stutterheart:
I had the antiarrhythmia drugs too when I went to 230-240 bpm but it wasn't painful - two separate episodes. It just "whooshed" through me and it was done. I think it was sotalol. It stops the heart and it has a work span of about 10 seconds in your system and it is gone.
The "whoosh" feeling was gross like about to pass out and almost nausea but just about 3-4 seconds maybe. It was more uncomfortable having about 14 people around me watching my monitor (training class).
I wonder what they used on you?
By the second time, I made sure I had some music to listen to, cell phone nearby and even took pictures because I was FLUSHED beet red head to toe. It was funny actually. Of course, I handle stress with humor so I had everyone in stitches (so to speak).
FrustratedBoston :
I know one of the main reasons they don't want the rate to go over 240-250 is that it is fluttering - NOT pushing blood through which could possibly cause a stroke since the blood is not flowing and could clot. THAT is a scary thought and really ought to not be told to me while waiting for them to fix it in ER bed. You have time though. When walking in ER door just tell them you have bpm of XXX and possibly will stroke or heartattack. You get a wheelchair and the hallpass to everything in 1 minute flat. I did anyway.
Wow, that is very scary. I've gotten those minutes-long runs of tachy at 300+bpm and it's terrible. Did you see your ecg? Did they tell you that your ventricular rate was 300bpm? I never recorded the events when they happened naturally but they were able to replicate them (or at least they think they did) in an EP study and concluded that they were supraventricular, namely, atrial flutter. Perhaps this is what you have? The AV node has a mechanism to protect the ventricles and blocks every other atrial pulse so that your atria fire at 300 and your ventricles only get 150. It's important that your ventricles don't get up above 230 I hear. I think it is because of size: they are much bigger and less taught. Think of a cello string pulled very tight and how fast it can vibrate compared to a slack rubber band and how it can only vibrate so much before maxing out and doubling over on itself. Plus, the ventricles have the added job of clearing liquid out.
I think you should go back to the ER and demand a copy of your ecg and the notes taken by your attending physician. The fact that they let you go is very comforting as it would be grossly irrisponsible to release a high risk patient.
For what it's worth, I've had the same symptoms and the same painful antiarrhythmia drugs (horrible pain for 30 seconds, right?) and am still here and my doc doesn't think I'm high risk enough to even put an implantable defibrilator in.