Does this sound like I'm experiencing SVT??
Posted , 9 users are following.
Ok so first I'll give some background info on myself. I am currently 30 years old male who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weigh 170 lbs. I have been active and involved in sports my whole life primarily basketball and weight lifting as well as sprints and high intensity interval training.
These "attacks" for me started about 3 years ago I'd say I was 27 and just began one day during an intermediate intensity basketball shoot around.
To describe the attacks i suffer from I would say its a sudden "thump" or "drop" of the heart and then it goes into very fast rhythm which then causes me anxiety as a result of this happening and typically i also experience dizziness,weakness, blurred vision and sometimes arm,hand and feet tingling or numbness. I have been to the ER about 15 times in the past two years for these attacks and each time every single thing checks out perfectly and they say its anxiety. the attacks last anywhere from 3-30 minutes and are somwhat different but primarily the same each time.
The most common triggers are exercise of any sort or even doing something thst requires any sort of exertion at all, caffeine (which i have stayed away from completely for over a year now) and stress, although they have happened before completely at rest watching movies at home.
So I've had a month long event monitor and two 48 hour heart monitors and had several attacks happen during these. The cardiologist also has done heart echo or ultrasound testing and stress tests. He says its just pvc and pac episodes even during these attacks. Ive done days upon days of research on this as its affecting my life in such a negative way. All I want is a solution and an answer. To me my episodes sound exactly like svt even though the cardiologist hasn't mentioned svt to me ever.
The thing that really got me to thinking about svt was a colleague of mine at work described her heart issues and she said it was full diagnosed as svt and her description in great detail sounds exactly the same as what i experience in every way.
So my question is does someone with experience think this sounds like svt? If so any suggestions how I should approach this with my cardiologist to not insult him and also to look st possible treatment?
Thanks in advance
0 likes, 34 replies
crissy10179 Aliens05
Posted
Hi I've been living with svt for over 20 years but to be honest it sound like panic attacks to me but always get checked and listen to your cardiologist if you have had all test done and during an episode they would know because of the part of your heart that's effected one night I thought I was having an svt attack but the ambulance officer said it was anxiety and not svt they feel similar hope I eased your mind a little you can ask me anything I'll answer if I can and remember listen to the heart specialist
Aliens05 crissy10179
Posted
Thanks for your reply and i appreciate your insight. I do not know which i suffer from between the anxiety or the svt.
The odd thing i guess to me is that caffeine will always cause it, exercise always will, and even weirder the thing i enjoy most, basketball, will always cause it. Even when im just shooting around and not running around the act of jumping and landing, or during exercise squatting will almost always cause these. However if I remain sedentary and non active i still get the palpitations, but not the attacks. Excessively hot days and walking or running uphill will also cause the attacks, yet they go undiagnosed even with monitoring so maybe anxiety?
If it is anxiety what are some things that may help? The beta blocker propranolol seems to help some but on a daily basis, but isn't much help during exercising. I thought about trying to get a prescription for an anxiety medication but i dont want to go there if in fact it is a heart issue. from the research ive done( and thsts alot) it seems that svt is often misdiagnosed as anxiety attacks (which is what the ER always tells me) however thry have such similar symptoms the only thing that can set it apart is a factual ekg diagnosis.
crissy10179 Aliens05
Posted
Hi again I haven't drank coffee for 14 years it sets of svt for me to so does alcohol so no drinking for me either I used to smoke bad I know but I quit when I used to work a full on job when I sat down my heart would do weird things for hours after so things to help stay hydrated do some relaxation breathing meditation anything to relax the mind and body also ask for the holter monitor so they can catch what's going on because your young and so fit and if it is svt you can have an ablation which I've never had my svt went into remission for 12 years I only had the palpitations weird heart irregularity and bad anxiety
Aliens05 crissy10179
Posted
Thank again. So far ive done two 48 hour monitors and one of the one month long event monitors. They showed nothing but pvc and pac even when I've been in an attack. However i have seen before that people have said their monitors didnt catch svt for some reason and it went undiagnosed foe years. At this point idk what to think i guess. I just want solutions..my cardiologist just started me on calcium channel blocker cartia xt and mentioned i could do ablation if i feel its affecting my life too much. I don't want to go ablation if i dont have to but i want whatever this is gone for good.
