1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

Heart Rhythm Episodes - AFib; Tachycardia, High Blood Pressure

Posted by jayhawk57 @jayhawk57, Jul 30, 2019

Hello! I'm looking for feedback and any information on anyone who has episodes of excelled heart rate 160 + with increased blood pressure. I have been experiencing this for the past year. It comes without warning. If I try to eat or drink it will happen as well periodically and have lost 18 lbs in 6 weeks. I feel confused, dizzy, nauseated and foggy with a hard time breathing. It can last approx 1 hr. My pulse usually goes back down but blood pressure usually stays up. Feel sick 24 hrs after these flare ups. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

AFRobin | @afrobin | Aug 12, 2019

Exboater, your case is exactly as mine was...before I cured myself. Like you, alcohol, caffeine, stress and any upset made my arrhythmia worse...and for me, sugar made my heart race. Pushing my heart...as in aerobic activity every day resulted inside 4 weeks being able to gradually lower my beta blocker dose to ZERO! The cardiologist said my atrial fibrillation would come back but as long as I did not drink those stimulating things, I rarely even experienced blips. I hope you can achieve the same thing.

REPLY
soph | @soph | Aug 13, 2019
In reply to @exboater "Have u looked the triggers that cause the problem. I was having arythems almost every night...." + (show)
@exboater

Have u looked the triggers that cause the problem. I was having arythems almost every night. I started research and founda alcolhol in any form and any amount was one of my triggers and caffeine was another , so no alcohol and decaf coffee,
Then checked out my meds one at a time all were ok. Getting too hot ,or tired both were triggers, so I limit my yard work each time. Better to take two days than to have arythms. Last was temper, getting too upset or angry, on my last pacemaker checkup tech told me that I had lowered my afib to less than 1percent. I also feel much better

Jump to this post

Good job on figuring all that out and following through with healthy changes!!

REPLY
dmaag55 | @dmaag55 | Dec 16, 2019

Hello. I was recently diagnosed with tachycardia, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure. I am 64 and have no risk factors and enjoyed excellent health until very recently. What medications and treatments are recommended by those of you who have some experience with these maladies? Thanks.

REPLY
1 reply
sue225 | @sue225 | Dec 16, 2019
In reply to @dmaag55 "Hello. I was recently diagnosed with tachycardia, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure. I am 64 and..." + (show)
@dmaag55

Hello. I was recently diagnosed with tachycardia, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure. I am 64 and have no risk factors and enjoyed excellent health until very recently. What medications and treatments are recommended by those of you who have some experience with these maladies? Thanks.

Jump to this post

@dmaag55 I am 65 and have ventricular tacycardia (non-sustained), & atrial tachycardia . For three years, I have been taking 25mg (1/2 a.m. and p.m) of the beta-blocker, metoprolol. I do not have high blood pressure . I do, however, have high cholesterol for which I take Repatha, an injectable biologic as I am unable to take statins.

REPLY
natashapulaski | @natashapulaski | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @danab "@jayhawk57 yes usually unless i was in an episode yes ekg look pretty normal. Because i..." + (show)
@danab

@jayhawk57 yes usually unless i was in an episode yes ekg look pretty normal. Because i had a pacemaker it records any episodes so when i would get to the hosp they would download and see what happen. And i was also on meds to slow down my heartrate . The first step i would say is a cardiologist. But realize this particular problem is electrical. So there are specialist in this field that are also cardiologist but are called EP specialist. The ep stands for Electrophysiologist. Have you ever been tested with a halter its a device you ware for a period of time like 25 to 48 hours. Depending on how often you have these it will also record what your heart is doing like an ekg. I also knoticed you mentioned eating. Another condition that ive been told by a friend who has it is a condition called afib. Less dangerous than what ive been talking about but he would sometimes have episodes after eating. There's a nerve called the vegas nerve that runs between your brain and thru your heart and stomach. So also mention that to the cardiologist. I look forward to hearing how you make out.

Jump to this post

IN reply to danab. Hi, I had to reply to your response however, it's not in reference to the original post. On 6/28/15 I experienced being very short of breath in which, I rushed myself to the hospital and the doctor was discharging me but I prompt him to do more test even though he said everything was fine and I didn't look distressed in breathing however, the squeezing/tightness and feeling like I was running a marathon was present in my chest so he ran more test/ ct and discovered I had 3 clots in my lungs. I've clotted 5 more episodes after that lungs and legs even on clotting meds in which, i'm on enoxaparin now 80mgs 2x a day due to this unknown disorder. I had to be my own advocate with each clotting episode found and press the doctors to do more! I've been to almost every ologist that you can name and no one can find out why this left me with extreme shortness of breath, the squeezing feeling in my chest/ sharp chest pain, and tachycardia with even moving my limbs, doing small household chores, showering or even walking up stairs. I was brushing my teeth on one episode and my heart rate went up to 200 so I was hospitalized in which they gave me metoprolol but I couldn't handle that due to it lowering my blood pressure too much and not lowering my heart rate and now I've been on a heart failure pill corlanor in which, I'm suffering extremely everyday from the exact symptoms and went out on medical leave. I've been to the best hospitals in Chicago and even visit the Mayo 11/2016 for a week but they just gave me more appointments( didn't do anything different from the doctors in chicago) that I couldn't meet. I recently discussed this vegas nerve that you mentioned to my cardiologist in which, I've had a right and left side heart cath and it showed nothing and now I have a loop recorder in my chest to monitor my heart rate and rhythm but nothing! My cardiologist wants me to see someone at University Of Chicago in which, he practices in microvascular disease in which, I do have that but they said early on that microvascular coudn't contribute to all my symptoms, I'm hopeful that they can correlate this microvasular to the vegas nerve that you mentioned because sometimes it feels like it's coming from the stomach area before it hits the chest and thats when I have to been over because it feels like I've ran 5mls. Thank you and the originally poster for sharing! Just maybe this will help someone or someone can give me some insight.

