I've had a condition since November 2007.
It happened when i was taking a shower.
For the hour or 2 prior my heart was
racing mildly, then i bent over to pick up
a towel and it's like something clicked or
a switch went off and my heart just took
right off (150+ bpm). I couldn't breathe
and I felt sick to my stomach and was a
little dizzy. I have bad skipped beats
which are very scary, but the worst is a
very rapid heart rate that I get when just
sitting up in bed and moving around, but
especially when I stand up (heart rates
spikes to 140 -150) in about 5 seconds,
maybe a little more. My blood pressure
also spikes. My heart rate also seems to
spike badly when I eat a decent amount of
carbohydrates and some sugar, even with
the meds that I'm on. Those food reactions
were happening since about 2005 though. I
cut out all caffeine, MSG, wheat etc.,
etc. to rule out food allergies.
I had a holter monitor, thyroid tests,
blood tests (all fine) and a heart
ultrasound last December and was told
everything was structurally sound. I also
had a tilt table test done in December and
was told by the cardiologist that I showed
features of POTS but they were unsure if I
had it and are unsure what the cause is.
They said POTS usually exhibit
hypotension, but I have hypertension with
the episodes.
I am on Atenolol (37.5 mg twice daily)
along with Clonazepam and Paxil.
The Clonazepam and Paxil are because my
family DR. thought I had anxiety and
dismissed my concerns before, now I'm
stuck on Paxil because of the terrible
withdrawal symptoms.
The atenolol helps the rapid heart rate
symptoms pretty well, and I'm thankful for
that. The skipped beats haven't really
improved.
The other day, I vomited because I wasn't
feeling well. My heart rate spiked during
and after the vomiting and then gradually
returned to normal over the next 5 or so
minutes. Why is this? My heart rate used
to slow when I vomited, as before this
happened I had to vomit sometimes after
eating because my heart would race badly
and I'd feel sick, and that would slow it
down. Now it races terribly.
Why does this happen? and what kind of
chance do I stand to have this rapid heart
rate go away at some point? Also, why does
my heart take off when i eat
carbohydrates/sugar?
Not looking for a diagnosis, just some
suggestions that maybe I can relay to my
cardiologist to check for...just looking
for any help and input anyone would be
willing to give me. I would be grateful
for any replies.
POTS is one of the possible causes. Other
option is hypoglycemia but needs blood
tests to prove it. Heart rhytam disorder
like paroxismal supraventricular
tachicardia (PSVT) is another option that
can be registered with a holter monitor.
Endocrine disorders like hiperthyroidism
or feohromocitoma can cause symptoms like
yours. Finaly, anxiety (panic disorder)
can also cause similar symptoms.
You can ask for an expert opinion from a
cardiologist.
