Random tachycardia please help.

[ShesnoGeordielass]

I am ready to scream.

I've always, since I was a teenager, had episodes of tachycardia where my pulse is between 120-160 with no trigger. It's like a switch is flicked on and then off.

It had got worse since I have aged. Last year I had an episode where I just had an overwhelming sense of dread when I was driving. It felt like my heart was glitching. I pulled over, turned the engine off, collapsed and woke up in an ambulance. Apparently they did a round of CPR but I didn't need shocking.

Initially I was told that they thought my heart had momentarily stopped, had a monitor for a month which picked up nothing. Zilch. Nadal. Echo normal, ECG showed sinus tachycardia, nothing else.

Last night I was sitting down and my heart flicked to 200 bpm out of the blue. Bit breathless, but OK. I monitored my BP and pulse over a few hours, BP was fine and heart flicked back after about 30 minutes.

But I was exhausted to the point I could barely keep my eyes open.

Here's the thing. The last time I went to the GP he told me it was all in my head, it was anxiety. He's wrong and I know it as certainly as I know anything.

But I can't be doing with being told this repeatedly. I'm also exhausted and need to sleep in the afternoon to the extent that I've gone PT. I keep being told it's in my head.

Help.

Hello OP. I’ve had unpredictable tachy since being a teen too. Not as severe as yours though. I went to doc and wore an ECG for 3 days (I think)- nothing happened during that time anyway. They told me that it is common and not a cause for worry HOWEVER if you are having episodes while driving and losing consciousness then it definitely needs investigating. I would go back and demand to be referred for this. Unbelievable that the GP brushed it off as anxiety! Dig your heels in, you may need to see a different GP.

you need to speak to an HCP when it's happening so they can at least have the opportunity to capture whatever the rhythm is. It would be unlikely that your BP would remain fine for long if your HR was genuinely 200 whatever the rhythm was (and at that rate your BP monitor is less likely to be measuring accurately).

Mine was like this when I stopped producing oestrogen aged 37 due to autoimmune issues - ie menopause. I’m not saying it’s this for you but you say it’s become worse as you’ve got older so definitely something to consider. It completely went away when I started HRT.

I was doing it manually.

BP was 160/100 at first but settled to about 148/97 (I normally run at 140/90 as standard and an on two BP medications).

Pulse slight irregular at times, not consistently.

ECG did capture tachycardia but in sinus rhythm and they weren't really bothered.

When I saw my GP (he's notoriously slack) he did my pulse on the pulse ox and it didn't even read it was so fast (and he didn't check it manually, he's shit). He just waved me off.

Next time it happens if possible either get yourself to A&E or call an ambulance so you can have an ecg while it’s happening. If it’s caused you to pass out while driving it should be investigated, surely. And yes your GP is absolutely crap.

Thanks - but it WAS investigated and nothing found. An ECG was done which just showed sinus tachycardia and they weren't bothered.

I just have no idea where to go from here. I'm just risking "health anxiety" being poor on my records.

And yes my GP sucks.

Sounds like SVT to me. Random tachycardia but sinus rhythm.
I was diagnosed 8 years ago, went to GP who did a halter monitor, referred to cardiology who did a stress test. Very conveniently that set off a classic SVT.
I then had an EP study but they couldn't do an ablation. I take calcium channel blockers which control it pretty well.
I get very short bursts if I'm ill or sometimes when I'm asleep.

@Pippick , I'm convinced it's SVT. I was in hospital for something else and the on call diagnosed it as SVT and referred me to cardiology.

He never coded it in my records and the referral never came through.

I do valsalva manoeuvre, cold water, blowing into a syringe. It works about 50% of the time

your posts are a bit confusing...did you have an ecg during the recent episode? If not you need to keep getting real life medical advice each time it happens. There's literally no point sitting at home though taking your BP and not doing anything about it. If you don't go in though your not really giving them a chance to diagnose anything.

@Pippick , I'm convinced it's SVT. I was in hospital for something else and the on call diagnosed it as SVT and referred me to cardiology.

He never coded it in my records and the referral never came through.

