I'm in A&E - heart issues - any doctors here please?

[didntlikethis]

What should I expect to happen? Any advice from medics or anyone who's experienced this please?

I came into A&E earlier with tachycardia (HR up to 170.at rest) which lasted about an hour - really, really scary, thought I was having a heart attack.

I previously had benign ectopic heartbeats but this was something else entirely and I have some chest pain with it. Have had Covid and another virus recently.

Not all the bloods are back yet but the rapid high HR has settled (although ectopics have ramped up since this episode).and they're talking about sending me home with Beta Blockers.

I'm wondering if they're talking about sending me home because the hospital is crammed rather than keeping me here for monitoring until the arrhythmias settle down

Or am I being overly concerned? I'm female and early 60's. Thanks for any advice.

That's interesting. How did/do you tackle the anxiety? I have a very healthy lifestyle generally, some stress and recently started HRT which has calmed the anxiety. I was hoping it might also calm the ectopics.

I was never an anxious person but I only recently twigged that menopause has had a big impact and anxiety can be linked to menopause.

I am the same and not a naturally anxious or stressed person. However I get the PVCs around intense work stress, and they used to scare me which resulted in heart related health anxiety. I had a few panic attacks and started doing CBT which really helped. Mostly though I just had to talk myself down. I'm aware now that I am not dying, there is nothing wrong with me, my heart is just being a PITA but I'll be fine... It's something I repeat to myself regularly when the ectopics come back.

Also to add the symptoms feel VERY real and they suck so I completely understand how awful it is.

I started with paroxysmal AF at about the same age. I am taking beta blocker (metoprolol) in spite of low heart rate on it, as it keeps my heart rate below 100 when in AF (which happens every few days for 48 hours at a time).
I went on to have acute coronary episode and now have stent in my right coronary artery.

I am presuming your ECGs in A&E only showed tachycardia rather than some specific arrhythmia, in which case I think there is no need to worry. Episodes like this are unpleasant and feel scary but not serious.

Hi OP I hope you are feeling a bit better. I just had my GP apt and thought I'd tell you about it in case it's helpful !
Basically the GP was a little dismissive but I felt he was on the right track . He said that all my tests have been normal to date - and I didn't need another echo as the one I had 4 years ago was normal . He says that when I get palpitations/ tachy after eating that's normal and that my episode yesterday was probably anxiety. He said not to worry when my HR is 120 putting out the washing ! I did feel reassured though in a strange way ...

I really hope you're feeling a bit better today and can get some answers about yours soon

Thanks, your GP sounds very reassuring. Yes, feeling a lot better now the adrenaline rush has gone. Those of you who've pointed to a psychosomatic element have been very helpful.
I do think the ectopics have a physical cause - initially a vaccine reaction then various viruses, reactions in more recent months. But I'm aware that I do get anxious about it too and yesterday was just horrible - I just didn't know what was happening.
I have a follow-up.medical appointment on Thursday, will stay off this thread now and update after that

By the way in no way suggesting it is anxiety. Mine come from a very real source of infection which has been agreed . I've got a beta blocker to take until things settle down . Good luck for Thursday .

DS and I have both had ectopic heartbeats and tachycardia with a virus recently. I just had a mild cough and slight cold symptoms and he had just had COVID. Although he works in A&E and has pretty much gone from one respiratory infection to another for the past few months…

Thanks for posting this @Mipil, I'm hoping this is exactly what has happened to me.

Anyway, I'm back from the hospital clinic. All the tests I've had don't indicate any serious issues.

They think it was supraventricular tachycardia which they've assured me isn't dangerous and have referred me for a 48-hour ECG and then back to cardiology (which will probably take months, I'll probably go privately to speed things up).

They've told me to go straight back to A&E if it happens again so that they can try to capture it on an ECG, but obviously I'm really hoping I don't suffer another episode!

Thank you! I hope the beta blocker helps - good to know it's only a temporary measure.

Drat! All has been going well, although I haven't done very much or been out much since last week and I've just had another tachycardia episode.
Today was the first time I'd ventured into the shops for a while, I felt some irregular heartbeats then the rapid beats up to over 160bpm while lying down at home listening to the rain.
I'm back in A&E, and fortunately I was already wearing
the holter monitor, so they will be able to see exactly what happened.😢
My smart watch ECG told me it was atrial fibrillation, but it has got this wrong before.

Sorry to hear although in some ways it's good that it happened while you were wearing the holter so they can see what is going on. Do you have any more information yet?

You are in the right place and good that they will have the data.

I have POTS and was admitted for tachycardia during Covid infection also get ectopic beats - is POTS a possibility? Also have very low HR at night sometimes 39/40

Oh how frustrating. You are in the right place though x

Thanks for the responses. I came home last night, only cardiology can pull off the information from the holter - it goes back today. Blood tests and ECG at the hospital were normal - the tachycardia had gone by the time I got there, which is good. I have felt jittery and cold after each of the tachycardia episodes.

@Namechange600 I think there's a very good chance it's POTS. But have been told cardiology is the first step.
Any advice you have about managing the symptoms would be very welcome, thanks.

Have a look at the Valsalva manoeuvre used to restore heart rhythm. It stops my palpitations every time.

I’m not a doctor, not even close, I just wanted to say my mum had this a few years ago. There was no physical cause found, and it was put down to anxiety and post-menopause. She’s had a battle with anxiety, and never suffered from it before but she was very scared. She’s well now, early 60’s too. Sending love OP.

I meant to add that she was also prescribed beta blockers of which were also a temporary measure.

I had the same, sudden bouts of tachy up to 250bpm that sometimes wouldn't stop so ended up in A&E several times. It turned out to be SVT and after several bad episodes I had a cardiac ablation which isn't as scary as it sounds and it's fixed it! I still get PVC's though but I'm assured they are normal. All this started for me after a Covid infection so it may well be linked. Please be reassured that my cardiologist wasn't worried about the SVT at all even at such a high rate, he said to me I categorically wouldn't die from it which I found reassuring! Wishing you the best!

I have SVT for about 6 years. They couldn't do an ablation but it's very well controlled now by calcium channel blockers.
Things that set it off - number one is infection. Covid was the worst. Also stress. Oddly not exertion or exercise usually although I did a stress test at the hospital and that nicely triggered it in front of the cardiologist.

Valsalver manouvres can work and eventually you get the knack of what works for you. Obviously go to A&E if it lasts more tha 15 minutes or so.

Thank you everyone, it's so reassuring to hear about your experiences and solutions, I'm very grateful, it's a big help 😊

@didntlikethis hey, did you find out what the tachycardia episode was on the holter? I’m going through this at the moment with the super fast heart beats for no reason, 160 this morning, so scary.

I have had atrial fibrillation for some years. It is somewhat tedious and results in regular sojourns in A&E. I am on permanent beta blockers and they wipe me out and lower my mood so I am not wild about them and would stop them tomorrow if I could. I hope they manage to sort you out.