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Avatar universal

how do you live with IST

here is a little about me before my question. I am 26 smoker overweight 222 which I am working on.
I had a baby in Nov 2006 and after I had a severe uterine infection and ever since have not been right.
I kept going to the doc and they told me it was anxeity.....now my heart rate is high when standing it goes to 140-150 it comes back down to around 110-120s and goes up if I keep doing anything where Im moving. they put me on atenolol 50 mg. which helps but it still goes up when Im up doing things but comes back down into the 90's - 120's depending on what im doing. I dont get light headed or dizzy when I stand but my blood pressure does drop a little bit not alot which I know is not normal. I had a echo which showed moderate regurgitation in my tricuspid and pulmonary valves but everything else looked good. my blood pressure has always been said to be perfect never been high. I have been under a GREAT DEAL of STRESS!!!!! IST sounds like what I have.....or is there a chance that the problems with my valves could cause this? If it is IST I have 2 kids is my life over does this get worse or is what you have what you have....Im scared my quality of life is not that great right now. and can being overweight and smoking cause the heart rate like that to go up......any answers?
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10947 tn?1281404252
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Avatar universal
PERHAPS YOU NEED A REMINDER:

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Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
jaksmom03 I am so sorry that you have been treated so badly here.  This site is for SUPPORT not ABUSE.  The comments made towards you and many other people here are disgusting and ARE going to stop!

PLEASE USE THE REPORT BUTTON WHICH CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING "CONTACT US" AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. EVERY TIME YOU SEE ABUSE... REPORT IT!

If we all report these awful attacks, they will stop. They are made repeatedly by the SAME posters and the mods are well aware. This is a Medical Website... not a chat room for unruly teenagers.  

Lets keep this place clean and used for what it was intended for.
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Avatar universal
women's soccer?  watch out there, I have seen some of those women get pretty rough.
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Avatar universal
do you hae to be so nasty about it!!!! I had 2 kids and 2 very hard pregnancies, you dont know me to know what I have been through.....I had signed up for womens soccer and started doing yoga when all this started, and I have quit smoking. I really dont understand why people on here have to saw nasty things to people. Id rather you not respond if your going to be crude about it. and you got it wrong im just fat not a smoker anymore! GEEEZ!
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Avatar universal
your heart rate is supposed to go up with activity.  100-110 is not too bad.
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Avatar universal
I went to clevland and they said my heart looked really good and all my other blood work came back good, the only issue is the high heart rate which is a BIG one!!!!  He ssaid it was either IST or Pots, I am on 25 mg of atenolol and it helps some but I want to go off of this stuff the side effects are horible anyone know how to come off of this stuff????   Yes the weight needs to come off I know this....I dont even eat alot and usually very healthy lots of fruit and not alot of bad carbs I dont drink soda, lots of water.....so I guess I will have to start keeping track or calories and keep it around 1200-1500
this high heart rate thing is just annoying!!!! we went to lowes today and toys r us and with the bb it goes up to around 110 walking around the store and sometimes it was under 100 and even in the 80s at some points but anytime I started to move fast or lifting it went up! I have read over pots and am unsure if thats what I have I am having a tilt table test next friday but I dont feel dizzy or overly tierd except at night after taking care of 2 kids and my heart rate being up.....does IST go away with time I read you can have it from months to years....does that mean it eventually goes away and with weight loss and my qutting smoking would help it even more...that makes sense to me just wondering from anyone elses experiences.....
Helpful - 0
216258 tn?1189755827
You said:

"Please try to ignore people like degrassi. There are a few here that are nothing more then forum bullies seeking attention through their venomous insults, attempted intimination and harrassement. Not only do they have cardiac problems, but severe untreated psychiatric disorders as well. Personally, I feel sorry for them and fear for their families. "

What a control freak act is that? To ask posters ignore others! And to say they have “severe untreated psychiatric disorders” ??????
Is this your own board here? Are you our DR?
We know: NOT!!..or it was only a joke too?  

Yes you are very mean spirited.
  
Now what you said is an insult. Or with your word harassment :what you do in this and in your other post yesterday for degrassi.

This is the internet. We all have the right to give support as we feel it is helping.
You do have the right too, writing your long boring 'professional’ look a like opinions with hugs.

Great that’s your way. I don't criticize you for it, I just don't read it.

If you don’t like her style and some others, just don’t read it!



Helpful - 0
216258 tn?1189755827
Overweight can lead to high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.  

You didn’t say how tall you are. The numbers can not be higher, as your weigh in kg’s over the 100 cm.
For example if you are 163cm=5.4 you should be 63 kilos =138 pounds
                      if you are 168cm=5.8you should be 68 kilos = 149pounds

You are over 100 kilos .222...THATS VERY UNHEALTHY! And only 26 years old... :(

You have to lose significant pounds to start to feel normal and to have a quality life.
  
