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Does Atenolol Cause Skipped Heart Beats?
Question: I am 54 and female. I don't smoke and never have. Have a history of SVT and MVP and PCV's and PAC's. I have been on Atenolol since age 22 for this. Lately I have felt the skipped beats to be a bit different and alarming. I have mentioned it to my heart dr and he doesn't seem alarmed and I asked to wear a holter and of course it didn't do it while I wore it. Tonight it was feeling like it was skipping or whatever it does so I went in the bathroom and was feeling my pulse on my neck. As you could see my finger go up and down with the beating of my heartbeats, it was like five times in a row my finger went up without going back down. Like normally it will be like beat, rest, beat, rest, this time it was like beat beat beat beat, then a rest. This is alarming to me being I can feel and see it with my finger on the neck and know it is actually doing I guess runs of four and five. Is this dangerous as I can't seem to get my heart dr to take me seriously?
I would like to know if this could be atrial fib and if so is this dangerous? I know that runs or rows of three and four I have read to be markers or dangerous. I could see my finger up like five times before resting and could also feel it. Was weird.
Three premature ventricular grouped together is termed a "run of PVCs"; in general, runs lasting longer than three beats are referred to as ventricular tachycardia. I just found this and copied it. It sounds like what I have but am having more. VT is life threatening isn't it?
I would like to know if this could be atrial fib and if so is this dangerous? I know that runs or rows of three and four I have read to be markers or dangerous. I could see my finger up like five times before resting and could also feel it. Was weird.
Three premature ventricular grouped together is termed a "run of PVCs"; in general, runs lasting longer than three beats are referred to as ventricular tachycardia. I just found this and copied it. It sounds like what I have but am having more. VT is life threatening isn't it?
Brief Answer:
Please, relaxe about this and calm down!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about these heartbeat irregularities that you have reported.
1. It is true that about your irregular heartbeats. What is also true is that none of these reported arrhythmias is a life threatening condition. Most of them are better left alone unless something happens. This is what your doctors have been doing and am totally comfortable with this.
2. Would your heart beat 5times in a row before resting? This is impossible. The heart muscle goes to rest each time after a beat. the beats may be very fast and give the impression that there was no rest but in real life, that is not possible. Should that happen, you would for sure pass out because there would be no blood supply to the brain.
3. Do you have ventricular tachycardia? This is a life threatening condition and almost impossible it you had it and yet didn't develop cardiac decompensation. This a condition the require immediate attention and simply not the case with you.
4. Why did the holter not pick up these abnormal beats that you reported? My reasoning is that they are more subjective than objective. I will not expect a cardiologist who finds no abnormal heart pattern on a holter to act on what the client reports. This would not be the best approach. I side with him not to do any new thing unless he has more information and objective data to back it up.
IN all, your thoughts and heightened concerns about this heart problem is not helping. Relax, calm down and work with your doctors on this.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thank you so much for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
a
Please, relaxe about this and calm down!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about these heartbeat irregularities that you have reported.
1. It is true that about your irregular heartbeats. What is also true is that none of these reported arrhythmias is a life threatening condition. Most of them are better left alone unless something happens. This is what your doctors have been doing and am totally comfortable with this.
2. Would your heart beat 5times in a row before resting? This is impossible. The heart muscle goes to rest each time after a beat. the beats may be very fast and give the impression that there was no rest but in real life, that is not possible. Should that happen, you would for sure pass out because there would be no blood supply to the brain.
3. Do you have ventricular tachycardia? This is a life threatening condition and almost impossible it you had it and yet didn't develop cardiac decompensation. This a condition the require immediate attention and simply not the case with you.
4. Why did the holter not pick up these abnormal beats that you reported? My reasoning is that they are more subjective than objective. I will not expect a cardiologist who finds no abnormal heart pattern on a holter to act on what the client reports. This would not be the best approach. I side with him not to do any new thing unless he has more information and objective data to back it up.
