New to atrial tachycardia - questions.

[daisy924]

I was recently diagnosed with atrial tachycardia after being on a heart monitor for a few weeks.  I am new to this and a little confused. I am just trying to gather information so I can understand my condition better.  I read the word tachycardia a lot on this forum and am just wondering if "atrial tachycardia" is a specific diagnosis or are there different kinds of atrial tachycardias?  Anyone with any information or experience with this arrhythmia?  I would love to hear from you.

[daisy924]

Thank you so much for the informative response.  It sounds like you have been through quite a lot...I hope that you find some relief with the meds you are on.  From what I have read so far, it sounds like everyone's treatments are very individual and what works for one person may not work for another.  My episodes that were caught on the event monitor and recorded, consisted of sudden shortness of breath and lightheadedness...these were diagnosed as A-tach.  However, I also have episodes of the same that include a vibrating feeling in my chest which were not caught.  Also, about once a month I have an episode where I feel like I am actually going to pass out and my heart begins pounding rapidly and irregularly...this lasts for about 5 minutes and then stops just as suddenly...this was also not caught.  I am wondering if these are all episodes of A-tach or possibly some other arrhythmia?  I am hoping to learn more at my EP appointment.  I can still function on a daily basis, but just feel lousy when I am short of breath and lightheaded off and on all day.  Anyways,  thanks for all the info...just trying to get informed before my appointment.

[DodyRosy]

I have atrial tach, atrial flutter, afib and junctional tachycardia (along with some others unidentified) - all of these are considered SVTs but are different. Atrial tach (or atrial run) is a series of PACs (more than 8) one after another. I have stronger symptoms with it than I do with the flutter or fib. If I'm standing I will feel like I am going to pass out and the rapid beating is very hard - fast pounding sensation in my chest. I don't even feel the flutter and the afib is erratic. If you are prone to afib then the atrial tach can trigger it just like a PAC can. I don't believe atrial tach increases the risk of a stroke like afib.

Afib is irregular and usually rapid firing out of the atria. It fires from multiple areas and causes a quivering of the heart. This can cause pooling of blood in an appendage of the hear and lead to clots and a stroke. Aflutter fires from the atria but is regular and is usually not as fast.

I take Toprol to control heart rate (I also have sinus tach) and flecainide for the afib. I have noticed that the flecainide has lessened the symptoms of the atrial tach. I still have it but it's not as strong. I was never given medication for the atrial tach but since heart surgery last year they wanted to control my other arrhythmias.

I believe treatment depends on how long the atrial tach lasts and how much it impairs you every day functioning. Do you know how many beats there are in a run? Mine is usually quick but the aflutter and afib can last for hours or days.

Hope this helps.

[daisy924]

Bob - Yes your info is definitely of interest to me.  Although I have been diagnosed with atrial tachycardia, my father has A-fib.  In fact, he just started taking Multaq about a week ago and is hoping for good results.  

Gary - Glad to hear you are doing so well on the Multaq...hope it continues...keep us posted.

At the moment I am patiently awaiting my appointment with an EP Dr. to determine what my course of treatment will be.  Take care.

[Gary3201]

Hi Bob so far I have suffered no side effects whatsoever. I feel much more alert and rested than I did ever on any of the dosages I took of the sotalol. Now if it only holds up. By the way Multaq is the same dosage for everyone 400mg BID


gary

[BobRBob]

Thanks for the reply. 160Mg BID of Sotalol! Wow! That's industrial levels - and it still didn't hold you. Believe it or not, I am taking only 40Mg BID - just one 80Mg tablet a day - and it is holding me in NSR very effectively, for now at least. My problem is with the side effects which are significant if I'm not careful. I guess I am just extremely sensitive to this particular drug. Not a bad thing if only because it costs less this way:)

How are the side effects with the Multaq? I'm very interested in your experience with this new drug. Please keep us posted.

daisy924, sorry for hi-jacking your thread; hopefully this is of interest to you.

