I was diagnosed with SVT during a nuclear stress test 3 years ago. I was having the test because of chest pain which was actually due to my gall bladder. So the SVT was sort of an accidental discovery. The doctor asked me how often I felt the flutter and at the time it was only a couple times a week for a few seconds. 48 hour monitor confirmed this. Cardiologist and heart rhythm specialist tell me it’s benign. Last year just at the point I entered menopause I started having attacks of longer duration. I was told menopause can cause this. Doctor put me on 50mg Meoprolol which helps. Still once every couple months, I’ll have an attack that lasts 5-6 hours. I’ve never been monitored during these episodes. Feels like my heart is doing flip flips in my chest. Last night I had one and I think it was triggered by being outside at a party on a very hot evening. I had one beer - I always choose a low ABV beer because alcohol is a trigger. Sometimes the SVT leads to a full blown panic attack but I stayed calm last night. None of the maneuvers I tried were helpful. Eventually I just went to bed, fell asleep on my right side. It was gone when I woke up. I’m just wondering, if I’ve been told this is benign and my heart is healthy, should I go to the ER for a prolonged attack like this? Perhaps take a second metoprolol? Guess I should ask my doctor too! ☺️
It sounds like you deal with it very well if you can go to sleep whilst it’s happening. I struggled to stay calm. I rang an ambulance as I was alone and they took me in I had to have the adenosine injection to revert my heart rhythm back to normal. I was scheduled for the Catheter Ablation. They reccomended I had that done as I was 24 when they caught it, I had the ablation April 2017 and not had an episode since.
I think if it’s starting to bother you then you should go back or maybe pop to the ER when it’s happening so they can catch it, it will help fast track you for any treatment to calm it down. I wouldn’t worry though my heart rate was 245bpm for 2 hours and they said I was still fine. All the best!
I usually stress myself into a full blown panic attack when this happens. Last time I was up half the night. I emailed my doctor this morning and he said ‘flip-flopping’ sounds like I was having PVCs and not SVT. The 48-hour monitor last year showed several episodes of PVCs. He said these are harmless and lacking any other symptoms I can probably take a second metoprolol when this happens. He said it’s likely from dehydration as I was outside for several hours in the heat. I had lots of water, plus the single beer. But it was excessively hot.