Heart races with minimal exertion
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Hello. I am currently on beta blockers due to my doctor thinking that I had PSVT. I had an episode where I was riding in the car and my heart rate went up to 173. I am trying to convince myself that it was only a panic attack but I have bad health anxiety so I think it's something more serious. Now sometimes when I stand up my heart rate jumps up. After I took a shower I checked my pulse and it was at 130. Turned out it was only sinus tachycardia. I've been taking 12.5 mg of atenolol daily for a few months... sometimes I'll take the other half if I'm having a rough day. I am currently weaining off because my doctor said I don't need to be on the medication because my heart is perfectly healthy. Right now I am on 6.25 mg of atenolol. I've had multiple test done. Blood work, holter monitor, stress test, echocardiogram, 3 chest x-rays, and I had a tilt table test. All of my test came back normal besides the tilt table test. I blacked out within 7 minutes of being tiltled. My doctor says I don't have POTS but I have vasovagal syncope. He said my heart rate dropped to 45 and that's when I blacked out. He said my blood pressure didn't drop. Is this what's causing the rapid heart rate? Or is it anxiety? I have never fainted before the tilt table test my doctor just ordered it to see if it could be POTS. I am so scared & confused... if it's not POTS then why does my heart rate jump up? My doctor tried reassuring me that I'm not going to just pass out because I'm not being tilted all the time but I'm worried. I don't want anything to happen to me. Please help!
0 likes, 4 replies
Rat545 simoneg
Posted
My health problems are mild compared to yours. However, I also have been on atenolol for quite some time, varying from 12.5 mg to 25 mg. Several months ago I decided to wean myself off atenolol. At first it seemed like it was successful and I made the right decision. BUT after several days I started to have "near syncope", almost fainting but not quite passing out all the way. When an episode would start I would suddenly feel very weak, have a feeling of electric shock in my heart that seemed to go thru out my body, my ears would ring and it seemed my vision would "black out". Now, this sounds awful but actually would only last about 2 seconds and I would return to normal except being extremely weak and pale. Also, the weakness and paleness lasted a few seconds and I would be back to normal. I was referred to an electrophysiologist who recommended and implanted a "loop recorder" in my chest. When I feel syncope starting to happen I am to hold a tiny device over the recorder and push a button. Every 24 hours the data from the recorder downloads to a computer in the doctor's office. I still have these syncope spells even when taking 25 mg atenolol and with the 150 mg of Flecainide that I take twice daily. My doc has highly recommended I have a cardiac ablation which is scheduled in the next three weeks. Good luck with your situation. If you do not already see an Electriophysiologist you might want to check into that. I had been under the care of a cardiologist for many years and had just rocked along with not much being done. I have been seeing the E. for 6 months and feel that my problems have been correctly diagnosed finally.
simoneg Rat545
Posted
Thank you for your reply! Do you mind telling me what your diagnosis is? Do you have POTS? They ruled out POTS & SVT. I'm starting to believe that it's anxiety because it doesn't happen all the time.
Rat545 simoneg
Posted
Sorry, I just now saw your reply. Well, I am not real sure just what my diagnosis is called but this is what the electrophysiologist told me: "There is one or more cells inside your heart that sometimes mis-fire which causes an irregular heartbeat and sometimes causes syncope (fainting). I can relate to your feeling that it might be anxiety. However, I do not think any arrythmia would happen "all the time"... I know mine does not. In fact, it does seem that my heart beats more irregular when I am "winding down", after dinner and when I am watching tv, talking on phone or playing on the computer. It is strange that it happens when I am more relaxed. In the past I have had a few episodes of complete long lasting A-fib and ended up in the ER, one time it lasted all night even in the ER with meds going in IV. They had me prepared for a "shock" to get heart back in rhythym when it finally settled down and became normal. Heart disease does run in my family. Our daughter is 52 and is beginning to have some of the same irregular heartbeats, a couple of episodes of a-fib and a feeling of about to faint. (As far as your problem being related to panic attacks and anxiety, from my experience of A-fib and syncope it sounds to me like yours might also be an actual heart problem rather than anxiety. Do you consume a lot of caffeine? I have been guilty of doing that and have cut back drastically. It might have helped with palpatations some but certainly did not cure me. Plz let me know how you are doing.
simoneg Rat545
Posted
I have had a full cardiac workup done. Just recently finished up a 21 day event monitored. Everything checked out fine. I had multiple events of a racing heart along with the other symptoms and the cardiologist assured me that I had a regular rhythm, just fast. So no arrythmia's or anything so I'm glad about that. I thought for the longest that I had POTS, but I figured if I did I would have the symptoms everytime I change positions, but I don't. So it's indeed anxiety. I just have to learn how to combat it. Thank you for your reply!