Heart beating at 200 beats per minute

[pedro157]

Is there anyway that this very high   heart rate can be considered normal? My heart has been recorded at this rate over a year ago on BP monitors but recent holter monitor tests have not indicated anything that high. The highest was 120 bpm and it was in sinus rhythm. Any info appreciated.

[jrbon]

Trusts the holter report. Get it complete and try to understand it!!

Jesus

[pedro157]

Hi again...not used to this site yet! anyhow to answer the question about what I was doing at the time.  I was doing nothing really. In a period of three days I recorded this very high rate on three different BP monitors. At the time it seemed like a pattern was forming; but since then, I haven't managed to record any more in this region. My normal resting heart beat is about 60 bpm. If I exercise it may go up to 120. So far all of the other medical investigations I have had have been normal, and I hope that this will continue!! But, nevertheless, I'm concerned because at that time I wasn't exerting myself and at first I thought my own BP monitor wasn't working properly, so I checked it out at the pharmacy and they also got the irregular heart beat symbol on their monitor, and a very high rate. Two days later I had a 24 hour BP monitor test done, and during the half hourly readings of which there were 48 in all just one reading gave an abnormal heart rate of 198 bpm. I had a cardiologist run some tests, and so far as I said everything seems to be normal. I have no typical symptoms like dizzyness etc usually associated with rapid heart beats, but I think if these beats were to last any length of time then I would get symptoms. I'm due to have another holter monitor test soon, so I'll keep my fingers crossed in the meantime! Thanks for your replies and will be in touch.    

[pedro157]

Hi !!

[tom_h]

It is entirely possible to to have sinus rates of 200 and above.  I've recorded rates on my Polar monitor of well over 200, but was not able to sustain it for very long periods before total exhaustion set in.  As you can surmise this was during extreme respiration output from physical exertion, and it was done about 10years ago when I was 50 y/o.  The fastest I got it going recently was in the 180's during a gruelling stress test to prove to me that my SVT was gone following an ablation procedure. At 64 years of age, I would imagine that it would be very difficult to achieve sinus rates above 200.  So the question would be what could get your heart rate above 200 at your age?  Supraventricular Tachycardia could get a 64 y/o heart beating well over 200.  Perhaps rates of 225 and higher.  There could be other cardiac anomalies that could be mistaken by the (assumed) acoustic blood pressure cuff as a "heart beat".  

My question to you is what were you doing at the time and how did the period of high heart rhythm begin and end?

[DeltaDawn23]

I think you should be evaluated right away -- this is not normal -- and it is always better to be safe than sorry.  That said, was this measured on a heart rate monitor of some sort?  When my heart beat is irregular my blood pressure machine will sometimes indicate my heart rate is higher than it actually is.  If you can measure it yourself, you should be able to know if it is accurate.  I had a heart rate monitor for exercise that malfunctioned and showed a very high heart rate when it was not high.  

If your heart rate is 200 beats a minute, you should not be feeling well.  If you have any doubt -- get help.  Good luck to you.