Tachycardia during acupuncture...coincidence?

I've been going for acupuncture for quite awhile now, primarily for my neck and shoulders. While I was there today, and right after he put a needle in my right shoulder/neck area, I felt my heart speed up. He clocked it at 115 bpm. (this was after I was laying on the table for a bit, as he had left the room before this happened). When I left, it was abuot 100 bpm. The acupuncturist (Bert) said it felt regular, just fast. To me, it feels hard to determine, as it doesn't feel like a strong beat right now (1 hour later). I took about 25 mg. of Atenolol to try to calm my heart down. It still feels faster than it should.

Has anyone had this happen to them during acupuncture? This is the second or third time I've had tachycardia since the ablation...(they did see it on the monitor I believe, and no one seemed concerned...). Not sure what I need to do, if anything...

Feels scary having anything unusual going on with my heart now...

Barb

Barb, I had 22 sessions of acupuncture for neck pain last year. I had no heart issues related to the treatments.


....ronH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2014 08:51PM by ron.

Barb:

Quite a few years ago, I went to a Chiropractor for some adjustments, I was put on a cot with rollers, I laid on my back and the rollers moved up and down my back (felt good) but that night I went into AF. You have had an ablation and your heart is probably much easier to be touchy. I think when our heart starts beating fast we might get a little nervous and it makes our heart beat faster.

Liz

I was just laying on the table when this happened, so can't say I was feeling nervous at that time. I did have a bad day and had alot on my mind, but ...notsure. As you might read in my more recent post, I'm feeling like my beat is "off" still...not quite sure what it's doing. If it's Afib sneaking back in, I think i'm going to go crawl in bed and stay there......

Barb

Hi Barb,

At only 115bom for a short while before going back 100 and lower it as almost surely just a little run of sinus tachycardia likely triggered by the acupuncture. I have experienced on two occasions direct triggering of what so thought was flutter but likely was a sinus tachycardia at similar speeds when having work done on my chronic neck problems. Recall I had to wear a modified Florida brace over my while torso with an aluminum rod up the back of me neck with a molded head and neck support with a strap across my forehead for just over 16 years after multiple cervical fusions that did not work so well.

I had so many Vagal-like triggers from wearing that big brace over the years most all of which were during my first 17 years of AFIB that I could help but see a strong association at least between my neck problem and triggering my Arrhythmia. But the two acupuncture related triggers were a staccato-like flutter/tachy and I got the message after the second one and dropped acupuncture of my upper torso area as one of my treatment modalities.

The odds are good this is not related to a recurrence of anything to be concerned with, but you talk about your heart feeling 'off beat' occasionally and that is most likely just some occasional ectopic PACs or PVCs that are nothing to write home about.

Nevertheless, we both know that you have had a challenging type of case with. Your long term AFIB with substantial fibrosis and requiring LAA isolation. Thus while this episode is likely nothing of any significance other than perhaps telling you to scratch acupuncture work in that part of your neck area in the future, there does remain around a 35% chance if needing one last targeted procedure in the form of an LAA touch up ablation to finally put this all to bed for the long term.

You are not even close yet to such a next step even being considered but crawling in bed in despair should that ever be needed you can avoid too knowing that there is at least a fair chance that an LAA isolation might need that last short touch up. When you examine the real anatomy of the LAA it is quite complex and is a thin walked structure such that its amazing to me Dr N can get it fully sealed off for good in 65% or more of the cases as part of just a single ablation.

Should that LAA tachy trigger ever rear its head for real again it will only take one much shorter and far easier procedure with him to finish the deal and solidify the whole show. Of course, not evening needing such a true touch up is certainly preferable and that very well may be the case for you Barb. But from all that we know of your case being one and done would be outstanding in any event. It does seem to be the case though that a less overall follow up ablations are now needed in persistent and long standing challenging paroxysmal cases like yours when Dr N dies the first one compared to say 6 and more years ago. That has been the trend observed and for such cases these days require a fair bit less than 2 ablations needed on average to get the job truly done longer term, whereas it was at least 2 to slightly more than 2 ablations on average for such difficult cases during most of previous AFIB ablation history.

Always consider and accept up front that two might be in the cards and just be tickled pink if it turns out you are truly one and done. That is the best psychological stance to take in my view and experience. Just keep in mind, at the very least you gave already taken by far the biggest step you will ever need toward full times freedom from the beast and at very worst you 'might' at some point need to spend one more morning or afternoon taking a little nap on Dr N's table and one last night in the hospital before being Rick solid done. And you may well already be finished.

Just get that AliveCor (I thought you had one already?) and keep tracking these blips and just enjoy your life as much as possible going forward. You have done extremely well overall and I'm sure you will continue too even if one more brief visit with Dr Natale us in the cards. You also would have the option possibly of doing the Lariat procedure and taking care of any repeat isolation of the LAA plus take care of the OAC drug issue at the same time ... Potentially killing two birds with one stone should there ever be any true recurrence of that LAA trigger that needs addressing.

Take it easy,
Shannon