To the ER Again!

I'm 83, and never had any kind of heart problem until just a year ago. Had a PM inserted because the Holter said my HR dropped to 30 at night, and they wanted to get it up so they can give me AFIB meds. I'm on sotolol and warfarin. I've seen the EP doc a number of times - he seems baffled.
Went to the ER a couple of days ago, the eighth time in a year. My pulse was at about 150 for over an hour so I called 911. They came right away and took me to the ER, where they know me well. I've never had this thing stop without help, and I guess they don't think that 150 is particularly dangerous. They say that it's SVT and they cardioverted me with the chemical. It worked, as it always does.
I have no hint as to what triggers this.
It is just a nuisance to go thru this so often. Harder on my wife than on me because it's usually late in the evening and she insists on going along in the ambulance. Then too, you are always on edge wondering when it's going to strike you again. I am scheduled for an EP Study next Tuesday, and hope that they can find something they can do. Don't know what to expect, but have high hopes.

4 Comments

Golden Years

by Carolyn65 - 2009-12-12 08:12:29

Bless everyone who will eventually become the seniors of their generation, some just sooner than the rest. Some younger than others & some older.

As you age, your golden, retirement, travelling years are somthing to look forward to with great enthusiasm, as did my elders in my families. They just did not share all the "good news" of aging as I grew up. LOL

My GP and my cardiologist/EP both told me the A-Fib/A-Flutter is usually brought on by age after about 60. The "arthur" I see 24/7 is not the good lookin' fellow down the road. "Arthur", as in arthiritis in the ol' knees/joints. The "medicare" you hear of when you are young, is the insurance which keeps the ol' ticker clickety-clacking, and Arthur & everything else running, whether sluggishly or smooth. Blessings to look forward to in our "golden years" ~ Bless us ~

The cardiologist & vascular surgeon prescribed Warfarin for me in March 2008 w/aspirin. For some reason, I hemorraged, which both Dr.'s say is not caused by Warfarin. I stayed off it one year exactly, developed a blood clot in my lower leg & was put back on Warfarin in March 2009 w/o aspirin. My INR #'s fluctuate from 2.0-3.4, and I do exactly what they tell me do ~ leave high vitamin K out of my diet. Still fluctuates. I just stay scare of INR too high/too low. One will cause a stroke/the other, internal bleeding.

Just had to throw my 2 cents in ~ me the windy one. You just have to take just one day at a time AND live the fullest each and every day we have left on earth.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Carolyn G. in TEXAS ( :

I self convert using flecainide

by BCase - 2009-12-13 01:12:57

Hi JimtNO1,

I have SVT and multifocal atrial tachycardia. I'm 63. I only take a beta blocker (atenolol) on a regular basis to help moderate/control my tachycardias; however, when one happens, I have doctor's orders to take flecainide (100 mg) every 8 hours -- if I take flecainide, I must also take an extra 1/2 tab of atenolol every four hours. Eventually, with that regimen, the tachycardia will convert to a normal rhythm.

My heart is 20 years younger than yours, so it can probably handle a lot more stress! At your age, you probably SHOULD immediately go to the ER.

I've had 177 tachycardias for many hours. Since mine are multifocal, the 177 tachycardia will eventually give way to another ectopic electrical generating atrial site that will trigger another tachycardia at another rate. I've got at least four major ectopic electrical generating atrial sites -- at 177 BPM, 144 BPM, 126 BPM, 112 BPM -- I also have a persistent SVT at 99. Sometimes I've had tachycardia events where the "arrhythmia ball" gets passed around my atria like a basket ball. Eventually, it gets "stuck" on the SVT of 99. I've had tachycardia events like that that have lasted for days...but eventually, the heart converts back to a normal rhythm and the regime of atenolol plus flecainide makes it happen. The trouble for me was that this regime gave me a very very very long pause........(read mini flatline) in my heartrate before the regular sinus node kicked in and started beating regularly. THAT is why I got a PM! Now, I don't need to worry about the long pauses!

I've only had my PM 10 days, but I've already noticed that when I have a tachycardia, the extra flecainide converts the rhythm in less than an hour and a half. It's like magic and that is a HUGE improvement! ...and no long pauses. Yeah! I have no idea what the PM is doing to assist in that manner.

Going to the emergency is awful!!! I've done that often in past years before the doctor and I got a handle on my problems and how to deal with them. Yes, it is hard on my spouse. But he, too, has problems (insulin dependent diabetes) and I've been with him to the ER with that more often than he's been to the ER with me with my arrhythmias. Our two health problems brings us closer together. We are blessed to have each other. I'm sure your wife feels the same way.

BCase

Finishing up

by JimtN01 - 2009-12-16 11:12:59

On Monday morning I'd been off sotalol and coumadin for a few days in prep for the EP Study on Tuesday. Had a rapid HR (175) starting at about 9:15 AM. At 10:00 decided ti call the cardio group's nurse rather than go to the ER. They contacted my EP and he had me come to his office right away. Behold! He cardioverted me right there using the PM. Then he started the fast HR again and stopped it again. Better than the ER! He felt that he knew exactly what to do next day.
Went in Tuesday as planned and in the cath lab he cauterized one spot in my heart, and hopefully the fast HR is now a thing of the past.
This is the day after and I feel like a truck hit me, but no other ill effects. I'll see him next week for a checkup. It's been a long year with almosr a dozen ER trips.

Update - good news

by JimtN01 - 2009-12-28 11:12:28

Two weeks now since my last SVT episode - longest interval in a while. Looks like the doc "fixed" it. Now on Nadolol 20 mg once a day. Heart seems relatively stable at the PM rate. Woo Hoo.

You know you're wired when...

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Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.