Hi, I have started a few discussions here over the past week or so re my svt and missed beats, palpitations returning...
when diagnosed in October 2015 I struggled really badly with it - Sleepig almost upright on my sofa for 4 months with the fear that if I slept lying down in bed it would bring on another attack...
I also Never And Still Dont leave my house without my heart monitor "Just In Case"
This time around it's so much worse...
Is anyone else terrified by this!?
I consider myself a strong person and I have coped with A lot of things throughout my life - But this has just made me feel very broken.
Gillian, I have had SVT for 20 years and yes the episodes are very terrible. I have gone as long as 3 years without an episode but have recently started having them more frequently. I am considering an ablation. Have you considered that?
My cardiologist isnow considering an EP study,
She seems to think ablation is not always the answer as they need to find the exact spot and able to trigger an episode for ot to work!
How have you coped for all these years with them?
And how high and for how long do your episodes last for?
Do yours convert back on their own or do you have to go to hospital?
Hi Gillian I'm the same although I've know I've had svt since I was 21 I had only heart palpitations and major anxiety for 12 years of it with no svt attacks until 6 months ago after having a reaction to medication now I'm back to petrified because I was having svt attacks every day to every second day they have eased up over time but the anxiety of having another attack is just as bad
Having SVT can definitely be very stressful : (.....I chose not to have an ablation, but was told I should when the SVT starts inteferring with my life...we will always be so tuned in to our heartbeats, and hopefully the times when our beats are just fine, outweigh the times when they are not...see your dr regularly for peace of mind that your heart is ok...hang in there, hope this helps a little.
Morning Gillian,
I know exactly how you feel. At the moment, after my episode last week, I am afraid to leave the house alone. I get my shopping delivered and if I have to get the odd thing I leave early in the morning when my husband leaves for work, he leaves me at the supermarket, that way I only have to do half the journey on my own. It's controlling my life. I also have a heart monitor with me at all times, mine is my fitbit and it doesn't leave my wrist while I am out. I also have an oximeter by the sofa and check my pulse regulary. I am sure as the time passes without an episode it will get easier but for now I am so scared of it happening again. I've also been getting a bit of discomfort in my chest too this weekend, more of a muscle ache really, but typically it's my left side.
I can't really offer any advice to make you feel better but can tell you you are definately not alone feeling like you do.
I am trying to lose a bit of weight, it helps me to feel like I am getting some control over this, but I guess thinner people suffer too.
Stay strong, we are all in this together.
You are right, the anxiety is just as bad. And if we were getting them every day at least we could go to see our doctor. How can you go to your doctor and say you are are scared just in case you have a SVT attack?
Crissy, the anxiety is awful! And rhe thought of another one is making me feel so scared!!!
Thanks Paullie, The thing is everytime I see the doctor I come away feeling quite positve... Then I start doubting them,thinking they have maybe missed something!!!
Morning toffeecushion,
I Just can't get over how debiitating these svts are...
I meanI just don't see myself moving on from this , it consumes me 24/7 right now!
I have also had an ache over the past couple of days, right side, mainly in the back area, now i'm googling PE - Thinking i might have through of a clot from my last svt episode..."ANXIETY"!!!!!
Was thinking of going back to work tomorrow, but that's not going to happen.
Let's just take it,
"One Day At A Time"
Hi Gillian, I hope this will help you.
I have major anxiety it flares up every few years and it did just after my daughter was born in Feb 2015, I knew there was a heart problem it just didn't feel like panic, anyway finally in September 2016 my heart set off racing and it wouldn't stop, I called an ambulance and they took me to hospital with a heart rate of 240bpm and I was in that for an hour before having the adenosine injection which successfully stopped it racing. Finding out what it was exactly helped but the fear of having another attack was just awful!! The heart specialist reccomended an ablation because he could see I was terrified and pleading with them not to let me die.
In the meantime I have been put on beta blockers which wasn't nice at first because they make you tired but now I've gotten used to them I wouldn't stop taking them. I saw one of the best heart surgeons in Sheffield a few weeks ago and an ablation and he said these exact words "you will not die, it will not shorten your life expectancy and you will not have have a cardiac arrest, this is a massive inconvenience that is all and it can be managed".
So I'll be having the ablation in the next couple of months hopefully but in the meantime I'm on my beta blockers and it's now been 5 months without a prolonged attack. I have just come out of a 5 year relationship and I can't remember the last time I felt this amazing given the circumstances. I'm even going out at the weekend! That is not like me!
Keep telling yourself, you will not die and anywhere you go an ambulance can get to you should you need it. And you don't even have to call one if you are nearby a hospital you can go yourself just get someone to take you. Don't worry I know it's hard but I know for a fact if I carried on worrying I would have had a lot of episodes since the last one but I haven't. If it happens I will deal with it and that's what you should do. If it's ruining. Your life go and talk to a specialist about an ablation I can tell you know you won't regret it! I wish you all the luck in the world on working through this, please message me anytime x
Can I ask you what the adenosine was like. I fear that so much. Thanks
Hi Gillian,
I totally understand your frustration I was the same way. I am out of town now and was so scared to leave because my anxiety is so bad and I'm always worried that I may have an attack while I am out somewhere. My suggestion to you would be to try anxiety meds. Anxiety is very common especially when you have SVT. It has really helped me out a lot. I would also consider having an ablation as an attempt to get rid of the SVT. I had one 3 years ago and it seemed to have worked until a couple of weeks ago when I had another episode but it didn't last long and my heart rate only got up to 140 versus 204 the first time. I'm not sure if it was SVT or anxiety though. They both seem to have pretty similar symptoms. So i would try to cure the SVT thriugh ablation and try getting on anxiety meds. Hope this helps.
LaLa
It's like your whole body just drops suddenly, I remember shouting oh my god because everything just slowed down, it wasn't nice but I would have it a thousand times over to stop SVT. My heart rate just sunddenly dropped from 240-100 so I'm sure you can imagine the feeling of the rush just stopping. I had to take some deep breaths and within seconds I was back to normal asking for my daughter and thanking the whole team. Don't fear it it's literally seconds and that's it nomality returns x
I'm totally with you I'm the same I'm really trying to reclaim my life but the fear is so overwhelming I wish you luck I really do I'll keep you posted if I get any new information on how to live with svt
Thank-You XxaimxX,
Yes I have aslo suffered from anxiety fo many years also. On hidsight I also always new ther was something not quite right with my heart but it was always put down to anxiety. Like you after my first daughter (21) now) was born there was one day i just didn't feel right, really anxious and my heart just felt a bit off. Suffered it all day, went to the hospital that night and the told me I was suffering from a panic attack.
I now believe that was poosibly my first svt...
At my appointment last week my cardiologist has said she is going to look into me having an ep study, so hopefully if they can locate the area causing the problem then an ablation would be an option.
I just feel very overwhelmed by it all right now...
And the same question as toffeecushion - I also fear the adenosine!
Gillian,
Have you ever had the adenosine?
Nope i've never had adensonine...
It Soo Scares me though!!!
I think XxaimxX has expalined it really well, an I suppose lots of people have had it and you know it won't be nice, but nrither is an svt episode
I have learned a lot from this discussion, and from the other discussions in this forum. I just had my first confirmed SVT, but after reading on this forum, I think I've had other, milder ones my whole adult life.
I wonder - has anyone tried mediating as a way to approach this? I haven't had a big meeting with my cardiologist yet, that's tomorrow. But in my very first meeting with him after my attack, he told me to meditate. I've been trying it, and it does make me feel calmer. Has anyone else tried that?