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Avatar universal

SVT or VT and Pulse

Good morning.  I am a long term PAC sufferer.  I've had a barrage of cardiac testing over the years, (event, stress, holter, ECG, color echos, etc) including an echo and ultra fast CT scan within the last week.  Everything has always come back perfect. I get frequent single palps and sometimes strings.  Here is my question: I have recently been getting 10-20 second strings of palps that I assume are SVT or nonsustained VT.  When I feel these strings and take my pulse, it feels normal.  Not racing (until I start getting anxious of course) and it's totally regular.  If they're really palps, shouldn't I be able to feel the premature beats in the pulse at the neck and wrist?  I'm curious for both PACs, PVCs, SVT and VT?  Can strings of palps take your breath away?  Mine sometimes do. Thanks for offering such a great resource. A.
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Avatar universal
Karell,

I have had attrial flutter since I was 28 (three years).  Like you and others, I am very frustrated with my condition.  My working and social life used to revolve around my sporting activities, which have of course been severly curtailed since the onset of the condition.  I have had three unsuccessful ablations and sotalol was generally ineffective.  I tried flecainide and have found it (generally) far superior in controlling flutter. However, like all medications, it may not suit all people.  I have a friend with SVT who had a quite severe reaction to it.  Consequently, if you do try it, I would suggest that you do so in hospital or at your cardiologists consulting rooms.  Furthermore, I understand that Flecainide is not recommended for patients with structural or ventrical abnormalities.  I would get a few oppinions, because as you no doubt know, some doctors are better than others.

Good luck and I hope your condition improves.

Regards,

Graeme
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Avatar universal
I've had SVT for about 12 years, got mine early(LOL) aged 39!....Hate it, like all of you do.
Now have ventricular ectopics and ischaemic changes. Last holter showed beats from 48 to 175 per min.
Has anyone been placed on Flecainide for their SVT? And if so, has it helped or made things worse? I've read some conflicting info on this med and am concerned...don't want to make the dreaded 'Events' any worse.!!!
Karell
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Avatar universal
in reply to the post by CADOFI's section of "The other thing I get that I dont know what it is, I can be feeling fine, doing whatever, then sometimes it starts with a flutter, or like today, I feel immediately in my head kind of woozy, like I might faint, I feel my pulse in my neck and my heart is beating very slow and faint, maybe not in regular rythm, I cough or do something with a quick motion (usually out of panic) and the beat regulates and that woozy feeling leaves my head, and this event that scares the - out of me is over. "

I have been having the exact same thing for a couple of months (months after my intial wonderful invitation to the world of PVCs).  WHAT is this pulse slowing??  I've had a fairly slow pulse rate most of my life, and now i'm on 25mg Atenolol (for PVCs - although i usually only take 1/2 pill) and i'm having the same event as described above whenever i'm quiet.  Sitting on the computer, or reading, or just getting ready to drift off to sleep, it feels like it's beating once every second and a half or so, i feel flushed and faint (even lying down in bed in the dark!), i get nervous and raise my arms or cough/clear my throat - the rate bumps back up and i feel *alive* again.  If anyone has any clues or similar experience, please post.  When it's bad I'm losing an hour of sleep until i finally drift off exhausted and fall asleep quicker than it can slow down to startle me.  Thanks.
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Avatar universal
I was so surprised to read the comments about the relation to hormones and tachycardia.  I have been on medication for the past 5 years.  First it was just Lanoxin and then Atenolol was added.  I still have occasional breakthroughs.  Especially when I discontinued Atenolol.  Last summer I experienced 6 hours of psvt @220 bpm for 6 hours.  It was finally converted with Adenosine in the ER. It begins with a PAC, felt like a flutter, then into the tachycardia.  The PAC's do not always go into the PSVT. I have noticed a relationship with these episodes and phases in my cycle, I have asked my cardiologist and 2 GYN's and they both told me no way.  I was told that I had an extra pathway in my heart that causes it.  There is another option for treatment. Ablasion.  That will destroy the extra nerve.
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Avatar universal
Can Dilatin cause SVT or other arrhytmias?  IF so what would be the best emergency treatment for this.
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Avatar universal
jan
Hi Buzz,
I don't know what you mean by what else have I noticed, but I will tell you I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT TURNING 40 and everything going!!!  I have had so much testing and just when I thought it was over...not. The latest news I got is that the spot they found on MRI 2 yrs. ago and again recently is brain damage from a stroke or trauma that happened who knows when, but is NOW giving me trouble! I saw my primary after an upsetting visit with neuro yesterday and he said the ekg's I have been sending were runs of tachy, tachy, supraventricular ectopic beats (that's one I don't know), and bigeminy. So, he said he wanted to start me back on meds. Solved that problem. LOL Originally, 2 yrs. ago, on holter I just had tachy., for 4+ hrs. (I, also, found out nobody was sending my cardio the ekg's.  hmmmm)
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Avatar universal
I have been on Toprol since september 1999. I have had on and off, mostly on, a fast heart rate since 1993. When I finally saw a doctor in the E.R. one evening in 1998 after a day of it not slowing down, I was told it was sinus tach. The other thing I get that I dont know what it is, I can be feeling fine, doing whatever, then sometimes it starts with a flutter, or like today, I feel immediately in my head kind of woozy, like I might faint, I feel my pulse in my neck and my heart is beating very slow and faint, maybe not in regular rythm, I cough or do something with a quick motion (usually out of panic) and the beat regulates and that woozy feeling leaves my head, and this event that scares the - out of me is over. The first time I ever felt this thing was in 1996. It scared me so much the first time, but still does. When it first started it use to happen once every couple of months. Now it is a couple times a month. I notice around ovulation and  that time of the month. Even though I should be used to this, I am always scared that my heart wont regulate back, and I will pass out. I just turned 40, I wonder if it has something to do with hormones? I have had the holter monitors and event monitors, but never caught it. I am on the wait list for an event monitor again. I wonder if it is a sinus pause, v tach ( I hope not)
If anyone has any ideas or has simular symptons, please post here.

Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Hi Jan,
     I had the same concerns.   It would take years and years and years for the sinus tachycarida to have an effect on the heart.  The heart may just get tired of beating after all them years.  (CHF) But that is only in the real bad cases where the heart rate says in the high range for days on end.  (besides who wants to live to be 80, I don't)
     I find the meds, have made a better quality of life for me.  I still get days that I want to sleep all day, like today.  I stoped and took my BP and it was was down, as well as my heart rate.  So I don't know if that is making me tried,,,,or the heart rate is down caused I am tried....ehehhe confused as usually.  
    Most days I am a stressed person, it is part of my nature.  I don't have to worry about nothing.  So when on the meds, my heart rate is still in the 90's.  But with days like this when it drops to 62, I just want to sleep.  
    So Jan, what else have you noticed?   I rarely get any sharp pain in the heart area now.  And when I do it don't last but a minute.  Not like before the meds where it would keep doing it  over and over for hours.  BTW, I am woman, and find that one week month is hell also, all seems to get worst.

Have a Good Day,
Buzz
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Avatar universal
I have recently been placed on 3 meds to control my microvascular spasms.  I am on Rythmol to control my PAT and it works great.  Very rarely do I have a problem with PAT.  My question is this.  Does anyone else have cardiac microvascular spasms?  I understand, from research, that it is caused by endothelial dysfunction.  What can I do to help alleviate the problem.  The meds (Norvasc, Atenolol, Isosorbide) work great but causes BP to be 94/57 most of the time.  When I run into severe chest pains that double me over, I need my nitro spray.  It works, but I almost bottom out because it makes by BP even lower.  Anyone else have this problem?  I also have RBBB, but only first degree.
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Avatar universal
jan
Buzz,
So, being in tachy frequently isn't bad, huh?  I asked because first cardio told me to treat it or I would develop CHF or cardiomegaly, but the cardio I have now seems nonchalant, as I said before. There are just too many differences in opinion with cardios. It is scary. I don't know if I am taking chances not going back on the med or not. I will admit that I am considering restarting the meds just because I am tired, but I am hesitant. (Being tired and difficulty concentrating were my main symptoms before I was treated for the tachy).
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Avatar universal
I know high blood pressure will give you a nose bleed.  

My tracycardia used to stay in the high rage for two days at a time.  Mostly about 3 hours.  I would lay down and it would ease up.  At the time I did not know what was going on, I just could not stay awake anymore and I moved in slow motion.  Also when it lasted for for a whole day or two, I found my thinking was impaired.  At times I thought I had some problem with the head.  

I;m so happy now that I can understand what my body is saying.  I now know not to over do it.  I stop for more breaks at work now.
I;ve got my asthma, GERD and tachycarida all under control.  Knowlege is the start of the battle.  The next battle is knowing that you are not going to die, but to live.  

Best Wishes,
Buzz
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Avatar universal
"Some tachycardias are so fast that no pulse or only a weak pulse are present."

Thanks,  I now understand why I could never get a pulse.  I thought I was just not doing it right.  However after I started my meds, I was able to find my pulse.  Then I think back several years, just before my mom had her heart attack, she also could not find her pulse even durning our aerobics classes.   The best self reading I would get would be about 95.  The event monitor recorded the correct number of beats, my humun count just was not good, could not feel all them beats.   When the results came back I was super supprised with the dx of sinus tachycarida. My heart would beat almost at 200bpm.  That also explains why I was sleeping my life away.  boy oh boy, turn 40 and it seems to be one thing after another,,,, not ever after another but on top of each other making it hard to know there is another problem.  But slowly over the 4 years got it sored out.  I;m so glad for my excellent doctor.  He's always has his eyes open for them hinden problems.  

Good Luck to everyone,
Buzz
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Avatar universal
jan
Do any of you with tachycardia know if it's ok if you are in tachy for 2 hrs.? I recently stopped meds for a test and didn't resume because new cardio was nonchalant about treating tachy. He said if symptoms bothered me to go ahead with med. The symptoms at this moment aren't bothersome (they have been),so I was just wondering if I should go back on meds. just because of tachy happen'g for so long. I am maybe,only going as high as 150 or so, right now avg. about 138. Does tachy give anybody nosebleeds?
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Avatar universal
Dear archie,
It would depend whether the contraction (be it PAC, PVC, SVT or VT) is accompanied by enough blood pumping to generate a pulse.  Some tachycardias are so fast that no pulse or only a weak pulse are present.  The best test is to correlate the palpitations with a electrical recording at the same time.  Symptoms vary as well from none to severe.  Again correlation with a Holter/event monitor are the best test.
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