atrial flutter

I just really need to connect with anyone who has this condition as i am feeling really anxious about the whole thing. It has been getting worse recently and my doc increased my metoprolol to 50mg 3 x a day but took another episode this evening. I get panic attacks every time i get an episode which certainly doesnt help matters. I am under a lot of stress at work and also am a chronic insomniac, wondering if this is making my condition worse. I feel very alone, nobody seems to understand how horrible it feels. Please reply if you understand what i am saying.......

Sue

I definitely understand what you're saying, as these flutters can overtake your life.  There is one thing here I need to mention however.  Seven years ago the doctor put me on Toporol for high blood pressure.  I liked it because it not only slowed down my pounding heart but it seemed to lessen my anxiety, which I always have anyway.  In the last six months my PVC's/a-fig, whatever you call it, has increased dramatically.  But what I noticed this time as opposed to when I was younger, was that my heartrate not only skipped beats but the beats drastically slowed down.  It was making me breathless at times and very scared.  Then I started reading about Toporol on the internet.  This beta blocker was (and still is) used for people with a-fib, supposedly to regulate heartbeats - but then I read more recent articles which are NOW saying Toporol can make your condition WORSE!  Since I stopped taking it, my heartbeats for the most part have gone back to normal.  Doesn't mean I don't have the condition anymore; but maybe it was slowing down my heart TOO much.  It really upsets me that the medical community can change their opinion on drugs so often....one minute something is good for you, the next thing is that they're bad.  Who's to ever know.  Anyway, just a warning I'm sharing with you.  You might want to discuss this with your doc.  If your heartbeats are very fast most of the time, maybe the Toporol is good for you.  Now I'm just concerned what I can go on for my blood pressure.

Good luck!

Hi! I'm on the same dose of Metroprolol. I had general tachycardia, along with my SVT spell when my heart rate got up to 240.

I'm on metroprolol, Cardizem, and Klonopin. The Klonopin is an anti-anxiety medicine.

I've also been the nervous type. But I never started having panic attacks until I had my SVT attack. I was in the hospital hooked up to machines, getting the Adenisone. Well you know the scary and afraid you are when you're having an episode. That would last even after it was over for me because I was in constant fear it would come back. I could throw myself into tachycardia by worry. Also I get really bad heart skips (pvcs I think they're called) and stress makes them worse.

I told my Dr. this and he put me on the Klonopin. I'm on the smallest dose but it's really helped a lot.

Being nervous and panic attacks absolutely can be bad for your heart. You have to avoid stress and do what you can otherwise.

As far as Metroprolol, I love it so much. It's helped me tons. But it's making my hair fall out. I'm a 22 year old woman who doesn't want to go bald. It's thinned to half it's thickness. I'm going to have to ask my Dr. about it because I'm scared. I don't wanna loes my hair, but I don't wanna get off the medication.

With my drugs, I've only had a handful of times my heart has been tachy since Jan. None lasted pasted a minute so I didn't go to the hospital. My resting heart rate used to be 140 but now it's down to 70-90. BP's really good.

Just tell your doctor how you feel. They know that stress is bad for hearts.