How do I deal with this??

[taterbug0703]

I am 24 and was recently told I have tachycardia. I wasn't sure on how to take it when they told me. I don't think that I really understood what it was at first. I had my first episode last month. It scared the crap out of me. I coudn't even find the words to descripe it to anyone. All I knew is I didn't feel good and something was wrong. I was taken to the ER just for them to dope me up and send me home. I didn't find out what I had until a week later. my dr put me on metoprolol 50mg twice a day. she really scared me telling me that if my pulse goes up again I can't wait to see a dr or it could kill me. I have gone to a cardio dr and I am anxiously awaing my results to find out what type I have.
My question is sometimes I get this feeling in my chest like its being pushed down or something. Most of the time this happens I am unwinding for the day. I was wondering if anyone else has this feeling? I have also noticed that my hands get puffy when this happens. I also get tired very easly which is a new thing for me. Although sometimes I feel that my heart is pounding or going fast so I check it on my monitor and it is about 90 which isn't bad at all. Is it normal to feel it pound like that for no reason? Also sometimes I feel lightheaded and my brain gets kinda foggy. It mainly happens when I am standing up doing dishes or something.
I guess that I am just looking for help from someone who has gone or is going through this. I feel like no one understands what is happening to me.

[taterbug0703]

yeah i am trying to deal with this the best i can. i just try to take it day by day. they said they started me at 50 because my  bp was 186/112 and my pulse was 135 it had been that way for about a week. and it woudln't stay down on the meds the hospital gave me. so i am just trying to get used to it.
i am trying to stay calm with this. as mike said its a little scary when you first find out. i think that i am still just getting over the shock of it all. i am sure well hoping that with in a few months i will be able to deal with it better.

[TatiSD]

When these issues are brand new and you're not use to all these manifestations, everything seems amplified.  You become aware of things you might not have noticed before.  Your metoprolol may be causing you some of the unpleasant symptoms.  I'm surprised that you were started on 50mg 2X/day.  When I was put on it, I was started at 25mg and, as needed, increased to 50.  I did not have any troubling side effects from it since my body got use to it from a smaller dosage.
I am writing to encourage you to try to treat this in a calm and accepting way so that it doesn't develop into an aggravating mental issue.  16 years ago when I started having these problems, I thought I was the only one and through worry and anxiety, I managed to make it a problem that I now struggle with emotionally.  I think if I better understood and accepted these things emotionally at the beginning, it might have been easier for me to deal with it now.  So, I hope you'll take this slow and calmly, as you continue to confirm with your doctors that you are in no danger.  

[taterbug0703]

yes it has been a little scary for me right now. I am not sure what is going on half the time. I just try not to think about it and go about my day. The hardest time I have is trying to explain to other people what is happening or how I feel. Then they just look at you like your nuts. It gets a little old.
I am not sure if I like metoprolol but for now the cardio dr wants to keep me on it. He said it can take some time to get used to. That and it seems to be working for the moment. He did have me wear a haulter monitor for a day. But I have no clue what was on it. When I went to his office right after my primary found it he found nothing wrong on the ecg. So he started running all these tests. at times they get overwelming. I don't even know what half of them are for. i just go along for the ride. lol. The thing that got me was I had an ECG done in october they were looking at my irregular heart beat. I have had my whole life. I guess its like premature heart beats. its never caused a problem. they don't even treat it. then 2 months later this all happened. I was taking that pill yaz that they have everywhere that it causes problems. I was off it for maybe a week when all this happened. they are trying to figure out if that is what caused all of this.
sometimes I have a breakthrough as you called it. and I would swear that I am having a heart attack. Its all I can do to just go sit down and wait for it to go away. I haven't found anyway to just make them stop yet. the headaches and hearing my heart beat in my ears is really starting to get to me. I am trying to learn to just live with it. but knowing that you both have the same problem as i do makes it a little easier to deal with. I guess if you can live with it so can I. Some days are better then others. I think that I am still depressed about all of it. Just trying to learn how to live life around it and still be healthy.

I thank you both very much for listening and helping me!!!

[cindy707]

I am on antenolol one of the family of drugs that is a beta blocker and yep i have had a couple of episodes of what is termed as a "breakthrough" mean those little buggers broke thru the wall of protection. When it happened i had a great heart doc and he took care of it and i am good to go now.....so no it doesn't mean something is seriously wrong when you have the breakthroughs.....you may just need an adjustment is all.....relax i am still here posting so obviously it wasn't too bad........relax..............

