Tip for Tachycardia

I know I read this trick here for Tachycardia - but I can't find where, so I wanted to make sure to repost.

About 2am I woke up went to the bathroom and went back to bed.  By the time I laid down my heart was pounding out of my chest and beating so loud, my head was pounding I thought it was going to explode.  

I kept waiting for my ICD to shock me since my heart wouldn't slow down...waited - tried breathing exercises because I really dont want to be shocked again, especially awake.

Something in the back of my mind said COUGH! so I coughed a few times and waited - no tachycardia no pounding heart in my head.  Now the next time I go into a VT episode I'll remember to try this again and see if it was the coughing or a fluke :P

[itdood]

That's been known to work.  Also, the valsalva maneuver is know to work quite well, it works instantly on my svt.  Sometimes I have to repeat 2 or 3 times but it always does the trick.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver

[Mom2four85]

thanks, Ive heard of it before but never tried it - going to look it up now

[kevk]

It has worked for me, I also hook my fingers with both hands and pull.