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pulse rate

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MedHelp Member's Question

pulse rate

by JR, Jul 05, 2000 12:00AM

Tags: arrhythmia, Heart, atrial, bowel, tachycardia, years

Q - is it possible to have a normal pulse rate and be in a-fib?

also, i have had problems with psvt and pvc's for years now and i wonder as to the cause. is atrial fib the underlying problem and the psvt a result of the atrial fib, or are they 2 entirely different animals. also, why are things so much worse in the moments before a bowel movement? my internist has me on 25mg of atenolol/day but not only do i hate the side effects, i havent really noticed any improvement. what would you recommend as my next course of action?

p.s. ecg normal

stress test normal

eco (4 years ago) normal

Doctor's Answer

by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Jul 05, 2000 12:00AM

Yes, your pulse rate can be normal though your rhythm can be irregular due to the atrial fibrillation. PDSVT and afib can sometimes trigger each other. A bowel movement can slow down your heart rate as a reflex, and in some people this can predispose to arrhythmias. If the beta blocker is not working at the low dose you are on, and if you cannot tolerate a higher dose due to side effects, it would be advisable to see a cardiac electrophysiologist for other types of drugs that are used less commonly.

Member Comments (8)

by Wendie, Jul 05, 2000 12:00AM

Have the same problem......before a bowel movement

it is horrible ....I also have Reflux and hiatal hernia '

and this too I find aggrivates the heart ....I have read

that the vagus nerve serves the stomach and the heart

and thats why we get these symptoms together ......

in fact I just woke-up with an attack ,attributed to a

bowel movement ...I also have had all the heart tests...

Wendie

by dozerscritch, Jul 05, 2000 12:00AM

I also have some of the same problems - except mine is atrial tachycardia. I also have trouble with fainting when I'm having trouble - does anyone else? Sometimes I don't really realize I need to have a bowel movement right away when I'm feeling bad, but if I can have one, it helps. Does this sound familiar?

I've also had bad luck with the medications - Cardizem, Lanoxin, - bad side effects that have caused me to discontinue them. Has anyone found any meds that don't cause the fatigue and "out of it" feeling? I'd be interested in any suggestions that I can pass on to my docs. Right now we're waiting on the results of my 30-day event monitor to determine the next course of treatment. Anyone can email me at ***@****.

Thanks for any input!!

by marie, Jul 09, 2000 12:00AM

I actually think that tachycardia causes a bowel movement rather than the other way around. I have been having the same problem like most of you, but almost always I get tachycardia when my stomac is full (never on an empty stomac). I think that triggers tachycardia in my case. I get scared, and my heart starts beating even faster, and then I get bowel movment. That is a typical ascenario. Maybe I'm wrong, but that has been my experience for almost 20 years. Inderal (propranolol) helps tremendously.

Marie

by Jeanne, Jul 15, 2000 12:00AM

I am so glad that other people have this problem. I used to say that I only had tachycardia attacks on a full stomache, but today proved me wrong. I hadn't eaten in five hours when I decided to go upstairs and change the sheets on my bed. After bending over fifteen times it caught me. I stood up and sure enough I was having a full blown tachycardia attack. Mine last usually around 1-3 minutes (which is short for some of the readers)but they are very intense. You can see my heart pounding out of my shirt (which I don't know if its normal). After the attack I am left extremely tired and weak. (I am under a Doctor's care). I wish these away forever!!

by JR, Jul 17, 2000 12:00AM

jeanne,

bending over can throw me into an attack also. sometimes as high as 240bpm. doctors say "impossible" but i shocked my internist when i actually did it for him in his office (that'll shut em up). atenolol stops the tachy, but the pvc's are still around. look into an electrophisiological study (EP study) and an abation might cure you compeatly forever!! thats what im doing next month if i dont die first! im pulling for us all

greg

by Judy, Aug 01, 2000 12:00AM

greg,

i wish you luck with your ablation...i had one done on jan. 5th of this year and it has been a real rollercoaster for me. i think i am finally about to "normal" out. the dr. set my reating heart rate at 60 bpm....but over time it is more like 50. i can only guess how low it goes while i sleep....

if you want to talk about this before you go you can e-mail me at ***@****

by Adam, Oct 08, 2000 12:00AM

greg,

good luck with the ablation, its great once its done, i got mine about 4 months ago good luck

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