is sinus tachycardia after eating normal?

[justanumber]

i take 25mg of atenolol in the morning and 25mg at night as prescribed and it gets my resting heart rate down. but after i eat a meal,my heart starts racing and i feel very fatigued and short of breath and sometimes even very dizzy. my bp is good but my heart rate is 126 and i ate a big meal and this annoys me. can anyone tell me if this is normal? thanks.

[is_something_wrong]

It's normal for the heart rate to increase after a meal, but the 130s seems a bit high. Lots of mechanisms can cause an increase, I can list a few:

1. The heart will increase the minute volume by 30-40% after a heavy meal, which to some degree increases the heart rate, it also increases heart contractility which makes the heart beats harder. This response is physiological and can't be removed. It's necessary to digest the food.

2. In those predisposed to it, the blood pressure will drop after eating, which may make the body further increase heart rate.

3. If you eat something containing lots of sugar or carbs, the body produces a lot of insuline to get rid of the sugar (and store it as fat..) which will again make blood sugar drop, which is considered "dangerous" by your body, and you will produce lots of adrenaline Solution: Eat healthier and preferrably less sugar and white bread.

[MichelleP_3811]

Before I had my svt ablated I would get short of breath after eating.  So it sounds to me like there may be an issue that needs addressing.  It could mean that your heart is having trouble beating efficiently while your body is digesting or it could be that as your stomach is expanding after eating and is putting pressure on the heart muscle.  Either way I would mention it to your cardiologist.  I don't know that it is anything to be concerned about, he may just up your bp medicine but it is definitely worth mentioning.  Good luck.  

[justanumber]

yes,a cardiologist prescribed the atenolol. i also have high bp. i have had 3 ekg's done and each showed sinus tachycardia and inferior infarcts,age undetermined. the cardiologist says that the machine is wrong and i do not think that i've ever had a heart attack. every single time i eat a meal,my heart races very fast and i always feel symptoms. it can be anywhere from 120 to 145 bpm.

[Jerry_NJ]

If I understand correctly that you HR goes to 126 after eating (you didn't mention what it is normally) and you feel poorly.  I do not think this is normal, I think you should get a general checkup with you primary doctor.  That may result in needing to see a cardiologist.  I wouldn't start with a cardiologist as you symptoms may not be directly related to you heart.

Did a cardiologist prescribe your prescription for Atenolol?