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sick of tachycardia episodes

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cynthiaG
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  • #1

    sick of tachycardia episodes

    I've got to get another event monitor hooked up! I've been usually have one episode a month...had one last Friday night (midnight of course) and another last night (around midnite). Still going a little irratic this a.m. Why can't these happen during the day and during a weekday when I can drive 2 minutes to my PCP and they could get it on an EKG? The thought of going to a hospital emergency room I just went Thursday am. to my PCP for a follow up visit. (he is very knowledgable about HCM). He listened, etc. and said I was doing very good. If it wasn't for these ##@$%$ episodes, I would be doing pretty good with this. They say to try to relax....easy for them to say. Sorry, I'm very tired, have had little sleep . Have any of you been able to rid these with medication, radio frequency ablation? I'm taking 100 mg. of atenolol
    \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

    Ralph Waldo Emerson
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  • #2
    Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

    an addendum to my previous post:

    When does a doctor know when to either add another med or change the beta blocker dose when you have tachycardia? What if it continues like having 2-3 episodes a month?
    \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

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    • #3
      Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

      Hey Cynthia , Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Maybe it was the weather last night in Massachussetts-only kidding , I know it is no kidding matter. Last night I noted that I was a little bit tachy also and have been getting that way lately. I went to my pcp Thurs. and she said all was fine . Again it never happens when I'm at a doctors office. I have been having the same old chest pain as I had before surgery also and a lot at night; last night it was so bad and no sign of letting up. I did not want to take my nitro as we hcmers know that that can open up another can of worms so for me and I stress for me I decided to try an extra 1/2 dose of Atenolol I take 100mgs a day. It worked , it used to work for the chest pain before surgery and before I was taking 300mgs a day. I don't know for me it is just an experiment. I did discuss this problem with my pcp and she too knows so little about Hcm she told me to bring it up to Dr. Maron at my visit the 24th. All well and good but chest pain and the tachy rate is I agree very disturbing and uncomfortable. So I did my own thing , today my heart is sputtering a bit more but I did sleep better last night and as I said the pain went away and the rate dropped. I do not suggest you try it but talk to Dr. Maron about it. Maybe he is on call this weekend , give it a try. Also my pacer is set for 50 BPM so I do have that bit of insurance should I go hypotensive. Good luck , hope you feel better real soon and let me know how you make out. Pam
      Dx @ 47 with HOCM & HF:11/00
      Guidant ICD:Mar.01, Recalled/replaced:6/05 w/ Medtronic device
      Lead failure,replaced 12/06.
      SF lead recall:07,extracted leads and new device 2012
      [email protected] Tufts, Boston:10/5/03; age 50. ( [email protected] 240 mmHg ++)
      Paroxysmal A-Fib: 06-07,2010 controlled w/sotalol dosing
      Genetic mutation 4/09, mother(d), brother, son, gene+
      Mother of 3, grandma of 3:Tim,27,Sarah,33w/6 y/o old Sophia, 5 y/o Jack, Laura 34, w/ 5 y/o old Benjamin

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      • #4
        Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

        thanks, Pam.
        it's still irratic and hasnt done this for that long before. when I lay down and try to fall asleep (since I got so little last night!), I can just feel it irratic beat and pulse. My local cardiologist who sees a good deal of HCMers, told me it would be o.k. to take a little more atenolol. I usually take 50 mg. in the am (@ 10:00) and 50 mg. in p.m. (8:30-9:00). I took my morning dose at 7:15 a.m because of the tach. I may take another 25 and see how I do (i was previously on 150 mg./day so I dont think it's going to do any harm). I might have my husband take me to urgent care and ask for a 12 lead EKG. My PCP is an HMO doc but they also take BC/BS and I can go to their urgent care. They havent caught a full blown episode and that's why I get so nervous. I feel a little SOB too, but no pain at all
        \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

        Ralph Waldo Emerson

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        • #5
          Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

