Svt and sport

is it your gp what keeps tell you this if i was you insist that you are referred to hospital to see heart consultant my gp keep telling me mine was panic attacks till i saw consultant at barnsley hospital did tests and told me i had svt in june this year had abalation and been great ever since had it 5 years had enough of heart racing over 250 to 300 beats per minute i now how you feel they don't listen to you half the time but believe me insist about hospital when i got an attack i could move never mind do exercise  they can put a monitor on him for 24 48 or even 7 days to monitor whats going on they did that for me  hope this helps good luck

Exercise is the way I keep my SVT under control.  I have more episodes without exercise.  The key to this illness is fitness. 

If he builds up his fitness then he can play rugby.  But he shouldn't jump into a full rugby game without the fitness.  Do some running, building up to a few miles, or something similar which he'll actually do (biking or some other cardio).  Maybe do a lot of rugby training before a full game.

But the worst thing you can do is not do exercise.  If he wants to play rugby and then enjoys it will only be good for him in the long run.

I've always had SVT.  I now exercise 5 days per week and that helps me keep it under control.  I played football and rugby as a kid.  It was when I lost my fitness and had stress in my life that my attacks were the worst.

Hi Kate; I agree with Chris. If your son works up to it and builds his endurance gradually, it will only benefit his heart. I'm a 56 year old marathon and ultramarathon runner from Canada who has been running over 30 years and  was diagnosed with SVT in February. I had my first episode of tachycardia during a long run back in November. I had about ten more episodes and finally went to my GP who referred me to a cardiologist. I would only get an episode during a run and I never knew when it would hit. Sometimes a mile into  run. Sometimes 20 miles in. Sometimes, not at all. My cardiologist put me on a beta blocker to slow my heart rate. He recommended cardiac ablation which I will be having done in hospital very soon. As long as I take the beta blocker as prescribed, I can run fine. I've worn Holter loop monitors during my runs to record any tachycardia and when it happens my HR goes to 250 BPM and I'm forced to walk. But I have no problem with running and log 120-140 km per week with a weekly long run of 35 to 55km. I specifically asked my cardiologist if I am doing myself harm by running such long distances and he said no. Running has made my heart very strong, it's just the electrical system that's a little out of whack and the ablation should correct that. So I hope your son enjoys his rugby!