Increased heart rate-dizziness- A-FIB?

[jhusker2]

Hi all,

I am a little over 2 weeks post op from my mitral valve replacement and 2 days ago, I worked out on my exercise bike with no resistance for only 10 minutes. After that, I felt a little dizzy so I sat around for a couple hours trying to relax. I took another dose of Metoprolol around 5:30 and had a couple friends stop by. After about 10 minutes in to our visit, I started seeing blurry/splotchy and felt uncomfortable like I was going to faint. Then, all of a sudden, my pulse rate jumped from 90 to in the high 130's and it felt like i was on a roller coaster (literally). I felt this adrenaline rush along with excitability and started to freak out. My wife took me to the ER, but they said I was in a normal sinus rhythm. On the way there though, I felt my pulse and everything resume to my normal level ( high 80’s to 90’s). The ER doctor thought it was palpitations….
Last night the same thing happened, but I just popped another dose of my BP medicine and everything calmed down after about an hour.

My question is, could I have gone in to A-fib?
Has anyone else experienced this?
Why did my pulse rate totally get out of whack?
How long should I anticipate this recurring?

Thanks in advance for your responses- Jason

 

[Bina]

At 2 weeks post op this sounds like "too much-too soon".
Heart surgery is a HUGE deal and not to be taken lightly. Patience is key to a good smooth recovery.
A couple of short walks a day is plenty for now. Hopefully you are also taking your Metoprolol regularly as prescribed.
Watch some movies, read a book and relax.

 

[clement]

Had surgery on 01/05/11 (aortic valve + aorta root) and the same thing happened to me last week 3 times.

First, irregular heartbeat and then very fast rate (160/min).
ER trip + cardioversion.

Then my cardiologist put me on Amioderone and since then it has not happened.

The Metoprolol extra dose that I was advised to take when it happened did not seem to do anything.

I am not convinced that it had to do with "unreasonable" activity, but more to being tired.

Bottom line: It was not fun and I do not want this situation to happen again...

 

[Duff Man]

I had that happen a few times... they called it "Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia" when they caught it on an ekg strip... but yours could be something totally different. Honestly it could be any number of things. I would talk to your cardiologist about it, and maybe ask about a holter monitor to make sure everything is kosher.

FWIW, when I had PSVT, my heart rate went from 80bpm to 150 instantly, and instantly and spontaneously returned to 80bpm... and it kept doing it over and over and over again.

 

[Greg a]

I was having "Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia" mildly four months post op ..........your body has been through hell and back ...it is upset and needs to heal be kind to it and expect a little more each day but not to much at once

 

[Michelle D]

I think a holter monitor is a good idea. Some people don't know when they are having a-fib and I don't know if what you had is but I can tell you how it felt for me. Well I was just making myself a sandwich in the kitchen, 3 weeks post-op, and all of a sudden I felt like I had a fish flopping around in my chest, it was not subtle at all it was a strong fish. I immediately got dizzy and felt a lump in my throat and sat on the floor in my kitchen. I knew it was a-fib and I tried sitting on my couch to see if I could relax and have it stop on its own. It didn't so I had my husband drive me to the ER, I couldn't even take my heart rate because I was feeling so light headed and weird and it was going so fast. At the ER I started to convert back to sinus on my own after about 1/2 hour. They put me in an ambulance to the main hospital anyways and I was put in intensive care which I though was ridiculous and started me on amiodorone while I was in normal sinus. Almost immediately I heard ringing in my ears, I felt like I was going to pass out and wham crazy strong a-fib.

Its been six months but I still get atrial flutters that last just a minute, those FOR ME, feel like just a fast heart rate maybe around 130 bpm and I do get slightly dizzy but it doesn't have the flopping feeling. Usually a few deep breaths takes care of it.

So that is how it feels for me. Not everyone is the same but I would demand a holter. I have a few times.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Sounds like "Exercise Induced" A-Fib to me which is fairly common after surgery. It tends to come on after you cool down from exercising. It can come and go for several weeks. A Holter Monitor would help to capture the event for identification.

Many Doc's will just prescribe Amiodarone, the Sledge Hammer of anti-arrhythmics because 'it works'.
I don't like the laundry list of nasty side effects that can result from too high a dose or taking it for too long, not to mention the Very Long Half Life (months).

Several members have reported good results from SOTALOL which has fewer side effects.
The manufacturer recommends hospitalization during the 'start up' phase "just in case" one of the dangerous arrhythmias is triggered while your body adjusts to the medication.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[hook]

Take it low and slow. I went through so many wacky things I never thought I would ever feel normal again. Despite having a lower EF, I feel great after 9 months.

Listen to your body and take it slow.