Ventricular Tachycardia

[andie5]

I am a 27 year old female and have had palpitations or feeling of a skipped beat for a while. Recently I asked my primary dr. to send me to a cardiologist, who put me on a 30 day event monitor. Last Friday, I experienced a strong palpitation and transmitted the recording. Another doctor at the practice called (my dr. was on vacation) and said I had a ventricular tachycardia showing 6 beats and prescribed me 25 mg of Metroprolol to start immediately. I asked this week for a referral to an EP doctor and I have an appointment next week with her. The Metoprolol slows my hear to the 60s when I take it at night, but my heart rate is back in the 90s-100 and 80s in the morning and all day. Is that normal? Also, I have been experiencing some occasional pain in the sternum area when I take a breath and in the area right between my collar bones....I called the dr. last night about it and he said it didn't seem like a heart issue, not to worry and to call my dr.'s nurse today (which I have & left a message). I also have some back pains and pain in the right side of my neck. Please advise! I am panicky b/c of being told about the v-tach and the meds make me feel weird and now the pain. My hands and feet are also cold a lot...is this from the medicine? Thanks for your help!

[andie5]

The day I posted this I ended up in the ER--my blood pressure went up and I was having alot of palps. They said my HR was up to 140. While in the hospital, they did a cardiac cath (angiogram?) and said there was not blockages and heart muscle looked good. The dr. discharged me and put me on Metoprolol Succinate ER 25 mg twice a day. This was on Friday. I went in to the dr. yesterday and had an echo which looked good, but now I am having an EP study next Tuesday. I am still sore from the angiogram (with bruising and purple spots) and legs are bruised. However, now, I am having extreme heartburn...burning all the way down my throat and liquid antacids aren't relieving it...my hands and feet are extremely cold too. The heartburn has lasted for almost 24 hours....could this be a side effect of the Metoprolol? I read that it could be although it is rare.

[wmac]

Carrie41 Im sorry but I dont remember you...refresh my memory.. sorry. Im sure that we have talked about our nsvt before. right?
wmac

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Metoprolol (short acting) is a twice a day drug.  It would be normal for it to be less effective after a night and through out the day.  Even if it was long acting metoprolol, your night time heart rate would still expected to be slower than your daytime heart rate.

Chest pain when you take a deep breath is not typical of cardiac chest pain.  That is usually from another cause like musculoskeletal (bone, muscle or soft tissue).  Having a diagnosis of non sustained VT is not  a reason to panic. If you have a normal  EKG,  echo and probably stress test, VT with a normal heart is not associated with increased cardiac risk. Often a medication like metoprolol and a calcium channel blocker will help decrease the frequency.

I do not know any EP's in Arkanasas and unfortunately cannot recommend one.  I hope this helps.

[Carrie41]

Nice to see you back WMAC!  I just wantd to tell Andie5 that I too have had NSVT.  They caught a six beat run and I had all the tests to rule out any problems.  I had two failed ablations as well because they could not induce the VT which I guess is a good thing.  It is very uncomfortable though.  I freak every time as well when I feel it doing funky things but I am still here!  The first time that NSVT was caught on my monitor was 17 years ago and they have never caught anything else except benign PAC's and PVC's (triplets).  They say "no big deal" because I have a normal heart.  Frustating to say the least!

[wmac]

Also your chest pain and everything else is probably stress and panic attacks. I have been through it all.
wendy

[wmac]

Sorry to hear about your vt. I also have vt.. Well its nonsustained vt any thing under 30 seconds is considered nonsustained vt and lasting longer than 30 seconds is sustained vt which is much worse. I have had this since 2002 that I know of. I have seen cardiologist after cardiologist. Which my cardio is a EP doc as well. I have had two attempted ablations with no sucsess only because they cannot induce my vt during the eps. I did try toprol xl the smalles does possibel and still cut it in half im very sensitive to meds and the third day into it I had the worst episode every luckily I had a loop recorder implanted and it was recorded. it was 26 beats long felt like i was going to die.. thats why I had the first eps done. with all that said I have had all the work ups possible and I have a normal healthy heart. I will have to say one of the most important things here is your ef. Ejection  Fraction that is how much blood your heart pumps out after filling. the normal ef is 50-70% mine is  67% that is why none of the cardios are worried about me. hahah i still freak all the time with this on a day to day basis. my vt usually happens when sitting and relaxing and that is probably why the meds are good for me because it slows my heart too much then my heart over compensates and i get nsvt... good luck let me know how you cope with this maybe it will help me too. I feel it every time do you feel it?
Wendy

[andie5]

I am also experiencing extreme flushing of the right side of my face...the same side that my neck/head is hurting or feeling pressure.

[andie5]

Also, can you recommend a good EP lab in Arkansas? THanks!