It was 1:20 am this morning, I woke up and had to bend over to pull the blankets up. All of a sudden, there was a thud, then my heart raced! It made me panic..like an adrenalin surge I guess. This is like the 5th time this has happened in the last 3-4 years. All resulting from bending over. I had already read about the manuvers to try to get it to go back to normal, so thats what I did, and after 5 minutes, another thud and the panic was instantly gone. The very fast beats were gone too, although for the next few hours it was still beating between 100-120..but no panic. I believe it's PSVT??? Everything I have read it about sounds like what is happening to me. Infrequent sudden racing and sudden stopping of racing heartbeats. I have suffered with PACS and PVCS for about 15 years now. Been to heart Dr's, all tests etc.. and told my heart was fine. They don't scare me at all anymore. But when this sudden racing starts..it is very scarey!!! It feels like the beats are super fast (too fast to count, and too scared to even try to count) and I have like an airy, feeling in my upper chest. If this is happening in the upper heart, would it be called something else..like PSAT??? I have also read where PSVT mimics panic attacks. Many people are treated for panic disorder when they really have this PSVT. Can anyone relate to getting this sudden racing and sudden stopping? Has anyone ever experienced it...where you bending over at the time etc...Thanks to all who can help.

I think you are on the right track. I have had similar experiences (also after bending over) but it did not stop suddenly..went on for over 4 hours.

I recognize your username :)

I would see a cardio just to get a definate diagnosis. I take a beta blocker daily now and am MUCH better. I went misdiagnosed with panic for over 8 years before getting the SVT/IST diagnosis (still not sure which I have..).

Thanks Cheers..but I have gone to the heart specialist, they said my heart was fine. I have told them what happened and they act like it's nothing. Of course it wouldn't happen while wearing monitors or while at the Dr's. The first time I had it about 3 years ago or so, I drove myself to the ER. As soon as I got out of the car, the thud came, then the racing stopped. It can't be caught on the monitors when it happens so infrequently. Would also like to here from others who have experienced this.

It sounds like PAT ...paroxysmal atrial tachycardia... the symptom is periods of very fast heartbeats which begin and end suddenly.
I get these episodes for many years already. Have been checked out by cardiologist, heart is fine. Also get them sometimes from bending over, especially with a full stomach. My episodes are usually under 2 hours, sometimes just minutes. I am on beta blockers and when an episodes does not stop within 1 hour I take another beta blocker. I can tell the second an episode starts or stops, I get this weird pressure against my neck.

For the two of you who get these sudden fast rates...how fast does it get?

Since it started after a missed heart beat (the thud you felt), and stopped just as suddenly, it definitely sounds like PSVT (also known as PAT). PSVT does take place in the uppert heart - in the atria. The SV stands for "supra ventricular" or "above the ventricles."

PSVT isn't really life threatening, but if you ever can't get it to stop on your own, you need to go the ER after half an hour or so. Have someone take you to the ER or call the paramedics so that you can go to the hospital and get an injection of a medication that stops episodes of PSVT.

An episode of PSVT will usually send your heart rate to 140-240 bpm. It's definitely a very very frightening sensation.

LauraB..Thanks for your reply. So there is a difference in name PSVT or PAT ? I figured mine couldn't be PSVT because when it happens it feels like the top part of my heart.

Cheers44.. I am in such a state of panic when it happens to me, there is no way I could sit still long enough to take my pulse. I can only say, I believe it is too fast to count.

TIMBER..Thank you for your reply. So, I guess they are the same thing? (PSVT and PAT) I think the longest episode has lasted about 45 minutes. That's the time when I drove myself to the ER and it suddenly ended as soon as I got out of my car. I went into the ER anyway that night. They said they couldn't tell me what had happened because it wasn't caught on the EKG. Just told me prob stress. (yeah right)
I think it's strange how all of mine have started with a thud after bending forward. There has to be a reason for it. Maybe something is putting pressure on something else that could cause a heart to react like this??? I'll take my plain old pacs and pvcs anyday over this very frightening thing.

I know it is so scary. I seem to remember you from a message board a couple years ago. That was shortly before my ER episode when I was finally diagnosed. Of course, my HR was 150-160 for over 4 hours, so they were able to see it. The 2 EKGs showed sinus tachycardia. For some reason I was diagnosed by a cardio the next week with SVT. An EP Cardio said it was IST. I guess it doesnt really matter as they are pretty much treated the same and both supposivly benign. As you can maybe sense, my trust of medical professionals has been severely damaged having gone for so many years being patted on the head and told it was merely anxiety. First of all, there is nothing MERELY about anxiety. I know this because this heart crap created a raging anxiety disorder which I am still trying to get a grasp on. Secondly, why did it never occur to them that my HR was super high for a physical reason? I went to the Dr and ER numerous times.

