Is this SVT?

[NewOne2023]

Hi.

One hour ago I suddenly started having pounding tachycardia (133bpm) which lasted around 3 minutes, it wasn't afib since the rhythm was normal . I got really scared, thought I was gonna drop dead. Fast breathing and dizziness. And then suddenly it went down to 80bpms.

Since I've started taking meds for h-pylori bacteria 3 days ago, I started to feel a strange pain in my chest and left arm. Not strong but its there. I tought it was maybe muscular or something. But, I usually go down the negative spiral pretty fast when feeling some new symptoms. I wonder if my obsessive overanalyzing everything brought on a panic or anxiety attack which gave me this sudden episode of tachycardia. I had a few panic attacks in recent years. But I don't remember my hr going that fast, it was mostly fear, panic and heavy breathing for few minutes.

I'm so bummed right now, didn't have afib since December but currently feeling like sh*t due to this sudden pounding.

Luckily my GP is near my home and I went in to get some advice but she couldn't advise me about anything. Just if it happens agian that maybe it would be wise to go to ER. I'm thinking to go now since I didn't calm down yet, but I don't want to be oversensitive and go for no reason.

Any thoughts?

Can this be due to current meds (metronidazol, amoxicillin and rabeprazol), panic or anxiety attack or SVT?

[BobD Volunteer]

The mind is a powerful thing. Learn to control it if you can.

[NewOne2023 in reply to BobD]

I really hope this is something I did it myself with all the overthinking and not something serious. Not that I think it's not a problem if my thoughts brought it on.

[mjames1]

I started to feel a strange pain in my chest and left arm

I would listen to your GP and go to the emergency room if it happens again or if your chest and arm symptoms persist.

But since the events are so short, you might invest in something like a Kardia or Apple Watch to capture the event on an EKG while it's happening. That will save you a lot of time in terms of getting a diagnosis..

Without an EKG, many treatable arrhythmias are often dismissed as "panic attacks" delaying treatment.

Jim

[NewOne2023 in reply to mjames1]

I have Wellue. It registered sinus tachycardia.

[mjames1 in reply to NewOne2023]

Good. Definitely save the EKG tracing and show it to a cardiologist or EP if it comes to that. I don't completely trust the.AI analysis of any of these devices and that includes Kardia and Apple Watch. At some point AI may read an EKG better than a human being, but we're not there yet.

Jim

[mjames1]

Also were you wearing the Wellue, prior to the event? In other words, did you capture your heart rhythm before and after the event, or did you just record the event itself? Recording before, and after an arrhythmia event can sometimes be helpful to distinguish from Atach from SVT or flutter, etc.

For example, with SVT, there is usually a "snapback" from a high rate to a normal rate within a single beat. While with Atach theresolution is more gradual. That said 133 suggests more.atach or flutter vs SVT, but without an expert EKG analysis we're guessing.

Jim

[NewOne2023 in reply to mjames1]

I took a reading for 30seconds about 2 minutes into episodes. Didn't thought of it earlier because I was overwhelmed with experience. At that point it said 133 but in the begining it could have been well over 150, at least thats what it felt like on my fingers when I checked my pulse in the first minute. And it stopped pretty abruptly, because when I checked again with Wellue, it was down to 85. I still feel shook up right now because I'm oversensitive with my health symptoms since the first afib episode a year ago. I even went to a psychologist for 2 months because of not being able to cope with it better.

Maybe I really brought on this myself because I was worrying constantly for the last few days since I got this h-pylori bacteria and all the meds I need to take. One more symptom today is tingling and numbness in my scalp and legs. Probably from anxiety.

Damn, I just make everything much harder for myself.

[mjames1 in reply to NewOne2023]

Did you capture the transition from the high heart rate to the normal heart rate on the ekg, or did you stop the EKG before? The transition from high heart rate to normal heart rate can give a good EP additional information..

And yes, many of your symptoms can be from anxiety, but remember you can have anxiety and also have a treatable arrhythmia.

Hope things resolve soon.

Jim

[NewOne2023 in reply to mjames1]

Unfortunatelly no. The switch happend while I didn't measure with Wellue or my fingers. But from the feeling alone it felt quick.

[Singwell in reply to NewOne2023]

Hello. I agree with Jim that if you're getting pain in the chest and down the arm again then it's worth going to A and E for monitoring. With this disturbing event I do understand the anxiety.

