Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Welcome to the Heart Rhythm Conditions group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
Did you know that the average heart beats 100,000 times a day? Millions of people live with heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) which occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate heartbeats don't work properly. Let's connect with each other; we can share stories and learn about coping with the challenges, and living well with abnormal heart rhythms. I invite you to follow the group. Simply click the +FOLLOW icon on the group landing page.

I'm Kanaaz (@kanaazpereira), and I'm the moderator of this group. When you post to this group, chances are you'll also be greeted by volunteer patient Mentors and fellow members. Learn more about Moderators and Mentors on Connect.

Let's chat. Why not start by introducing yourself?

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

Profile picture for Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor @predictable

Thanks for information on your experiences @yoanne. I'm considering a Watchman, and your experience is instructive. I already have A-fib, so unless it intensifies, I won't worry. I understand the issues around long-term aspirin therapy; as long as I'm on Warfarin, my medical team doesn't push for aspirin. My "small stroke" was not a TIA. It was a real stroke that permanently eliminated some brain cells -- fortunately not so many that my post-stroke symptoms are disabling, but I have to watch my balance more than before. I hope your current A-fib situation is truly asymptomatic and you can avoid both ablation and enduring concern about what the future may bring.

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I am interested in your balance comment. I had a pacemaker implanted in 2016 due to irregular heart beat ( very low). I have been experiencing swings in BP from 130 down to 95 in a space of 20 min while sitting still. My balance has worsened and the flutter has increased. 6 mo ago I had 4 clots removed that decimated my left side strength. Any ideas?

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Very little walking. Beats over 100-103

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The Holter monitor that used to be used, and may still be used in some places, hangs at the waist and is bulky. More recently I had a patch monitor that was literally a small patch on the chest that had wifi capability. I was prescribed one for a month (but only did two weeks).

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This is where you might wish to know more about what he/she knows. Obviously, something is amiss. Your heart is showing signs of an electrical disorder that is causing at least premature atrial complexes, maybe some supraventricular tachycardia, maybe some ventricular problems....and he/she thinks that you should have more frequent monitoring than what you can get with an office visit.

The device is commonly called a loop recorder. They are commonly used for short periods, sometimes longer when the need is great, to develop a continuous and lengthy data-set of one's cardiac electrical activity. They don't get implanted unless there is sufficient concern and urgency that not knowing their output might put you at unnecessary and unacceptable risk of mortality, or maybe only permanent heart damage.

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My dr wants to implant a device to track my heartbeat. I don’t notice the irregularities.

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Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

There are two types of medicines, one for rate control when in tachycardia and one for rhythm regulation. Whichever of those two you need your cardiologist and/or EP will tell you.

Metoprolol interferes with adrenergic receptors in the heart. It prevents reactivity in the myocytes which makes them ramp up more easily and speed up their output.
https://cvpharmacology.com/cardioinhibitory/beta-blockers
The many anti-arrhythmics do the same thing, but with calcium, sodium, and potassium.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/22867-what-are-antiarrhythmics
I'm not aware of a medicine that treats ventricular tachycardia per se, but there may be one. Either that or a pacemaker.

Edit (added after looking): https://www.drugs.com/condition/ventricular-tachycardia.html

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This was a very helpful article. I am copying it off and giving to my doctor. I think he will find it useful to give to any patient who comes to him with this concern. I know he is busy, but this would help when he doesn't have time to explain this important information to his patient. Thank you for posting the link.

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Profile picture for dalebout123 @dalebout123

I am having the same sort of experience. All my test come back telling me I have no problems with heart, lungs, or vascular area.

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I have one more test coming up on December 3rd -- an overnight sleep apnea test. For the last two weeks I have kept a journal of my pulse and oxygen levels. Take the readings at various times -- even when I awaken at night. Other than the last two nights when I inched the oxygen level up a bit. I was wearing the oxygen with no impact on my levels for a week and a half. I was consistently between 90 and 95. Since I inched up a half measure from the level one, my readings have gone up to between 95 and 98. I still fight lethargy and what I call fuzzy headedness.

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Profile picture for gift440 @gift440

I have a loop recorder implanted 10 days ago, medtradata

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Great, and you'll soon be advised, or perhaps you can read the results yourself, of any arrythmia that you might have, or even a heart moving between two morphologies, or even three. For example, it's not unheard of for a heart to go between flutter, AF, and PACs.

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Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

I think you might learn more if you were to wear a digital device like a smart watch and have it record your HR and an ECG when you feel the faint coming on...if you can manage to set your watch in time. Or set the watch to record continuously, but live with having to charge the watch twice a day or more often due to the large draw on the battery. Or, if it is becoming more intrusive with time, and more worrying, have a Loop Recorder implanted and it will monitor you for signs of arrhythmia 24/7.

Consult a 'great' electrophysiologist about this.

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I have a loop recorder implanted 10 days ago, medtradata

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Profile picture for gift440 @gift440

I have had near fainting light headed symptoms for decades .
My OBGYN heard something and had me referred to heart Dr who had me wearing a heart monitor while I was 6 months pregnant. I was 27.
There were complications with C- section delivery ( Ehlers Danlos) . I stayed in hospital over 3 wks . No further follow-up was for heart testing came after.

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I think you might learn more if you were to wear a digital device like a smart watch and have it record your HR and an ECG when you feel the faint coming on...if you can manage to set your watch in time. Or set the watch to record continuously, but live with having to charge the watch twice a day or more often due to the large draw on the battery. Or, if it is becoming more intrusive with time, and more worrying, have a Loop Recorder implanted and it will monitor you for signs of arrhythmia 24/7.

Consult a 'great' electrophysiologist about this.

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