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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
adrenaline, etc.
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adrenaline, etc.
by LynnSB, Dec 23, 2003 12:00AM
Lay people talk about aerobic exercise as "burning up" excess adrenaline. Is that sort of an "urban (medical) legend"? Or is that one reason why exercise might help some arrhythmias?Are there people who are truly more sensitive to their body's adrenaline and pump out more than others -- causing palpitations?
I ask because I think I'm clearly very sensitive to adrenaline. When i had my EP study /ablation, the EP doc said all he had to do was give me a "tiny" amount of adrenaline and my heart was over 200. That always happened to me when I had novpcaine ( before I realized I could say NO to it) -- it would make my heart go over 200; I assume, now, it was triggering my SVT.
I am making an effort to exercise after years of being so afraid of my heart flip flops and racing I basically quit. But almost every time I do ( just walking mostly) I do have some heart skips and I get so scared. afterwards, I feel better and do want to keep it up. I have had numerous stress tests, the last one a thallium stress test a little over a year ago - and they are always perfect.. not even a PAC! go figure.one more question: well, my internist talked to my cardiologist who,obviously, has my EP/ablation info from the EP.Bottom line: no one thinks I need another event monitor after the ablation( 9/15) although I am STILL having brief palps and runs of fast beats. Everyone is so sure they "got" the AVRN site and I just need to deal with what my cardiologist is convinced are PACS (based on my 2 month long event monitors this summer pre-ablation).When would YOU order another event monitor?
I ask because I think I'm clearly very sensitive to adrenaline. When i had my EP study /ablation, the EP doc said all he had to do was give me a "tiny" amount of adrenaline and my heart was over 200. That always happened to me when I had novpcaine ( before I realized I could say NO to it) -- it would make my heart go over 200; I assume, now, it was triggering my SVT.
I am making an effort to exercise after years of being so afraid of my heart flip flops and racing I basically quit. But almost every time I do ( just walking mostly) I do have some heart skips and I get so scared. afterwards, I feel better and do want to keep it up. I have had numerous stress tests, the last one a thallium stress test a little over a year ago - and they are always perfect.. not even a PAC! go figure.one more question: well, my internist talked to my cardiologist who,obviously, has my EP/ablation info from the EP.Bottom line: no one thinks I need another event monitor after the ablation( 9/15) although I am STILL having brief palps and runs of fast beats. Everyone is so sure they "got" the AVRN site and I just need to deal with what my cardiologist is convinced are PACS (based on my 2 month long event monitors this summer pre-ablation).When would YOU order another event monitor?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-RCJ, Dec 23, 2003 12:00AM
lynnsb,
Thanks for the post.
Q1:"Is that sort of an "urban (medical) legend"?"
Yes. You can't burn off excess adrenaline.
Q2:"Or is that one reason why exercise might help some arrhythmias?"
Exercise does help lessen the burden of some arrhythmias by increasing resting vagal tone. Increased parasympathetic nervous activity (ie increased vagal tone) slows down the heart rate and counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates its effects through "adrenaline".
Q3:"Are there people who are truly more sensitive to their body's adrenaline and pump out more than others -- causing palpitations?"
Some arrhtyhmias are clearly more responsive to adrenaline than others. Each person responds somewhat differently to any stimulus. I really like the movie Fletch, my wife hates it. I really like spicy food, my wife doesn't. We should similarly guess that some of us achieve higher heart rates than others when exposed to adrenaline.
Q4:"When would YOU order another event monitor?"
I would order an event monitor if I thought it would make you feel better, or if I thought I could get diagnostic information from it. If we ordered one for you, and only saw PACs, or short runs of SVT, would you feel better? If not, then a different therapeutic approach involving coping skills might be in order.
Good luck, and Happy Holidays.
Thanks for the post.
Q1:"Is that sort of an "urban (medical) legend"?"
Yes. You can't burn off excess adrenaline.
Q2:"Or is that one reason why exercise might help some arrhythmias?"
Exercise does help lessen the burden of some arrhythmias by increasing resting vagal tone. Increased parasympathetic nervous activity (ie increased vagal tone) slows down the heart rate and counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates its effects through "adrenaline".
Q3:"Are there people who are truly more sensitive to their body's adrenaline and pump out more than others -- causing palpitations?"
Some arrhtyhmias are clearly more responsive to adrenaline than others. Each person responds somewhat differently to any stimulus. I really like the movie Fletch, my wife hates it. I really like spicy food, my wife doesn't. We should similarly guess that some of us achieve higher heart rates than others when exposed to adrenaline.
Q4:"When would YOU order another event monitor?"
I would order an event monitor if I thought it would make you feel better, or if I thought I could get diagnostic information from it. If we ordered one for you, and only saw PACs, or short runs of SVT, would you feel better? If not, then a different therapeutic approach involving coping skills might be in order.
Good luck, and Happy Holidays.
Member Comments (2)
by DottyCece, Dec 23, 2003 12:00AM
I have gone into a rapid uncontrolled atrial fibrillation with excercise. But, exercise is normal part of life..so the challenge is to find a solution. I have been put on medications, had an ablation that failed and currently am considering AV nodal ablation since I do have a pacemaker for sinus node dysfunction. I don't think arrhythmias should be a reason to not exercise. There are so many options out there to help resolve these problems.
by GrannyChris70, Aug 22, 2008 09:51PM
A related discussion, Nonspecific tachycardia? was started.
