Just wanted to check if any of you have been diagnosed with an irregular/fast heart beat (tacycarditis) and if its been life threatening?
I have been having pains on my left side (chest,arm,back and leg) for some time. It intensified last week and was taken to the ER. My Electro Cardio-gram (ECG) came up as "abnormal". The ER doc suspected tachycarditis, which is a fancy word for a heart that beats faster than normal. Is this something reversible or could this be Lupus rearing its ugly head? My Physician (located in another city) thinks its Lupus related and said further investigations are required. Problem is that I still have the same dull ache, never goes away, and this is accompanied by fatigue and feeling really off.
Have any of you experienced this? and was it really serious that it required immediate med attention? I'm seeing my doc only on the 26 October.
I had an episode a few years ago that was a side effect of a new med I was on once it was discontuned I was fine. Most of the time it can be regulated by meds. If you have worst symptoms before the doctor visit I would go to the ER
Hi. I have chronic tachycardia; That's the actual term. There are meds and other treatments that can stop this, but often it's just lupus causing inflammation for a few months, then it passes. It's frustrating, but you can live with it. The first few months I would go to the ER when it got really bad and a few times they had to shock my heart back to normal speed and rhythm, but then it happened every day, and I couldn't go to the ER every day, so I just live with it. I use a pulse oximeter that you put on your finger that tells your heart rate (pulse) and oxygen levels. Often when I even stand up and walk, my heart rate goes up to 140 or so. I just figure that it's the same as getting an aerobic workout, where you purposely TRY to get your heart rate to go that high, so if that's good for you, I must be extra strong in the heart department. ha! I was diagnosed with POTS, which is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It means when I change my posture from laying or sitting to standing and walking, my heart rate goes crazy. There are millions of us who live with it. There are support groups for we who have it, on Facebook and other places online. There are societies centered around the condition. The only time it's life threatening is if your heart rate goes over 200. At that point you DO need the ER and need to get them to slow down your heart. At that point, your heart is not truly pumping blood, it is just fluttering and can stop. I have had my heart stop more than a few times, but I have always been resuscitated. It's not considered a heart attack, because it doesn't involve blocked arteries and doesn't cause heart damage. One Dr. thinks this could be caused by inflammation (lupus causes inflammation) to the vagus nerve, a nerve that goes from your skull to your heart and stomach, down the sides of your neck. Since I also have irritated nerves (neuralgias) of other nerves in my skull, that's the most sensible answer. Others can try anti-inflammatories and beta blockers, but I can't take either, so what can't be cured must be endured in my case. Don't let it alarm you too much, because fear also raises your heart rate. It's scary, but you can live with it. I have gotten used to it, and I don't panic when it happens. It will probably go away if it's just a lupus problem. I get some strange symptom for a few months, then it disappears and something else shows up. Very strange and cruel disease.
It would be worth to get worked up by a cardiologist, while it could be nothing, it could also be a sign of heart valve disease as has been discovered for me, apparently lupus also causes heart valve disease, its better to be safe than sorry.
I am newly diagnosed with SLE lupus, hypothyroidism, APS and Ive had two occasions of Anti-phospholipids. I was first diagnosed with POTS! For over 25 years, they blamed my pericarditis on multiple occasions, pleural effusions, pneumonitis, bronchitis, cardiac tamponade, anemia, low platelets, severe tachycardia, afib, non-sustained Ventricular tachycardia, mitral valve prolapse, inflamed kidneys, hematuria, proteinuria, butterfly rash, edema on POTS…lol! I get postural tachycardia and hypotension/hypertension. At first, I could not sweat now I overly sweat. Bloated stomach. You need to be evaluated by a cardiologist and neurologist that specializes in Autonomic Neuropathy and Autonomic Dysfunction.
The autonomic Dysfunction can be caused secondary to your Systemic lupu or Sjogrens syndrome. You cannot be properly evaluated by a generalized neurologist or cardiologist for these problems. I go the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland ohio where I see the neurologist in the neurogenic lab and the Cardiologist! They also offer this specialized testing and care at Mayo Clinic!
Robert W Shields; ASSESSMENT NEUR NEUROMUSCULAR Neur Neuromusc Main 216-■■■■■■■■
There is treatment for these problems! They are caused by the nerve damage that your lupus, sjogrens or, APS causes…
The cardiologist that I see at the Cleveland Clinic is Dr Jaeger in Cardiology Department!
I hope this helps!