Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

I’m a retired 79 year-old lady married. Worked at sitting in front of computers for 30 years. About 15 years ago out of the blue I started losing my breath while I was walking down the street. I had to sit on a window ledge for awhile before I could go on. From that day till now I have not been able to walk without dyspnea. I’ve been checked by cardiology and pulmonologists and they find nothing wrong. As I’m losing my breath I bend over and cannot stand up straight and have pain in my back.

Before all this I walked everywhere. I was even hiking. Now I spend most of my time sitting. I’ve been to physical therapy for strengthening my core and just recently for strengthening my legs so I could walk standing straight. But I still have dyspnea.

I have received a suggestion from a group member and have already contacted my doctor to hear her thoughts.

I look forward to hearing any advice that anyone could give.

@lindy9 have you considered that you might have an allergy or intolerance for caffeine? I gave it up when I had a chocolate bar while hiking, felt sick, and my heart rate got really fast. It was not enough to cause the usual kind of caffeine effect- very small amount of a Hershey's.

I had severe episodes of AFIB for years. Then READ in a news column written to a DOCTOR, who had same symptoms as mine and HE said SOME people are EXTREMELY sensitive to caffeine and CAUSES heart rythm problems. in them. I had been drinking 4 cups a day, and I decreased to 1/2 cup and it caused problems with that amount. After ELIMINATING, I have no problems. I used to have episodes lasting for a few minutes to all night long. That was when I was 21. At age 75, I started to eat some coffee ice cream made in the US, and boom I had an episode. I mentioned Mountain Dew because some people do not know it contains more caffeine than colas. I don't care what the evidence says. I know what causes it in me and the DOCTOR said the same. Before quitting coffee, I tested it over and over because I did NOT want to give up my coffee or coffee ice cream. The night I had serious arrythmia, I had eaten only 1/4 cup of coffee ice cream and two small pieces of dark chocolate.

I haven't seen any convincing evidence that caffeine is going to be a trigger for people. In fact, the evidence is that caffeine enhances heart function, although not six cups of it a day, or a single Mountain Dew. It wasn't caffeine that set me off...if was being in the middle of a mid-morning run. I still have a light-caffeine pot of tea each morning to start hydrating, and then have a pretty decent sized coffee, full test, mid-afternoon with the missus. My heart rate does increase, but it doesn't come close to setting off PACs or AF.

With that comment aside, I do support a methodical exploration of what could be one's triggers, and that would clearly have to include trials of caffeine-free and caffeine-loading days, probably two or three days apart as a minimum to clear out all residues and to let the heart stabilize. Also would be tests for magnesium supplementation, calcium, and potassium supplementation, exercise, the kinds of foods that reliably disagree with the person, etc. If the AF seems to be only loosely associated, or not at all, then it's something other than what you're trialing.

When I was somewhat heavy, with a BMI of about 28, I could bring on AF when bending over to tie my shoes or when putting on socks, even. I attributed the response to tonal change in the Vagus nerve (you should research this issue), but I think that change was due to visceral fat encroaching on internal organs. Bending over to tie shoes does put a heckuva strain on one's innards if it is replete with visceral fat.

It depends on: frequency, duration, and the actual rate. Oh, and how much it impacts your well-being as well.

a. If you are frequently experiencing SVT, it can seriously impact your sense of ease and well-being. It can interfere with proper rest, or even cause you to want to stop going for walks or cycling or hiking...which is never ideal, particularly as you get north of 75. If it's once a day, no problem. Three times a day, not really a problem....unless..

b. ..it's lasting for an hour or three each time, or you begin to fear it wants to persist and to continue in perpetuity;

c. if the rate is above 100 BPM, you don't really want that, not for long. Again, an hour once a day...a pain in the patoot, and it bears watching....but you won't die from that. Once your rate soars above 100 BPM and stays there for a total of two, three, six hours each day, or never seems to want to quit and to return to NSR, you should start thinking about getting an intervention from an electrophysiologist. In fact, once you have an arrhythmia, you should shake hands with a really good, highly sought, EP and get in line for a remedy that she/he can offer.

Bottom line with SVT, flutter, and atrial fibrillation, your heart can tolerate a lot of it for short periods...now and then. When the rate begins to soar reliably, and the frequency of events begins to climb, drugs are losing ground and your wonky heart's electrics are gaining it. IOW, these things tend to evolve, or to progress, to more intractable levels and persistence, and they get harder for the mid-level electrophysiologists to treat. Even the very top tier EPs will struggle to fix your rhythm if you go too long and your heart begins to develop other pathology as a result.

If your monitoring device ever says that you have ventricular tachycardia (and not just SVT), call an ambulance immediately, or get yourself driven to the nearest ER that has a great reputation for cardiac problems.