Tachycardia anyone?

disneydrmr · #1 03-13-2009, 11:46 AM

Hey all. I've been going thru a bunch of tests and stuff. BAck in December I had a TWO WEEK period of heart palpitations and racing heart beats (I clocked it a few times at 125 beats a minute) Anyway.. looks like the tests show I have very minor leakage of my heart valves and I have Tachycardia. My doct didn't seem too concerned about it. Said I need to monitor my symptoms and go on a low fat/low sodium diet and do aerobic exercises. He also said if I have an episode that lasts longer than 30 minutes I should seek medical help. Is there anyone on here that has this? I looked it up on the internet (the mayo clinic site) and it sounds like it could be something serious also. During that 2 week period in Dec my episodes lasted almost 24 hours a day so I'm wondering if I really should seek help after just 30 minutes... I still get episodes often (they've gotten better.. maybe a few a week).. but most do last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.. so I would hate to have to keep going to the ER or Urgent Care or the doct.. could get quite costly. So I just want to find some others here who have this and hear what you do to control it and how you handle it. Thanks!

SBETigg · #2 03-13-2009, 11:59 AM

Diane, my husband has it. He's not exactly a poster child for taking proper care of himself, so I don't have any good advice. He hasn't had problems lately. We have been to the ER a few times when it was acting up. Pretty much nothing came of it. Sometimes, it lasts all night and he just shrugs it off. I'm not saying that's a good way to handle it, but it does stop and he's still with me.

The best thing I can say is that you should ask your doctor how he thinks you should handle it, and if he's not that concerned, I would relax and follow his lead. If you're not sure of your doctor, get a second opinion. Internet sites sometimes have good advice and sometimes scare us unnecessarily. They're based on generalities. The best person to turn to for advice specific to your needs is your doctor.

murphy1 · #3 03-13-2009, 01:33 PM

Hey Diane, are you seeing a cardio doc? That would be my next stop. I was at my endocrinologist and he didn't like my heart sound and did an EEG the other day and found out my thyroid disease and what I've been through with my autoimmunce disease has weakened my heart and one of my ventricles is too wide. My dr. did a C reactive test and metabolic test and wants me to also monitor if I have pain or squeezing in my chest, I actually thought it was just the cold hurting my chest! Heart disease and issues are the #1 issue for women now, even surpassing breast cancer. If a little voice is telling you to take care of it, listen to it, but don't be too freaked out. Even if you are doing everything to take care of yourself, you never know if there might be something going on.

betteratmk · #4 03-13-2009, 01:39 PM

You really need to see a cardiologist to have him rule out other disorders such as mitral valve prolapse, Bundle Branch Block ect. There are many things that could affect your heart rate even anxiety or illness.Have they done an echo or a stress test? Please delve further.

Mfarquar · #5 03-13-2009, 01:41 PM

I agree with the posters above. While I do not have any heart issues, my grandmother has for years (and my sister has as a result of another medical condition).

Always go with your gut. If something is nagging inside you that something isn't right, definitely go for medical attention. My family has learned the hard way that ignoring those instincts can put you in a world of trouble.

Also, as someone who has a chronic autoimmune digestive disease and has gone through the medical guessing game (just generally feeling a little unsure), I would suggest seeing a cardiologist for a second opinion. I'm not saying that they will change your diagnosis, but they may have insight to everyday and emergency care that the other doctor did not focus on. Ultimately, you should stick with someone who you are comfortable with and feel you can trust very well. Sometimes it's just good to have another opinion - it certainly can't hurt!

Good luck, and I hope you're feeling better. I know that getting a diagnosis can be scary, but at least you know what you are dealing with now and can take care of it. Some

for you!

Tinksalot · #6 03-13-2009, 02:25 PM

I would see a cardiologist if you aren't already. I work for a group of cardiologists (I'm not a nurse) but they usually order bloodwork for cholestrol as well as echocardiograms and stress tests. If you have any family history of heart disease or hypertension you should definately see a cardiologist.

Tinkermom · #7 03-13-2009, 05:58 PM

Yes, I have it. It is called Supra Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT). My heartrate can pop up to 160 - 200 for no reason. I have found that if I squat I can usually get it to go back into normal rythm within a minute or two. Other ways to get back into normal rythm is to "bear down", or massage your carotid artery. Neither of these has ever worked for me though.

I have had this since age 16 (I am now 41) and have noticed it becoming more frequent as I get older. I have figured out that my triggers are mainly:
- Caffeine
- Not enough fluids
- Not enough sleep

I have cut out all caffeine and it helped but my cardiologist recently placed me on Digoxin and it has helped GREATLY! I went from having a SVT episode about 4-6 times a month to only once since September! I have also not had any side effects with the Digoxin.

