svt

They told me no more then 20 minutes if your heart rate goes up in the 130s or more and doesn't go down after vagal maneuvers. Symptoms are racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness and you can also pass out. Definitely go if you pass out. When I would have an svt I would immediately lay down on my bed, stack a bunch of pillows and elevate my feet and it would calm my heart down. I would try vagal maneuvers before you go to the hospital, it will save you some money. Look up vagal maneuvers on Google. They help a lot.

Try running very cold water on your wrists.  Stop and start again when doing this for at least 5 minutes.  The water needs to be almost unbearable cold so sometimes a bowl of ice is just as good.  Then I sit down with my leg up under my chin.  I had an attack yesterday and it stopped after 5 mins after doing this,  It works for me every time.  Also to get someone to massage your shoulders this stopped it too in the past but now I just stick to cold water especailly if i am on my own.  Part of the problem is during an attack you tense and you really need to relax.  Hope this helps.

For myself.... most of the time, my heart rate is anywhere from 220 to 270.  Sometimes it goes up in the 300's and that's when I struggle.  I can't even move because I think my hearts going to explode, I start to see flashing lights, and start blacking out.  I would say, at that point to go to the hospital.  Also, sometimes my SVT's last a few minutes, and the longest I ever had was 2 and half hours.  I did not go to the hospital, because I kept assuming that by the time I got there, it would stop by then.  Anyway, during any and all episodes.. I get short of breath, very hard to even talk, tight feeling and burning feeling in neck, dizzy, lightheaded, racing heart and pounding heart, where you can see my chest pounding just by looking.  I'm sorry I can't answer your question about when you would want to go to the hospital.  My best answer would be that it depends on the person.  If the symptoms are unbearable or it last a lot longer then usual and it won't stop itself.  Best wishes...

I just had an svt attack a few days ago. It lasted about 3 hours. My heart rate was about 165 beats per minute the whole time. I was able to breathe comfortably, but I started to get worried when it was longer than 2 hours. I usually splash my face with ice water, lie down and rest, or do a val salva maneuver. My heart rate finally went down after I splashed my face with cold, but not iced, water. Before this episode, I was content not taking any meds, but after the last attack, I decided to take meds to help with my svt and pac's. So far it's working. I went to the ER when I had a svt attack back in May 2012, my heart rate was over 200 bpm and I wasn't able to breathe. I was scared! 

Hi. So I'm on a beta blocker to keep my heart normal. But when I have attacks , anything after 130 for me and I would lie down and see if it would lower. But if it continued for me no more than 20 or 30 minutes. If it's not coming down it causes a lot of stress on your heart and your body for that matter. I never passed out but, I get pain in the left side of my neck from tension, tremors, tight throat shortnessnof breath, hot and cold, tingling hands and feet. Feels like I'm dying every time. Very truamatic, so for me 20 or 30 minutes like that feels like forever. Recently I had an attack, so we drove to the hospital but I knew the dr wasn't going to fix me due to the fact I'm on a beta blocker and have anxiety and I had already taken the meds they would have given me...so we sat in the parking lot until it came down on its own. Sounds stupid but I've been to ER too many times..I just needed to feel like I had help if my heart didn't come down on its own. I have a Samsung phone and an app called S health there's a place on the back of the phone to measure heart rate so I check it until i feel it's safe to drive back home. Anyway, there are ways to bring the heart rate down, for me they didn't work, except for lying down. The people on this forum have good tips. Ask questions and see if any of it works for you. I'm sorry you have to deal with this also. But there is support so you are not alone. Take care

Thank-You everyone for your replys...I just find the advice given by medical staff to patients with svt very conflicting...One said, Oh your heart can go on for hours at a rate of 160 yet another said, Well my advice would be to head down to the hospital after about 15 minutes if it's not settling at that rate!!!

I think that's what I find realyy unsettling.

 

Hi Gillian

I was in your other discussion, but my iphone has broken and i'm using my PC and I can't find your other message board!

Just wondering how your appointment went. Did you get that referral?

To answer your current question. My heart rate used to go to 240bpm and it would last up to 2 hours - 7 hours was my record when I was first diagnosed.

Clinical advice has always been to be in an ED if it's been going an hour. For me the hospital is 30 mins away, so after half and hour if it hasn't stopped, I would think about getting a lift in. Have the cardiologists prescribed you any rescue meds? Often they will give you a "pill in your pocket" to chew if an SVT starts, that will kick it out in 20 minutes or so most of the time. 

In 10 years i've had adenosine 4 times in hospital, most of the time it used to stop after 30/45 minutes. But everyones different, if your heart rate is lower 150 say, then you might be comfortable to wait longer.

As we get older, it seems to me to take longer to recover from a long episode, so I followed the advice of my cardiology friends and colleagues and took myself off there within the hour.

Hope that helps

Best wishes

Chris