. It's new. It might take a little while.

Well, I take bystolic for high blood pressure and my usual heart rate is fast, 75-85 beats per minute. That is my "improved" rate when I'm taking the medicine. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, my heart rate jumps to 95-110 beats per minute. I know that is still close to the range for normal (60-100) but when it goes above 90, I definitely feel it and feel poorly. It is not normal for me. I have been to a cardiologist and had an EKG and he said that there is no structural problem with my heart - my condition can be controlled with medication. However, even with medication, it still sometimes starts beating fast for no reason. But yesterday was the first time I ever (almost) fainted, that was weird. And the first time I've ever had comments on my EKG. "Disturbance" and "consult" worried me! So can I keep exercising (I've been riding horseback) and doing things normally until my doctor returns in a week or so? Should I eat a banana? I've looked up low-potassium symptoms and causes and I don't have any of those besides the palpitations. Thank goodness! Thanks for your input!

My blood pressure now is usually normal to low: 125/76 to 110/67 but my pulse is still 76 to 88. I don't think high potassium is a problem - the only thing on the list of causes that might possibly relate to me is the lisinpril, but I'm even taking less of that than before, 5mg. Of course, I can still have that checked to be sure. My newest symptom, one that I noticed for the very first time last week when I thought I was going to faint, was a dry mouth. Just really dry at the back of my tongue. I had a couple of sips of water and didn't think much more about it. (I was more worried about the fainting). But just tonight, out of nowhere, suddenly the back of my tongue was really dry again. It woke me up, actually. Some water helps, but it is not caused by thirst - it's a physical place on my tongue that suddenly dries out. When I read about dry mouth, the only thing that slightly relates is heart-related, so I started worrying again. (all the other conditions that relate to dry mouth don't seem to relate to me at all - I guess that is a good thing!) My last thought is that this could all be hormonal - if multiple symptoms could be cured with one solution, that would make me happy. I take femostom 1/5. Maybe I need to up the dose? Just to note, though, that when my heart starts pounding, it's not like a hot flash. It just starts pounding with no other symptoms . This is all so frustrating! I miss the days of carefree perfect health!

I was on birth control pills for a long time and very regular. When my periods got heavy, my gynecologist switched me to estradiol and progestin. Recent blood tests indicate that I am at least perimenopausal, if not menopausal (though I still get a light period occasionally). I've moved, and this new gyno recently switched me to femostom because it is what is available here. I don't think my heart is pounding from hot flashes because the pounding seems to be the only symptom. I don't sweat or feel hot or anything like that. I don't get leg cramps at night or most other symptoms that I read about. Just sometimes my heart starts going very fast (a cardiologist last year ran tests and there is no "mechanical" problem with my heart). It was a recent episode of heart-pounding, and then this recent near-fainting episode, that sent me for the EKG. And the technician said the thing about "disturbance of the repolarization..." that got me worried. If upping my dose of hormones would stop my heart from pounding, I would gladly do it. One last possible association is that I am usually borderline anemic. Might that be related? Seriously, getting older is no fun at all.