Tachycardia

[Jenny84]

I am 17 years old and I wore the 24 hour monitor and had two tachycardias in one day.  I am on metoprolol and baby asprin. When my heart rate quickens i don't notice unless I am wearing a heart monitor on my wrist.  A few months ago I would feel my heart beat very forceful but I am now doing more exercise and not feeling it as forceful by my heart rate still races but i don't feel it. I often feel painful chest squeezing, almost like if someone is pinching my heart.  Both my father and grandfather past away due to complications with ventricular tachycardia and because they have both passed i don't know at what age their symptoms started.  I had an EKG that showed flattened t waves and a echocardiogram that showed no plague in my arterias and wel basically a completly healthy heart.  I had a complete health panel and my thyroid, cholestoral, electrolydes and potassium are normal.  My blood pressure tends to be a little low at times but its not dangerous.  My next step is an EP Study.  I would really like some feedback because I don't know what i have.

[itdood]

edit, some of my post was chopped due to greater than/less than symbols. picking up from

"The least concerning is called none-sustained ventricular tach (NSVT).  This means  30 seconds is called plain old ventricular tach. "

should read

The least concerning is called none-sustained ventricular tach (NSVT).  This means  less than 30 seconds but greater than 3 PVCs in a row.  More than 30 seconds of this is called plain old ventricular tach.

[itdood]

Hi Jenny,

There are 2 broad definitions of tach which define it by its origin.  Supra-ventricular tachs (SVT) means it sourced from above the ventricles, meaning in the atria.  Ventricular tachs  (VT) originates in the ventricles.

SVTs can then be broken into different categories like sinus tach, reentry paths, atrial arrhythmias....

VT is VT.  They originate from ventricular pacer cells usually the result of some sort of damage to the muscle in that area.  Could be from MI, virus, congenital issue.  VTs are classified by how long they occur.  The least concerning is called none-sustained ventricular tach (NSVT).  This means  30 seconds is called plain old ventricular tach.

Arm yourself with info, don't be shy about asking your doc for a copy of your results.  Go over it and ask questions.  

Sorry to hear about your Dad and Grandfather.  I'm thinking about this and wondering if they had something called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia or ARVD.    ARVD is implicated in ventricular arrhythmias.  If it's caught early it's treatable.  It might be worth exploring this with your doctor.