How to cope with SVT....Need advice...ablation or drugs or nothing?

Hello everyone,

I am 27 years old and have been recently diagnosed with svt and have just started to get the annoying PVCs too. I have not really tried any meds to help with the svt yet. I have mild asthma so can only take a very lose dose of beta blocker. I tired calcium channel blockers for 2 weeks only but they do not work for me and i hated the side effects. Now i am thinking about an ablation. I have read very few success stories and many horror stories. Personally i'm afraid of the whole procedure and don't like the idea of scarring/burning areas of my heart. I just want to ask other SVT sufferers that have had an ablation for their experiences.
After the procedure did you experience other arrythmias such as increased PVCS? I have read that some people still get the svt but only very short runs instead of the sustained attacks. I also remember asking a paramedic about ablations and he said they were not a very good idea unless your svt attacks were unbearable and very frequent. He told me that the scarring from the ablation has caused some patients to suffer AFIB later on in life! How true are these rumours?

Also are there any SVT sufferers who have found success with drugs rather than the ablation? Or perhaps you have other coping techniques that work during an svt attack??
It would be interseting to see how many people have taken the ablation route, drug therapy route or do nothing and just put up with it route!

[CollegeGirl143]

oi vey.. Another example of beware of what you read... Unless that paramedic is secretly an EP, cardiologist, or had prior experience with ablation himself, he really is in no position to make a judgement on ablation..

Depending on what type of SVT you have, success rates usually vary around 90-98%... These are VERY good numbers..

I had an ablation for SVT and its the only thing that saved me and made the anxiety stop.. Yes i had more frequent palps in the month i was healing, but after that, i felt less palpiations..

Complications during ablation are less than one percent.. And i can safely say as a patient that fell into that one percent, the complication i suffered was extremely minor, and didnt change my opinion on the procedure whatso ever.. I give ablation a 5 star review.. Its the only thing that stopped my anxiety...

[PikaPika88]

Ablation takes 5 to 10 stars at that few recent years that I classified.  When my A-Fib came in 2005, my cardio said he expected. It just come in a bit early!

Now 2007, showed that portion of my heart muscle dead. Heart wall movement impaired.  Again another cardio said that the infarction could due to the radiofrequency ablation and less likely a blockage.  I think the Research is waiting for the first few radiofrequency survivors reported.  

I wonder now a day so many young children have the ablation....  I think the bio medical engineers need to speedy up their invention of artifical heart.  Otherwise will turn up their parent or lovers going to robb a good heart for their child or love one. LOL  

Ask the medhelp doctors if anyone have a chance to get in that answered forum.

[anacyde]

I have read the horror stories too, but the statistics are excellent.  The internet can be a frightening place!  90%+ for successful SVT ablation.  I don't much care for the idea of burning my heart either.  I've been dealing with the PSVT for 12 years now.  I mostly experience PACs.  They're my warning to back off, as if I don't, the SVT will typically follow a rapid succession of the single ectopics.

I like natural management, avoiding the potential triggers.  However, if an ablation is indicated, it's a risk versus benefit issue.

[sb786]

Was your ablation for svt? Was the svt cured?
Are you saying the ablation caused your AFIB?

[PikaPika88]

I've His bundle ablation.  SVT & medication free for 20 years.  During these time, I had 2 babies.  Considering successful.

2005, I've vibration in my chest.  I told the cardio.  He said is A-Fib.  He expected I'll have that but didn't expect it'll come so early. (He knew what caused because he expected but I did't expect the A-Fib is included in the ablation package.  I expected cure with no side effect that what they told me before the ablation in 1985.)

I didn't read and see any ablation package in the web.  All I read is unsuccessful then tried again and again....  And so many parents wanted their children to do it as early as the EP will do it.  

I wish to see and read some posts who had their ablation more than 20 years.  What comes up?  A compare?  Well, I know normal human being could have A-Fib too but not 100%. Would the scar caused the heart muscle dead and movement impaired?  Are these in the ablation package?

[mariop]

I just had an ablation the other day and unfortunately the doctor could not reproduce the arrhythmia.  However because he was fairly familir with my heart he burned the most likely areas.  It will take 2-3 weeks to find out if there was any success.

The reason for an ablation is that the meds do not control the problem or the side effects are intolerable.  In my case all the meds we tried either were not effective or I wasn't able to handle the dizziness, or other side effects.

If this ablation was not sufficiently successful, I will go for a repeat ablation.  My only complaint is that my EP is booked for two and a half months. This is a long time to wait when you get pounded relentlessly by your heart day in and day out.

[PikaPika88]

We got no more choice left!  Ablation is only the last resource.....  Some, they not even try the medicine yet!  Only some.....  but I'm still wishing them "Good Luck" and "Take care"!  Long term medication can cause other organ damage too!  Really a hard option.

