Time for a PM or no?

[SumoRunner]

I've been plagued with arrhythmias since at least 1980 and a beta blocker (metropolol tartrate) has always kept it in check until recently. If it would get annoying I would decaffeinate myself and within 2-3 days they'd be mostly gone, or unnoticeable.

I had a TIA in 1987 and aortic valve replacement in 1991 and I've been able to continue running to the tune of 1000 miles per year, plus weight lifting on and off. The irregular beats have never been a problem. But since mid October, they have been more persistent and often quite annoying even though I completely defacceinated again. They are worst on a full stomach or when I first bed down at night and more so if I face left than right, but they are hardly evident at all after running a few miles.

One thing different this year is that my weight has gone up to 230 (I'm 5'6" which is why the Sumo moniker stuck) and refused to drop no matter how much I ran or lifted. I'm wondering is it time for a different drug, perhaps a pace maker, is the excess weight more to blame than I'm telling myself or something else altogether?

 

[Nancy]

Before you would be a candidate for a PM, you would no doubt have testing to discover the true nature of the arrhythmias. It might indicate a PM, or it might not. There are some meds that can take care of arrhythmias quite nicely. Pacemakers usually take care of slow heart rates, or tachy rates.

Joe got one when his heart rate was dipping to 40 or below causing him to faint. It is set at 60 now.

He still has arrhythmias though even with the PM. Some of the newer models might help with that. He has a single chamber PM and an older model.

 

[Marguerite53]

You might try an event monitor. You've probably used one before, but if not, you just patch up and connect yourself to a little squealing monitor and record during an episode. You call in the episode and they record it and after about a week, you know what your arythmmias are all about.

I had them horribly for so long.... didn't know what they were (nerves, I thought). Now the atenolol keeps them in check (and I just reduced my dosage of that to no detriment). I found that hot sauces and salty foods set them off. Have you started to frequent a particular restaurant of sampling of foods that might be the culprit? Also....chocolate has quite a bit of caffeine in it and with the holidays approaching.....maybe there's a lot of it around? Stress would also set mine off. Have you had more of that lately?

Certainly I'd consult the cardio. But you might want to keep a little journal of foodstuffs and activities to see if you can tie it to anythign.

GOod luck. Marguerite