Palpations/Tachycardia

[leschiz]

Hi!

I've been having some problems with my heart for the past few years but have never been able to get an answer on it. For a while it hasn't been that big of a deal.. I know it's some sort of tachycardia. I get episodes sometimes once a day, sometimes up to 10 or more times. My heart beats anywhere from 150-200+ when I do. A lot of palpations, a lot of .. just not beating the way it should. Sometimes it starts quite suddenly, other times it builds up. Most of the time it winds down but sometimes it will stop rapidly. One example was a particuarily bad episode of around 200 and it went down to 50 within two seconds or so with a partuarily painful palpation. They last from 10 mins or a few hours. Doesnt seem to have a real pattern. It's not just that its fast, but that it pounds, and usualy its physicaly visible. Mostly I dont really pay too close of attention, it's just something that is!

Buuttt.. a few weeks ago I had a serious problem with it. Usualy I can get pretty light headed, short of breath, etc. I've not passed out, but blacked out once or twice. However, a few weeks ago I woke up and about an hour after I had a particuarily bad episode. I couldn't look up, I was very nautious, couln't breathe, etc. A bunch of my friends tried to take my pulse but my blood pressure was too low, when they tried to take it on my neck it was too fast for them to count. So I dont know exactly how fast it was. They were going to take me to the hospital but I guess I protested, so I ended up at my elder sisters instead.

I've seen a few doctors about it, and they've said I have some sort of tachycardia. I believe one even mentioned VT.. dont know about that...

My question is. What should I do? Should I be worried? It makes me quite nervous. Im 18, a college student, and an athleate. I do suffer from other medical conditions.. such as asthma and I believe I have to go onto medications for ADHD next month (shoudl I be worried about that and my heart combined?). Any input would be appriciated!

-Heather

[Looly]

Heather, if you were my daughter, I'd definitely suggest you go to a cardiologist to check out your situation. What you describe is not normal and if perhaps medication could fix the problem, then that would be your best route. My friend suffered from what you have described. She went through all the tests, and was given Cardizem and feels 100% better now on the pill. You are too young to have to go through this and worry. Rule out major problems - see a cardiologist and then you can have an answer to your problem and hopefully a reasonable solution. My best to you.

[Timber]

Heather, you may have multiple arrhythmias, but the tachycardia that stops and starts suddenly is almost definitely SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). The hallmark of this arrhythmia is that it stops and starts suddenly.

You need to go to the ER next time you have an episode. If you're having symptoms like nausea or faintness when you are in arrhythmia, you must be treated. Your doctor should also put you on an event monitor to wear at home to find out exactly what type of arrhythmias you are having. You need to take this seriously and go directly to the hospital next time this happens. Some arrhythmias are life threatening.

Also, yes you should be worried about ADHD meds and your heart. Most ADHD drugs are stimulants/amphetamines and they can induce arrhythmia. Some asthma medications can also exacerbate symptoms, if they contain epinephrine (adrenaline).

[arvc]

Heather,
I have lived almost exactly what you have talked about. I had v-tachs and still do.(that means that your heart is way way above normal rhythms) I am lucky to be alive after some of them. My fastest rate has been 240bpm. This is extreme and is very serious. The fact that your heart seems to bring itself back into rhythm after that means(usually) that your heart still has some elasticity to it. When mine first started, no one knew what it was and because I was out going and fairly young no one suspected heart disease. I went til I was 30 and nearly died on 3 diff occassions because my heart stopped setting itself back to a normal pace. Your heart rate can run off with you one day and not stop unfortunately until you get medical help if your lucky enough or until you pass out and perhaps not wake back up. You need to see your primary dr and she can get you a dr appt quicker than if you call yourself. You need to be on a 24 hour monitor atleast if not an event recorder. An event recorder, records a specific time period that you feel something is going on and is a good way to tell. As an athelete you have a higher chance of getting v-tachs if you are proned to them, simply because you are using your heart and its working harder. Most cardiologists will do standard tests like echo, xray, ekg, stresstest, blood work, holter monitor, and such to start out with. This is just food for thought not to say this is your problem. If the tests show that you have an enlarged heart but they can't find anything else and call it cardiomyopathy (of any sort) be sure to ask them about a unique heart condition called arvc or called arvd. That is what I have and it can only be detected through an MRI with a microscopic view. I now have an ICD, which is a pacemaker and defibrillator both. This disease is a big cause of death for athletes because it comes on suddenly sometimes with no warnings and bammm the athlete is gone. I am not tying to scare you, but hopefully give you insight that I didn't have and that my drs did not figure out right away. As I said this may not be your problem, but it sounds a lot like mine. My disease is rare simply because most people go undiagnosed and 75% of people die a a result of the first signs before they know they have it and of the of those left they may die due to being misdiagnosed. I hope this is helpful to you and I wanted to give you that specific disease just in case. Be hopeful though it could be something easy to fix with meds and very treatable. You best way to fight all this is to have knowledge and the dr on top of it early. Best of wishes to you.

[lylone]

Heather,

Please do take the advice of the posters on this board and go see a doctor about your "episodes". I have had SVTs since I was your age (now I am 35) in college and physically active. I probably lived off of Sudafed and caffeine my whole first year of college. And now see how that may have caused the problems to surface. Decongestants and Caffiene do speed up your heart rate. Also, alcohol and recreational drugs are bad also.
If you have more periods when your heart rate kicks off and is over 150+ bmp, call an ambulance immediately.
They will hook you up to an EKG and give you adrenosine which will make you feel like you will pass out, but you won't. Depending upon how you react to this medicine will determine if it is something life-threatening or something like what I have called SVTs. They will refer you to a cardiologist and do more tests.
My sister called an ambulance when I had my first one at age 19, and now at 35 I am glad she did because I have learned to control them instead of them controlling me. I take a betablocker to keep my episodes from occurring and even have seen a therapist to reduce stress.

Do take care of yourself and have it looked at, you are so young and have so much more life to live.

good luck,
Lynn