[CollegeGirl143]

I didnt remember mine at all.. I remember them giving me a sedative, saying "night" and i woke up four hours later infront of a tv in a bed... I remembered going up an elevator to get to the cath lab, so i guess once i started coming too i kept asking over and over again "how did i get here? did i go on the elevator?" someone would tell me yes, and then ide ask again like 30 seconds later lol.. I woke up briefly during the ablation when they induced my svt because im so sensative to it.. all and all, it was a very easy procedure...

[mariop]

Well I did experience some discomfort; mostly from my body being in a fixed position for a long time.  You cannot move at all, your hands are tied and there's an oxygen mask that felt as if it was suffocating me.  I think the Aenastheleogist was an idiot.  Otherwise the whole procedure was fairly tolerable.

My ablation was for PVCs that originate in my left ventricle.  There's a site with more info on this:
pvcablation.com

I have to wait for 2-3 weeks to see if it was successful, if not I will request a repeat ablation.  I do not tolerate meds well, so there's no choice left.  My problem is that my EP is booked for a couple of months;  sad to say but there just aren't enough EPs around to do these procedures.  Moreover, I found the typical advise about "just forget them, their benign" to be nonsensical. An irregular heart beat is un-natural, and somewhere down the road it must take its toll on the heart apparatus.

[sb786]

I hope your ablation was successful. What was the ablation for?
I have not really tried any meds to see whether they will help. I am currently on a low dose beta blocker and i hate the dizziness. My resting heart rate and bp are naturally very low so i cannot take a great amount of heart meds. What was the actual ablation procedure like for you?

[vange]

Ablation...Im 26 female, and had one 4 years ago...i havent had SVT since...my heart rate was up to 240bpm...so I hear ya....I didnt even have an EP study because they caught it on an ekg strip from the paramedics...honestly, i havent had any runs of SVT...just have annoying PVCs now...dont worry, it could be just what helps you.

[kjaj]

I have had PAT and SVT for 22 years now and have managed it quite well with meds. For many years I was on Digoxin but eventually it stopped working effectively. Then I began a very old medication called Norpace and it has really done the trick! I may get a skipped beat or so 1 or 2 times per week but no racing episodes. However when I was on Prozac for 2 months this last winter I ended up in the ER with a geat rate of 185. I beleive it was a side effect of the prozac as the pharmacist told me it is a possibility even though the doctor's said they did not think so. I stopped the Prozac! They reccomended the abaltion to me but after a stress test the doctor said I was very healthy and so was my heart and that  only having 2 real episodes in 22 years I could continue the meds and hold off on the ablation. Over the years I have always had skipped beats and a few minor episodes of a racing pulse but nothing major as it did subside and I am a very anxious person to boot! I really feel good with the norpace. I don't plan to have an ablation unless it is absolutely necessary.

[diagnoseme]

I had an ablation six weeks ago (Sep 09) for SVT.  My cardiologist said that I was "cured" and that there was only a 1-2% chance it would return.  Well, it returned.  About four weeks ago, I had a short 5-minute episode while taking a shower.  And a few days later, had a couple of 1-2 minute episodes.  Then this past weekend, I had an episode that lasted over 45 minutes before I went to the ER because I couldn't get it to stop on my own.  While in the ER, my heart rate was between the 170's to 230's.  After 30+ minutes of waiting for the dr, I was given adenison via iv two different times (the first one didn't work) before my heart rate finally slowed to the low 100's.  This has been so frustrating.  I opted for the ablation rather than meds because I am trying to get pregnant and then after I had it done, it started back even more frequent that before.  I have also had continuous heart palpations all throughout the day which is very bothersome.  Not sure what to do...??  I am 32 years old and this has been an ongoing problem for at least 15 years, which has gotten worse and more frequent as I have gotten older.  This was the second time I've had to go to the ER this year and about the sixth time total, all within the past 5 years.  Does anyone know if there are any meds out there for this that will be safe while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy?  The last thing I want to do is take anything which may be harmful but I don't know how much more of my fast heart rate and palpatations I can take.  

[bruce587]

If you're looking for a 20-year follow-up on outcomes to a catheter ablation, you're probably not going to get one. The procedure itself isn't that old yet, having been developed in the mid-90s.

I am a 51-year-old male. I have "paroxysmal atrial fibrillation." It was controlled adequately with drugs for awhile but over the course of 10+ years has progressed to the point where the frequency of breakthrough arrhythmias was affecting my quality of life.

The standard EP treatment for AFIB is called a PVA (pulmonary vein ablation). This involves placing four shunts in your groin; they go up your vena cava, poke a hole from there through the heart septum into your LEFT atrium, and zap the area around all four pulmonary veins.

