These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Tachcardia in Young People
Question: I have been diagnosed 2 years ago with PAT’s (rapid heartbeat that returns to normal when I ‘bear down’). I have been taking increasing doses of tenormin and digoxin. After a few months, the symptoms pick up and the dosage raised. Is it ‘normal’ that the meds should keep increasing? Are there tests that should be run to see why it is getting worse every 4 months. Is there a cure or other recommended treatment? I am 30 years old.
Answer: PAT is the medical abbreviation for paroxysmal atrial tachcardia. This is a fairly common form of tachcardia in young people. This was initially treated with drugs like digoxin and tenormin or other beta-blockers. Recent electrophysiologic studies of the conduction system of the heart have demonstrated that many of these are due to unusual or abnormal electrical tracts. In some cases these can be fixed by a specialist in electrophysiologic manipulation of the heart. I would suggest you raise the issue with your physician.
