Irregular Heart rate

[Kandice]

I got up this morning and didn't feel well so took my blood pressure and my heart rhythmwas really irregular. So my daughter took me to the ER.
By the time I was hooked up to the monitor the rhythm was better. So any way i was eventually sent home with my Coreg medication increased.


so I was just wondering how many of you have had this problem and does it tend to just go away.

I never have had atrial fib until the surgery. So I think it probably will be an intermittent problem.

Kandice

 

[Cooker]

Hi Kandice,

I had a-fib before my AVR and once after. I had Ablation along with my AVR and no problem since then. Many people here have or do have it and some live with it on a saily basis. I hope this will not be your case. It is unsettling but for the most part not life threatening.

There are many here that will respond and they know more than I do. I want to wish you well with it and I hope it never returns.

 

[geebee]

Kandace,

A-fib is quite common after OHS. Your heart is pretty tortured and it just gets confused sometimes.

Even if things get really crazy and you end up in constant A-fib, it is something you can get used to - I have after 4 years now.

Hopefully the meds will keep that from happening.

 

[DeWayne]

I had a-fib the first time while I was in the hopsital, the 2nd time came about as I was to get released from the hospital after surgery. They had all the paperwork done and were on their way down the hall when it hit. I had a few episodes afterwards, but none in the past year. Thankfully!

 

[Bina]

An irregular or rapid heartbeat is very frightening, but usually can be controlled and monitored with meds given by your cardio. I've had SVT and more recently a-fib or flutter.....I'm not sure.....going to my cardio next week. Beta blockers are helpful for a-fib. Also other beta-pacer meds.
Coumadin is a good med for any stroke risk associated with a-fib. (according to my doc).
I also thought that post op this would not be the case, but as said before, our hearts go through alot during surgery.Try not to be too nervous about it.

 

[jgibson]

Me Too Kandice...

Me Too Kandice...

I got up this morning and didn't feel well so took my blood pressure and my heart rhythmwas really irregular. So my daughter took me to the ER.
By the time I was hooked up to the monitor the rhythm was better. So any way i was eventually sent home with my Coreg medication increased.


so I was just wondering how many of you have had this problem and does it tend to just go away.

I never have had atrial fib until the surgery. So I think it probably will be an intermittent problem.

Kandice

Hey Kandice,

Sorry to hear you are going through what I have been going through. I think I put some of this in my last PM I sent to you, but in case I missed it, I was dealing with a seriously irregular heart beat a week ago today. Pulse was way up. I could feel my heart doing all sorts of strange things. They ended up putting me back in the hospital for two additional days. This was due to the fact that they changed my heart rhythm medicine from Metoprolol to Sotalol. Guess they needed to make sure I didn't have an adverse reaction to Sotalol. The good news is that the Sotalol has really cut down the irregular heartbeat. Still dealing with a few rhythm issues, but nothing like I did last week. They talked to me about making sure I drank a lot of water, and they also wanted to make sure my potassium level was high enough. I think I've felt a few today because my water intake was practically nothing.

Funny thing in was that when I did go in last week, the same thing happened to me. My heartbeat was just fine on the EKG. They kept it on extra long though and it finally acted up a little bit, but not that much.

Hope you and I both continue to get better Kandice. Let me know if you have any additional issues come up.

 

[denobobeno]

Kandice,
I'm interested in reading all the replies to this post. I've been having the same issue and I'm a little over a year post-op. Mine will beat real fast about every 4- 8 beats. I also feel more tired and sort of short of breath and kinda dizzy when I'm experiencing this. It's been happening intermittenly about a month especially when I'm tired...
I guess it's not anything to worry about...I'm glad you asked. I hope you feel better soon!
deana

 

[Mary]

I got up this morning and didn't feel well so took my blood pressure and my heart rhythmwas really irregular. So my daughter took me to the ER.
By the time I was hooked up to the monitor the rhythm was better. So any way i was eventually sent home with my Coreg medication increased.


so I was just wondering how many of you have had this problem and does it tend to just go away.

I never have had atrial fib until the surgery. So I think it probably will be an intermittent problem.

Kandice

If you don't mind my asking, did the ER think you were in A-fib or just having rhythm irregularities?

I've had an increasing number of irregular beats, so I'm just starting a trial run with cardizem. So far, so good. I tried Toprol XL last winter, but the side effects were too unsettling for me.
I've never had any episodes of A-fib, but my heartrate is chronically high.

 

[rgmcguire]

Rapid/irregular heart beat

Rapid/irregular heart beat

I've had some rapid/irregular heart bearts the last couple of days myself. It usually doesn't last for more than 10 seconds. It does scare me though. I'll be seeing my cardio in 2 weeks. It does take time for the heart to heal. Have a great day everyone.

Bob.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Yep, irregular and / or rapid heartbeats are COMMON following OHS. They usually go away after a couple of months.

Did you listen to your heartbeat with a stethoscope?