It could take care of your heart rate and you might be able to give up on the beta blocker, with all its side effects, that is dangerous on the long run, hope you were told.

Congratulation on your other main issue: breaking away from the awful smoking habit.




Helpful - 0
97628 tn?1204462033
Oh. Nevermind. That's what I get for staying up too many hours in a row LOLOLOL
Helpful - 0
97628 tn?1204462033
Let me amend my statement: I hope it's nothing of consequence.

It was suggested by a cardiologist I may have IST.
They told me to eat salt and drink fluids.  Elevated HR was noted when I went into the regular docs for other things like allergies or pre employment physical etc.  I never noticed on my own. Lately it's been normal on exam.  If it was IST, it's better now and I didn't do anything but give it time .

I realize if the symptoms really bother you it is different, but there are meds that can be tried.

I get what you are saying about the valves. If it is coming from them the repair could resolve the whole issue.

Whatever the exam reveals, I certainly wish you the best outcome.
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Avatar universal
not you............. she meant the other one.   about the "intiminator".
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97628 tn?1204462033
The last thing anyone who knows me would ever descibe me as is dramatic. I guess it depends on the eyes you are reading with.  
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Avatar universal
Hi I dont think Im in for nothing I wish that was the case but my smptoms are to great to ignore Im just hoping there being caused from the valves and not ist or pots, I can handle the idea of surgery no matter invasive if that means I would after long recovery maybe just maybe be ok afterwards
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97628 tn?1204462033
Just some woman who read this quote from the CC doctor tp jaksmom:

"It sounds from your description that you have some right heart dysfunction, with decreased forward flow and that this is causing your heart rate to increase"

jaksmom:
That is not CAD, but it is valvular heart disease. One of the first recommendations made to people with any degree of heart failure is to immediately stop smoking.

I hope your  dx is something essentially harmless, but there's been a suggestion by a doctor that there is a chance that you have some right-sided heart dysfunction (failure) . I imagine you will be evaluated for that at Cleveland.

I wish you all the luck in the world. Hope it's all nothing.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I fear for for their families too.  I couldn't be more dramatic if I tried.
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Avatar universal
im so glad there are people like you on here who are here to help.....I just got a call from the nurse regarding two holtier tests the first july 18th showed sinus tachycardia at 10 places all after 6 pm all before BBs and then I started toprol which i took for 3 days and then stopped and then I had an episode of svt and from then on seemed my heart rate just stayed up??? I had a holtier done aug 14 and she said everything looked good the highest my heart rate went was to 118 but average was 77 and they saw no big concern....but they had given me atenolol the day I went to the er right beore they put the holtier on me and I took it the next morning, I was sure it would show high heart rate all day but it didnt, I think this is encouraging but doesnt make any sense to me becuase my heart rate has been high all day especially up doing things ever since I went on the BBs Im now so confused Im so glad Im going to clevland tomorrow to get some answers......I just figure the BBs blocked anything showing on the holtier on the 14th.....I have been wearing a polar heart moniter that says my heart goes up HIGH with anything I do the heart holtier didnt show that......can anxiety and stress really have that kind of effect on your heart......agian thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and answers they have helped me and I think I might actually get some sleep tonight!!!!
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Avatar universal
i dont have heart diease, to clarify I have regurgitation in two of my valves that might have been caused from several infections I had as a child otherwise my heart is fine. blood pressure is good. I have quit smoking 3 days ago so I am working on things like I said. the weight is from two kids and when I get cleared to work out I will do all I can in that department.
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Avatar universal
who is that woman?  
Helpful - 0
97628 tn?1204462033
There are several things you really need to do regardless of what they classify your problem as.

The first thing you need to do is to stop smoking. Smoking will damage your heart. Period.
You say you are worried about your heart, but even though you have two insufficient heart valves you continue smoking. Valve disease is a cause of right-sided heart failure.

Also, try not concern yourself with what an ideal spouse would do in this circumstance. He is not an ideal spouse. Truly accept that. Once you do  the stress of any expectation will be off your shoulders.

If the docs clear it you need to start to get some aerobic exercise.
Eat a sensible diet and weigh yourself regularly.

Heart faliure causes weight gain from fluid build-up and weighing yourself daily tells you if you have had a sudden increase in fluid.

I certainly hope you have something annoying but harmless like IST, but it doesn't seem that it may be the case.