IN all, your thoughts and heightened concerns about this heart problem is not helping. Relax, calm down and work with your doctors on this.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thank you so much for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
a
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
It isn't impossible to have NSVT and I have been told that before when wearing a holter... Non sustained Ventricular tachyardia is what I think is happening and have been told in the past this could be what is happening. About five years ago when I wore an event recorder, it was picking up thousands of skips a day with some runs of pvc's and pac's.
Brief Answer:
Did the holter ever ppict SVT beats?
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this follow up.
If the holter ever picked SVT, then we can consider NSVT on the basis that it is not sustained. However, the recent holter you wore didn't even pick up a single abnormal beat. How then do you want me to say it is NSVT? Well, that is what you really thin you have been unfortunately I cannot accept this at this time unless more information is provided.
Beside, what matters most is how you are feeling and going about your daily activities. If this isn't affected, I will not want to be any more aggressive at this time.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thank you so much for the exchanges and feel free to keep the discussion going if need be.
Did the holter ever ppict SVT beats?
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this follow up.
If the holter ever picked SVT, then we can consider NSVT on the basis that it is not sustained. However, the recent holter you wore didn't even pick up a single abnormal beat. How then do you want me to say it is NSVT? Well, that is what you really thin you have been unfortunately I cannot accept this at this time unless more information is provided.
Beside, what matters most is how you are feeling and going about your daily activities. If this isn't affected, I will not want to be any more aggressive at this time.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thank you so much for the exchanges and feel free to keep the discussion going if need be.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Yes, the event recorder did pick up the svt beats, and this last holter did pick up many skipped beats as well, just not the ones that go in runs. It feels like it skips on the bottom of the right side of my heart at times, and other times the upper part of the left side of my heart. Feels quite different and scary.
How can I find out what kind of supra ventricular tachyardia I have, or is this a kind of heart rhythm?
How can I find out what kind of supra ventricular tachyardia I have, or is this a kind of heart rhythm?
Brief Answer:
A skipped beats is not localised!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for following up with me.
A skip beat is never localized to a part of the heart. You cannot pinpoint that a beat skips on the bottom of your heart. There is either a normal beat, an abnormal beat or no beat. It is impossible to say part of the heart has no beat that can be identified by a client.
An EKG and a holter monitor are the only ways to identify an abnormal beat and diagnose. Unfortunately, you have not had this picked up by the testing and to suggest so would be difficult without backings.
I will again suggest that you stay calm. Get these tests controlled another time and try as much as possible not to perceive what may not necessarily be the case.
I wish you well and let me know what your take and thoughts are about this.
A skipped beats is not localised!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for following up with me.
A skip beat is never localized to a part of the heart. You cannot pinpoint that a beat skips on the bottom of your heart. There is either a normal beat, an abnormal beat or no beat. It is impossible to say part of the heart has no beat that can be identified by a client.
An EKG and a holter monitor are the only ways to identify an abnormal beat and diagnose. Unfortunately, you have not had this picked up by the testing and to suggest so would be difficult without backings.
I will again suggest that you stay calm. Get these tests controlled another time and try as much as possible not to perceive what may not necessarily be the case.
I wish you well and let me know what your take and thoughts are about this.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
My heart dr has told me before that you can have skipped beats come from different chambers of the heart, but if it is the upper part is is less dangerous.
Brief Answer:
What your doctor said is true!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this follow up.
What your doctor said about skipped beats coming from different chambers of the heart is true. What is not true is that fact that you can feel this on the chest and be able to tell that a part of the heart is not beating regularly. Though you have irregular beats, all the heart beats when it does.
It is only after analysis of beats on and EKG or holter that this specific information can be obtained.
I hope this helps. I wish you well.
What your doctor said is true!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this follow up.
What your doctor said about skipped beats coming from different chambers of the heart is true. What is not true is that fact that you can feel this on the chest and be able to tell that a part of the heart is not beating regularly. Though you have irregular beats, all the heart beats when it does.
It is only after analysis of beats on and EKG or holter that this specific information can be obtained.
I hope this helps. I wish you well.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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