I take propranolol now and feel 100 times better. But I do still get the PVCs and they still scare the CRAP out of me!! Why cant I get used to them?? Why cant I believe when I am told that they are not dangerous. I guess because so many were wrong about me for so long, I cant be assured that they arent wrong this time too.

This does suck. I get very very angry sometimes. But I suppose I should be grateful I dont have something much worse.

I think it's strange how all of mine have started with a thud after bending forward. There has to be a reason for it.

According to my cardiologist (I also have PSVT), episodes usually start with a PVC. So
bending over stimulates you in some way to have a PVC and if you're unlucky and the conditions are just right, the PVC leads to an SVT.

Is that the same as SVT to then? Because my episode did begin with a PVC after bending over as well. So, when they pound in our heads over and over that PVCs are harmless, that really isnt true then is it??

that really isnt true then is it??

PVCs by themselves are totally harmless. Occasionally they can lead to an SVT, which is also harmless. So, yes, they're harmless.

And the VAST majority of people with PVCs (almost everyone on earth has them now and then) do NOT have SVT.

Some ppl say SVT isnt dangerous. All my Dr have told me that. But i have also had RNs and an anesthesiologist tell me otherwise. And I have heard that if your HR doesnt go down w/in a half hour to call 911. So, it must not be completely harmless.

When I had my episode that brought me to the ER, during ortho stats my BP dropped to 50/30. I thought FOR SURE I was a goner. What if I hadnt been in the ER? Would my heart have gone back to normal on its own eventually?

I am in one of those moods again today. I am sorry. I just get so down about this sometimes.

Cheers44..Yes, I do remember you. I have read so many articles on PSVT and e'one of them have said it is NOT dangerous. In the 80's I used to suffer with severe panic attacks and it turned into agoraphobia. But never did my heart have any thuds then start racing and then suddenly stop racing. (my pacs and pvcs never started until the 90's) I think it's strange though, how during a PVST attack, the same panic symptoms come with it. The feeling of "oh my god, feeling of doom, feeling like I'm going to die etc". No wonder the one article said many people are treated for panic attacks when it was really PSVT. You get the SAME feelings with it. Here is just one article I read.
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/20702.htm

Cheers, when I say suddenly I don't mean heart slows down, hb goes from racing to a normal beat within a second, no matter how long or short an episode is. Years ago my heart raced at exactly 160 beats per minute but since I'm on a beta blocker it only goes up to 120 beats. It never goes 125 or 115 etc. always exactly 120 beats from a resting pulse of 72.
Laura

hi there.i have experienced svt for more than 16 years now.sotalol twotimes aday.my heart rate usually gets to 140-150.am finallygoing to try the ablation in 5 weeks time am very scared of it though.
i find the best way to revert to normal rhythm is to sing your favourite song out loud in a big voice without stopping for a breath.when you stop singing,breath very slowly.this nearly always reverts my svt.it took me years to find something that works for me.it really does work.give it a try.it beats adenosine anyday.......kathy
let me know how you go.anyone with svt can try it.do not stop singing in the one breath until you cannot sing anymore.you can actually feel the sinus rhythm come back normal.so weird.

[QUOTE=Cheers44] And I have heard that if your HR doesnt go down w/in a half hour to call 911.

I think the person who told you that does not know what he/she is talking about. If that were true, I would be calling 911 about once a week.

[QUOTE=Cheers44] And I have heard that if your HR doesnt go down w/in a half hour to call 911.

I think the person who told you that does not know what he/she is talking about. If that were true, I would be calling 911 about once a week.


My cardiologist told me not to stay in SVT for longer than 30 minutes before calling 911 or being driven to the ER...

[QUOTE=Laura B]


My cardiologist told me not to stay in SVT for longer than 30 minutes before calling 911 or being driven to the ER...


Timber, my cardiologist told me not to worry about my SVT's and he knows I have episodes up to 2 hours. Maybe they are dangerous for people with heart problems, I had all the tests and my heart is healthy. I do lots of reading on other boards about that problem and many people have these episodes for many hours, sometimes for days. Maybe it also depends on how high your pulse is, mine usually does not go higher than 120 bpm and I know other people speak of 160 - 180 and higher. I think if mine would go that high I probably also would go to emergency after two hours.

Maybe they are dangerous for people with heart problems, I had all the tests and my heart is healthy. gher than 120 bpm and I know other people speak of 160 - 180 and higher. I think if mine would go that high I probably also would go to emergency after two hours.


I, too, have a healthy heart. I've had the tests as well and structurally, I'm normal. However, my SVTs are much higher than yours. I usually end up around 170-190. Perhaps that's why my cardio seemed more concerned than yours.

My general practitioner actually has SVT and says hers can get up to 240. I'd definitely go straight to the ER if my heart ever got anywhere near that high a rate!

Seems the severity of the tachycardia has to do with the recommended treatment. Some people also become pretty unstable when they go into SVT, and have difficulty breathing, faint, and so on. A rate of 120 is easily sustainable and won't put much strain on the heart at all.

