Posted , 62 users are following.
Does anyone else worry about their SVT or do you just accept it as a harmless nuisance. I can't stop worrying about getting another attack, how do you accept it and live a normal life again?
4 likes, 139 replies
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poppy08416 toffeecushion
Edited
Yes I live with it. When it starts I take a betablocker. Sometimes it doesn't work so I go to hospital after a few hours, sometimes I carry on for longer if I have things to get done.
I come from a generation where SVT was tolerated, not medicated or abalated unless it occurred for several hours per day. Now people are getting a risky ablation procedure after only one episode and on long term medications which have their own risks.
In 30 years I've travelled wherever I've wanted, run triathlons, pushed out twin babies at age 38 after carrying them to term. To even consider letting such a minor condition stop me from doing a single thing I want to do is ridiculous. I get really frustrated at hearing young people restrict themselves to being at home because they had a few episodes and get a few ectopic beats. I think people in America need to visit a few hospitals and see what real illness looks like.
toffeecushion poppy08416
Posted
cheryl84115 poppy08416
Posted
Hi. My GP put me on betablockers but the Cardio told me to stop taking them. He said, the betablocker in itself takes 45 to absorb and have any impact on the SVT. I weened mysself of of them. I know we are all different but not taking the BB makes sense really. I was initially given the BB as a pill in the pocket. When I had an attack, I took a BB, waitied and no help so I took another. (said up to 2 at a time) still nothing. My heart was going at 246 bmp. I ended up in A&E with an injection of adnesone which is horriffic. Talk about it's nick name, The Grim Reaper!!! My life flashed before my eyes.
usersav poppy08416
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I have 7 attacks a day with eptopic beats .
It’s not just something I can live with . I hope others that are reading this know that everyone is different . I have my ablation end of November . I can’t wait . My daily life each day brings new challenges. I am a positive person but this gets me down .
Lolasmom usersav
Posted
patricia30469 usersav
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I'll be going in for mine on 6/11, I have no concerns about it, It has been recommended that I take a week of work.
I'm looking forward to the results my ablation brings
Good luck with yours usersav
usersav patricia30469
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danny52004 toffeecushion
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In my case, I experienced my first episode when I was 17 in high school, back then all the episodes lasted less than a minute, and usually occured once or twice a month, so I could live with it.
But things have been different since I started swimming and boxing few years ago, especially when I compete, it's definetly going to trigger an episode that will last at least half an hour at 200 bpm. This is very sad because I'm a good swimmer and I really enjoy boxing, now I basically said goodbye to both activities.
I'm thinking of getting an ablation so that I can train and compete without worrying about another episode. If it's AVNRT and the reetrant pathway is close to the His bundle, I will probably find a EP who can do cryoablation to minimize the risk.
cheryl84115 danny52004
Posted
I find it so sad that some of us SVT sufferers end up giving up things we love. I have been assured by my cardio that exercise in and of itself can't trigger SVT. As our problem is one of an electrical nature, it can happen any time, anywhere. I had an attack while soaking in a bubble bath which ended in me going to A&E. I know we are all different and our experiences are all varied but fundamentally, we are all similar. My first episode was when i was 14, then 21, 23 then nothing for over 20 years then BAM...every 4-5 weeks. I feel the ablation is the best way forward for me. I wouldn't like to comment on whats best for anyone other than myself. All I do know is SVT, when frequently reoccurring, is difficult to live with and it can make ones life hell. I wish you all the best.
jackie223 toffeecushion
Posted
I just think we need to think different it's not easy my episode four hours always when I sleep it's not easy I pray a lot
amy19390 toffeecushion
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I've tried accepting it as a harmless nuisance but it has brought out extreme anxiety for me. I have a hard time doing things I love like volleyball, running, hiking etc all because I'm afraid it's going to happen. I've tried beta blockers but didn't really help me and I had bad side effects from it. Currently debating getting an ablation but I'm only 23 so I'm worried about that too
chrisce81902 amy19390
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Hi I'm 23 yes old too have svt on beta blockers carvedilol do u take any medication tofor blood thinning?
penny97720 chrisce81902
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with svt you don't need a blood thinner because its a regular rhythm but just beats very fast, you only need a blood thinner for atrial fibrallation which is an irregular rhythm
d1203 toffeecushion
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you will get another attack and it will happen when you least expect it. but the thing is that its just like many other harmless condition out there. it is like a migrane or less really.
