Preparing for Six-Month Check-up

KimC · Jan 5, 2006

Happy New Year, everyone! I've missed reading your posts! I hope everyone has a healthy, happy 2006.

I return to Gainesville next week for my six-month check-up, and have been using a heart-rhythm card to record a prolonged fast heart rate. I want an answer as to what's causing it, or if it needs to be treated with a beta-blocker.

Most recently, I started working out at the gym and noticed that my heart rate was 125, which is high for me. (My resting HR is 50). I continued to work-out carefully, ate a large gyro afterwards ? hey, I felt like I earned it ? and watched television after putting the kids to bed.

That?s when I noticed my heart rate was still up and pounding. I went to bed, but woke-up sweaty, weak and feeling an amazingly strong, pounding pulse ? I?m not exaggerating when I say that my entire body was shaking with the force. I used my monitor to record it and called LifeWatch.

LifeWatch kept me on the phone but finally said the rhythm didn?t require a trip to the ER, and that I should talk to my cardio. I called my LOCAL cardio later who said yes, the heart rate was high, but not technically tachycardia ? it was 100. The EKG also showed some short runs of premature heart beats, and he chalked it up to anxiety. From what I?ve read, panic attacks don?t last for hours, and anxiety is a feeling of impending doom. I didn?t feel that way. It felt like my heart had a mind of its own -- it was working out without ME working out!

Has anyone ever experienced this? I?d love to hear from others. I called my cardio in Florida who treated it more seriously, saying we?ll discuss it next week, and that I shouldn?t hesitate to call if it happens again.

I think it?s a sign that my heart?s working too hard again, but how it could be prevented or treated is the question! It could be that the angina decubitis returned.

Thanks for any insights, or suggested questions for my cardio next week.

All the best --

Karlynn · Jan 5, 2006

Kim, you crazy girl.

How long before you went to bed did you have the gyros?

I'm wondering if the combo of working out and the gyro might have given you the higher rate. If my stomach is upset from too large a meal, or to spicy a meal, I don't notice it while I'm up and about, but once I go to bed I can feel the faster rate. Sometimes taking an antacid helps me.

I hope you enjoyed the gyro tho'!!!

KimC · Jan 5, 2006

Oh, Karlynn! Could it be acid reflux gone wild? I don't know. I don't feel heart burn or indigestion.

Karlynn · Jan 5, 2006

KimC said:
Oh, Karlynn! Could it be acid reflux gone wild? I don't know. I don't feel heart burn or indigestion.

I usually just feel a little full, no heart burn or indigestion.

Sure hope it's something simple like that.

Marguerite53 · Jan 6, 2006

Hey kiddo! Good to hear from you. Here's a thought.....salt. You gotta know that that gyro was just loaded with salt. I have had lots of trouble dealing with salt these last few years. A high intake was definitely wreacking havoc to my system and causing pounding heart problems. So many things were setting off my heart. Sudden emotion, sudden noises!!, too much salt, too much food, too much movement! Driving me crazy. I just recently got my PVC's under control by having my Atenolol (beta blocker) dose doubled to 50mg (still a low-ish dose, I think). It blocks the adrenaline response. So if you're kind of a hyper person (uh, that's me!!) then it can really be helpful to ease that over-reactive response.

Of course I have the added benefit of being in the early stages of menopause so along came hot flashes as well. No way to know if the palpitations were due to hormones or my heart or both......no matter, the Atenolol has been a sanity saver for me. I get a bit dizzy now, getting up sometimes, but whatever. Life is changing.

If they are PVC's they can catch them on an EKG. Otherwise, you can do an event monitor. Let us know.

Happy New Year!

Marguerite