Palpitations for 13 hours

Posted By Jerry Staral on July 10, 1999 at 11:38:22
I am a 38 year old male.  In Nov 1990, I had heart palpitations that lasted for 13 hours.  I spent the night in the hospital and was told that the palpitations were atrial fibrillation.  I went through the normal routine from a cardiologist including Holter monitor, and I believe the drugs were Tenormin and Lanoxin?  Anyway, after 6 months, I stopped taking the medications and over the last 9 years, have had regular palpitations a few times a month, never lasting more than a few seconds to a couple minutes.  Over this past 4th of July weekend however, I had another 13 hour episode.  This time, I did not go to the hospital.  On July 5th, I called my PCP to find out if an EKG or other test was in order to ensure proper heart function.  Being a holiday, he sent me to the emergency room.  EKG and blood tests were normal.  Finally, to my three questions:
1)Assuming my palpitations were atrial fibrillation(if I can catch some palpitations on a monitor), are there any dangers, or do palpitations become serious, when they last for 13 coninuous hours?  Is a hospital visit in order during a long duration episode?
2)Are there any prescription or nonprescription drugs that do not have to be taken continuously, but that I could use to break the palpitations should another long duration episode occur?
3)My episodes always begin when I relax and take all load off of my heart.  I can almost gaurantee a few palpitations when I flop into a swimming pool.  Are there any studies I could find regarding the relationship of palpitations with respect to the load on the heart?
Thanks,
Jerry










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