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338416 tn?1420045702

Heart rate too high!

Shortness of breath, ringing in ears and muffled hearing, and my heart rate through the roof - is this pons related?  

This morning I was feeling a little short of breath, but not too bad.  I reach over to pick something up off the table (I was sitting down) and when I sat up, my heart started to pound.  It was up to 100 bpm.  And my blood pressure was really low, I guess in response - like 100 over 68, I think.  We have a blood pressure cuff so I can actually check these things.

Needless to say I mentioned the heart rate problem to my neuro, and he said it wasn't MS related.  But of course these days it's exactly what I expect.  I think I'll go through the PITA and try to get in at UT Southwest.
8 Responses
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1142155 tn?1261766832
I have to put in my 2 cents, although I'm not a doctor, jensequitur.  But I have had two heart attacks, double bypass surgery, and numerous stent and heart cath procedures, four tachycardic episodes.  So I have to come in and support everything that Lulu and Quixotic1 are saying.  All of my serious heart issues were more than 15 years ago, but I think I should have been dx'd with MS even then, separate and apart from the heart health issues, but also linked to the heart health issues.  I was not overweight and did not have the health risks associated with heart attack risks.  I was only 36 when I had that first massive heart attack.  My heart health has actually improved over the years since then.  

The first heart attack, followed by the second milder heart attack, left me with a rather large portion of my heart effected.  Miraculously, that portion wasn't "dead", but it did beat much slower than the rest of my heart, and that was the source of constant fatigue and arrythymias for many years (or was the MS a contributing factor in all of that--again, who knows?  Now it is just guesswork, looking back and trying to think it through).  But my last heart cath and stent took place in spring of 2007, followed by two severe tachycardic episodes in early 2008.  

This past summer, just as part of a normal heart health exam, post all of these incidents, and as the doctors were beginning to look at the possibility of MS, a new echocardiogram revealed that the portion of my heart which had beat more slowly than the rest has actually diminished considerably.  This was surprising since my cardiologist in 2005 thought he would soon be performing triple bypass surgery.  But now, the portion of my heart that beats out of sync is approximately the size of a quarter.  

Yes, I still have strange heartbeats and I've had one tachycardic episode since the MS dx, but when I say tachycardic episode, I mean an episode where my heartbeat climbed almost instantly, and for no reason (I was actually asleep, in bed, and it woke me), with only minor pain down the center of my chest, but my heartbeats per minute were hovering around 223 bpm.  In the past, my tachycardic episodes have been in the 223-224 bpm range, each time, and it was necessary to stop my heart in the emergency room with IV intervention drugs (can't remember the name of the drug) and allow it to "re-boot".  Thankfully, when my heart began to beat again, it beat at the proper rhythm.  With this latest episode of tachycardia, I did not have to go through any of that, though.  The simple "put your finger in your mouth and blow hard" and then bear down, as with a BM, worked for me after only a few minutes.  That surprised me actually.  Never had worked before.  

Do see if you can get a referral to a cardiologist to be on the safe side where your heart is concerned.  Like Lulu and Quixotic are saying, I am just certain, from my own experiences, that there is a connection between heart issues and MS issues, although the medical community hasn't yet learned what all the connections are.  But I want to encourage you to please, don't let stress or anxiety about your heart push you to a place where you develop concerns that only exacerbate your MS symptoms and pain.  See a cardiologist and have one less thing to worry about.  I will be very interested in reading about what you learn!  Merry Christmas!  
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
It's just so odd for my heart rate to be that high - I usually hover around 65 or so...  Thanks guys, I feel much better today.
Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
Jen, 100 is a bit high but is not a true pathological tachycardia.  I agree with you to monitor it and report it if it doesn't fall.  I'm also with Lulu.  These arhythmias are somehow related to our MS, if only in some of us from deconditioniong.  But, I believe the autonomic issues are underappreciated.  There are lots of reports about autonomic disturbances and MS in the medical literature.

Quix
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
J,
Have you been evaluated by a cardiologist?  That might be the next step for you if you haven't done so already.

We get so fixated on our MS being the root cause of everything wrong, that we forget that we can have other problems.  

I'm a believer that there is a connection between MS and heart, thanks to my own heart attack.  There just is nothing concerte in the way of studies or proof.

Take care of your heart - its the most important muscle was have.

be well,
Lulu

Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
If this was just a one-time occurence I would write it off to anxiety, or random chemicals.  Unfortunately this is a regular thing with me.  It's especially bad when I'm fatigued, so I have to think it's MS-related.  I'm just concerned about the rapid heart rate.
Helpful - 0
1080243 tn?1262975363
Hello jenesquitur it sounds like you may have had a reation to something.
My toxocologist told me if your hearing, BP, heart racing you are having some sort of reaction.

I had many of these occurances along with my poor buider it was tolurene.
so many things have chemicals in today and if you have a neurology problem i think it affects you even more.

take care tarter
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
Of course, the blood pressure is fine - it's always 120 over 80.  It's the beats per minute that bothered me - 100 is a bit high.  I went through all the calming techniques I use for reducing my heart rate, but they had no effect.
Helpful - 0
611606 tn?1315517767
Hi, just noticed your post, your B/P is with in the normal range. I hope this eases your mind a bit... Try to relax and breathe slowly when this happens and mention it to you GP..
Merry Christmas and the best of New  years.. {{{{~!~}}}} DJ
Helpful - 0
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