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Posted 5/22/2006 5:43 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone I'm new here and I'm hoping I can get some advice.  I'm 20 yrs old and about 140 lbs ( 5'7) and I have moderate asthma.

The problem is for the past month or so  I have been experiencing very long runs of palpitations.  My resting hrt rate is 65 and during these episodes it has gone as high as 260 and has lasted for more than an hour.  It usually feels like my heart is going to explode and it kind of flutters after every couple of beats. During these episodes I get really dizzy, weak, kind of black out, and I've passed out twice.  I also have chest pain/pressure and shorteness of breath during these attacks. 

I don't think that is asthma related because it hasn't occured with any wheezing or chest tightness and doesn't improve after taking meds.  However; it has happened after taking albuterol for mild asthma attacks.  I have had asthma for my whole life and my heart has never gone crazy like this until recently.

I usually happens out of the blue and without any warning.  The first time it happened I was started while watching a movie.  The first time I passed out, I was just reading a book and my heart started pounding.  I stood up and bent over to catch my breath and I just blacked out. 

I was rushed to the ER once after I passed out at work.  There my heart rate was 260 and I had to be shocked twice before it went back to normal. They ran tests that included an ekg ans it showed multiple runs of pvcs.  They told me to lay off the caffeine.  The problem is I don't drink any caffeine and drink more than the recommened 8 glasses of water.

I'm just confused and scared.  During these attacks I feel like I'm going to die.  It's starting to become unbearable and it happens at least TWICE a DAY.

If anyone has experienced anything like this or has any advice I would really appreciate it.

HELP!!

Posted 5/22/2006 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi jazziegurl,

                  Sorry to hear you're having so many problems with this.

You should definitely get a general checkup from your doctor. Palpitations can be completely benign and caused by a variety of things, so it's a good idea to see what the issue is. Even getting stressed out can cause palpitations, and not only at the moment of getting stressed. I would see your doctor and tell him/her about the ER episode. Make sure your doctor gets to the bottom of the problem and answers all your questions.

My own palpitations were partly caused by having an upset stomach, believe it or not!

Make sure you're eating a balanced diet. Avoid foods high in suger. Of course, don't smoke. Alcohol and tea, as well as coffee can also bring on episodes. Even late nights caused me trouble.

Hope you get well, soon!

Chris

Posted 5/22/2006 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi jazziegurl,  Welcome to Healing Well forum.  We are happy to have you.  I dont have PVC's..but from what I have read they are very bothersome.  Chris has given you some excellent advice as usual.  There are often posts on this topic on this forum if you want to go back through the archives and read up on them.  I did a most recent search and pulled this one up... https://www.healingwell.com/community/?f=42&m=439816&g=441532#m441532 I am sure that some of our other members that do suffer from this will be along shortly to post to you.  Take care...
Posted 5/22/2006 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! I do get palpitations-PACs and PVCs, etc. What you describe is NOT normal for PVCs. They DO NOT cause black outs in a structurally normal heart. Also there would be no need to have your heart shocked to get it back to normal for PVCs!!!! Also PVCs alone do not cause a heartrate of 260. That is tachycardia of some sort. Something else it going on here-maybe just anxiety but you need to go see a doctor right away. I would recommend you seeing a cardiologist and not just a regular internist! Please make an appointment to be seen by a doctor and let us know how things are going.
Posted 5/22/2006 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
i do not think this is just pvc's either, if your medication is new to you and this has happened just since you started it, look at that as a possible cause. otherwise go to a dr. soon. the blackouts are not okay to ignore.  keep us posted

 