PVC's and PAC's sound like a 'skipped beat' which is actually a too closely spaced weak beat creating a long pause until the next beat. These are usually considered benign unless they are happening on every other beat.

I'm surprised the Doc you saw didn't prescribe a Holter Monitor to capture and identify the exact type of arrhythmia you are experiencing. Your cardio may wish to do so, especially if this continues.

Sotalol works well for me in suppressing occasional A-Fib.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Marguerite53]

Kandice,
I'm interested in reading all the replies to this post. I've been having the same issue and I'm a little over a year post-op. Mine will beat real fast about every 4- 8 beats. I also feel more tired and sort of short of breath and kinda dizzy when I'm experiencing this. It's been happening intermittenly about a month especially when I'm tired...
I guess it's not anything to worry about...I'm glad you asked. I hope you feel better soon!
deana

Deana. I hope you will consult your cardio about this. If they are PVC's or other benign heartbeats, then I'm sure you can work out some kind of med regimine to calm them down. If they are A-Fib....you really must be controlling that! Only a doctor will know for sure which kind of heartbeat you are having.

PVC's can make you very tired. Very. So the fact that you are feeling the SOB and the tiredness makes a lot of sense. Something IS going on in you. Please make a call and go visit the cardio.....or at least speak to a nurse. This isn't something you need to be waiting on.

I had A-Fib just in the hours post-surgery. About a month out, I developed VERY gnarly, pounding, rumbling PVC's. I was checked out every which way (eventually with an at home Event Monitor) and when they were determined to be benign, we upped my dose of beta blocker. A year later, tired of the beta blocker, I negotiated with my cardio to drop the beta blocker (which you must must must do very very very slowly and over time), but increase my other BP med (Diovan). Knock on wood, the PVC's have never returned. I can even handle caffeine and hot sauces again (which used to be triggers for the PVC's).

Kandice, hope you are feeling better these days.

Marguerite

 

[njean]

Hello Kandice,

I too suffer with irregular heart beat & I notice mine more so at night when I'm lying down.

A month ago, my cardiologist did an EKG & showed me the peaks on the report & said I should start taking "magnesium supplements" which may help. He is going to do another EKG on Monday to see how things look.

It's kind of scary & disturbing especially if you are experiencing SOB, fatigue, etc. Make sure your cardio checks you out good. Good luck to you!

njean

 

[kman]

Kandice.
Thanks for your post, its been most helpfull to me considering my present situation. I was very glad to hear that it is a common side effect of ohs and that in most cases is subsides after a period of time.My first experience was two weeks post op and it lasted over 14 hrs, I knew without a doubt that my electrical system was out of whack, my heart rate was all over but once on the monitor I could watch it go up and down between 115 and 150 and I could feel it the moment it returned to normal,what a relief.I have had a few brief palpatations since but they only last a few minutes. l just want to add to the voices of experience that this doesnt appear to be fatal only scary and that they seem to have a lot of treatment options available, I am going to be optomistic that in our cases this is only temporary and that time heals all. Best wishes......Keith

 

[Kandice]

update on irregular HR

update on irregular HR

I was put on a holter monitor for 24 hours starting Wednesday, turned it in the next day . No word on the results. But , my own assessment is I am experiencing alot of PAC's. I am still bothered with episodes that can last minutes or an hours or more. I tolerate them but I don't feel as well.. It seems the last 2 days not as often. I will be glad when its gone.

I have had some increased arrythmia mostly intermittent PVC's and PAC's before surgery. I have been on a beta blocker Coreg. But I've never had so much irregularity, so I guess my heart is very irritable.


Thanks for everyones support and advise.

Kandice

 

[MaryC]

I did not have heart rhythm problems prior to my surgery in Feb '06. I was diagnosed with a-flutter a few weeks after my mitral valve repair surgery. My cardiologist of 13 years put me on flecanide. I had a really bad reaction to that drug....and a cardiologist who ignored my reaction. I ended up back with surgeon and got a new cardiologist. My a-flutter went away before I had to try any other medications (thank goodness!). I still feel my heart have strange beats from time to time but it has become less frequent.

 

[jkn2kids]

Kandice-
I'm currently using an event monitor to figure out if I'm having PVC's or A-Fib.You can ask your cardio to send off for the monitor.Mine arrived in the mail from a firm in Fla.You can hook the 3 wires yourself.The monitor hooks to your waist like a pager.Every time you have a bout of irregular heart rates,you press a record button and it will record the previous 30 seconds and the minute afterward.You then call it in to the monitoring center within 24hrs.They send you enough batteries and sticky things to last for 30 days.I have been on a 24hr holter monitor and it is not long enough most of the time to catch anything.This event monitor will catch it.I hope this helps!!!! By the way,the company reads the info and send the report to your Doctor.They even give you return postage (FREE).

 

[temp69]

a couple of months after my surgery (maybe even 5) I had an irregular heartbeat and it drove me nuts. i was put on a halter monitor which showed zip, nada, no big deal. so...don't worry about it, i think it's natural. i know it's trying, and worrisome, but you will be fine.

t