Do you always go to the hospital when you have tachycardia?

I’ve had several hours of tachycardia from last evening and also on Friday. It went back to normal in the Friday event. I did not go to the ER. But I am wondering if I should go since I had two events in three days. I am waiting to get a call back from my cardiologist. Thank you.

Hello @marianne103, Welcome to Connect. I think it may depend on your medical history and other symptoms. Mayo Clinic has some information on Tachycardia including when to see a doctor here - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tachycardia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355127.

I see from another post you made that you are waiting for a call back from your cardiologist. This is from the Mayo Clinic information above:
"Seek immediate medical help if you have:
- Chest pain or discomfort, Shortness of breath, Weakness, Dizziness or lightheadedness, Fainting or near fainting."

It's been 4 hours since you posted so hopefully you aren't having any of the symptoms that require immediate attention.

Is this new for you? Your cardiologist is the best resource!

Maybe you can ask about a "pill in the pocket" approach to tachycardia if you don't have it all the time.

I was told to seek help for heart rate over 140. With afib my heart rate approaches 200 and some docs have told me to try to stay home! I tend to go to the ER or call an ambulance because I have low blood pressure and any treatment lowers it further, so I need IV's.

I would ask your doctor. We don't know your situation. It is one of the main questions I ask cardiologists! I get different answers though!

Thank you for your response John. I am not experiencing any of those other symptoms. No callback from my earlier call but I was able to make an appt for this afternoon. Have you ever tried any at home things such as holding your nose, holding an ice pack to your face?

I appreciate your response. My BPM have come down below 100 and I was able to get an appt with my heart doctor later.

The only at home thing I've tried was in and out breathing but it was more to try and lower my blood pressure readings when I take my BP in the mornings.

Hello @marianne103,

I combined your discussions on whether or not to go to the hospital for tachycardia into one discussion so members could more easily find your situation and comment on it:

"Do you always go to the hospital when you have tachycardia?"
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/do-you-always-go-to-the-hospital-when-you-have-tachycardia/

It sounds like your heart rate has come down some and you were able to schedule an appointment with your provider. If you are comfortable sharing, is the appointment far out in the future or were you able to get in a bit quicker?

I have an appt for 12:45 today. I guess I should give a little background. I am a 77 year old woman, and started seeing a cardiologist several years ago(2019j with “palpitations.” My EKG showed AFib and I was put on Xarelto. Took it for six months and my hemoglobin tanked, needed transfusions. No more Xarelto for me! Subsequent EKGs did not show AFib. Dec.30, 2024 went to the ER with high BP and rapid heart rate; kept overnight for observation. IV meds brought it down. Went home with two new meds..amlodipine(BP) and Eliquis for paroxysmal AFib. No issues until Fri. and last night when my heart stared pounding. I checked my Kardia Mobile which showed 104. BPM. Totally freaked me out. Ok, that may be TMI but it brings you up to date. I have a lot to learn.

I have a long history of tachycardia and have gone to the ER twice over that time. Both times were when I was unable to get the tachycardia stopped after several hours. The first time was in 2001, my heart rate was over 200 BPM, and it was slowed down by an adenosine infusion, followed by an overnight digoxin drip. They said this was SVT ( later characterized by the EP I was referred to as probable atrial tachycardia). I was prescribed 100 mg metoprolol succinate and this kept the tachy under control for many years after that.

The second time was in 2015, when I woke in the wee hours to fluttering in my chest, accompanied by the light-headedness and slight shortness of breath I get with tachycardia, after another several hours of this, and having taken my meds, nothing I did stopped it, so we headed to the ER, where an EKG showed this time around I had A-flutter, with a heart-rate around 130-140. This one stopped shortly after I got settled in the ER, but they insisted on admitting me to see a cardiologist.

My tachycardia episodes ( now accompanied by bradycardia and a pacemaker) are generally short-lived these days, and include atrial tachycardia (SVT), A-fib and A-flutter, at different times. Occasionally I will have an episode ( seems to be A-fib when this happens) that may last a few hours, but I don't go to the ER when this happens, figuring it WILL stop sooner or later, and it always has. We know what is happening, I'm on medication to cover these tachycardias, and when the tachycardia is paroxysmal ( like mine is) there really isn't anything they would do in the ER that isn't already covered by my current treatment and monitoring ( pacemaker monitor reports).

That's me, though. I'd think that a person with tachycardia might best follow the advice of his/her cardiologist regarding ER visits during a tachy episode. If the tachycardia has gone on for a long period of time ( ask your cardiologist to define that time ) a person might be in need of a cardioversion to getback to normal sinus rhythm, either with IV medication or electrical stimulation. If it were the first time for a person experiencing the tachycardia, I'd also think getting to the ER could provide documentation about what's happening ( EKG) and allow for treatment as indicated.
I'd also most likely hot-foot it to the ER if I had an implanted defibrillator that was delivering shocks for a tachycardia I was experiencing, or I had a history of ventricular tachycardia- these can be life-threatening arrhythmias and I wouldn't take any chances.

I have to agree about the usefulness of the Kardia mobiles or the Smart watches in their ability to monitor and transmit questionable arrhythmias- seems they could enable the user to communicate with his/her health care provider about how to treat them.