There is a procedure you can have called catheter ablation. The primary risk from this is needing a pacemaker if something goes wrong. I am holding off as long as I can in doing this procedure.

I also have some minor leakage and my cardiologist (who is AWESOME) has said minor leakage is no cause for concern and that the majority of people have this.

The main concern with SVT is that it can cause dizzyness and fainting and not good if you are driving.

You do want to get to an ER if you cannot get your heart back to normal rythm within an hour or so. I had to have the medication (adenosine)once but only because I was in the hospital with a Pulmonary Embolism and my heart was having a difficult time trying to pump the blood through the lungs.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I do recommend you get in with a cardiologist as they have a much better knowledge of SVT and ways to help get it until control.

TiggeRia · #8 03-13-2009, 09:15 PM

If it is SVT, the above poster had good advice. There is a difference between SVT and regular tachycardia, though. One of the ER drs I used to work with would break into an SVT on occasion. The only way he could ever get himself to break it back into a normal rhythm was to stick his head in a bucket of ice water. Your best bet is to see a cardiologist to rule out anything more serious and to get advice on how to handle it.

princessjojo · #9 03-13-2009, 10:23 PM

You really should see a cardio. dr. and not think twice about it. There are people who live their lives with a tachycardic heart. It also depends which area of your heart is tachy, the atria(top left & right chambers or ventricles(bottom left & right). If your heart begins to beat too fast for a long period of time, and by long that can be subjective, your heart could just exhaust itself. We typically restrict the diets of our cardiac patients to low salt, no caffine, low fat. You also want to be aware of anything that is a stimulant such as the caffine as they will usually speed up your heart.

If it were me, I don't know if I could overlook it as it could lead to fribrillations and flutters. Then you run into blood pooling in your heart and initiating anticoagulants or blood thinners/clot busters because the blood doesn't circulate out of the heart properly.

Sorry, I know it's a lot but I would think that you are correct to be a little concerned and it's smart of you to look further into what this diagnosis means. Afterall, your heart is basically your lifeline...

Cinderelley · #10 03-15-2009, 10:26 PM

While many of these posters have offered good advice for the conditions they spoke of, you may not be suffering from the same condition.

Has your doctor seen an ekg of your heart while you were suffering from these symptoms? Without that, it would be difficult for him to give you an accurate diagnosis.

If it was myself or a family member, I would want at the very least an ekg, blood work (including a thyroid panel and cholesterol levels), a referral to a cardiologist, a halter monitor, an echocardiogram and a stress test. Depending on the diagnosis, I would also want a referral to an electrophysiology doctor.

I know, we nurses are just big pain in the gluteus maximuses.

mrsgaribaldi · #11 03-16-2009, 04:44 AM

So far everyone has told you good things (helpful) I have some leaking valves that were discovered on my last echo. No big deal, I just have to have them watched every 6 months to a year.
As for your rapid heart rate, there are many reasons you might have a heart rate of 125. If you had a fever, dehydrated, alot of caffeine, diet pills, over active thyroid. You get the picture. If you didn't see a cardiologist yet, you should. One of the Physican Assistants that works in my ER gets SVT. She takes meds and had an ablation but it still happens very rarely.
There are alot of things it could be and could not be. The things is to have an EKG done while you are having the rapid heart rate so they can see what it is. Maybe you need a holter monitor for 24 hours. Good luck. I'm sure you will be fine

Keasmom · #12 03-16-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disneydrmr

Hey all. I've been going thru a bunch of tests and stuff. BAck in December I had a TWO WEEK period of heart palpitations and racing heart beats (I clocked it a few times at 125 beats a minute) Anyway.. looks like the tests show I have very minor leakage of my heart valves and I have Tachycardia. My doct didn't seem too concerned about it. Said I need to monitor my symptoms and go on a low fat/low sodium diet and do aerobic exercises. He also said if I have an episode that lasts longer than 30 minutes I should seek medical help. Is there anyone on here that has this? I looked it up on the internet (the mayo clinic site) and it sounds like it could be something serious also. During that 2 week period in Dec my episodes lasted almost 24 hours a day so I'm wondering if I really should seek help after just 30 minutes... I still get episodes often (they've gotten better.. maybe a few a week).. but most do last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.. so I would hate to have to keep going to the ER or Urgent Care or the doct.. could get quite costly. So I just want to find some others here who have this and hear what you do to control it and how you handle it. Thanks!

Exercise, eat a better diet and cut out caffeine and sugar as much as possible. I have an irregular and rapid heartbeat and I have found that these two things can make it much worse. Exercise makes it better and cutting sodium reduces the amout of work your entire body has to do to process or eliminate it. Lower fat diet help keep cholesteral down reducing the risk of a clot based attack, or arterial build up leading to a blockage based attack. I take an aspirin, I am careful and the doctor says, "Live life".