Seems the severity of the tachycardia has to do with the recommended treatment. Some people also become pretty unstable when they go into SVT, and have difficulty breathing, faint, and so on. A rate of 120 is easily sustainable and won't put much strain on the heart at all.

Timber, you right, my racing heart of 120 beat is easy to take, I don't feel faint or have difficulty breathing etc. But I still feel that little "panic" whenever I have an episode because I know it is not normal for a heart beat to switch within a second from 78 to 120. And I always worry "will the SVT stop by itself?" I once asked my regular doctor how long I should wait before going to the emercency and he said something like "if you get faint, dizzy, sweaty etc." :rolleyes:

But I still feel that little "panic" whenever I have an episode because I know it is not normal for a heart beat to switch within a second from 78 to 120. And I always worry "will the SVT stop by itself?"


Oh, no, I totally understand your feeling of panic even if your SVTs are low relative to other people's. It's still a scary sensation. I just meant that the relative low-ness of your SVTs probably explain why your doctor wasn't too concerned that you head to the ER when you have an episode.

Hey! I am new to this site but I was reading your entries and I could not believe how similar it sounded to mine! It's actually a great relief to hear that it actually happens to other people and not just me.

For me this problem started my freshman year of college (I was 21). I am 23 years old now and the problem seems to be becoming more frequent. So lets see. The first time it happened I was walking from class with a friend and it felt as if someone knocked the wind out of me and immediately my heart began racing. I was terrified! It felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest! In between then and now it has happened a handful of times. But the thing is, my doctor told me it was anxiety. I can't imagine how it could be anxiety when it happens at times when I am not nervous or panicky or anything. The last two times it happened I was hanging out in my apartment with my roommates.

Anyways, the last time it happened I was so scared that I called 911 and the paramedics came in and hooked me up to a pulse oximator and immediately wanted to hook me up to a heart moniter machine. My roommate said my pulse was over 220 beats a minute! The paramedic said that she thought it was anxiety as well. So I didn't go to the hospital (I don't have insurance and I can see the school's dr.s for free). I saw the doc and she said that without being caught in an attack it's hard for them to know exactly what it is. She did do an ECG though and it said I had a pause in the atrium of my heart. But that it wasn't anything to worry about. Anyways, sorry about the babbling. I just wanted to tell you about my similar experience. Like you it starts suddenly and ends just as abruptly. I would love to have an answer to what it is other than being given anxiety meds. Anything you have to offer would be wonderful. Thanks again!

MUgirly, it makes me really furious when doctors are quick to diagnose racing heartbeats as panic attacks because this causes people to develop severe anxiety about their hearts - knowing that something is wrong but not knowing what is frightening, and SVT feels very scary. Racing heartbeats that start suddenly and stop suddenly are SVTs, NOT panic attacks. And a panic attack will NEVER cause your heartbeat to reach 220. You have SVT. See your doctor or a cardiologist about being hooked to an event monitor that you can wear to record the episodes.

I suffered for 10 years with severe anxiety about my heart - anxiety that developed AFTER my SVTs started and as a result of them, not before - and had to spend years in therapy undoing the mess that had been created in my head after so much time dealing with undiagnosed SVT. I don't want that to happen to you.

MUgirly, it makes me really furious when doctors are quick to diagnose racing heartbeats as panic attacks because this causes people to develop severe anxiety about their hearts - knowing that something is wrong but not knowing what is frightening, and SVT feels very scary. Racing heartbeats that start suddenly and stop suddenly are SVTs, NOT panic attacks. And a panic attack will NEVER cause your heartbeat to reach 220. You have SVT. See your doctor or a cardiologist about being hooked to an event monitor that you can wear to record the episodes.

I suffered for 10 years with severe anxiety about my heart - anxiety that developed AFTER my SVTs started and as a result of them, not before - and had to spend years in therapy undoing the mess that had been created in my head after so much time dealing with undiagnosed SVT. I don't want that to happen to you.

I swear you are my twin.

Same here. Years upon years with medical professionals patting me on the head like some moron telling me it was anxiety/panic. Went on many different meds (some that made it all worse) - none of which worked. Tons of therapy (not that that is a bad thing). Anyway..finally dx with tachycardia. Did I have panic? YES! Who wouldnt after years of untreated tachycardia??LOL. I am still dealing with issues even tho my heart is under control. Still in therapy..huge fear of death (especially in regards to heart/circulatory issues). But I am definatly MUCHHHHHH better. I now take a beta blocker for the heart which also helps the anxiety and take a med for the anxiety which also helps the heart!! Sometimes I wish I could sue those Drs and hospitals for all those missed years. My whole hineymoon to the Bahamas sucked because my heart wouldnt calm down. I should get that money back from those arrogant jerks who treated me like some female basket case.