| Yes IST can be treated, however many of the available treatments on offer are not 100% effective. Therapy for IST basically falls into 2 categories of medical treatment - Treatment with Drugs (medications) or non-drug treatments (invasive treatments). Medication Therapy for IST IST can be treated with medications - some tried by cardiologists and other doctors include: Beta-blockers, Calcium channel Blockers, Anti-arrhythmics amongst others. Some SSRI drugs are also occasionally tried (these are more commonly used to treat depression). This approach is very much "trial-and-error" if one drug does not work there is no reason why you can't try another. These drugs are the most likely to be prescribed by a cardiologist / electrophysiologist : (although there are other drugs that can be tried) Ivabradine Ivabradine is a relatively new drug, it is called a "selective sinus node inhibitor" and has the effect of slowing down the impulses generated by the sinus node. Beta-Blockers Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulatory system (arteries and veins). Beta-blockers are often prescribed to lower high blood pressure, they are also used to try to prevent arrhythmia and to treat Heart Failure. Some examples of Beta-blockers include bisoprolol, propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol and sotalol (sotalol is a special kind of Beta-blocker, in that it is also an anti-arrhythmic drug as well). Calcium Channel Blockers Calcium channel Blockers relax (widen) blood vessels (veins and arteries), which reduces the amount of work the heart has to do. Calcium channel Blockers are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), to treat angina (chest pain), and to prevent heart rhythm disturbances. Some examples of Calcium channel Blockers include diltiazem and verapamil (verapamil is a special kind of Calcium channel Blockers, in that it is also an anti-arrhythmic drug as well). Anti-Arrhythmics Anti-arrhythmics affect the electrical conduction system of the heart - they are used to treat and prevent heart arrhythmias (heart rhythm disturbances). Some examples of Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs include flecainide, propafenone, adenosine and amiodarone. Some beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers also act on the heart as anti-arrhythmic drugs. These are not the only available drug treatments tried for the treatment of IST, but are the most common to be prescribed by cardiologists. If these are exhausted (either because they are ineffective or cause intollerable side-effects) then other possibilities may be tried. Links: Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia by Dr Rich Fogoros WebMD Drugs & Herbs database Drug Digest RxList Drug Information National Dysautonomia Research Foundation Medications-Online Invasive (non-medication) Therapy > |
| If you have any links you would like to see here on IST or related conditions; then please send them to me via email. I cannot guarantee all submissions will be posted, some may be editied if necessary. |
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