Racing heart after shower?

[crswin]

Does anyone have trouble with heart racing when getting out of the shower of bath?  Mine has gotten so bad that I have conteplated giving showers all together!  :) Just kidding!  My heart rate was 210 bpm 5 minutes after I got out of the shower yesterday and above 180 bpm for about 12 minutes after that.  This is getting to be more common for me.  I do take a warm shower, but it is not exceptionally hot.  This may be normal, but it just started happening to me over the past few weeks- just wondering???

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Welcome?  Do you have MS?  Whether or not you do, that heart rate is not normal under any circumstances and your heart cannot pump effectively at those rates.  You MUST report this to your doctor immediately!  A rate of 210 bpm is grounds for calling 911.  I am very serious about this.  That kind of rate can precipitate a heart attack.  The coronary arteries fill (so they can nourish the heart muscle) in the resting time BETWEEN HEART BEATS.  At 210 there is not enough time for those arteries to fill completely.

Now, do not do any things that cause this kind of heart rate until you see your doctor, which I recommend that you do immediately!  Today if possible!

I sounds like you have some sort of tachyarrhythmia (tachy=fast; arrhythmia=abnormal heart beat).  This needs immediate evaluation and treatment.

If you have MS, there are a variety of problems that can develop with heart rate and blood blood pressure as a result of damage to the autonomic nervous system.

I am very serious about this.  I am a physician and only rarely am this firm about someone seeking immediate care.  The other members will vouch for this.

Good luck and come back after you are seen.  You might even call the ER if you can't get into see your doc.  Tell them what you have just told us.

Okay?

Quix, MD

[crswin]

Thank you for your reply.  I was dismissing this since it only happend when I get out of the shower.  I am fine for the rest of the day.  My husband- not a doc- told me that the racing heart was normal after a shower.  To put into perspective, when it happened yestarday.  I grabbed the stethoscope and set a 1 min timer.  I took my pulse 5 times over a 10 min span.  I wanted to put numbers to my feelings- rather than just saying that my hear is racing. In that 10 min my pulse started at 210 and never went below 175.  Finally after 15- 20 minutes it settled and- like a switch- went down to 105.  I just made a note of the incident and did not call my doctor, since over the past few weeks I have been THAT patient who has called with random symptoms that are serious to me but do not make sense to him, however he really tries and listens.  This is the 1st time in 4 years that I have been to  this doc, since I am usually healthy- except for these episodes have no explanation.
I was scared to get in the shower today and will probably not until I am not home alone with my 15 month old baby.
I am going to call my doctor- after hearing your response- I am looking at this more seriously- thank you.
Crystal

[Quixotic1]

Thank you for taking my words seriously.

You added an important piece of information.  That your heart rate stayed above 175 and then dropped immediately to 105 (which is still too high).  But that kind of sudden and marked drop indicates an intermittent arrhythmia (abnormal heart rate) that suddenly clicked "off."

I now have almost no doubt that you have a cardiac problem.

And, you are right, no warm showers.  Just wash down with a washcloth and rinse in tepid water.    

I hope that is you calling your doctor now....

Quix