[MIKE7177]

Happy i could be of some help.....Some people dont have episodes while on the meds, but as for me i continued to have episodes, just less frequent, thats why i decided to have the ablation done, i guess it all depends on the person. You should prabably have your cardiologist recommend a better medication for you though, he would probably have a better understanding then your primary DR, unless you like the metoprolol....And the echocardiograhm is just a way for the DR to rule out any structural abnormalities to the heart itself, like valves an other things, that way they ban be sure that its tachycardia ....the best test they can run when dealing with tachycardia and other arrhythmias is a ECG and the EP study, becuse both test deal with the electrical system of the heart ....if you have any more questions i would be more then happy to try and answer them. I know how you feel when your first  diagnosed, it can be a little scary lol....

[taterbug0703]

thank you both so much... it makes me feel better knowing that other people have had these feelings. funny that you mention the not sleeping well. I have been going through that the last couple of weeks I just thought it was anxiety. I know that I am getting an echocardiograhm on the 16 of this month and a result appt on the 18. I tried to call them and told them I was worried about it but they wont tell me anything. oh and the dr that gave me the metoprolol is not the same as my heart dr. It was my primary care dr that found the tachy. but I guess that I also have very high bp even with the meds i am still getting 145/83. its alot better then it was. I just wanted to make sure that i wasn't loosing my mind through all of this. and if i may ask you another question. do you still have episodes on your meds? and if you do how often can it happen?

and again thank you so much!!!!! it means alot to me!!

[cindy707]

Sorry i had too many fingers on that post i meant to say a normal heart rate is 70-120 not 7......................

[cindy707]

Hi read your post.......First off i would get a new heart doc....its like that country western song "what was i thinkin" " except in this case it would be what was she thinking.  For her to tell you that you can't wait to see a doc or you'll die is just straight out wrong.  Nice doc.....NOT!!!!  I agree with Mike that alot of the symtoms that you are describing could be the meds that you are on....the swelling of the hands however may very well be connected to the heart issue because our extremities do swell when our circulation is not moving properly but it could be caused also by something so simple is too much salt in your diet which happens to every single human.  Don't stress it till you get your tests back and trust me tater if they had found something super abnormal you would have gotten that call with in a couple of days....they don't waste time on matters of the heart.....a normal pulse rate is 7-120 so you are well within normal limits.  The reason that they are "doping" you up is to simply get you to relax so that you ease out of the tach.  Lots and lots and lots of us have it and we are here to post about it and mine started when i was a couple of years younger than you are and i am 55 now and am doing great.....you can be the "squeaky wheel" and call the heart docs office now and tell them you are scared and worried and is there any way they can tell you how the test came out?  It is a matter of a simple reading........alot of times when tests come back pretty negative you are put on the back burner so the more serious cases and dealt with first and your chart sits on their desk until they get around to it....the longer the time goes that you don't hear back from them the better the chance that you are okay but if its eating at you call them today....i would also ask them if it is absolutely necessary for you to be on those meds if your tests are okay because alot of times they focus on the results and forget about the meds.......unless you are tach'ing out way out of control relax.....i'm not dead and i have definately tach'd into the 300's a couple of times...alot of us tach into the 200's and we are still here trust me....the human heart can take alot but make sure when you talk to them if there is an issue do not forget to ask the heart doc what his/her plan is to fix it....don't just let them say we'll keep an eye on it...good luck and let us know in a post how you came out...good luck

[MIKE7177]

Hows it going Taterbug0703, i was diagnosed with Re-entrant tachycardia last year in March 2009 at the age of 21, i to have had the feeling of puching down on my chest, i have had an ECG done while i was haveing that feeling an nothing showed up an my Dr. said it was nothing to worry about, i have also had the sensation that my heart is pounding when its only in the high 80 or 90s again i have had ECG an nothing comes up, The foggy feeling could be the metoprolol, i to took it and i couldnt sleep well an i was allways tierd an foggy, i switched to labetalol, worked grate. Funny thing about these drugs is they seem to vary on effectiveness from person to person. the best answer for me was an ablation. As far as your hands im really not sure what that can be, maybe the metoprolol, Never the less i would go gets all this checked out by your (cardiologist), your heath is priceless if you dont worry about it no one will. i really hope i was of some help to you. i wish you the best of luck an hope you feel beter