I do valsalva manoeuvre, cold water, blowing into a syringe. It works about 50% of the time

@Greybeardy sorry I was being confusing, think I accidentally drip fed a bit. ECG was last year, which did capture sinus tachycardia at 120 bpm which they weren't bothered about.

I see your point about going in every time. TBH, when the shit GP told me out was all in my head I just cried and cried outside the surgery. A really nice mum came and reassured me. I just felt so gaslit and not believed, it had taken ages for me to go because I was worried they would tell me it was anxiety. I know it's not, or happens at totally random times, reading in bed, driving etc. I barely drink alcohol and have 1cup of coffee in the morning.

Sorry, I'm venting. I just know that one day something is going to happen.

Sorry, I'm venting. I just know that one day something is going to happen.

SVT isn't usually dangerous unless it goes on for long. I was told that if it lasted 20 minutes and valsalver didn't work to head to A&E. Otoh short bursts that resolve were not of concern. A HR of 120 wouldn't be classed as SVT though.

Avoid caffeine, I've only had decaf for years and no soft drinks with caffeine.

I would recommend if you are really worried you look at buying yourself a Kardia. The newest ones can give a decent ECG tracing and can tell the difference between sinus tachycardia and SVT. Neither are life threatening but both have treatment options that differ slightly so best to work out which it is.

@Doctor1988 thanks, will have a look at that.

I know SVT is pretty benign which is why it never really bothered me over the years. But that episode where they did CPR scared me - and more importantly my children who saw it all.

And it's not short bursts either. Normally under 60 minutes but the one where I saw GP was seven hours. I really thought I needed help.

Cardiology care can be hit and miss .... one tells you one thing, another says something else. It has driven me nuts.
I have now had a stent, a pacemaker and an av node ablation, but before I got these definitive treatments I ran the gamut of so many disparate diagnoses and meds.
Do not allow yourself to be fobbed off with the "it's all in the mind" stuff. Proper cardiac diagnoses in women often go down this side alley.
I have fought ling and hard to get my problems treated.

Something similar happened to my FIL although the ECG etc detected nothing, he was put on beta blockers for a racing heart, which seem to have helped. He has also cut out caffeine and limited alcohol. I don't know how anyone can tell you you're imagining things when you woke up in an ambulance needing CPR. Try to get a second opinion, go private if you have to. This needs to be dealt with.

Could be completely off the mark but assume you’ve had blood tests that have shown up fine? Just because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism) and I’ve had to go onto beta blockers due to similar heart episodes that you’ve explained above. If it was your thyroid though it should have shown up in the blood test

I sympathise. I replied to another post in here about my experience. It’s def not anxiety.

I’ve had palpitations (slow or missed beats) that make me feel faint (pre-syncope) for years, since my early 30s at least and I’m in my 50s. I’ve seen cardiologists/had 24-hour leads/echoes and nothing is ever found so I sort of gave up. I never actually lost consciousness though. Cardiologists can be v dismissive as well I’ve found.

Then in December I had an event where one minute I was walking along and the next I came too having bashed my face in on the pavement. Got taken to A&E (to be patched up, I’d broken a lot of facial bones) had 3 ECGs and loads of tests and nothing found. Had a follow up 24-hoursECG and echo - all clear. If it’s not happening in the moment it won’t be caught on the ECG.

The doctor who gave me the results on the phone as an A&E follow up said I’d had a stokes adams attack - he was so blasé about it like it was a nothing so I googled and then went in to full panic mode as I could be fatal. I emailed him back and said I would like a cardiologist referral and he begrudgingly referred me for an appointment to discuss getting an implant that it basically a permanent ecg.

In the meantime I’m currently wearing a 7-day ecg so will see if I get the palpitations within this timeframe.

If you’ve passed out from heart palpitations you really need to push for the implant and/or see a cardiologist that specialises in arrhythmia.

good luck.

I got told it was menopause, anxiety, stress etc, then went into fast AF twice and after several episodes of inappropriate sinus tachycardia where my heart would race just walking from room to room (Propafenone saved me with this in the short term) I eventually just bit the bullet and had an ablation privately. I still get palpitations hourly but monitoring shows they are isolated ectopics, around 400 a day at the last count but they’re not worried about them. Still on beta blockers. Thankfully no AF or IST anymore.