Help - blood count very low and now sinus tachycardia???

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My blood counts have dipped way down again since I have been off the

Humira and just on the MTX (my hemoglobin is running around 9,000) so

they are working me up with a TSH, B12, folic acid, ferritin, etc.,

however, I have had sinus tachycardia now for the last three visits so

my GP put me on Atenolol to try and slow down my heart rate. Has

anyone else had this happen??? It worries me of course, like I need

more problems on top of the RA, Sjogren's and probable fibromyalgia as

well as my sleep apnea. It just seems like they keep adding on the

diagnoses. Any input would be appreciated. You can email me at

tracierae143@...

Thanks to all.

Tracie

[Guest guest]

Tracie,

I would see a cardiologist.

Does your rheumatologist know about this?

Your sinus tachycardia could be the result of your anemia, but I'm not sure

if atenolol is the right solution.

*******************

From the American Heart Association:

Sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia is defined as sinus rhythm with a rate of greater than 100

beats/min. To be certain that sinus tachycardia is the etiology for a

supraventricular tachycardia (tachycardia with its origin in the AV

junction, atria or SA node), one must identify a constant single P wave for

every QRS complex. Sinus tachycardia usually represents a physiologic

response to fever, intravascular volume depletion, hypermetabolism, anxiety

or the administration of pharmacologic agents that dramatically increase

sinus rate, such as catecholamines. Sinus tachycardia may also be a response

to severe emotional distress, fright and strenuous exercise. Other causes

may include a response to anemia, CHF, hemorrhage, extensive heart muscle

damage associated with a reduction in cardiac output and pulmonary embolism.

Physiologically, sinus tachycardia results from either vagal withdrawal

and/or endogenous release of catecholamines.

One should not treat sinus tachycardia per se, but instead should be

concerned with the reasons for its development. Obviously, if intravascular

volume depletion, fright, fever or sepsis is responsible for sinus

tachycardia, the preferred approach is to identify the etiology and treat

it, expecting the sinus tachycardia to respond to treatment of the basic

abnormality. Alternatively if the sinus tachycardia is due to extensive

heart muscle damage resulting from an acute MI or severe CHF, efforts must

be made to support the pump function of the heart rather than to potentially

depress it further with certain pharmacologic interventions. Sinus

tachycardia is often an early warning sign of some altered physiologic state

that should itself be identified and corrected.

Never " treat " sinus tachycardia: treat the cause of sinus tachycardia.

Summary of ECG criteria

Identify a constant single P wave for every QRS complex

Normal-looking QRS

Rate: Greater than 100 beats/min

Rhythm: Regular

P waves: Upright in leads I, II and aVF

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=55

*******************

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Help - blood count very low and now sinus

tachycardia???

> Hi all,

>

> My blood counts have dipped way down again since I have been off the

> Humira and just on the MTX (my hemoglobin is running around 9,000) so

> they are working me up with a TSH, B12, folic acid, ferritin, etc.,

> however, I have had sinus tachycardia now for the last three visits so

> my GP put me on Atenolol to try and slow down my heart rate. Has

> anyone else had this happen??? It worries me of course, like I need

> more problems on top of the RA, Sjogren's and probable fibromyalgia as

> well as my sleep apnea. It just seems like they keep adding on the

> diagnoses. Any input would be appreciated. You can email me at

> tracierae143@...

>

> Thanks to all.

>

> Tracie