[Gary3201]

Hi Bob After my first ablation I went on Sotalol started at 120 BID (Twice daily) and at the end was taking 160 BID. It just became no longer effective. After the Sotalol I went on Tikosyn and that didn't do it at all I was basically using Tikosyn while we were waiting for the Multaq to get approved I was it for 30 days trying to let it convert the rhythm which it never did so 3 weeks ago I had my 4th cardioversion of the year and since then the Multaq has kept me in perfect sinus rhythm with a resting heart rate around 68BPM I will keep this board advised as to whether it continues to hold or not.

gary

[BobRBob]

Gary, I'm interested in your experience with Multaq. I'm glad to hear it's working so well for you. What were you taking before? Had it stopped working? How are the side effects with the Multaq? Thanks for any other comments as well. I am taking Sotalol but struggle a bit with the side effects.

[Gary3201]

Whoops sorry daisy I thought that was from Jerry thats why I told him about Migeed. Where are you located?

gary

[Gary3201]

Hi Jerry the normal heart rate yet the feelings you have at the same time to me sounds like A-Flutter which usually originates in the right atrium and can be very uncomfortable trust me on this Ha! Not sure where you are in NJ nor am I sure where this person I am going to recommend to you is located but you might want to google him and see if he is close by. DR. Magdy Migeed. He was my original EP doc at Hartford Hospital in CT. He moved to NJ and is I believe the head of the Cardiology department at whichever hospital he is at. He is an extreamly  good Doc and I cant recommend him enough. He performed my first ablation. Very knowledgeable and yet he can explain and will explain things to you in the terms that you can understand. He welcomes his patients to be proactive in their heart health and listens to ideas weighs them and then provides feedback on your thoughts and concerns. Seek him out Jerry I promise you will not be disappointed. My new med Mutaq, (dronedarone) is now working great I am a 57 yr old male and it is keeping my 6 ft 245lb body at a resting heart rate of 68 BPM. I got the ok today to start exercising jogging and cycling so I can drop some of this tonage. it feels so good to be back in sinus rhythm again and going to make the best of it while it lasts, hopefully a long long time

gary

[daisy924]

Thanks so much for the responses...it is nice to talk to others with same experiences.  I have been told that I have multiple episodes of A-tach daily (even in the middle of the night while sleeping).  I am still trying to understand all this and have a strange question.  With atrial tachycardia, is it one atrial contraction per one ventricle contraction, or can you have multiple atrial contractions per ventricle contraction.  The reason I ask this is because of my symptoms.  I get lightheaded and short of breath with fast pulse which I know is the A-tach.  But sometimes I get the lightheadednes and shortness of breath with a normal pulse of about 60 - 70 but feel like my insides are vibrating.  I feel like this must be my heart arrhythmia as well, but my pulse is normal. Could this be A-Fib?  My monitors never showed A-Fib, only A-tach.   I have a referral to EP in two months, but this will drive me crazy until then...not to mention scary.  Thanks again.

[Gary3201]

Hi Daisy, there are several different levels of atrial arrhythmias. A-Tach is one of the mildest, followed by A-Flutter, and then A-Fib. People with A-Tach may just decide it is not much of an inconvenience and decide to just live with it. As you move up to A-Flutter or AFIB it may be more than you want to just live with, without the assistance of an anti-arrhythmic drug, such as Sotolol, Tykosyn, or Multaq. Talk with your cardiologist and see if it would be to your advantage to have an Electrophysiologist examine your EKG charts as well as the info gained from your possible wearing of a Holter monitor to see if any medical intervention is needed or recommended.

best of luck
gary

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, I think many of us call your condition Atrial Flutter, and it is not prone to form blood clots as is Atrial Fibrillation.  It may still be a good practice to take an aspirin, even a low dose.

[daisy924]

Thanks for the response...yes they gave me med to help slow down the HR.  I have heard that atrial tachycardia can trigger a-fib.  Not sure if this is true but, I have a lot of a-fib in my family...so best to get this under control.  Thanks again.

[Jerry_NJ]

Well, I understand that atrial tachycardia is different from atrial fibrillation, but I'd guess it has many of the same problems.... e.g., too high a ventricle HR and perhaps clots.  Not sure.

I'd also guess they both respond to beta blockers.  I take a high dose of Metoprolol to lower my ventricle rate (HR), driven by my AFib.

Maybe off subject, sorry.  I really don't know, but it seems likely to me that the condition can be "lived" with if HR is controlled and if clotting is either not a problem or protected against.