Heart Rate extremely Elevated

[BlackHelicopters]

Saw my regular physician for annual check-up on Monday. My resting Heart Rate was 110. BP normal at 121/77. I am scheduled to see the cardiologist next week. Anyone experienced problem with heart rate like this? I am 6 foot, 200 lbs. Frankly I am scared.

[Mosbonian]

I had the same issue happen 15 years ago.....BP was fine but i would have my heart start racing for no reason.

They put the Holter monitor on me for 24 hours and discovered an arrhythmia that i was told was probably hereditary. (My dad had the same issue)

They gave me Atenolol to take whenever my heart raced for more than 15 minutes....and also taught me different techniques to help slow it down. One of them was to go sit on the toilet and push down like you are taking a crap. (This technique should always be done on the toilet if you don't have strong sphincter muscles)

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Dr. Pepper

Any recent change in medications?

Stopped sniffing glue and huffing paint.

[fan4ever]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

(Shrug.) I went in with it and they basically listened with a stethoscope and said, "Get used to it. It won't kill you and it'll eventually fix itself." It happens occasionally and for 2 or 3 days I feel like I'm about 10 seconds from a heart attack and then it goes away. It's not fun, but I did some internet research on it and it basically said that a medical intervention is worse than just letting it play out.

I do worry that there's a problem there that hasn't been diagnosed. But at the same time, I ran 16 miles last Saturday and felt fine, so if I had a serious problem I think I'd drop dead before I hit 16 miles.

I have a-fib, and I've been told if I go into a-fib for more than a day or two, I stand the risk of a blood clot. If you're heart isn't beating correctly it isn't pushing the blood correctly. In a-fib your heart is more of a quivering pump than a strong pump. I'm on flecanaide (to regulate the heart beat) and a blood thinner in case I do go into a-fib and don't recognize it in time. I was hiking and doing all sorts of exercise for months before I ever realized I was in a-fib. I would think erring on the side of caution your doctor might prescribe one or the other for you. I haven't found either medication to have any side effects at all...except the blood thinner could be dangerous if you were involved in an accident where major bleeding was present.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by fan4ever

I have a-fib, and I've been told if I go into a-fib for more than a day or two, I stand the risk of a blood clot. If you're heart isn't beating correctly it isn't pushing the blood correctly. In a-fib your heart is more of a quivering pump than a strong pump. I'm on flecanaide (to regulate the heart beat) and a blood thinner in case I do go into a-fib and don't recognize it in time. I was hiking and doing all sorts of exercise for months before I ever realized I was in a-fib. I would think erring on the side of caution your doctor might prescribe one or the other for you. I haven't found either medication to have any side effects at all...except the blood thinner could be dangerous if you were involved in an accident where major bleeding was present.

Urgh. I've been medication free for 53 years. I sure hope I don't have to start now.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

I had the same issue happen 15 years ago.....BP was fine but i would have my heart start racing for no reason.

They put the Holter monitor on me for 24 hours and discovered an arrhythmia that i was told was probably hereditary. (My dad had the same issue)

They gave me Atenolol to take whenever my heart raced for more than 15 minutes....and also taught me different techniques to help slow it down. One of them was to go sit on the toilet and push down like you are taking a crap. (This technique should always be done on the toilet if you don't have strong sphincter muscles)

The old valsalva maneuver. Works too. I've seen probably 100 people who were in the process of being cardioverted do the maneuver and their heart goes into normal rhythm.

Also, the Holter could determine you have a bad electrical pathway which may need ablation therapy.