Okay, since folks are asking, here's the latest:
Nothing.
Seriously, I haven't had any episodes since one minor one on Saturday. This happened five years ago when I had this same symptom. I wore the halter monitor for the requisite 24 hours and they found nothing. The silly things went away on their own.
Since then, of course, I went through another bout of caffeinated sodas until about two and a half years ago. I've since quit, but they may have contributed to this latest round of palpitations. (It's also possible that having had to use so much Sudafed lately may have played a part. Stimulants are stimulants.)
I visited with the cardiologist on Monday, and he acknowledges that, while the episodes have stopped, the problem may still exist, whatever that may be. So he wants to pursue it. At the very least, he'd like to rule out any true heart disease that may require long term treatment.
So I have tests to look forward to. I've already visited the vampire. They're checking for cholesterol and thyroid levels. I'll have to do the monitor, of course. And then I get to do a stress test. After that I get to revisit with the cardiologist and see what may (or may not) be the next steps.
It's quite possible that the final diagnosis will be something like: "STAY OFF THE DOGGONED CAFFEINE, DUMMY!" You know, watch the diet, exercise more, that sort of thing. And I'll try to be a good boy and play along.
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