Heart races at night

[beki]

I am a 43 year old active female. Last year went through non Hodgkin

[tickertock]

Yes I used to be exactly be that way, the least thing like walking up a single flight of stairs, stooping down, or bending, not to mention heavy lifting would start my heart racing and the PVCs would kick in, yet on an exercise stress test it was determined I had excellent exercise tolerance and my heartrate and B/P response to exercise was within the normal range , had excellent recovery also, though it was determined/documented that I had sinus tachycardia and PVC episodes, my biggest problem same to be heightened heart action awareness, with beta blockers(mainly inderal and now for the last 6-7 years atenolol) no tachycardia and only one bad prolonged episode(lasted 5 months in the 1000s daily) of PVCs nearly 5 years ago.I still get the odd PVC but absolutely nothing to speak of. I have found atenolol much more effective in controlling the tachycardia and PVCs than inderal, though I would say inderal had a more anti anxiety and central calming effect.My tachycardia and PVCs are definitely adrenaline and anxiety triggered in most instances.

[fearfactor]

Hi!  Yes, I'm still taking the Toprol.  I take 12.5 mg once a day and the doctor said that is such a low dose and I think it's a pregnancy class B so it's OK.  I've had to get off my anxiety meds, so I'm glad I can at least hang onto that Toprol.  I hope the lessened PVCs lasts, too!  Thanks for the good wishes!

[Fran71]

I'm turning 35, I have 5 more years to live in the first half! LOL

tickertock, do you sometimes have those days when your heart at rest is normal but whenever you do anything simple like walking up the stairs your HR starts racing and you also get PVCs? I'm going through such a phase right now. I'm now taking Inderal daily which makes me feel great at rest (hope it continues...), but whenever I walk around PVCs start again, and my HR increases. I guess increasing the dosage would help, but I don't want it to make me drowsy so for now I'll try sticking to my 20 mg.

Also, do you or anyone know if the body gradually gets used to betablockers so that they might lose their effect??

Thanks and take care!

Fran

[upbeat63]

Congratulations on the feeling good, I'm so glad to hear it. Your focus is required in so many other places, it's nice to hear you don't think about your funky heart rhythm so much right now. Hope it lasts and lasts and lasts.

Are you still taking toperol through the pregnancy?

[upbeat63]

I have the same thought you do, since the doctors admittedly don't understand the underlying mechanism to onset, and triggers are different across the broad for everyone who suffers them.

Last year when I had a dramatic increase in my already high PVCs, it was also about the same time I decided to get healthy and was taking Co-Q10, fishoils, B12 and B6 and a cal/mag supplement. BAM. Of course several years of constant stress might have caught up too. So even though I don't take any of those supplements anymore, I think the neural/electric pathways have already been established because of a stress response. Will it get better without stress and supplements? I sure hope so, the body is a weird and wonderful thing, I don't see any reason it can't "go back", given enough time.

[tickertock]

Don't have thyroid disease  that I know I know of, but the side my neck/throat gets sore and tender to touch periodically, been told in might be an inflammation of the carotid artery or thyroid, no definite diagnosis, happens for a day or 2 , 3-4 times a year.

Thanks for the comment about middle age, have you heard the joke about the old drunk walking through a graveyard and stumbled upon a HeadStone that read NOT DEAD , JUST SLEEPING, the old drunk looks down and says "Buddy you ain't foolin anybody but yourself". It's just a joke , but what I'm really trying to say 41 is not old but one must realise that when you have reach 40 years of age , you have lived half your life according to the average lifespan. Take care and I didn't mean to put a damper on a somewhat cheerful thread, but it is good to realise the facts also.