Hi - I've had a few attacks of svt that have sent me to hospital over the last few years..I think I've probably had a few shorter episdoes that I've naturally jumped out of it.
Anyway - I was wondering if exercise is an issue with svt - I don't mean during an attack of it (I can hardly walk when I have mine!) I mean in-between bouts - is there any guidance of it being a trigger or being bad for the heart? I gym 2 - 3 times a week and also cycle 60- 90 miles a week (not heart blasting cycling just gentle commuting) but I'm.worried I'm putting my heart under even more stress. Are there any studies on svt and exercise I could look at?
What my doctor has told me with my SVT is that I am not at risk for a heart attack, not at risk for death and my heart is not bad( no heart failure or heart disease). It's just that the electrical system is messed up. It won't kill you. I had started having SVT rarely to more frequent. That is why I had an ablation and it corrected the SVT. My cardiologist wanted and wants me to exercise!
I was in the ER 4 x last year with SVT . If you drink caffeine - stop! Stress is not good either but who doesn't have stress?
When I had my ablation, they found 4 other abnormal rhythms.i am on medication. Have changed my medication twice. If this current medication doesn't work, I might have to have another ablation for atrial tachycardia. I would recommend you get with a cardiac electriohysiologist about having an ablation if you are having a lot of episodes. I also had a loop recorder inserted under the skin , at my chest area, to record at all times what is going on in my heart . It can stay in for 3 years. I had that put in in December. I don't think exercise brings on SVT,but if you findyou have palpitations after exercise you might ease up a bit to see what would be comfortable for you.
Please gosee a cardiologist !
Thanks for the info, I should have said, I've already seen an EP at Bart's hospital and I'm on the waiting list for an abilation! The specialist was so quick I didn't really ask any questions about exercise. I understand it isn't life threatening but I was/am worried that prolonged bouts of svt can't be good for the heart either. I'm trying to get my abilation done ASAP! Thanks again
My doctor has told me over and over again that the SVT will not damage the heart at all and that it just makes you feel really bad when it's happening and it won't cause a heart attack or death. How long do you think you will have to wait? I know how you feel about it not being good for the heart- but as long as I won't die or have a heart attack with it, I'm okay. I have been sitting in my sofa and it would start suddenly and lasted 2 hours and just suddenly went away. I was going to exercise 3 days a week but stopped for awhile as I was having some palpitations afterwards. I am starting back slowly. I didn't drive For a while because I had some episodes that I thought I was very dizzy and thought I was going to pass out. I was afraid I was going to wreck my auto and kill myself or someone else. I had to call an ambulance to pick me up.
That all sounds really tough for you. Hopefully the medication is a helping now.
I think it is a three month wait but I .trying to bump myself up the list as I can't get myself out of svt when it comes and so I end up at a n e. Seems a waste of resources if it isn't life threatening to go through all.that. hopefully I'll get the abilation soon!
When you are having it, try deep breathing and coughing.
Try drinking a cold glass of water
Try bearing down, sometimes that will stop it.
Great ideas - I tried these the day before yesterday and bearing down worked..but yesterday nothing was stopping it! So hot and miss!
How high does your heart rate get?
My husband bought me a pulse oximeter. You put it on your finger and it gives you your heart rate. I bought it a a drug store. You might get one if you don't already have one. Would you go up on the list if your episodes were more frequent. You might want to keep a log on when and how long you have these episodes and what your heart rate is.
So very sorry, I know exactly what you are going through! It's like running a marathon without the running. It makes me tired for 2-3 days after I have it. May I ask your age?
Plenty of info available online, Eddie. If your physician turns you loose exercise wise, I'd encourage you to keep such a fine routine going. Should keep your heart strong, could help you emotionally, and might even be fun. The kind of exercise you're doing is definitely a health and longevity promoter. I wish the very best for you.
I agree with Gene. It can't hurt you to exercise. Exercise makes the heart stronger.
Eddie,
I have always exercised many times a week but I have gone in to SVT several times during strenious exercise. It's weird, some times it doesn't affect me but other times it does. I have given up everything but long walks the last year because of going into svt during exercise and having to go to the hospital for the dreaded adenosine. One of the reasons I want the ablation is so I won't have to be afraid to exercise any longer. As for it damaging your heart, my doctor said it can depending on your age and how long the attacks last. I was told not to let it go on for more than 20 minutes. I am 65, so I'm sure that is why. My heart rate will go over 200 bpm.
I had SVT after doing some low impact aerobics. I was at a traffic light and felt dizzy and faint with my heart rate high.
I coughed and deep threathes and it went away in 5 minutes.
I had a party at my house in December and I was sitting and started feeling my heart elevating, got dizzy and nauseated. Heart rate was 175. Had to call an ambulance come and get me and take me to the hospital. Thank goodness all my friends at the party were nurses like myself. It had resolved itself shortly after getting to the hospital.
My episodes came out of nowhere and you never know how long they are going to last?!
I'm about to turn 36. Just having a freak out this morning as I take quetiapine 10/ mg daily for bipolar disorder. I've been taken it for four years. I did ask my doctor specialist man of the quetiapine could cause the svt and he categorically said 'no' but I can't help thinking that it could be the cause as my first episode was probably a year or 6 months after I first started taking it. Although, I may have had episodes before that and just not really noticed them as I know they get worse with age.
Anyone know?
Sorry 100mg daily not 10.
I believe I started having SVT 5 years ago. At the time I was taking a medication to lose weight and they thought it was that but now I don't. I had an episode while shopping and just started suddenly and took 30 minutes to go away. Then didn't have any other issues for 3 years and then had one right after another. My cardiologist said he had a patient that had not had any SVT for 15 years and it started back. Everyone is different. I just don't think any medicine would cause SVT. I firmly believe it is just having a whacky electrical system in the heart. Do you drink a lot of caffeine? Caffeine makes my heart flutter, so I had to stop .
Hi again!
I do have caffeine (two cups of coffee a day and two cups of tea) I've cut down on the tea but don't feel like caffeine is the cause .
Mild panic alert - I just had the call that I am having my abilation - Thursday 24th I'm now freaking out!
Eddie, your freak-out is normal. I've experinced it myself. I'm glad you don't have a longer wait. I'll bet, odds-on, you'll do OK. Recent published research is suggesting caffeine isn't much of a contributor to SVT. Good news for me since strong coffee and hot and iced tea (all unsweetened, making me quite an anomaly for the southeastern U.S.) otherwise greatly enhance my quality of life. I'm predicting that your ablation will terrifically enhance the quality of your life. Be patient, though. Most reliable sources tell us that our hearts are unusually irritable for 3-6 months post ablation. Looking forward to hearing your reports.
Eddie,
I do understand your apprehensiveness, believe me. I felt the same way when I had my ablation. It will be good that you can get it done and won't have SVT anymore!
Just get the doctor to explain to you what all they are going to do, from prepping you to afterwards.
I went back to see the doctor a month after my ablation just to see how I was doing?
Cardiologists have told me that caffeine can bring on SVT, especially if you drink a lot of it. I quit caffeine, as I was not going to take a chance of bringing on SVT. Besides caffeine stimulates the heart and before I even had SVT, if I drank a lot of it, it made my heart have palpatations for days. You should stay cut back on caffeine even after you have your ablation. Just do it gradually. That is what I did.
There is very little risk to the abation. Any time I have a procedure, I am anxious, that is just human nature. You will do fine, I'm sure!