premature heart beats and/or tachycardia

shakerofsalt · Post by **shakerofsalt** » September 22, 2008 11:05 am

Has anyone experienced premature heart beats and/or tachycardia on a regular basis? Hit me with your knowledge!

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » September 22, 2008 11:14 am

My mom has always had a heart arrythmia, but I'm not sure if it was just irregular or what you're talking about.

She's had it all her life and that, in addition to smoking 2 packs a day, damn near killed her a la cardiac arrest about 11 years ago.

She lives now with a pacemaker/difibrillator so if her heart goes wacky again, she gets an automatic charge. She says she can feel it kick on a few times a month.

TropicalTroubador · Post by **TropicalTroubador** » September 22, 2008 1:49 pm

I've got something similar. Theoretically I'm not likely to fall over suddenly any moment, but it's one of those things that you *should* see a cardiologist about, just in case you *are* likely to fall over suddenly at any moment.

I get more tests on a regular basis than I really want...but I'm at least somewhat reassured that my heart will keep doing what it's supposed to do for a while longer.

OceanCityGirl · Post by **OceanCityGirl** » September 22, 2008 6:01 pm

MrOC has tachacardia. He got it very bad and had a very thorough check up with a cardiologist. All problems were ruled out and he was given a very clean bill of health. It is not harmful as long as it is stopped early into an episode. He now takes an alpha or beta blocker (not sure which) to prevent it and has had only a very few minor episodes since, under stress. He was told if he experiences an episode to bear down (as though doing a bm hehe) This should slow it down. If not he is supposed to be carrying a copy of his ekg in his wallet to show if he ever has an episode. This shows the drs that it not a heart episode and the way they treat tachacardia is very specific.
However, I would get a thorough cardio work up including stress and resting echos and blood work.

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » September 22, 2008 9:31 pm

Not sure what I had was called....but my heart takes off and races in a very disturbing manner without warning nor reason.

Luckily it has been a couple of years since it happened last. Scares the crap out of ya. They went into the heart through a vein to try to find an "extra pathway" that was causing the problem, but never found it.

Before that I had some problems with a stress test that casued them to do a heart catheter test. Didn't find a problem there either...

Best of luck. I know how frightening it is.

Big Phan · Post by **Big Phan** » September 22, 2008 9:33 pm

No help with information, but (((((SoS))))).

flipflopgirl · Post by **flipflopgirl** » September 22, 2008 9:37 pm

((((((((((Kari)))))))))))))) hope you are feeling better soon!!!

tikitatas · Post by **tikitatas** » September 23, 2008 12:00 am

NOT a substitute for what your cardio docs tell you, but FWIW:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00290.html

Be well, Kari!!!