Tachycardia

[TracyRN]

For the last month my heart rate will go up to 120-140s when I get up and walk around (not exercising or fast walking - just up moving) and as soon as I sit down it immediately drops back down to normal, between 70-90 bpm.  This is everyday, all day!  I stand up and walk my heart rate shoots up, I sit down and my heart rate goes down.  I have had a stress echo, regular echo, event monitor for 2 weeks, and my cardiologist says that its sinus tachycardia but that its okay.  I do not feel that this is ok! or normal.   I am being treated for GAD and my doctor says that anxiety can cause this.  I would probably be a little more relieved if my heart rate only went up once in a while, but to have this everyday with walking and sitting (going up and then down), Im am really worried that he is missing something.

[tsmurray]

I went through this for a few years. My heart rate was always elevated. I went through numerous ekgs echos, blood work and holter monitors. They found nothing and told me it was anxiety. Well, i took sertraline (zoloft) and eventually it got better so i gradually went off of it. Now the heart palpatations are gone but i still get sick and feel anxious. I am going to go back on it. My doctor said a chemical imbalance in the brain can cause heart rate increases, sweating, hot flashes. Its all something that you can't control on your own. You need to get tested and get on something to calm you down. Definitely get tested to make sure you dont' have a condition. This can be a debilitating disease and you have to get control of anxiety if that is what it is.

[Daddydue2]

I had a fast heart beat, doc did not seem to worry. Later it almost killed me when I went into afib. Cause by a messed up heart nodes getting mixed up signals to work. Wrong timing, like a car with the wires crossed. Can be caused by a lot of things. Get checked out, and take bater blockers, or you could have a stroke.

[sugarpea013]

took me a minute to figure out whether or not I was being chewed out! lol No, You definately know what you are talking about. Everyone here, including myself love to read your informative posts. I just thought I would throw out my 2 cents. :)

[JSGeare]

What EVER!  The difference between you and me is ... that YOU know what yer talkin' about! I don't like to (and really cannot) diagnose people either -including myself. But you obviously are more in touch with what's going on here than I am, and if your err at all -it is on the side of caution. So - thanks for stepping in. I owe you.

[sugarpea013]

I reread my post...I typically do not like to "diagnose" people over the internet, I hope I did not come across that way. Also I wrote "I ended up going into a flutter", that should mean A-Flutter, like atrial flutter.

[sugarpea013]

I reread my post...I typically do not like to "diagnose" people over the internet, I hope I did not come across that way. Also I wrote "I ended up going into a flutter", that should mean A-Flutter, like atrial flutter.

[JSGeare]

Nevermind. Go with Sugarpea.

I'm beggin' you.

[sugarpea013]

8 times out of 10 I agree with JSGeare here but in this case I would say not so much. I have IST (inappropriate sinus tachycardia) It's actually predominately in women who are in the healthcare field oddly enough. And I am also in the health care field. And just because I know all the right people to ask, doesn't mean I am always satisfied with the answers I get. Anywho- when my heart was at it's worse and the IST symptoms were at their peak my heart would do the same, just from standing go in the 120-140 range. A flight of stairs it would easy go to the 180's. Even the anticipation of a simple EKG would get my heart in the 180's. With IST your heart "inappropriately" responds to stimuli, hence the name. At this point right now I would say DON'T deliberately exercise yourself into a mess. Cause that is just what you will have, a mess. True, sinus tach is okay...but for me when I pushed it too far I ended up going into a flutter. I'm not saying you HAVE IST, I'm just saying it sounds pretty spot on. Until things settle down stick with light walking and relaxation techniques like yoga and deep breathing. I would recommend a beta blocker such as atenolol/metoprolol.

Good luck and best wishes!

[JSGeare]

Is the RN "Royal Navy" or "Registered Nurse" or what? I was just thinking that is you were a nurse, you'd know who in the hospital is the really the right person to see (just as all the nurses know). What's odd here is that there are plenty of people who buy expensive skimpy outfits, go to the gym, walk 3 miles on a treadmill, lift weights and do oher exercise because they are TRYING to get that pulse up there -and you get a workout just by standing up! I realize that it is irritating and disturbing, but if it is NOT dangerous, try this: Deliberately exercise -hard- next time you stand up. Do power walking, climb some stairs, etc. The idea is to get an inrush of oxygen, so you need to be breathing a little hard (but don't put yourself in a tailspin). Then, when you ease off the exercise (but still standing) see if your body recognizes that it has plenty of oxygen, and so cuts back the heart rate.

Tracy, what I'm saying is that -as long as you are not in danger- then mess with this a bit and see what you can do to alter the siuration. Please let us know your findings.

[lost_myself]

I had the same problem w sinus tach..and other symptoms of anxiety ..I felt if i could get my heart a little more controlled I'd feel better..my cardiologist put me on a beta blocker..made a wonderful difference.  God Bless