ER Again

V-Tach

by ROBO Pop - 2018-01-12 11:22:17

Linda- sorry you are facing challenges with your shiny new device, sort of takes the luster off doesn't it?

I've had devices for 11 years and as a frequent flier at the ER for CHF as well as volunteering in the Cardiac unit, I can say unequivically most ER doctors have no clue where the heart is even located, much less how it works. I've spent countless hours educating them to no avail. In other words stay away from those guys they'll break your heart.

What you are experiencing may be Ventricular Tachycardia (V-Tach) which is Latin for fast heart rate. Doctors like to use those fancy terms to impress us with their knowledge. To me they're too dumb to just say fast heart.

Now a normal resting heart rate is anything between 60 and 100 beats per minute. When the heart goes faster for no reason then it's technically V-Tach.

However as you may know, physical exertion should cause an increase in heart rate as your organs need more oxygen enriched blood to compensate for the exertion. Perfectly normal. 

Additionally, emotions such as anxiety or fear can cause the heart to accelerate as well. I can assure you my heart starts racing everytime I see that glint in my wife's eyes while she's holding sharp objects.

Unfortunately we don't have enough detail to ascertain what is going on here. You need to speak to your Electrophysiologist or Cardiologist to determine whats going on and whether any corrective action is necessary. 

Don't panic, just speak to the doctor. Let us know what you find out. Good luck

Or Sinus Tachycardia

by Gotrhythm - 2018-01-12 16:02:24

There's V-Tach and there's also sinus tachycardia. Sinus tachycardia can have the same root cause as bradycardia i.e. the sinus node in the heart is, if you'll excuse a technical term, wee-wonky. You already have bradycardia. When you have both alternating, it's called bradycardia-tachycardia or brady-tachy for short.

The pacemaker can make your heart go faster and thus deal with the bradycardia. Unfortunately, it can't prevent your heart rate from going faster. That's the bad news. 

The good news is that the occasional bout of tachycardia isn't dangerous. That's likely why the doctors don't seem worried.

I have had brady-tachy for years. For a long time, until my early sixties, the only problem I was aware of was that occasionally my heart raced "for no reason." Slowly the bradycardia became more dominant, neccessitating the pacemaker. In the years since I got the pacemaker, I have fewer and fewer episodes of heart racing, and when I do, it's not as fast, and doesn't last as long.

Fortunately, hearts are intended to be able to speed up with exertion or stress. Racing for a while won't hurt them. People run marathons. Think of how long their heart rate is elevated for. Tachycardia feels very weird and unsettling when it happens out of the blue, but the thing to do is sit down, sip a cool drink, and breath deep and slow until it calms down.

Depending on what the docs tell you, you might also want to look at your diet. Too much caffiene can bring on a spell for me, as well as food allergies.

ER

by Lindaosc - 2018-01-12 20:26:55

Thank you both for your comments! That’s more information than the Dr’s are giving me. My EP is going to put on a monitor to see if he can capture the TC. Thanks Again for the support!

Linda

Hi New Club Member

by NiceNiecey - 2018-01-13 16:20:36

Welcome to the PM Club, Linda. I love to give those lame greetings!

Tachy, Brady, Racing . . . I have no idea what they called it but right after I got my PM, I, too, had unexplained episodes of racing heart rates. I could be sitting reading a book and suddenly my heart rate was above 120.

Ultimately, I was put on a low dose beta-blocker to keep that in check and it works beautifully. Don’t be worried if that’s the route they suggest.  It’s a lot easier and cheaper than an ablation!

Glad you’ve joined us. This is a great focum in which to learn.

Niecey