crissy10179 Aliens05
Posted
It took 10 years to get a diagnosis for me I got told at the start it was caused by stress and caffeine or every time I went to hospital my heart would be starting to calm down so I could never get a diagnosis until I had an attack that lasted a couple hours I hope you don't have to wait that long for a proper diagnosis
pam39297 crissy10179
Posted
I just came across this forum. I started having PVCS and some SVTS 3 weeks ago. Sometimes I have chest pains with them sometimes light headed when I have a bad one. I have about one every couple of minutes but not synchronized. Getting an event monitor tomorrow. I have had echogram which showed mild triscupid valve leak. Also nuclear stress test said it was ok. Cardiologist says that isn't causing them.(leaky valve) I have been to emergency room 4 times in two weeks with rapid heart beat and chest pain. They get me calmed down and then send me home. I am so scared and these stupid things have put my life on hold. I am desperate for advice and suggestions. Also my activity level has diminished due to chest pain when I do stuff. Driving me crazy!!!
ciaran33745 Aliens05
Posted
Hi. I had SVT until cured completely by an ablation 5 years ago.
Your triggers and symptoms sound very similar to mine (the only exception is the routine exercise trigger which didn't affect me). Bending movements like during basketball are a pretty common SVT trigger.
I probably went to A&E ten times over several years before SVT was diagnosed and treatment given for it.
Anxiety and SVT very often go hand-in-hand so it can be difficult for medics to decide which one it is unless a piece of equipment gives an obvious indicator.
I am ignorant of the differences/nuances between different types of SVT and AF etc. so its possible its not the same SVT I had, but if I were you I would get a second opinion from a different cardio (try to get one recommended by someone you trust). If nothing else, it might put your mind at rest.
Aliens05 ciaran33745
Posted
Thank you for the reply. I feel at times my cardiologist does care but he doesn't listen to what i have to say very well before jumping into whatever hes thinking while im mid sentence. He seems like a good enough guy, but hr doss
Aliens05
Posted
Oops submitted before i was done. Was saying doesn't let me finish before going on to his thoughts. So i may look into a different cardiologist.
ciaran33745 Aliens05
Posted
Yeah, getting all the facts and other evidence before a decision is made is kinda important
lala23623 Aliens05
Posted
Hi there. I hate you are going through this because I can totally relate. When you have those attacks, how fast is your heart usually beating? If you think it may be SVT then you totally have the right to discuss these concerns with your cardiologist or get a second opinion. I exercise a lot but I never get them while im exercising it's usually when I am relaxed the most that they come.
You can also try some anxiety medicines to see if this stops the attacks. If it doesn't then it just may be SVT. So the ER and the cardiologist says that it's anxiety? Both of these attacks have very similar symptoms so it could be either or both.
I would say to voice your concerns. Don't be afraid. Just tell your cardiologist that you know someone who experienced the same symptoms who had SVT and you were just wondering if this could be happening with you. This is your body you have the right to know. Good luck!
Aliens05 lala23623
Posted
Thanks for the wonderful advice first of all. Im not sure how fast my heart has ever reached max during these as by the time i can usually get hooked up to a monitor its already calmed down. I do know that there are times i feel like im in at attack still and the emergency room has clocked my heart at about 180 resting. Also my blood pressure skyrockets during these too. Last time it was 180/112 almost stroking out they told me, but they refrained from administration of any drug other than ativan (lorazepam). The odd thing is out of 10-15 times in the emergency room they've only administrated medication (ativan) one time. Also almost all emergency room drs have said its anxiety, except i had one say it could be a benign tumor on the adrenals because a couple of symptoms didn't sound like anxiety to him and another one did mention sounds like svt even tho it wasn't captured..the rest have all said its a panic attack
lala23623 Aliens05
Posted
Ok, let me ask you this. When you were having the attacks, did they hook you up to an EKG? If they did this would have told them if it was SVT because the electrical signals in your heart would have been going crazy for a lack of better words. Mine was first diagnosed in the ER. My heart rate had gotten up to 204 and they ended up keeping me over night. It was terrifying which is when the anxiety started. I have a heart rate monitor app on my phone which is really good. You should try it so you can keep up with your heart rate during those attacks. It seems like it may be anxiety but you should definitely voice your concerns to your current cardiologist or seek advice from another one. I really hope it's not SVT though because you would probably end up having an ablation like I did. It wasn't bad just scary knowing they are performing surgery on your heart. I hope you get the answers you need soon. Take care.
ciaran33745 lala23623
Posted
Aliens05 lala23623
Posted
They have hooked me up to an ekg but usually each time its after the attack has passed or is calming down. They haven't got an ekg in full blown attack yet. However i did have attacks while on a Holter monitor and he said just pvcs despite the blurred vision tingling extremities feeling like i was gonna pass out and feeling of impending doom that lasted 20-45 mins or so each time