Flutter - Palpitation - What is it?

[savysmommy]

Hello Everyone-

My last apt about 3-4 weeks ago, which was a stress test, the doc put me on Procardia to hopefully help with the leagage from my bav. Since the apt I have been having more palpitations more regularly. I had them off and on before my last apt, but they were very irregular. I also had them when I was pregnant.

Last Thursday after lunch, I started having them again, and I felt dizzy, weak, and just out it. Saturday I had them all day long. It was even difficult to get comfortable because they were so frequent. I have contined to have them daily since then. They just feel fluttery.. thats really they only way I can describe it. The flutter feeling seems to occupy a lot of my chest. I called my cardios office and spoke to a nurse on Monday. She said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me. Wednesday now and nobody has called back.

So.. What I am wondering is, has anyone had this type of flutter? Do you know what it is or what could be causing it? Could it be the procardia? I was looking online, and on this forum and got a lot of great info.. but, I am still kind of in the dark. Should I be concerned? I was reading that coffee can trigger them, but then hours later when the coffee has left your system wouldnt they stop?


Thank you all so much for any info you can provide!
Shannon

 

[Wise]

Hello Everyone-

My last apt about 3-4 weeks ago, which was a stress test, the doc put me on Procardia to hopefully help with the leagage from my bav. Since the apt I have been having more palpitations more regularly. I had them off and on before my last apt, but they were very irregular. I also had them when I was pregnant.

Last Thursday after lunch, I started having them again, and I felt dizzy, weak, and just out it. Saturday I had them all day long. It was even difficult to get comfortable because they were so frequent. I have contined to have them daily since then. They just feel fluttery.. thats really they only way I can describe it. The flutter feeling seems to occupy a lot of my chest. I called my cardios office and spoke to a nurse on Monday. She said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me. Wednesday now and nobody has called back.

So.. What I am wondering is, has anyone had this type of flutter? Do you know what it is or what could be causing it? Could it be the procardia? I was looking online, and on this forum and got a lot of great info.. but, I am still kind of in the dark. Should I be concerned? I was reading that coffee can trigger them, but then hours later when the coffee has left your system wouldnt they stop?


Thank you all so much for any info you can provide!
Shannon

That sounds like the bout I had with a fast heartbeat (medical name, don't know). It would start like you've described, then I'd get weak and be out of it because it had then slowed down to much. That was I was told. Not an eloquent description I know, but I'm still a diamond in the rough. Anyway, I ended up having an ablation to correct the problem. Have done much better since (about a year ago). Wise

 

[Karlynn]

Shannon,
I'm not familiar with Procardia, other than it is a calcium channel blocker, but I do know (first hand) that many cardiac drugs can be "pro-arrhythmic". If the occurances of your palpitations have significantly increased since starting the drug, there's a good chance it's the culprit. You should let your dr. know immediately.

best wishes

Hello Everyone-

My last apt about 3-4 weeks ago, which was a stress test, the doc put me on Procardia to hopefully help with the leagage from my bav. Since the apt I have been having more palpitations more regularly. I had them off and on before my last apt, but they were very irregular. I also had them when I was pregnant.

Last Thursday after lunch, I started having them again, and I felt dizzy, weak, and just out it. Saturday I had them all day long. It was even difficult to get comfortable because they were so frequent. I have contined to have them daily since then. They just feel fluttery.. thats really they only way I can describe it. The flutter feeling seems to occupy a lot of my chest. I called my cardios office and spoke to a nurse on Monday. She said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me. Wednesday now and nobody has called back.

So.. What I am wondering is, has anyone had this type of flutter? Do you know what it is or what could be causing it? Could it be the procardia? I was looking online, and on this forum and got a lot of great info.. but, I am still kind of in the dark. Should I be concerned? I was reading that coffee can trigger them, but then hours later when the coffee has left your system wouldnt they stop?


Thank you all so much for any info you can provide!
Shannon

 

[BIGHEARTED]

Shannon,
I'm not familiar with Procardia, other than it is a calcium channel blocker, but I do know (first hand) that many cardiac drugs can be "pro-arrhythmic". If the occurances of your palpitations have significantly increased since starting the drug, there's a good chance it's the culprit. You should let your dr. know immediately.

best wishes

Hello Shannon, I just registered and I am brand new to this site, so this is the first time I am posting. Please bear with me if I am doing it wrong. I also have that fluttering feeling and it comes and goes. Some days I have it many times, and others I don't have any problems. I have a bav and an aortic aneurysm. Just this morning I spoke to my cardiologist about my recent MRI and echo. I will have surgery in the future, but for now they are monitoring me. I also sometimes have sharp pains, but they also come and go.

