posted
Hi, I've been getting terrible tachycardia the last month or so. Can someone who has it or has had it explain to me why they got it if they really know, and what GOT RID OF IT !
My Heart rate is close to 100bpm at rest nowadays and when I get the tachycardia, it hits 135-140bpm sometimes and it scares the s^%T out of me.
I also have dull upper chest pain all the time, which gets worse with anxiety. The tachycardia doesn't seem to be connected with anxiety though.
I do know that I usually get the Tachycardia after I eat, like 20 minutes or so, almost like clockwork.
I know I have babs, and have not treated it lately because the mepron didn't seem to do much at all when I took it last year.
I'm very scared to say the least. Last year (13 months ago), I had a full cardio workup, NO PROBLEM FOUND, the usual. Do you think I should get another workup now that it's been that long?
I feel like my heart is getting permanently damaged or something, it always hurts and it feels funny or tight constantly. I'm only 45 and I don't want to die this young
Thank you all for relevant answers....Richie
Posts: 208 | From Hudson Valley, New York | Registered: Mar 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
It may be time for another cardio work up.
What does your LLMD have to say?
Do you notice a difference in your heart rate when you stand up?
If your heart rate is jumping by 40 bpm when you go from lying to standing - you may have POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).
If I remember correctly - here's a quick test, but you'll need more of a work up, and possibly a tilt table test:
Lie completely still for 5 minutes, no talking, take heart rate.
Then stand on both feet, both flat on ground - no shifting around - and take heart rate at 3 minutes then 7 minutes.
I developed this as a result of TBDs (no idea which one)...
There are some measures which have helped - but again, with heart issues, I don't want to just throw them out there without you getting a good cardio work up.
Increasing fluids helped, increasing salt helped (but ask your doc!), and I take florinef as well - which also helps.
This site has some good info, if you want to look into POTS further: http://www.dinet.org/
But there are so many other possible causes, it's hard to say...
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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beths
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18864
posted
Hang in there..when I was really sick, I had constant tachycardia. I also developed POTS. I am pleased to report it went away with treatment..it did take a year, but I exercise just fine now.
LOL, today on the bike I couldn't get my heart rate past 125-when a year ago, if I just stood up, it easily hit that.
My heart is fine..had many echo's and EKG's.
Posts: 1276 | From maryland | Registered: Jan 2009
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
I have a cardio work-up on a yearly basis. I also have tachycardia, which started with my illness. It was one of my presenting symptoms. I can go up to 150 bpm. I do have metoprolol to take as needed. I try not to take it, but if it lasts over 50 minutes, I do take it.
I would recommend getting another cardio work up...and doing so yearly or however often your cardiologist advises.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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savebabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9847
posted
My racing heart rate was from low blood pressure. Make sure you have a tilt table test. Once I was diagnosed, I started inderal and felt much better.
Posts: 1603 | From ny | Registered: Aug 2006
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
Fordace, do you have any history of blood clots?
Bradycardia has always been my issue...never really tachy...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Thank you all for your comments, I have never had a blood clot to my knowledge....thinking babs is causing this, not sure.
It seems to happen if I get anxious (always after eating a meal). Maybe I'm feeding the BUGS to and they get riled up.
Hum.....keep them coming please. I am probably going to the cardio, but of course it won't happen when I am there as usual....Rich
Posts: 208 | From Hudson Valley, New York | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
I have POTS and my resting heart rate will go from about 60 (laying down) to around 140 when I when I stand up and this is so much better than it was. Tachy after eathing is very common with POTS. I always get it when I eat. Apparently because the blood is pooling in your midsection to help digest you food.
First thing when you wake up in the morning take your pulse while you are still lying down. Then sit up and take it sitting. Then do the same standing.
With me my BP is low when I am laying around 80/40 and rises greatly when I stand.
Posts: 56 | From Austin, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
I have POTS and my resting heart rate will go from about 60 (laying down) to around 140 when I when I stand up and this is so much better than it was. Tachy after eating is very common with POTS. I always get it when I eat. Apparently because the blood is pooling in your midsection to help digest you food.
