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Heart Disease  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Arrhythmia/IST
Answered by
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests

Arrhythmia/IST

by dande4, Nov 14, 2005 12:00AM
DR.,Thank you for your time.



39yrF w/3 children/on the go!. Recent echo/stress fine. Borderline MVP,trace mr./tr.(tests done yearly or every 2) Episodes of gradual increase/decrease of hr. Chills,teeth chatters. Recently was trying to switch from atenelol to toprol. While changing meds, hr at rest was 90's to 100 and when getting up/walking jumped to 130/140's. Took event monitor,showed sinus tachy.(thought maybe it was due to stopping atenelol and starting toprol) Went back to atenelol after 2 days. History of pac/pvc's. Episodes stated eariler are slow increase to peak then slow decrease. Event monitor placed and pressed during episode shows sinus tachy. Afterwards hr remains in 90's till adrenaline seems to subside.



In absence of structural problems,good echo/stress does this sound like IST? I can't figure the chills and teeth chatters except for adrenaline. Dysautonomia~is IST considered in that category. My cardio is leary to give IST diagnosis, says feels more anxiety/hyperadrenergic though I don't see myself as anxiety giving rise to my rate when I stand. Any reassurance?



Long term prognosis?

Can IST return to normal over time?

Would exercise help to reduce resting rate further even if meds.keep it in 70's/80's?

Would that possibly help to correct the tachy? Could this be POTS,no sig. b/p drop except little systolic 10pts or so.



Looking to get endocrine work/up done,though previous tsh etc., normal.



Thank you once again. Hope this post may help others.

by Cleveland Clinic, Nov 14, 2005 12:00AM
dande5,



Thanks for the post. IST is a difficult diagnosis to make as it is often difficult to explain the what is abnormal, especially if your heart rate lies on the high end of normal. I would definitely want to see an extended picture of what your heart rate does over the course of a day to more clearly see the trends over long periods of time.



The main concerns of IST is whether the elevated heart rate can cause long term damage to the heart. If you truly had high persistant rates I would be more concerned then if you have elevations with activity.  It would also push me to treat you more aggressively. Overall, in all comers, IST has a fairly benign prognosis.



Certainbly conditioning, or lack therof can masquerade as IST. Physical conditioning wil be paramount for your health no matter what your underlying condition is. Better conditioning may also help with a small amount of rate control.



POTS and IST are probably linked and both represent a different subsets of autonomic dysfuction.  I would recommend seeking a second opinion with a cardiologist who specializes in autonomic dysfucntion, such as at a syncope clinic before establishin this diagnosis and looking into other treatment options.



good luck
Member Comments (23)

by KAD, Nov 14, 2005 12:00AM
To: dande5
I had IST problems for about 1yr.  MD's were very aggressive about treating it.  You sound a lot like me.  My rates would rapidly increase to 140-150 with just getting up and walking across the room.  I hated being on all the medications so they ablated my sinus node-several times.  Ablating the sinus node is tricky and runs the risk of needing a pacemaker.  I ended up with a pacer(at a very young age).  I still see high heart rates, which is hard to believe after 4 ablations of the sa node and a pacemaker.  But do feel much much better.  And don't have to worry about cardiomyopathy(enlarged heart) at the age of 30.  I don't regret my decisions and do think the doctors did everything they could for me.  Did you ever get a tilt table test?  Supposedly it sorts out pots vs. ist.  I hope things work out for you.  Best of luck!

by mom3kids98, Nov 14, 2005 12:00AM
To: dande5
Hello. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone! My gosh, you sound like me. I have 3 kids and on the go too. Have had mvp and svt since 21 (am 42 now). Had ablation about 10 yrs ago and did ok but still had to take lopressor(beta blocker) since. Just started having more tachycardia not really super but enough to bother me. Dr. put me on rhythmol instead and tried to come off of lopressor and my heart rate would do the same thing. When I got up or attempted to do any movement much my heart would take off. I think it was coming off lopressor cold turkey. My resting heartrate is usualy around 75-80. I went back on my lopressor with the rhythmol after about 3 days, I couldn't take it anymore! Now Dr. wants to do another ablation and says I have to come off meds for 4-5 days before. Is he crazy?! I couldn't come off the meds, my heart would go crazy! Oh well, I am having to think it over. Hope everything get better for you. God Bless! Joy

by jan, Nov 15, 2005 12:00AM
To: mom...
I had the same problem.  I tried to get off the bb and every lil thing I did my heart went nuts!  I was on a ccb at the time, too!  This has happened ea time I tried to get off.  



