Anyone here diagnosed with IST? (inappropriate sinus tachycardia)

Nela · Feb 13, 2010

I was just wondering if anyone here was diagnosed with the condition... If so, how is yours being treated? What kind of work do you do? Are you able to function fully (I mean even physical exersion etc) while on medications?

I was diagnosed this week after a loooong series of tests and going back and forth to seeing doctors etc over the years. I know it's nothing too serious (like doesn't make me prone to heart attacks etc)but since I am moving to another country, I would like to know how you guys handle it because I want to manage it properly. I saw a little bit of information online but not all that much. It is a condition not generally well-known, even amongst doctors so... Bleh. Just wondering what options there are and who's on which med and if people have had more side effects from a particular med...

:rose:

Nela · Feb 14, 2010

Ok guess not

Brandy456 · Feb 14, 2010

I've never heard of it.
Hmm
What is it?

Nela · Feb 14, 2010

Well the way the doctor explained it to me is this:

It's basically a small 'defect' most likely related to a slight derangement in the nervous system which causes a particular sensitivity heartwise. He says the heart has a 'brake' and 'gas' mechanism and that my heart seems to have the gas pedal stuck... (Wonder if there will be a recall? - Ok bad joke

) So basically, you know how you feel after you've run a a few laps... Tired, dizzy, weird vision, feeling like you will pass out... Etc. Well that's how I feel constantly.

My heart rate should be between 70-80 beats per minute in general but mine is stuck at a constant 120-130 bpm minimum. It means that I very easily reach 170+ bpm which is as if my body was always running. I did the stress test last week and after the rest my heart rate should have been down to almost pre-test rate but it was stuck at 165, so it really wasn't going down fast enough.

Interestingly enough, other than quite a bit of discomfort and inconvenience in not dangerous in the sense of having a heart attack etc. though if it goes on too many years untreated it could cause problems. It does cause some issues with too much physical exersion so it is important that I learn to do things in parts. Like, if I need to shovel, thatI don't do it all at once. I should do a bit, rest, do more, etc.

I will have to be on heart medications to keep it under control however. I am not so happy because I thought we had found the heart racing to be related to the hypoglycemia but seems it wasn't. I am happy, however, that with this diagnosis, it confirms that things weren't in my head... It wasn't merely anxiety (though of course it wouldmake it worse) or just having done too much or wanting attention. It was clear on the test as we could not complete the test do to my heart rate being too high in the first phase.

That's basically it

*I meant to say that I am not always feeling so sick as my body has adapted to my heart being faster so it's used to it for the most part. Just oftentimes a lil extra fatigue, or being physically active more than usual makes my heart go wild and then I feel like crashing.