Good luck in Cleveland.
Helpful - 0
219704 tn?1338609105
Your most welcome! Please try to ignore people like degrassi. There are a few here that are nothing more then forum bullies seeking attention through their venomous insults, attempted intimination and harrassement. Not only do they have cardiac problems, but severe untreated psychiatric disorders as well. Personally, I feel sorry for them and fear for their families.
Just remember, you owe them nothing and do not have to explain anything to them....

The tilt table is exclusive to POTS I believe. After ruling out structural heart disorders/ disease, hyperthyroidism, deconditioning or arrhythmia's like SVT, IST is a mostly a diagnosis of exclusion and semi-noninvasive tests from what I've experienced. Holter monitoring or continous monitoring in a hospital is the gold standard I believe..
And yes, it's normal to feel worse at nights with IST. I think it's because we are physically exhausted and everything is amplified in our bodies when were trying to rest. Taking a tranquilizer an hour before bed helped me in the beginning. Now I'm just used to the racing and pounding, although I still get annoyed as heck at times and when it's really bad with my PVC's, I've been known to take a xanax now and again.
Definetely try to exercise in whatever fashion you can tolerate and remember to drink at least 64 oz's of liquid a day, everyday. Blood volume is important in both IST and POTS.
I have an elliptical machine and walk for 25 mins. twice aday at a medium speed and grade.
I started out at 6 mins as ordered by my Cardio though, so don't try to push yourself if you feel fatigued at first....You just had a baby hon. The weight will come off and things will get better. After going to Cleveland and getting some answers, I bet you start feeling stronger everyday.

Here's some general info on both IST and POTS.

Sinus tachycardia is defined as an increase in sinus rate to greater than 100 bpm in keeping with the level of physical, emotional, pathological, or pharmacologic stress. Pathological causes of sinus tachycardia include pyrexia, hypovolemia, or anemia, which may result from infections, malignancies, myocardial ischemia, congestive cardiac failure, pulmonary emboli, shock, and thyrotoxicosis. Drugs that induce sinus tachycardia include stimulants (eg, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine); prescribed compounds (eg, salbutamol, aminophylline, atropine, catecholamines); and certain recreational/illicit drugs (eg, amphetamines, cocaine, “ecstasy,” cannabis)

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is a persistent increase in resting heart rate or sinus rate unrelated to, or out of proportion with, the level of physical, emotional, pathological, or pharmacologic stress.
Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is diagnosed on the basis of:

1. The presence of a persistent sinus tachycardia (heart rate greater than 100 bpm) during the day with excessive rate increase in response to activity and nocturnal normalization of rate (heartrate goes down under 100 bpm), as confirmed by a 24-hour Holter recording
2. The tachycardia (and symptoms) is nonparoxysmal (no re-entry)
3. P-wave morphology and endocardial activation identical to sinus rhythm
4. Exclusion of a secondary systemic cause (eg, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, physical deconditioning)

Patients with POTS present with palpitations, severe fatigue, exercise intolerance, presyncope, tremor, bowel hypomotility, and dizziness or lightheadedness. A significant proportion of patients also complain that they always feel cold and are unable to tolerate extreme heat.

Diagnosis includes:
1. Head-upright tilt testing exhibits an increase in heart rate of at least 30 bpm in the first 5 to 10 minutes or achieves heart rates well in excess of 120 bpm
2. Absence of orthostatic hypotension
3. Absence of a known cause of autonomic neuropathy
4. Provocation of orthostatic symptoms: Patients with the central beta hypersensitivity form of POTS tend to have high serum catecholamine levels (ie, nor- epinephrine greater than 600 ng/ml) and exhibit an excessive increase in supine heart rate in response to a low-dose isoproterenol infusion

Take care of you jaksmom. Sending prayers your way.
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Avatar universal
Hi no I take atenolol 25 mg twice a day, it seems to help some but my heart rate still goes up when I get up to do anything about 115 when standing comes back down and then goes as high as the 150's when doing anything that involves breaking a sweat. I am just trying to see if this is all from the valve issue or if I have IST or POTS....I looked over a heart holtier test and my heart rate was normal through the day except when I was fighting with my husband it went up to 142 it stayed in the 70's for the most part and that was july 18 and now its high all the time I just dont know what has happened between then and now.....I dont get dizzy or lightheaded when I stand up but my blood pressure does drop a little bit and my heart rate goes up. Im just confused and was hoping there were people out there that could help me understand this a little better. thank you
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Avatar universal
why don't you want a beta blocker?  I am just wondering.
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Avatar universal
Hi I was reading about POTS it says that if your heart rate goes up when standing and stays over 128 (I guess thats the magic number) whith in standing for 10 mins its POTS my heart beat goes up high but comes back down, is that more with the IST.
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