I had this procedure 4 days ago. I feel like I'm bouncing back pretty well. I still have some chest tightness and my lung function isn't yet what it was. The good news is that I'm just having an occasional palpitation or a brief flutter (a few times an hour) and I'm hoping even these will go away in time. This despite no longer taking any of my meds.

One thing that makes my situation unique is that I also have pulsatile tinnitus. Every heartbeat that I have had in the last 4 years can be heard as a ringing in my left ear. Ring...ring...ring...it never stops. I guess that's good but because of this I may be more sensitive to what is going on in my chest than a lot folks would be.

I'm told that these procedures can be effective in 95%+ of the cases. That said, please also understand the following:

1) it's not unusual for a patient to have to endure a second or third procedure to reach that 95th percentile.
2) it takes awhile [3-6 months] for your heart to heal completely, during which your arrhythmia may persist or even be worse than it was beforehand.
3) your definition of a "cure" may be different from that of the medical community. If you want the ablation to leave you completely free of "skipped beats" then you're probably expecting too much.

Also understand that it is the nature of these web forums to attract those who are NOT a success story. The ones who have good outcomes tend to be grateful to the medical profession, and are too busy moving on with their lives to give others the benefit of their perspective.

Arrhythmias are distressing, but by themselves are rarely life-threatening. Anxiety itself can bring on more episodes. It's hard to do (believe me, I know), but resigning yourself to the condition and trying to be calm about it helps. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and MSG. If you can control your arrhythmia with medication and diet, that's probably the best option.

I just had the procedure and am hopeful that I'm one of the lucky ones. So far, so good.

I am not a physician and this is only my opinion as a AFIB patient. I hope it helps somebody.

[bruce587]

One more thing:  Avoid chocolate, too. That was a tough one for me.

[ltomich001]

One thing everyone seems to neglect to mention is the success rate depends on the type of problem to begin with. I had successful ablation for AVNRT, no complications. This type is usually quite successful, A-Fib and some others are another matter. If you have AVNRT you definitely should get an ablation unless you want to live your life running around taking dangerous drugs (far worse than a one day surgery) and never knowing when you might have to go to the ER. Having an ablation means becoming normal again, taking your life back. Feeling empowered and living life to its fullest. Heart drugs are dangerous folks. I had Ventricular Tachycardia twice from drugs...I wised up after 17 years and I'm very glad I did.

[HOOPSNYOYO]

Hi,

I am a 54 y.o. female I just had ablation for WPW, SVT on February 4,2010. My EP said it was a 95% success. They were pleased. I can honestly say my before and during proceedure was not bad. Mine was done under anethesia and I was asleep from the time I was put on the EP lab table until I awoke in the recovery room 5 1/2 hrs later. The pain I experienced was in the left shoulder, the wrists that had two holes in each and bandaged. Also, the two areas higher up from my groins.also with bandages. The pain in my groin was more like a very heavy aching and hard to lift my legs for a few days. Mostly my back ached fro days following so many hours laying during and after the surgery. Total 12 hrs. Gees, I was ready to scream from so much aching and uncomfortable. Finally I was raised to setting 45 degrees and then an hour later allowed to get up and set on side of the bed. after the foley catheter was removed, I took a walk used the bathroom on my own and was released. It took a 3-4 days for my head to clear of the Oxygen and anesthesia. I slept alot. It will be a month tomorrow, and I had my first post op visit on the 24th of February. My cardiologist said he will not take me off the Metoprolol 50 mg and Flecanide 100mg until he sees me in six months, August. I experience a few sharp sticking type pains around the heart area, usually to the lower left under the breast area now and then. I do still experience skipped beats occassionally. My Doc says that is the SVT. Will have them, but not life threatening.
I know that I was given no choice when I had my attack in November after rushing to the ER in ambulance with 234bpm, my lungs filled and my blood pressure dropped and I spend two days in  the telemetry Unit, with what was a mild HA from the stress on my heart. I had to have catherization, Echo tests. My blood gases were abnormal so... ablation had to be done.
I had the idea that because I had lived with this condition for 53 years of my life and only three attacks in that time, I could get by with meds. But after my last attack prior to this one, I spent 17 years symptom free.
Then WHAMMM right out of no where it hit me standing in my kitchen floor as I was talking to my daughter. Just never know when and where. I spent so much of my life trying to be careful, not overdoing it, baying these PVC's and fast heart spells like 90-100 beats a minute. My heart rate was always 90-98 all the time. The anxiety and fear was terrible always waiting and wondering.
So, I say this I did it, got it over and look forward to spending the rest of my life doing some things I want for a change without restrictions. I think it comes to a point in your life where you just got to let go and let God. I keep my faith and hope that in the upcoming months, I will be on less meds and get healthier.  Best Wishes to you all.