Posted 5/22/2006 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again Jazziegurl,  After reading Hopes post and rereading yours I have to agree with hope here.  If you went to the ER and had to have your "heart shocked twice" then you were in a full code.  After such an incident I am sure you would of been admitted to the hospital for them to run tests and for specialists (cardiologists) to have time to examine you, right?  A heart rate of 260 is not by any means normal or ordinary.  At the very least you should take Hopes and Chris's advice and seek the treatment of a specialist or physician.
Posted 5/24/2006 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
I dont' have any heart problems, but I cared for my father who did. A heart rate that high is not normal, my father had many problems with that. His would race out of control, sometimes with a trigger, sometimes not. He was shocked back to normal rhythm about 10 times before anything was ever done. He had a defibrillator implant put in that did not allow his heart to go over 140 and it worked wonders for him. He stopped blacking out, his dizziness mostly went away. Due to your age, I'm not sure this would be the answer for you, but thought I would post it anyway. Also, my dad could NOT take many, many medications. Even nasal spray can increase your heart rate. Albuterol and similiar meds do speed up your heart rate, my daughter had to use it, and fanatic that I am, I read all the side effects. You really need to talk to your doc and a cardio about this problem, and get it resolved. From what I heard from my dad, those shocks are NOT a fun thing to go through.

Just a note to Els..... I don't want to disagree with you, but many times an ER will shock someone to put a run of super fast heart rate back into normal sinus rhythym, without it being a full code. At a rate of 260, there really isn't another option. I grew up dealing with my father and his heart, so spent waaaay too much time in the ER as a child :(

Sarah
Posted 5/24/2006 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Sarah for the correction I don't mind being wrong in the least bit.. .  After such an episode was your father admitted to the hospital?  Just wondering...
Posted 5/25/2006 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Oh absolutely els. After every single time. That heart rate is too dangerous to be unmonitored. I think he stayed about two days each time on a monitor, til they determined the episode to be over. They tried several drugs, but none worked well for him, so the eventual diffibrilator implant stopped all that.
Sarah
Posted 5/25/2006 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone for your advice.  I really appreciate it.

The morning after my initial post I had another episode.  When I woke up I had trouble breathing and i was wheezing pretty badly (which isnt that unusual for me) so I took my asthma meds. After about a minute or two i felt like two REALLY hard thumps in my chest and then my heart started racing.  Within a few seconds I got really dizzy and passed out AGAIN!  Thank GOD my mother was still home and heard me fall.  She said when she felt my pulse, she could hardly tell one beat from another.  By the time the paramedics got to my house I was in VF and they shocked me.  At the hospital they treated my asthma, but when my heart rate kept going up into the 200s they realized there was something wrong.

The er doc did a couple of ekgs and he said i had a prolonged qt interval.  The cardiologist ran more tests and confirmed it.  They admitted me for the next couple of days ( i just got home this morning) to monitor me and to see if it was caused by my medication or not.

When they asked if i or anyone else in my family had symptoms of long qt syndrome before, my mother said that i would faint a lot when I was younger, but it was attributed to asthma.  My sister has also had fainting spell thet were thought to be from asthma.  My mother also had twins before me that died from sids.  Upon hearing this the cardiologist tested my sister and she too had a prolonged qt interval.  Which he said confirmed that we have Long QT Syndrome.

They gave me atenolol and monitored how i tolerated it with my asthma.  So far so good.  They want me (and my sister) to consider having and ICD implanted since i've had a life-threatening episode.    I think that will be a last resort if the beta blocker doesn't work or causes problems with my asthma.

I'm glad that I finally have answers, but I wonder why it was never picked up before.  I've been hospitalized numerous times and you'd think they would have seen this before now.  I have to go in to see the cardiologist ever couple of days to monitor my progress.

Does anyone know anything about LQTS?  I'm really scared (even more than before).  My life has been turned upside down and from what i've read LQTS doesn't sound good. sad

Posted 5/25/2006 5:04 PM (GMT 0)

Jazziegurl,

I am so thankful that your mother was home and called EMS. It is a good thing they found this out because now you can get the help you need. I don't know much about Long QT syndrome but I do know it is serious. Do a google on it and read all the information you can. You need to educate yourself but don't make the mistake of thinking you know more than your cardiologist. Some people make that mistake. Use the info to ask your cardiologist about questions and fears.

Be sure to give the ICD implant serious thought. You may need it. Stay current with your cardiologist and don't hesitate to call him/her for questions or help. Don't take chances and make sure your cardiologist knows about all your symptoms and epsidodes. Some people try to hide things because they don't want to go on a certain medication or have a needed surgery. That kind of behaviour could get you in serious trouble. Make sure that your sister takes this serious too.

God Bless and keep in touch here for support and encouragement. :-) Hope you will be at our next chat!

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