Random tachycardia

Question

Hello everyone, completely new in this community :)

I got really freaked out a few days ago. I woke up in the middle of the night with my heart absolutely racing, I have no idea how fast. I tried calming down but I just kept thinking about it, and I ended up calling 911 because I was so freaked out. As soon as I told them my heart was racing etc. she told me I was redirected to a doctor. The doctor had a 20 minute waiting time, and in that time I got my heart calmed down to a reasonable level. I told the doctor what had happened, and he said that he was willing to come over and check it out because he said unprovoked tachycardia wasn't a very good thing. Well I'm still pretty freaked out about this, and I can't really process what happened in my head still.

Also, my heart really began racing today after eating a pizza. I was really stuffed, and a few minutes after eating my heart rate just went up by maybe 30 bpm.. And my POTS got a lot worse! Now it's 2 hours later and it's still somewhat higher than usual.

I had an ultrasound on my heart last year and everything was fine. I don't take any drugs, and I don't really have any other problems.. I don't understand what's wrong? :(

hollysupanich · Answer

today i was walkin to school, like any other day and i had an insident when my heart just randomly started beating hard and fast....i got dizzy and almost fainted i was having just a little hard time breath but thats because it was like i had a rock on my chest.....it took about 20 minutes for my heart to settle down but i was still dizzy for a little bit longer..... this has been happening for a while now but this is the worst it has gotten can someone help me figure this out? thanks

echop · Answer

Yeah the doctors here are usually able to drive to the patients house. They bring quite a lot of medical equipment, so he could probably have looked at my ekg and stuff. That was what he offered, but I refused since I felt fine at the time and wanted to sleep again.

I will go to my doctor sometime soon though, because of these symptoms. Checking up on this, I have found quite a few different explanations, so a diagnosis would be really nice. The possibilities are almost endless without a diagnosis, as it could be POTS, anxiety, vagus nerve, thyroid problem etc.

Ihatepalps2 · Answer

hi, and welcome to the forum, its a great place for information!
I have a question for you...in your question I was confused...
you said you called 911...and they transferred you to a doctor?? And you had to wait 20 minutes? And...then...the doctor offered to come over..to your house? If yes..how could he have helped you at all, by coming to your house? Or do you mean he met you at the hospital? Sorry..Im confused....

cricket513 · Answer

Do a little research on the vagal nerve. You will be surprised just how much it effects. Heart symptoms on a full stomach is one sign that its vagal nerve. Try straining the next time your heart races. I have SVT and AF ( the occasional skipped or extra beats) caused from vagal nerve interference.

echop · Answer

Hello everyone, just noticed a new symptom - single weird heartbeats sometimes. I feel them in my chest, and sometimes in the side of my chest inside the armpit or in my throat. It's just a single beat once in a while.

echop · Answer

Okay thanks guys, I guess I have been quiet anxious recently. I will go to my doctor and see if I can be diagnosed with POTS, which I'm pretty sure I have, and otherwise try not thinking about it :)

jkfrench · Answer

If you read some of the entries under the doctors forum, the one thing that the Doctor always says is that if it is waking you up racing at night then most likely it is anxiety. I wouldn't worry. I used to get nocturnal panic attacks too. Your resting pulse isn't that high and my doctor always told me that if it is not 120 or over then it again is typically anxiety. Plus, once you are aware of your heartbeat, it will speed up because you are focused on it and concerned about it. It is a vicious cycle so don't allow yourself to become absorbed with it. Especially if you just hat the ultrasound and were told that you were fine.

Wisconsin2007 · Answer

Probably a lot.  

My heart rate can go up that much by breathing in.  You are most likely fine.

echop · Answer

I'm not really so worried about my heart when I am physically active, including walking up stairs.. I do bike quite a bit without problems, so exercise isn't bad.
My worry is mostly related to my sudden at-night heartrace, and the fact that my resting pulse seems really high sometimes during the day, especially after eating. Usually while I'm feeling pretty bloated too. I've been increasingly aware of my heatbeat since that night, so that might have something to do with my problems now..

Wisconsin2007 · Answer

If your heart climbs 30bpm or so after climbing stairs, I'd say that's about normal.  If you're worried, try taking your pulse right after climbing stairs and report back.

echop · Answer

Yeah in that situation 30 bpm up in my resting pulse is about right. It's quite a lot IMO, with a resting pulse of maybe 90 it goes to like 110-120 for my resting pulse. I haven't measured at all, so it's all guessing but it feels like that. 
The pulse also goes up really easily, going up a flight of stairs like 30 steps gets my heart rate going quite a bit too, although it drops a bit down after a minute again. Mind you I'm not in a really bad shape, yet my heart behaves like it.

Wisconsin2007 · Answer

When you say "racing", how fast is that?  30bpm doesn't sound like much of a jump -  I get that when I see my daughter climbing the monkey bars.  :)

echop · Answer

I gotta bump this :/

echop · Answer

Oh yeah one little addition, I have been quite physically active recently, and today I actually did a 1 hour bike ride. So I'm not in a bad shape, but sometimes I get VERY easily.. not exhausted, but my heart rate goes up. Might be my POTS though (which hasn't been diagnosed, but my blood pressure drops and my pulse goes up when I stand up after sitting).