Two days ago I awoke to my heart racing. I checked and it was 137. I had a headache, but I got up and felt dizzy. I measured my heart rate after 15 minutes and it was up to 207. I then took my GTN spray and after about 10 - 15 minutes, it went down to 76. Should I see my doctor?
HelloThanks for posting here. You have definitely got a high heart rate which requires evaluation. Since you said you took GTN SPRAY I suppose you are suffering from heart disease. First it is necessary to determine what type of fast heart rate you have regular or irregular. Irregular fast heart rate is called AF or atrial fibrillation. Regular fast heart rate can be sinus tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia. All the three entities require medical management. The decrease in heart rate with GTN spray is unusual, and it may be just an incidental finding. GTN tends to increase the heart rate, so next time refrain from taking GTN spray if you feel your heart rate is very fast. You must visit your doctor and get an ECG done. If the ECG does not detect any arrhythmia of fast heart rate, then a 24 hour holder monitoring should BR done which records the ECG for 24 hrs when the patient is doing his normal day-to-day activities. This will help detect the rhythm disturbances and treatment can be started accordingly. Since you have history of heart disease a 2 d echo should also be done to rule out organic cause of arrhythmia. Take care regards