Sinus tachycardia questions

03-30-2008, 06:27 PM

Hello all. I've read over 20 pages on the search function for tachycardia, but didn't find answers to these questions. Situation: have had sinus tachycardia for about 20 years, but it comes and goes -- sometimes I go for years without a spell, other times it's several times a week. Three years ago, the spells came back and Dr. put me on atenolol -- I'm now up to 25mg twice a day. Can't take more due to low blood pressure. In the past six months episodes have been more frequent and often last several hours -- my "best" was 21 hours. Pulse rate goes up to +/-150. Sometimes I tolerate it well, but at other times it knocks me on my arse--feel faint, weak, extremities ache, etc.

I currently see a nurse practitioner and she told me the next time I have a long-lasting episode to go to the ER to have my heart stopped and restarted. Sounds gruesome! Frankly, I'm afraid of doing it, and wondered if anyone on this board has done that and what it's like. I can't afford health insurance and Texas doesn't have any assistance for adults, so can't get any of the special tests done or treatment other than the NP or ER.

Any other advice you might have would be helpful. The procedures I used to use to stop an episode no longer work: bearing down, drinking cold liquids, pressing eyes, etc.

Thank you, Brigit-Carol

03-30-2008, 06:39 PM

Hi, I have never heard of stopping the heart and restarting it. My mom has had it for many many years and I have it. We both have low blood pressure. I take dixogin but only 1/2 tab because the cardiologist didn't want to lower my bp anymore. I now only drink coffee in the morning. My mom has had some success with sticking her face in cold water. My best results is coughing. Most of the time if I have an episode I lay down and pretend I am on the beach and maybe put on some Enya to listen to. If that doesn't work, I busy myself doing something. Thankfully, they only last about 30 minutes and they do wear me out.

03-30-2008, 10:41 PM

Belfry, what you are speaking of is cardioversion where they use adenosine to slow your heart rate down. It does not actually stop your heart. It will significantly slow your heart rate down and then your heart recovers. Your heart does not actually stop and they have to restart it. On the other hand, with sinus tachycardia this is rarely done. So if you were to go to the ER they would highly likely not use this drug on you, especially with a heart rate of only 150. Now when you get to the 200's or get unstable (extremely low blood pressure, no distal pulses, etc) then they would use this drug. But again it is highly unlikely they would use it on you. Only benefit from going to the ER that I have found with sinus tach, is that they can actually see what is going on, and can give you some meds to make you feel better (ie calm you down, anti nausea meds, etc). Now adays they use several drugs to slow heart rates down as opposed to adenosine.

03-31-2008, 05:28 AM

Thanks for the responses. Do you know how long one can go with pulse in the 150's without it being dangerous to the heart? I work at home so can wait the episodes out -- it's just that they are now going on for many hours that concerns me. Brigit-Carol

03-31-2008, 01:37 PM

everyone is different. It just depends on your body and how well it is tolerated. The bigger question is why are you having so much? Sounds like they need to increase your medications. You may have to go to the er just to get your doctor to do something for these. Are you just on atenolol?? Have you tried doing a high salt diet? Increasing your salt intake will help you to retain fluid which will increase your blood pressure. Usually a high blood pressure will help with sinus tachycardia. There are also drugs out there that raise your blood pressure, such as florinef or midodrine. I personally right now am trying florinef to allow me to take more toprol to in turn slow my heart rate down. Have you tried other medications?? You may need just a different medication that would work better. Sotalol is a good drug that usually works well with sinus tach, and doesnt have a huge effect on blood pressure. There are many out there though. Hope that helps. Oh and I have tachycardia over 60% of the day and they say I have had no ill affects from it. I have had this for almost 2 years.

04-01-2008, 07:26 AM

Sam I Am -- thanks so much for your input. I wish I knew why the episodes have gotten more frequent. I had 'flu and pneumonia over Christimas for about a month -- fever got to 105 at one point. Since then I've had more frequent episodes without a discernable trigger, so I figure my electrolytes are out of balance. To that end, I've upped potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium intake, but only for the past week, so perhaps it hasn't had time to work. I only take Atenolol, and even though the NP told me I could take up to 100 mg. a day, I can't as it drops BP too low--70-80/40-50-- especially right after a tach episode. So I stick to 50 mg. a day split into two doses.

I'll make an appt. with the NP and take the names of these other drugs in with me to see if she might change the regime. She is very cautious when it comes to medication, but also is knowledgeable and listens well.

04-01-2008, 01:49 PM

No problem.. I have been through the ringer with my heart and heart problems. I have tried many many drugs and have had a variety of tests. Any advice I can give, I am more than willing, that way maybe I can help others deal with these lovely lovely issues we deal with.

05-20-2008, 04:56 PM

hello, I am kinda new here. I have had tachycardia for a long time. I am 41 years old, and mine started when i was 14 years old. I have been rushed to hospital many times with fast heart rate, as fast at 250 beats a minute, they did stop my heart at one time because they could not slow it down. the more this happens it will make the muscle weak in the heart, so you need to see a doctor. I am suppose to have catheter flabation done. where they go in and lazer off the valve that causes the tacyhcardia. I also have sinusitis, my sinuses are very bad. I never heard of sinus tachycardia attack. I also have MVP mitral valve prolapse. well I hope this helped some. take care of your self.

05-20-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missm34

I also have sinusitis, my sinuses are very bad. I never heard of sinus tachycardia attack. I also have MVP mitral valve prolapse. well I hope this helped some. take care of your self.

Are you confusing nasal sinuses with sinus tachycardia? They're not the same thing or even related. The word sinus can actually refer to a few different things.
Since you have MVP you may want to look up mitral valve prolapse syndrome and dysautonomia.

I have episodes of sinus tach daily due to low blood pressure/low blood and oxygen to the brain and low blood volume - any time I'm standing or even sitting upright. Laying down will return my HR to normal. I take midodrine and that does help lower heart rate but it doesn't show a significant change on my blood pressure. So far I have been diagnosed with neurocardiogenic syncope and suspect POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) due to my excessive tach when standing.

05-22-2008, 03:43 PM

I've used sotalol and found it to be excellent, but it did slow my heart to 49 at rest.

I must say that when I have a cold/flu or stomach flu or other illness I can almost guarantee a heart problem as well. My doctor said "do you take cold medicine?" Well yes, I know cold medicine can cause problems, but for example I had a stomach flu this year which caused me some heart problems which I hadn't had in a while. So for whatever reason, illness of another kind does seem to trigger responses.

Before I had ablation done I only had one period that lasted a long time, and in my estimate it was about 5 minutes

They always told me to go to the ER when I had trouble so they could record it. My episodes were so infrequent and brief that I could not make it to the car never mind the hospital. Mine were near 300 though. When finally caught on an event monitor the doctor said they were severe enough that a mere 5 seconds could kill me. I had a rare condition of what may have been a reverse entrant WPW which did not display a delta wave on EKG unless in the middle of an event.

Either way, in this one particular 5 minute episode my throat was all tight and getting tighter. I was eventually on the floor and had no one to contact.

One technique that I found may or may not work is massaging the arteries in the neck. If you have troubles give that a try to end an episode of tach.

05-23-2008, 08:38 AM

my doctors does not beleive meds cause mine
i guess he thinks im nutts lol
tons of meds do it to me

Sinus tachycardia questions

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