First thing when you wake up in the morning take your pulse while you are still lying down. Then sit up and take it sitting. Then do the same standing.
With me my BP is low when I am laying around 80/40 and rises greatly when I stand.
Posts: 56 | From Austin, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
I had the same thing when I was really sick. I also have babesia. Since I started babesia treatment it has gotten alot better.
I also am on a beta blocker which helps.
I would check out your heart first and then if that pans out ok...assume it is the disease.
POTS is a real problem for many people with the disease. Many times it does improve with treatment.
I would say if you haven't treated babesia aggressively. It is time to take a look at that. It made a real difference for me.
Also, you said that you didn't do well with Mepron. I could be you were not taking a high enough dosage. I took 4tsp daily for one year along with other meds.
Also the chest pressure can be from the tachycardia but it is a common symptom with babesia.
I had all the tests. Tilt table, cardiac cath and it all boiled down to babesia and lyme.
posted
Just another thought...What meds/abx's are you on?
Some abx's, such as Biaxin, can cause changes in heart rate. It caused my heart rate to increase a few hours after taking it. It has calmed down as I adjusted to the medication but initally it would go from the 50's to 80-90's..
I also find that my heart rate spikes a bit after I eat but that only happens when I have not eaten all day and then eat a big meal...not good.
Anyway, you might want to check some of the side effects of your meds. TG
Posts: 376 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2009
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
Tachycardia was one of my presenting symptoms as well. I was bit by a tick when I was 12 years old and shortly after that is when the tachycardia started and ever since then, I've had tachycardia non-stop. Nothing seems to help it. I've been on a beta blocker for the last three years which does help, but it's not a FIX, ya know?
I'm only 26 and since age 12 I've had chronic tachycardia with no breaks. My resting heart rate was always 100 or more. If I got lucky, it would be in the 90's, but usually it was 112 or higher normally for me. But there were times when it did go as high as 150 while resting.
Three years ago, it got so bad that I couldn't take it anymore... I could feel my pulse pounding in my entire body even while laying down. It's very scary and nerve-wracking. So that's when I decided to get on a beta blocker... of course after I had a complete workup and was told everything was normal.
I do have PVCs and PACs but was told that they were 'normal'. Which I don't really believe especially when you can't find a cause - there HAS to be a cause.
You might want to get another workup and then ask your cardiologist about beta blockers. There are different types and some people do better with one than the other, etc. For example, I was first put on Toprol 25mg and it made a BIG difference. I am now on Toprol 50mg because after a year I started having breakthrough tachy on 25mg, so we upped the dosage. I've now been on 50mg for almost two years and it's been great for me, much better than 25mg was.
At one point my cardio had me try Atenolol and it was a horrible experience. It made me SO extremely ill with side effects and then when it seemed like it started to work, it stopped working and my pulse was racing and I felt like I was going to faint, etc., etc... Then I read that eating food with Atenolol actually intereres with the absorption of the medicine so it doesn't work as effectively. And if you eat food with Toprol it actually HELPS with absorption. So I ended up getting off Atenolol and going back to Toprol. Toprol never gave me side effects.
I don't like being on a beta blocker, but it is the only thing that has helped my tachy... and when you get tachy to a certain point and have had it for a long period of time, you know what it's like to just want to have a normal resting heart rate...
As to how to get rid of tachy permamently? I have no idea. I know a few other people with lyme who have tachy and even when they were in remission still had the tachy... so it might be something that is permanent unfortunately. It really depends on the person and the infection itself, but most people who have tachy that I've known have not been able to get rid of it and are on beta blockers for it.
Oh and re: antibiotics. Yes, there are some antibiotics that can cause tachy. For me, Biaxin caused tachy even though I'm on a beta blocker, I was having breakthrough tachy due to the Biaxin. Biaxin also has a side effect of palpitations.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
Hello, so far no tachycardia today, but I did have some last night for a few hours, seems to have lessened.
I got some more magnesium, the Elemental magnesium, and zinc and B12 and a host of new supplements last night.....Thanks, Richie
Posts: 208 | From Hudson Valley, New York | Registered: Mar 2008
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