Do I have Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Dear all, I hope you can help me.  I am a 61 year old woman and I maintain an active lifestyle, doing an hour or so of exercise every day (running, swimming, karate, cycling, weights).  I have had SVT for two years, but recently there has been a change in symptoms.  Instead of the really fast SVT attacks, I get less elevated heart rate that goes on for days.  My resting heart rate is 58 but when these attacks come on it goes up to around 90, and if I try to exert myself it shoots up to around 200.  So of course, I cannot exercise.  Otherwise I feel fine apart from the odd dizzy spell, which occur particularly at the start of the attack. 

Last time I went to the hospital, after a few hours they told me to go home because 'there was nothing wrong with me'.  They said it is normal to have a resting heart rate of 89, even though they had my notes in their hands saying my resting HR is 58.  I found this very frustrating. My GP has tried twice to get an appointment for me with the hospital cardiologist but they have not responded, despite a Health Dept requirement for them to respond within two weeks.  So I don't know what to do. 

I have tried taking my Flecainide and Metolprolol but although they do reduce the heart rate they seem to also reduce my body's ability to revert, prolonging the disruption to my life.  I can go to work etc. while in this stage, but it is playing havoc with my exercise schedule.  Sometimes I get so desperate for exercise I go for a gentle walk anyway, trying to keep my HR below 160. 

For the first two years of SVT I only got it a few times a year, but with this new thing I get it once or twice a week.  Mostly my resolution attempts such as Valsalva, carotid massage etc don't work, then it reverts some time later for no reason.  I have been taking 400 mg of Magnesium glycinate for a week now as recommended by Sanjay Gupta's Youtube but have seen no change so far.  I don't really know how to manage this and as the medical profession don't seem interested I am stuck with self-diagnosis and taking the advice of other sufferers.

Even when my resting HR is about 65, which is slightly elevated for me, I find I still cannot exercise without it shooting up to 200.  If I am feeling fine with a resting HR above 60, and want to exercise, I have to test myself with star jumps or a short jog to make sure my HR is not going to go crazy as soon as I try some prolonged exercise.

Does anyone out there have similar symptoms, and if so, how do you deal with it?

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Sorry cannot help , but you need to see a cardiologist,  I’m not in uk so different procedures here , but can you pay and see someone? Or actually go to York Cardiology?
    • Posted

      Thanks Jenny, I'm not in the UK either.  The good news is that the hospital has 'accepted' my GP's request for an appointment for me.  But I don't have a date yet.  The other good news is that I haven't had an episode since Sunday - it's Wednesday now.  So am feeling more positive. I always hope I can beat this, then when it happens again I get frustrated.  Thanks again for your interest.

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