New diagnosis

You are obviously really frustrated and worried about this. My first reaction was that you might feel better if you went to a different consultant? stick with it though, and persist until you get answers.....good luck with it all...

I Don't really understand..  Wouldn't they know if you had svt or not?  You went in and they gave you an Ekg no?  If they didn't catch it on an ecg..  Why wouldn't they just give you a monitor to wear or something?

Well, it's tough when we anxious about something like this. But then, I have to wonder if the consultants attitude is because he knows you are not in any danger of heart disease? it's frustrating that he dosen't sit you down and explain why he's not worried about you if that is the case. I've googled SVT and I guess most of you have done that. It's hard to believe but I've read that 45 to 70% of people with normal healthy hearts have SVT at different times of their lives. Same with ectopics, but not everyone feels them. Those of us who do are made anxious and miserable by them. And I don't know that doctors and consultants realise just how miserable we are with these darn episodes. How many posts on these sites have you all read where sadly, some quite young people experience these and become so frightened, they change their whole lifestyle, sometimes not wanting to leave the house in case they have an episode. Knowing we are not alone does make a difference, and when we have got all the medical advice, tests etc, and our specialists don't seem worried and send us home, then perhaps it's because we can also relax about them. Some type of counselling by a medical person perhaps, to help us accept that we are actually okay, now maybe that's the way to go. Good luck everyone, Lizzie

I can totally sympathise with you, the consultants never seem to rush anything! I take that as a sign they are not worried though but keep chasing it up.  Its easy to say try not to worry but I find if I get stressed it triggers an SVT. I had a monitor fitted for a week just to see how frequent mine were as I was diagnosed in A&E after an episode of 250 bpm for about 2 hours and treated with adenosine, (previously I was told it was a panic attack)! I was sweating, dizzy, sick and exhausted for at least a week after this episode. It had started whilst in a meeting at work.   I got a strange sensation sweep across my body, went hot and bingo heart went like the clappers. I get them now and again but try all the suggested strategies to stop it. I hope you get sorted soon so good luck.

That's terrible they can't give you a definite diagnosis.  That must be very frustrating and I'm sure it causes anxiety.  Speaking of anxiety, I'm 53 years old and I've always been a bit anxious but I have been very active the last several years.  Gone to exercise classes four of five times a week.  Go shopping, etc. with no problem.  Well that all changed when I developed SVT.  I had my first episode about five months ago.  I started feeling faint and really strange.  DIdn't even realize my heart was pounding.  I brushed it off as a panic attack of something like that.  A week and a half later I felt the same way.  Like I was about to pass out or something.  I then took my blood pressure at home and saw my heart rate was 155.  I know that freaked me out and probably thru me into a panic.  I then thought I was going to die, literally.    I mean I literally did.  I had an ambulance come and take me to the hospital. When they arrived I was lying face down on the bed and I could feel this strong pulsing feeling in my head.  I felt like I was "fading out" or something.  I was shaking and couldn't stop.  I kept saying over and over, I am going to die, I know I am going to die.  It was the worse experience of my life!  So scary!!  By the time I was put in the ambulance my heart rate was going down and I was starting to feel normal again.  I was throwing pvc's every 20 seconds or so but I've had those for years and am used to them.  Anyway, I saw a cardiologist and had a 30 day event monitor put on.  I was having two or three SVT's per day while wearing that thing. I was a NERVOUS WRECK!  I practically stayed in bed for two weeks and barely got up and moved around because I was so afraid of these things.  I even called ambulance one other time.  I don't think I was having an SVT, I think it was just a major panic attack at least that's what they told me at the hospital.  I was put on a low dose beta blocker and I don't have them very often now.  Every now and then but I'm not as afraid as I used to be.  I can do a vagal maneuver that always brings them down.  I do however still have a lot of anxiety about going out.  I rarely go to my exercise classes anymore.  If I do, I'm usually a nervous wreck.  Here's a funny story.  I bought a sports watch to wear when I go to my exercise classes so I can keep an eye on my heart rate.  I'm so scared that I will have one during the class and start to feel faint.  I went to my kickbox  class the other day that I used to LOVE.  I was trying to relax and enjoy the class but it was so hard.  I was 15 minutes or so into class and I glanced at my watch.  It showed 170.  I thought, that's strange it shouldn't be that high.  I tried to ignore it thinking it would come down.  I glanced at it again and it was 180!  I couldn't understand why I ddn't feel faint.  I decided to leave class and I went to the locker room to sit down.  I did my vagal maneuver but it stayed at 180.  Then I laid down on the couch and it wouldn't go down.  Then I realized that it wasn't showing my heart rate after all it was showing how many calories I had burned.   LOL  I then pushed another button on watch and it showed 115.  I was relieved and went back to class.  Anyway, I feel my life has changed as far as the anxiety.  I just feel uptight going to my classes anymore.  I can exercise at home and not even wear the watch or worry and I haven't had an episode yet while exercising.  I am however anxious now when I go to drive my car.  Always afraid I may have one when driving.  I'm also avoiding going into stores.  I send my husband.  I hate going.  I fear that I will have a SVT while I'm there.  I force myself to go at times but feel so anxious, almost panicky.  Anyone else feel this way?  My electrophysiologist told me that I won't die from these but I just have so much fear.  Not so much from feeling the pounding but the worst part for me is when I feel that I may faint. 

Hi Micky

I'm also under investigation for svt, I had a bad attack yesterday and feel really lethargic, headaches and tired today.

It is so frustrating and I find it really scary, it came on at the train station just stood waiting on my own, I tend to leave it a while holding my breath but I was getting bad pains for the first time, I was only round the corner from the hospital so I got a taxi, by the time I got there it was 203 (it has gone up to 230) and it was getting difficult to breath.

My oxygen levels were low so they were about to give me the drug to stop it which I've had a few times when's gone on for a long time, suddenly it just went to 100 and I felt normal again.

I've been really lucky with consultant and a&e staff they really reassure me that it's safe and i'll be ok, I'm waiting to see an electrical specialist and discussed with my last consultant about having ablation. I'm a bit scared of that but if it means it can end having any more palps I'll have it.

I have a plan of action for what I'll do if it starts which helps, I have a palp checker app on my phone so I monitor it, I sort childcare if need be aka ring a mate, I hold my breath and stay calm, still palping after 20mins I ring a taxi and go get it stopped. My consultant recommended I get it stopped after 20mins.

I really hope you can get sorted it's scary and you need to speak to a consultant that will answer you questions and put you at ease.