I had a 2.5 second episode of ventricular tachycardia a few months back and managed to catch it on my Kardiamobile. Like your event, it stopped suddenly and the anlaysis beat by beat of the 30 second reading showed I dropped suddenly into the 40s for 1 beat and then went back to NSR around 80 BPM. I normalised with a bit of a thwack sensation inside my chest, which felt weird.

When I eventually got to see my EP he reassured me that these 'non sustained' events are quite normal and that if I had a monitor or 24/7 we might see more of them. Crucially, my echocardiogram shows normal heart morphology and behaviour, so apparently nothing to worry about if events are short.

Obviously this is my experience and may not be yours. So I'd say - good to pay attention and get a record of it. But try not to do the catasrophising thing (trust me - I do it myself all too often! ) and avoid telling yourself it will always be so.

[Hidden]

Most of us here have been anxious before and after being diagnosed with AF.

I would arrange to see the EP who did your ablation. She can arrange tests like 7 day Holter and Zio.

Don’t assume this is just anxiety. You may well have a treatable arrhythmia, or need a touch up ablation.

Having said that, if you have chest pain going down your left arm or into your neck or throat, you must go to the ER immediately.

[Peony4575]

sVT starts and stops abruptly , it doesn’t gradually speed up or slow down and rate 140 +. I used to get it in my youth

[Tellingfibs]

In seven years of having Afib I have had three attacks of Tachycardia like this ( or rather ‘sounds’ like this ), and each time, my GP has increased my dose of Bisoprolol and I have been fine for another 2 years-ish. Maybe I didn’t really need the increased dose of Bisoprolol , but my GP ( he is good and knows a lot about Afib ) is not keen to reduce it. Just wondering if it might be a solution for you.

Annie

[NewOne2023 in reply to Tellingfibs]

I was taking bisoprolol during my first few months of afib diagnose, but I didn't tolerate it well. Even 1,25mg dose would made me dizzy and resting hr would be in 40's. So I stopped it.

[wischo]

Amoxicillin is renowned for causing fast heart rhythms in afib patients. Check with your health care advisor or just google it. It also could be an SVT.

[Auriculaire]

My bet would be on the Metronidazol. Tachycardia is one of the symptoms that mixing this drug with alcohol brings on but some people get it without the alcohol! I had a very bad attack of tachy and possibly my first attack of afib when taking it for diverticulitis ( prescribed in hospital but after discharge) as well as other very nasty side effects like extreme nausea, a furry tongue and lack of coordination walking. The tachy attack came on after dinner the day I was dischrged and I went to the docs the next day . He was puzzled because I had not had any alcohol but swirched me over to Augmentin. Whilst in the hospital and getting the Metronidazol by iv along with Cipro I had a very bad episode of feeling really ill with chest pain and pins and needles down my arms. The on duty cardiologist was called and they stopped the Cipro. I have never been able to say for certain which drug caused my problems but since I have refused to take either. Metronidazol is an extremely nasty drug and can cause long lasting neurological problems .

[NewOne2023 in reply to Auriculaire]

Well my bad symptoms still didn't subside. Pins and numbness in left hip and leg, slight chest pain, nausea in waves and anxiety, a lot of anxiety. Good thing is that I stopped with Metronidazol. My doctor switched it with Azotromicin to continue the therapy with other two medicines. She also prescribed me a B1 B6 B12 complex to recover faster and protect my nerves.

Of course my anxiety played a big factor in all of this.

Damn, that feeling yesterday when my heart kickstarted into 130-140bpm, it was so dramatic for my psyche, like I went into afib.

[Palpman]

Sounds like my re-entry AFlutter as it would start and stop in a heartbeat.

[Snowgirl65]

In my humble opinion -- and I'm certainly no authority -- the new meds could be causing it, but so could your anxiety over it. I tend to favor the second possibility! How 'bout going for a walk or engaging in a hobby to take your mind off it, then see how you feel.

[NewOne2023 in reply to Snowgirl65]

I do walk regularly since my first afib last year. In fact I came home from a short (2miles) walk yesterday and after 20min I went into tachycardia.

[Snowgirl65]

I understand. How long do you need to take the new meds for your h-pylori bacteria? As a side note, I've gone into a-fib from any meds connected with steroids. Best wishes to you.