question for people with svt.

[catcopy]

Originally Posted by ash519

SVT means supra ventricular (that is the place in the heart) Tachycardia (the arrythmia disorder.)

It can be scary, very scary, but it is not deadly. Your heart may feel as if it is ready to stop or even beat uncontrolably and cause a heart attack, but it wont.

I have SVT. It kicked in whenever...and on top of it I get palps and flutters. I had an ablation done in August and it got rid of the big arrythmia episodes, but I am not 100%.

Doctors (especially men Er docs and pcp's) tend to say you are having panic attacks and anxiety. My female doc I switched to ran tests, found nothing, sent me to a cardiologist for Echos etc, found nothing, and then gave me a treadmill stress test and within 8 minutes...there was what I had been complaining about for years.

Good luck and remember...if it is just panic attacks...or it is SVT, neither are deadly...Just HUGE HUGE annoyances...and scary!

When you had your stress test and the "episode" started within 8 minutes, did they have you continue with the test or did they stop and do something about it? I don't know if I could pass a stress test or not because I've always had shortness of breath when I walk up a hill or run hard. My last echo showed I have MVP and I also have bad panic attacks and anxiety.
I wore a holter monitor and found I have PVC's but more recently I've had several heart "flutters" and one episode of very rapid pulse. Somewhere I read where if you get those rapid heart beats, you should either try coughing or try bearing down to see if that will slow down the heart rate. Long story short, I'm planning on going in to see my doc this week and he will either refer me to a cardiologist or have tests run himself. Do they inject a dye in you when they do a stress test? Does that dye make you feel funny? I'm trying to keep calm about this but as you can see, it's not working! Thanks!

[gooby]

I was born with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome ( extra nerve pathway(s) on the heart) which causes SVT. I experienced as high as 225 bpm for as long as 2 hours at a time.

fast forward 15 years and several doctors and many tests later.

diagnosed with WPW (finally). Had an ablation (where they place a heated catheter into your heart via the veins in your legs) to ablate (burned away) the extra nerve pathway.

No problems since.

There is no "failing" a stress test. You are simply asked to walk/jog/run on a treadmill while they perform an ECG to watch your heart. If they feel you are going to pass out, they will stop you and let your rest. Hopefully they will have what they need at that point. The idea is to cause your heart to reach a specific speed (and time that period) and then see how long it takes your heart to come back to normal/rest.

the dye is used for a cardiac catheterization (used to be called something else. can;t think what it was). That is an entirely different procedure and yes, the dye makes you feel funny, for a short period of time.

The best thing you can do for yourself is relax. It will do no good to worry. It won;t change anything.

Let the docs do what they do and then let them fix what they will.

[lylone]

Sherri,

I have had SVTs since I was 19 when I was physically active in college. They happened few and far between and I used calan SR to stop them when I needed.
I went 5 years without on until a year ago January.
Cardio switched all my meds (I have hbp also) and now it seems like they stop as soon as they start. I think that mine are caused by anxiety and stress because one atenolol and xanax later and it stops within 15 minutes. I have had about 5 in the last year and never did they go longer than 15 minutes. Have had every test in the world, and even had ablation mentioned, but never pursued since I can control them.
I also started taking 250mg of Magnesium a day and it seems to help. I also take 250mg of potassium a day for leg cramps that I get since college. Both seem to work, so I keep taking them

good luck and I agree that they are very scarey. I hate going to the ER for them!

Lyl

[bb123]

Sherri,
Don't be scared. trey to relax and ask lots of Q's to the heart dr. Write them down. It is worth, bring someone with you who can be a very good advocate, help you with it. I had my mother with me to all of my appts and someone I could really talk to. it helps. Try walking a few minutes everyday....
More likely you are healthy, just our electrical pathyway seems to act crazy whenever it wants. That part scares the **** out of all of us here.
What does PVC stands for? I forgot....
Take Care....

[sherri27360]

Hi everyone,
I went to the cardio on monday and I really don't know anything right now. I told him what happened and my symptoms and he just said it sounds like my heart is going in and out of rhythum so I am wearing a 30 day event monitor and I have to get an echo in a couple of weeks. I am still scared to death and very worried. I will keep you posted.
Thanks everyone,
Sherri