1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Supraventricular Tachycardia

Mom with SVT

Posted , 5 users are following.

JeanJohn
JeanJohn

My 78 y/o mom had her first episode of SVT 2 years ago. The cardiologist did a bunch of tests (holter, stress test, ECG, echo, etc..) and all were normal. She has not had any episode. She is in good health. No medications. I am worried that she is going to get another SVT episode. We are flying to Thailand in a few months - 14 hours flight- and I'm worried that she is going to get an episode in flight. Any suggestions what we need to do to prevent it and what we need to do if she gets it. Thank you.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • kaylee9695
    kaylee9695 JeanJohn

    Posted

    For starters they say heart healthy foods. Stay away from caffeine and smoking. If she has an episode or starts to feel funny she needs to lay down. It's also best to not lift anything heavy even laundry. As well as sitting down most of the day. Anything to keep your heart rate down. My condition i have to have medicine to control it but there are ways of keeping your heart rate down with some conditions.
  • geoff10274
    geoff10274 JeanJohn

    Posted

    Hello Jean,  A low dose beta blocker helps with reducing episodes of svt, as well as avoiding caffeine, smoking and excess alcohol.  However, your mother's incidence of svt is very low at present so I suspect this is the reason she is not on beta blockers.  When I suffered from svt, it always started when I was sitting or lying down.  Try to avoid extreme tiredness.  There are various manoeuvres or ways you can try to stop svt which your doctor will tell you about.  As all other tests are normal, tell her not to panic or worry unduly about it, but It is very unpleasant.  An ablation cured mine.  Best wishes.
  • sue73
    sue73 JeanJohn

    Posted

    Make sure she keeps well hydrated – lots of soft drinks and water. Definitely no tea, coffee or alcohol. But really, try not to worry. I have had two SVT episodes when waiting for a flight (because I am a nervous traveller) and both times I went on to catch the plane and after a couple of hours my heart returned to normal. I now take a low-dose beta blocker (propanolol) if I'm about to go into a stressful situation and that keeps my heart rate low; and also I have been given a drug called flecainide and if I have a really bad attack I take one pill and that stops it! The doctors always say simple SVT can't hurt you, no worse than hiccups really, just a nuisance!
  • poppy08416
    poppy08416 JeanJohn

    Posted

    She hasn't had an episode for 2 years so it's pretty unlikely.  Beta blocker drugs can convert as can vasovagal manouver (look on  youtube).  Most 78 year olds are on beta blocker anyway.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.