          P.S. Sometimes I dont know which doctor to call....if I call my local cardiologist on a weekend, I'll have to go to the E.R. agghh! I can try Tufts and see what a doctor has to say, OR I can go to Fallon Clinic urgent care through my PCP
          \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

          Ralph Waldo Emerson

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

            Cynthia , Sorry to hear things are this way for you . I know it is a delema and difficult to see what works best. My pcp had suggested that maybe I needed to take the Atenolol divided like I used to instead of all in the am, but I do feel the increase is what my body needs unfortunately and I hate going up on it. I do notice that sometimes these symptoms seem exacerbated when I am physically spent and don't get a nap in in the afternoon but not always or sometimes when my fluid retension is up. You probably would be best served by going to urgent care and getting the full check. I know it is just one more frustation and step back but hopefully some thing can be done to help you, I hope so. One more question , when was your last cath, were your arteries wide open? Sorry that was 2 questions. Good Luck and keep your chin up. Pam
            Dx @ 47 with HOCM & HF:11/00
            Guidant ICD:Mar.01, Recalled/replaced:6/05 w/ Medtronic device
            Lead failure,replaced 12/06.
            SF lead recall:07,extracted leads and new device 2012
            [email protected] Tufts, Boston:10/5/03; age 50. ( [email protected] 240 mmHg ++)
            Paroxysmal A-Fib: 06-07,2010 controlled w/sotalol dosing
            Genetic mutation 4/09, mother(d), brother, son, gene+
            Mother of 3, grandma of 3:Tim,27,Sarah,33w/6 y/o old Sophia, 5 y/o Jack, Laura 34, w/ 5 y/o old Benjamin

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

              As far as a cath --- never had one. I had my last echo last April
              \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

              Ralph Waldo Emerson

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

                I guess we're all a bit different... i get tachycardia episodes all the time, but have never thought them to be dangerous. My cardiologist doesn't think so either. For me, it's more an annoyance than anything else, and i've never sought out medical attention anytime i'm having an episode.

                There are different forms of tachycardia also, depending on where it originates i think. Most of mine that have been caught on Holter monitor were determined to be sinus tachycardia, as opposed to ventricular tachycardia, which i guess is the one you want to watch out for.
                "Some days you're the dog... some days you're the hydrant."

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                • #9
                  Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

                  They told me (with what little of this has actually showed up on an event monitor), that it looked like atrial tach. This time it lasted longer than previous ones and all day yesterday, I felt SOB and my pulse was still irratic. I was able to sleep last night, but this morning still have a little SOB . You know that feeling you get when you push it too much (you feel like you ran a mile....heart beats fast and you have this sore feeling that feels like it's in your back? kind of hard to describe), well, that's what I felt like yesterday and really tired but that was due to lack of sleep the night before. I'm still calling my cardiologist tomorrow morning and reqesting another event monitor to capture my next episode. The weird thing is that I have been feeling really good and then, boom...the tach episode...I wonder why?

                  P.S. They are still scary to me and are an annoyance and at least since I'm not working, I can take a nap during the day. But starting the 18th, I'm going back to my previous part-time job and THEN it will be a bigger annoyance. I usually get them around midnight and lasts 2-3 hours. I'm going to be dragging when I get up at 7:00!
                  \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

                  Ralph Waldo Emerson

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

                    For all of you who love your palm pilots now you can do your own EKG on them! I stumbled upon this site and thought it was quite interesting. As far as medical equipment is concerned it is actually kinda cheap!

                    I know event monitors can get pretty expensive especially if you don't have insurance. So this might be an option.

                    http://www.activecenter.com/

                    Mary S.

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                    • #11
                      Re: sick of tachycardia episodes

                      thanks, Mary! My BC/BS covers this, but if I decided to go to the Pallm Pilot route, it's nice to know...so you could always have it on hand...take care

                      Cynthia
                      \"It is not length of life, but depth of life.\"

                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

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