Anxiety/Paranoia after SVT episode...
Posted , 5 users are following.
It has been 2 weeks since I suffered my very first instance of what has been diagnosed to me as SVT... As a seemingly healthy 25-year old male, who does not smoke, drink, do drugs, drink energy drinks, etc., I still cannot decipher what exactly set my heart off to 200bpm in the first place, resulting in my hospitalization. Anyhow, I was hospitalized for 2-3 days, not needing an ablation (though my cardiologist insisted on an LHC to check my coronaries for blockages, and there were none) and am on metoprolol tartrate 25mg and wearing a heart monitor - which always seems to scare me when I least expect - for the next month as a precaution.
It sounds simple that I'm able to type this up, but it is not that simple when I have so many anxieties about this... I keep asking, "why did this happen to me?", "could this have been prevented?", "can I prevent future episodes?" and so on, especially because I have a gut instinct that my SVT (type: afib) was triggered by excess stress from work, food poisoning and a possible heat stroke...that's only my opinion, based on what I experienced at the time...
But I'm overstressing myself to the point that I must ask; is it normal to feel this kind of speculative paranoia after an SVT episode...especially if it is your very first time?
0 likes, 4 replies
shirl1228 loyalmoonie
Posted
Yes it is!! I had my very first one at the end of March this year, and had no idea what was happening to me. Thought I was checking out! I was in the hospital for 10 days. I do know that o told my cardiologist I wanted to fix it. Had quite a few test done to make sure I had no blockage, I didn't want to do a bunch of beta blockers so I elected to have a pacemaker which controls it when it happens. Best thing I ever did. I'm back to living my life as normal. Only a baby aspirin a day along with my BP medicine that I had been on for years. I feel wonderful.
annie56356 loyalmoonie
Posted
There's a separate group here for AF which you might like to look at too. Good luck with this.
Lolasmom loyalmoonie
Posted
Shige loyalmoonie
Posted
I can relate to your experience 100%. I’m 41, active, healthy and been an adrenaline junkie through my 20’s-30’s(bungee jumping, skydiving, big wave surf, etc.) so I never thought about my heart screwing up on me. I had my 1st SVT while touring Alcatraz prison. I thought I was having a heart attack and was just done. Wrote it off as side effects from taking cold medicine, not enough sleep, stress from business and caffeine. Then I had about 8 more episodes while working out over the next year. Labor Day 2017 was the big one that sent me to the ER. HR was 210, thy did modified valsalva maneuver and voila! Back to normal HR abut with crazy adrenaline pumping so I was suddenly cold and shaking.
Anyway, I can relate to your experience as I’ve become a shell of my former self. Had an SVT episode while plane was taxiing for take off from Louisiana last week, another 1st, paramedic ride to ER after doc on plane said my bp was high even though she knew what was happening. (This time they got bucket of ice and I dunked head in which also worked). Bottom line, due to the circumstances where I’ve experience SVTS I have started avoiding movie theaters, planes, crowded restaurants, etc. due to anxiety of having another episode.
Cardiologist said three options to manage: 1. Lifestyle changes (e.g. < stress, > sleep, cut out coffee, etc.) 2. RX, 3. Surgery.
I’m currently 40 days into #2. Lifestyle changes did not fix, Cartia 120mgXT also not “fixing”, so now I’m scheduled with an ElectroPhysiologist next week to get ablation on the books.
I think it’s normal to feel fear and anxiety after something happenes to our bodies that are out of our control, especially with an organ like our heart.
I’ve been focusing on prayer and meditation more often which seems to help my mind and when I start feeling like it’s coing on I’ll really try and focus on something in the PRESENT, instead of worrying about what might happen.