I am a 24 year old female diagnosed with benign PACs/PVCs (halter and echo were normal minus the heart palps).  While working out yesterday I used the heart rate monitor on the elliptical and it gave me a reading of 215 bpm.  This seems really high, but Ive had this issue before on such machines (where you touch the metal handles to get your heart rate).  So I actually have two questions: Could the monitor be off even though it seemed to be accurate the rest of the workout?  What could the cause be- Do I need to see a doctor about this?
Hello, First thing do you have any symptoms during this reading, because at this heart rate one will severe symptoms like giddiness, fainting, chest pain or heaviness, shortness of breath etc. If not It's likely to be a false reading. Sometimes it can record each pulse as two and doubles the heart rate.  If you had symptoms, then it can be a cardiac arrhythmia like PSV or atrial fibrillation, in which heart rate suddenly goes up and also suddenly decreases. Blood pressure falls during these episodes and one has dizziness, fainting, blackouts, sometimes syncope. Usually ECG is normal as it is usually done in between the episodes. ECG done during episodes will show abnormality. You can repeat 24 hour holder monitoring. Also, hemoglobin and thyroid test should be done. Ln order to abort such episodes you should try to cough hard. Till the time your evaluation is complete, you can ask your local doctor for tab collar LA 20 mg once a day.  If none of the above is successful then last option is of electrophysiologist studies which is invasive test which can diagnose and treat the arrhythmia permanently in most of the cases.