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Hey again, all.  I wrote yesterday to ask your advice about a "fluttery" funny
feeling near my sternum.  I asked if any of you had experienced this symptom
with other disorders.  I wanted to update you and let you know what's
happening so far.  I was able to get an appointment with a doctor pretty
early this morning.  They wanted to get me in to see someone quickly because
it sounded like heart problems to them.  I went in and explained my medical
history to this nice new young doctor (female): I have Celiac disease (CD),
endometriosis, "exercise-induced" asthma, have been sereverly anemic
(probably due to either endometriosis or CD), allergies, and have had a
thyroid blood test (TSH) come back high (above 7), though the last test they
did measured in the normal range.

I then explained that I have had a "fluttery" feeling in the region of
my sternum for a few months (on and off), that it doesn't seem to be
related to anything I eat, drink, or do, and that it has gotten much
more frequent in the past couple of days (since Saturday).  She listened
to my chest, of course, and said my heartbeat sounded regular at the
time.  I also mentioned that the feeling lasts from 30 seconds to five
minutes and also includes lightheadedness and clumsiness (I tend to tip
over glasses of water and drop things when I have this feeling).  She
asked me some questions (what do I do to make it go away when it
happens?  do I use a lot of caffeine?  am I on antihistamines?) and told
me that the Allegra I am taking can cause similar symptoms and I should
decrease my dosage if possible.  I am not sure this is the underlying
cause because I have been on Allegra for five years and have not
experienced this before.  My other answers were that I lie down or sit
down so I don't fall over or drop anything to make the feeling better.
I do not drink a lot of caffeine - I don't like coffee and I drink no
more than one soda per day.  Often less.  I'm 26 and not overweight, so
any heart-related problem is unexpected and surprising.

The result of my appointment so far is that the doctor took blood to retest
my thyroid funtion and my hemoglobin level (maybe I'm anemic again).  In
addition, she's referred me to the cardiologist, who is going to give me a
portable EKG machine to wear for 24 hours to measure how well my heart is
working.

I'm very pleased with how thorough this doctor seems.  She seems to be willing
to cover all the bases and listen to and respond to my concerns.

THANK YOU to those of you who responded to my initial message.  It is helpful
to know that I am not alone and to have some questions to ask the doctor when
I was there.  You're all wonderfully supportive and kind and I feel very
blessed to be a part of this list. (To those of you who suggested
hypoglycemia, by the way, I thought this was it, too, for about six months,
but the feeling doesn't go away after I have a small snack.)  If any of
you have additional questions or what to know what the results of the tests
are, write me and I'll send you individual messages in a few days when I find
out what's going on.

Thanks again!

-Christie in Chandler, AZ