REPLY
1 reply
sandstorm1963 | @sandstorm1963 | Feb 15, 2020

Hello! I have had SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), also called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia) for 22 years now. I have had 2 ablations, both failed and have been on verapamil for 22 years. I have episodes especially when I get upset. I am hoping my 3rd ablation will fix my SVT and I'll be able to go off the medication. Make sure you get regular check-ups with your cardiologist. Not sure where I am having my ablation yet.

REPLY
cdupont1234 | @cdupont1234 | Feb 16, 2020
In reply to @slynnb "Thank you! I was terrified often, had absolutely no support from then spouse (who was told..." + (show)
@slynnb

Thank you! I was terrified often, had absolutely no support from then spouse (who was told I "just wanted attention" or so-called friends who told me my extreme racing heart must be panic attacks and to basically shut up about it). It wasa truly life changing experience, however, because I began studying medicine and health on my own when I realized there was NO help for me - and I ended up changing career paths and actually having doctors treat me with respect and often as a colleague, ask me questions about certain research and more. I am appalled by a lot of the inaccurate so-called medical information on the internet and what passes for "health " info on sites pushing agendas and products. I would encourage people to do research to understand what constitutes factual information. And I would also encourage people to ask questions of your doctors - do not put them on a pedestal. Yes, treat them with respect but nobody is perfect and there is certainly prejudice and sometimes intellectual laziness (wanting to make the easy , quick diagnosis to get a patient out of the office, too often with a prescription medication) among physicians. Do not think understanding your body and any medical condition is above your intellectual capacity - most often, it is not. But you need to do the work to learn -- and question so you learn more.

Jump to this post

Excellent analysis and comments

REPLY
cecilias | @cecilias | Feb 16, 2020

I have had two episodes of this, but the rate was closer to 130! I have been DX with Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, secondary because of a large Macro Adenoma.
Anyway I was on Hydrocortisone for the Adrenal, I wondered if this had something to do with the heart rate. I am 81 yrs young..

REPLY
kelton | @kellycross | Mar 13, 2020

Yes! I have SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). My heart rate will jump to 170 or 180, from my normal 52 resting, for no reason. Some triggers include exercise or hot drinks but it can also jump without explanation. I get clammy and dizzy. I also suffer from high blood pressure that often varies from 110/70 to 190/50 on the same day. My cardiologist has inserted a Linq recorder under my skin near my heart so "big brother is watching". She gets monthly reports on what my heart is doing. I'm also supposed to keep my heart rate below 120 since I have mitral valve prolapse and an enlarged atrium. I don't have an answer for you - but you're not alone!!

REPLY
1 reply
mayofeb2020 | @mayofeb2020 | Mar 13, 2020
In reply to @kellycross "Yes! I have SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). My heart rate will jump to 170 or 180, from..." + (show)
@kellycross

Yes! I have SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). My heart rate will jump to 170 or 180, from my normal 52 resting, for no reason. Some triggers include exercise or hot drinks but it can also jump without explanation. I get clammy and dizzy. I also suffer from high blood pressure that often varies from 110/70 to 190/50 on the same day. My cardiologist has inserted a Linq recorder under my skin near my heart so "big brother is watching". She gets monthly reports on what my heart is doing. I'm also supposed to keep my heart rate below 120 since I have mitral valve prolapse and an enlarged atrium. I don't have an answer for you - but you're not alone!!

Jump to this post

@kellycross I have the same issue too! And I had a loop recorder implant at the end of January as well to test for afib. So far there's no sign of it. It usually happens when I am on my walks, sometimes it went over 160 but never lasted long, only a few minutes. It happens though every morning when I get up and walk 10 steps to the bathroom and my heart rate can go up from 70s to 110. I don't feel dizzy and sometimes I don't even know it until I check my fitbit. My resting HR is not as low as yours. It's frustrating because if I am busy with housework, my heart goes on cardio mode. Two cardiologists told me it's "conditioning", the first actually told me to go to the gym and starting running on the treadmill. I had stress test, and treadmill test, echogram (?) heart monitor and all my EKG come back normal. I even check my EKG at home with Kardia everyday. After my TIA, I had the loop recorder. I have high blood pressure too, it's usually pretty good but always very high when I'm at the doctor's office. Blood pressure varies during the day, I learn not to worry about it too much, stress can make it worse.

REPLY
1 reply
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.