@panda Said
My pulse rate was 103 BPM yesterday. I'm pretty sure my normal pulse rate is 86 BPM or less. I thought I was having shortness of breath from quitting smoking...again, although I had smoked no more than 3 cigs in two or three days. Should I be worried? I didn't take any OTC (over the counter) medication and I didn't drink anything containing caffeine.
I've had a heart murmur and PAT (paroxysmal atrial tachycardia). I was 13 or 14 years old when I had the murmur, but grew out of it. When I was diagnosed with PAT (in my early 20's), my doctor gave me Inderal. I haven't taken that for years because it's known to cause depression. Here are some links:
Normal Pulse Rate
Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia
Inderal
I've was diagnosed in 97 with a fast heart rate which would go from 80 to sometimes 200 beats per minute out of nowhere.
My doc sent me to a cardiologist and they put my on a diary monitor for a week. A cardio diary is a box they attach to you and when you feel that your heart rate is going fast, you push a button and all the activities are directly sent to a monitor at the hospital where as cardiologist assesses them.
Mine was caught on the diary and they called me in and told me I had Sinus Tachycardia.
I was given exercises to bring it down when it acted up and told that if it stayed over 120 beats per minute for and length of 5 to 10 minutes continuously to get to the hospital for monitoring and some Ativan.
My left ventricular is the problem as it takes over the natural beat of the heart.
Now I'm on Lorazepam/Ativan for when it goes fast to bring it down and I was told to never take my own pulse as it will always go faster if someone takes their own because they are usually anxious and the hear rate will be higher because of it. So I get someone else to take it.
If it continues for more years they will put in a box in my lower right side where the appendix is and run a wire to the left ventricular and every time it speeds up the box will zap it back to normal.
At times my resting pulse rate is 100 to 120 and was told if I did not have dizziness, headache or nausea not to worry about it.
But it should ALWAYS be checked by a doctor but preferably a Cardiologist.
My suggestion is the next time it does happen go to the Emergency immediately so they can put you on a monitor and do an EKG and let them start from there. That's what I did for months before they finally sent me to a Cardiologist to find out what was causing it.
Best to you and hope it's something that is treatable which it usually is.
Oh! And when you take your BP at the mall or drug store, don't walk around. Take the first one, write down the readings, sit there and rest for 10 to 15 minutes then take it again and write the readings down and do it a third time. Compare them and bring them with you to the docs or emerg with date and times.