Strange heartbeat.

[Palpman]

I have had SVT's for 25 years and had sort of gotten used to them. I could feel the fast beats in my chest and on my wrist pulse. HB was around 140.

Cardiologist put me on Flecainide recently and the SVT's and palps stopped for 2 months.

All was good until I went to the pharmacy and as soon as I started speaking to the pharmacist my chest exploded with really fast chaotic beats. It was much like a car running on 3 cylinders. I felt dizzy and had to sit down. Luckily it only lasted for 5 minutes.

The same happened when I started speaking to my doctors receptionist and again when I entered the nurse's office.

I noticed something strange when I felt my pulse. My heart was beating fast and chaoticly but my pulse was a smooth 60 bpm. There was no similarity at all.

What could this be?

[Shcldavies]

Only the Doc will know after some tests. In my opinion it could be that the Flecainide could have morphed your SVT into Aflutter (which can be far more serious as your atria and ventricles go at vastly different rates, like 2 to 1, 3 to1 , 4 to1 etc), this happened to me and it could get worst if not treated. Good news is that the Aflutter could stop if you get weaned off the Flecainide, if not an ablation for Aflutter is one of the easiest and most effective. If you read my posts on my ablation experience you will see the similarities but remember Doc knows best and your condition could be something totally different. Its only when they do an EP study will your condition be confirmed.

[Palpman in reply to Shcldavies]

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying. The pulse rate is only the pressure of the ventricles contracting regardless of what the aortas do.

[hand1cap]

I suffered from ectopic beats and my cardiologist put me on flecanide and for 2 years they worked fine then all of a suddeb they stopped working. I have now had a pacemaker fitted and my dosage of flecanide has reduced to 50mg twice daily.

The only thing I can say is it appears as if the body gets "used" to the medication and then suddenly stops working

[jameshobby]

Dear Palpman,

I took Flecainide for over a year and to start with it worked really well. Over time the ectopics returned and then by the end my heart rhythm was all over the place with Flecainide. I came off it and things settled down after I went on a low dose of Verapamil. Flecainide gave me a fuzzy head too which I really did not like.

Keep calm and good luck; you will find a solution.

James