I took Procardia a long time ago, long before they found my bicuspid valve and aneurysm. I only took it for a short time because I felt awful on it. Please be sure to inform your doctor about how you are feeling. There are many other medications and perhaps he can find one that will not give you side effects. I take toprol XL, dyazide and cozaar and have no problems related to medications. BH

 

[ALCapshaw2]

One of our members (Bob H I think) wrote a post entitled "Short Course on Arrhythmias" (or something to that effect). Hopefully you will be able to find it doing an advanced SEARCH for keywords "short course".

Basically,
Atrial Flutter is a Regular Rapid Heartbeat (>120 bpm)
Atrial Fibrilation is an Irregular Rapid Heart Beat (>120 bpm)

Irregular Heartbeats are often caused by Premature Atrial Contractions (PAC) or Premature Ventrical Contractions (PVC). Both are usually considered benign (the common cold of cardiology) but can be uncomfortable and leave you feeling weak and listless.

ALL of the above can often be controlled with medication.
Apparently some can be CAUSED by other medication. Call you Cardiologist first thing tomorrow (or DROP IN). If you don't get an answer, let your Primary Care Physician know and hopefully he/she can get some response.

Do you have a stethoscope? If not, pick one up and use that to listen to your heart to get a better 'feel' for what type of arrhythmia you are experiencing. It's another way you can count your heart rate as well.

Keep bugging the Doc's until you get an answer. Sadly, it often seems to take a squeaky wheel to get a response.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[savysmommy]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for all the great feedback. I called my cardios office again and asked why nobody had called back. My doctor wants me to come in this week, so I got an apt for this afternoon.

I dont have a stethescope, but what a great suggestion! Of course, I can see myself getting addicted to listening ..

Thanks again,
Shannon

 

[BIGHEARTED]

Hello everyone - I was diagnosed with BAV nearly five years ago, but yesterday was the first time I came to this website and in less than 24 hours I have learned so much. Thank you ALCapshaw for the suggestion of getting a stethescope. For the past 4 years both the cardiologist and the surgeon have been telling me I should not have any pain. That aneurysms don't hurt. That there was no reason for the sharp pains I get in my chest. Honsetly they had me feeling like a real wimp - or worse yet - like it was my imagination. Today I finally feel vindicated. Other people have the same pain and discomfort that I have. Thank you all so much and I will continue to read and learn from all of you. Bighearted

 

[Nan]

Sounds to me like what I experience when I have atrial fibrillation. I wouldn't wait for the docs appt....I would go to the ER to get hooked up to a monitor now to see what is actually going on.

You might need immediate treatment.

Hope that it stops, but if it does, and you go to your doc then, they won't know what it was!

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[savysmommy]

Update

Update

Hello,
So, I was able to get an apt with my cardio today. He listened to my heart, and complaints of how i have been feeling and then decided to do another echo. Its been 3 weeks since my last echo and since I have been on Procardia. My valve was at 46.6 and is now at 48.? - He said that there is room for a little error, ussually about 1mm. Then he measured my aorta and said that its at 3.8 but looks like 4. I have no idea what he was talking about.. Basicly he said that its not shrinking.. might be getting bigger.

Anyway, he is doubling my dose of procardia I go back next week for another check to see what its doing.

Can anyone advise on what those number mean? Also.. doubling my dose of procardia.. can that be risky or do they do it often?

Thanks in advance for everything,
Shannon

 

[Karlynn]

If you feel an increase in your palpitations with the dose doubled - go to the ER and have them hook you up to an EKG. I'm not sure what doubling the Procardia will do for you, or why he would do it if he thinks he's seeing changes for the worse in as little as 3 weeks time.

Maybe because of my own experience, but I'd be willing to bet a little bit that your arrhythmia is due to the Procardia. Hopefully I'm wrong. But monitor your increase with caution.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

First, I suggest you go and get a copy of your echo reports, ALL of them. MANY measurements are made during an echo and having numbers without units or test name makes it impossible to speculate about the significance of those numbers.

If your palpatations become worse, you probably need to get another opinion or go to the ER if you cannot be seen immediately.

'AL'