I was at my pcp about another problem, but when I got off the exam table and literally walked 1 or 2 steps I was SOB.  He came over and listened to my heart and couldn't believe it.  He increased the ccb.



Unfort. I had to go back on the bb, because of another problem it was helping with.  I wonder if anybody can ever get off of bb's?  I didn't have a problem when I stopped the ccb before.

by mom3kids98, Nov 16, 2005 12:00AM
To: Jan
Hi Jan. May I ask why you came off the ccb. Is that what rhythmol is? I get all this stuff mixed up. I am taking both right now but I try to take them in small doses, I mean even less than I used to take cause I don't know how much it might slow my heart. The rhythmol has some bb in it too. Take care, Mom

by Momto3, Nov 16, 2005 12:00AM
To: momto398
Rhythmol is a SODIUM channel blocker.  This was on the heart rhythm society website.  



Class IC antiarrhythmics are strong sodium channel blockers. They also slow nerve impulses in the heart, but have little effect on repolarization. They may be used for supraventricular and some ventricular arrhythmias.



Flecainide (Tambocor®)

Propafenone (Rhythmol®)



Hope you're feeling better.

by Bromley, Nov 16, 2005 12:00AM
To: dande
Hi. A lack of physical conditioning or anxiety might underlie a part of the problem, would be a lot better than having a heart condition that causes the IST, and offers reason to have hope. For one thing, there is a good chance that you could eventually control both adequately thru exercise, medication, and lifestyle mods.



Following an ablation in 2004 for Wolf Parkinsons, I had fits of PVC's and PAC's, short runs of SVT and NSVT, and some IST. I had shortness of breath after light activities, and pain in my chest that both me and my doctor thought could be heart disease. I didn't know whether I would have an MI, eventually get bad VT's and die, end up with a Pacer, or be limited for the rest of my life in terms of physical activities that I would be unable to do.



After consulting my doctor, I started an exercise program and made diet modifications; both of these "initiatives" were adhered to faithfully everyday almost without fail.  I am convinced that my present good health (all symptoms but for occassional blips have subsided, off of Beta Blockers) --- though an incredible blessing for sure --- owes a lot to exercise, and of course to some great medical care I received from my Doctors (and nurses).



Talk to your personal doc before doing it, but as the doc here suggests, get going on exercise.  In my case, I just cant say enough about how much all of it helped.



Good luck.  -B



by rickyc, Nov 17, 2005 12:00AM
I am 61 years of age.  I have had skipped beats since I was 17.  Back then I was a heavy smoker and coffee drinker.  I quit smoking better than 20 years ago; now I chew copenhagen 90% of the day.  Years ago doctors told me that caffene and nicotine could very well play a major role in these extra beats, so you would think that I would quit. (Not me. Stupid Huh)?  I've since retired and one evening last fall I had them at the rate of 1 for every three beats.  I went to the hospital and they hooked me up to everything and pretty much came back with the same response:  Cut the caffene and nicotine. I've cut down on the coffee but still chew the stupid tobacco.  I also wore a Holter moniter.  This device picked up a couple hundred in a twenty-four hour period My doctor said that I should also have a stress test.  I passed on that because I had one years ago and it came out fine.  The nasty thing about these skipped beats is that they drive you nuts.  I'm a worry wart to begin with and they just make it worse.  Last year while browsing this forum a gentleman had a posting where he claimed that Malox

or gaviscon had help him rid himself of some of these extra beats?  I would like to hear from him again.  Would be glad to hear from anyone who suffers from these nasty infractions and perhaps chat about them.

Thank you

by dande4, Nov 17, 2005 12:00AM
To: Everyone/bromley/ricky
Thanks everyone!



Bromley, you changed your diet also? In what way? I have once again started to do my walking routine. I try to eat well, though I do like sweets. I am not overweight, probably a little underweight. I would like to get off this BB one day. Thanks for your input!



Ricky, I have pvc and pac. For several years. Sometimes worse than others. Definately stress, caffiene can aggravate, especially for me. Hang in there.

by calico1, Nov 17, 2005 12:00AM
Hi Everyone,



I am taking Toprol XL 25 mg everyday for IST and mild hypertension. Both problems are well-controlled by BB. I'm planning to travel to Asia next month. I'm worried about what the elevation (especially sudden increase) will do to my HR & BP as I would be basically up in the air for at least 16 hours. Any idea?



Thanks!

by Bromley, Nov 17, 2005 12:00AM
To: dande
I cut back on fat, cholersterol, and caffiene, and eliminated alcohol.  I am as careful with calories as I can be.



The bit about calories is a little easier for me to do when I engage in one of my favorite things to do: long distance running. But running is not for everyone.



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