I was traumatised when I had my first attack and then the second and third happened within a few months. when I had my 2nd attack, however, I figured out how to stop it. I just used positional changes like squatting down or lying down and breathing slowly as nothing else helped. I now get maybe 2 attacks per year and I stop them within a minute. no more rushing to A&E in panic. it has become a condition I can control and I am in charge.
I do mostly get attacks when i havent slept enough or am dehydrated combined with anxiety or caffeine or new situations in life.
Be confident about it and have a few maneuvres ready for when the next attack happens. Figure out what stops it for you to gain confidence.
You will be alright! there is worse that could be wrong with you than svt!
barbara82174 toffeecushion
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Hi, I am 64 yrs old and have been living with SVT since age 10. Back then I was told by many different physicians that it was just anxiety, which was definitely not true. As a child the episodes were short and far between, sometimes once a year, sometimes once every two years, or so. As I've gotten older, the attacks are more frequent and lasting a lot longer. I have been to the ER many times over the years and have had adenisone administered four different times. It is horrible, as you all know. What works best for me is as soon as the attack starts I lie on the floor and my husband lifts both my legs straight up in the air and holds them there as I do some deep breathing and bearing down. It works almost every single time. Try it!! Another thing that works sometimes is submerging my entire face into a sink filled with ice cold water. Make sure it's ice shockingly cold. I will do that a few times and it will stop the SVT. I've traveled the world, have been on flights for 8-9 hours, and I will not let this SVT control my life. I always try to remain calm, even though that is difficult to do. The only time I go to the ER is if the attack lasts longer than 1.5 hours. Most of the time, it won't last that long. Take charge when you have an attack, and tell it that you are the boss of your body. I know it's difficult. I know it's scary! I've been told also by my cardiologist that SVT will not kill you, so I will repeat that in my head over and over while having the attack. Good Luck. You are not alone, but remain strong and enjoy your life. Don't allow the SVT to take over, because if you do, it will!!
Lolasmom barbara82174
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Is there a reason you have not tried having an ablation done?
barbara82174 Lolasmom
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Hi Lolasmom, I know a few people who have had the ablation more than once without success. I also know another woman who ended up with a pacemaker a few weeks after having the ablation, due to complications. This frightens me. I would rather live with this, then to have them go in to my otherwise healthy heart and end up with a pacemaker or maybe worse damage. I guess that fear is holding me back. I figured if I've lived with it this long, I can continue, at least I'm hoping to anyway.
Lolasmom barbara82174
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The one thing I will not do is go back on beats blockers. it was a nightmare. the side affect were absolutely awful, and then when i was told to just stop them for the ablation, I had terrible withdrawls.
I would rather deal with SVT than be on Bisoprolol
paullie barbara82174
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Hi Barbara82174,
I feel like my story is very similar to yours...I was diagnosed with SVT 18 years ago...I do not want to have an ablation...I've gone to the ER a handful of times...I too have success with the leg lifting technique, however I don't bear down, instead I blow with my nose and mouth closed...my traveling doesn't include long distances, I do get anxious but I don't let it stop me..so nice to know we are not alone.
barbara82174 paullie
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Hi Paullie, Good for you!
Do you pinch your nose closed and blow through your mouth? I will have to try that, also. Thanks! I just returned from a trip to Cape Cod. One stop on our tour was a day trip to Provincetown, at the very northern tip of the cape. Our guide informed us that the closest hospital was over 2 hours away back in Hyannis. That made me very anxious, to say the least, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from going. I prayed a lot, and tried my best to remain calm, but I kept thinking OMG what if I have an attack and it doesn't go away, will I ever make it to the hospital? Even though being anxious doesn't really cause an svt attack, it certainly does add to my skipped beats and racing heart rate, which sometimes leads to an episode. Well, my husband gave me a small pep talk, I made it through the day, and I had the best time in P'town. I was so proud of myself, once again, for not letting this SVT take over, and of course I thanked our good Lord for keeping the SVT at bay. Sometimes, it's simply mind over matter, as we get so caught up in these episodes. I call it 'the monkey on my back'. We must try to live our lives as normally as possible. It is not so easy, at times, but we can all do it. 
paullie barbara82174
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Hi Barbara, yes you pinch your nose closed and blow thru your mouth. I too would have been anxious that a hospital was 2 hours away😕 But good for you for getting past it! And it helps build your confidence for your next journey that you encounter!
barbara82174 paullie
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