I spent

[littlegreenman1]

I just had an ablation done 5 days ago. Reason: I'm 41, and it's had me in the ER twice.  I get (hopefully used to) them about once a week, and they'd last a minute. (while exercising)

If I didn't exercise, I'd get them about once a quarter, and could manage them.  If I chose that path or say, a lower impact exercise regimen... I'd neither do drugs or gotten ablated. I would deal w/ the SVT - because, while it's a pain, it's generally benign.

But I do get them a lot... I'm competitive. So, when I do road races, I like to BEAT people. Therefore, I push my body, and my heart was the limiter.  I like to say, "I can't do drugs."  I can't smoke dope like in college... too responsible now.  I can't take cold meds... they bring on SVT.  I can't use caffeine.... brings on SVT.  I can't drink like a fish... makes you a complete mess. OK. You get it.  I don't do drugs, so why do heart meds?  Why start that FN cocktail? My Grandparents (and Greats) all made it to 89-103. So I'm looking down 48-62 years of meds, vs a definitive fix.

I *****DID**** throw cost/benefit into this equation.  Here's a thread: grab your EOB's and tell the world. How much did your Ablation cost??? I'm expecting to pay (including premiums) $10,000 this year vs $2200 last year. Total cost of the procedure, one (I think RIP OFF, and unnecessary) Ambulance ride ($966 - 1 mile/3 minutes) and ER visits, tests, labs, Holters.... I'm bracing for $50k. In Canada, they get in line.  In USA, we get a loan.

[georgi212]

had non-surgical ablation onThurs. Drs say it was a success. Mine was the most common type. awake throughout the 4 hrs. unique exp. feel great and highly recommend this option.

[selim741]

i just had a pac ablation. it was not successful. the ep had to stop the surgery mid point. the pac's i have been having is coming from the his bundle. how unlucky am i!!!! he said if it was two inches to the left he would have got it. i'm stuck with 20,000 pac's per day. he wants me on multag. i don't think so.....

[cmish]

I'm 44 and was recently diagnosed with idiopathic VT.  I've had problems since I was a teen, but no one really did anything about it then.  I recently changed PCPs and Dr. heard it when he took my BP.  That was in February.  Since then, it's been ECGs, Holter Monitors, Echos, Stress Test, 30-day monitor that caught a long SVT and landed me in the ER, followed by more tests.  Cardiologist referred me to EP for study and possible ablation.  EP study showed where the problem area was, but ablation wasn't possible from the inside-it was on the outside of my left ventricle.  That was 4 days ago.  Now I'm on Fleicanide and have had weird vision problems followed by migraines.  I'm hoping this goes away.  If not, I may be a candidate for epicardial ablation which is more invasive.  Has anyone else experienced migraines with fleicanide or had the epicardial ablation?  The fleicanide does seem to have reduced the NSVTs...but I don't like taking meds because of side effects.

[ireneo]

I avoid heart meds because I just don't like taking them. But I was taking Diltiazem for awhile (a CCB) and it gave me horrid headaches for a good two weeks. Then they started to taper off. I think it had something to do with relaxing the blood vessels and that's how I got the throbbing headache.  I did not have any vision problems, just a bit of dizziness and fatigue.

How long have you been on the medication?  

I've had 3 ablations for PSVT and a surprise bit of atrial flutter which they didn't know about but it was inside the heart, not outside. Guess I'm not any help there.

[century21LA]

I have my ablation on June 15, 2012.  It was very simple and pain free.  I passed out at a restaurant out of town in Fort Worth Texas.  The Doctor on call was the Director of the electrical unit of the heart hospital I was in.

So, I decided do it now since this was the first time I passed out.
Most of the other episodes I had, my heart went 200-300 beats. I was able to wait it out and get over it after sometimes 2 or 3 hours.  I was so tired of being scared to drive alone, always looking for hospitals near by incase I had an episode.

I have been taking it easy for the last 8 days.  I will let you know if it worked for me.  So far, no SVT beats. I am off medication and no longer take xanex.

Just do it.....is my opinion if you have SVT. Dont live with it as long as I did.

Good Luck. Keep in touch

[Hello22485]

Hello, I am also 27 and I suffer from SVT...What I have found very helpful is when I have an attack I sit on the toilet and bend down and put my head between my legs so all the blood rushes to your head and try to get your chest in the downward position almost like your being hung upside down.. This kicks my heat almost right back into the normal range within a second. The doctor told me to do this.They also say to bare down like your using the bathroom, I have not found this to work. They also said to splash VERY cold water on your face but that's the last resort as it is a shock to your body...Hope this helps it does for me!

[Gracie6685]

I was diagnose with SVT in 2007 following a radio frequency ablation. After I had my first child in 2006 c-section, the day after I experienced fast heart rates lasting seconds as time went in they got longer and came more frequently. My heart rates were always hit near 164 up to 220. The Friday in 2007 when my heart hit 220 I lost consciousness was wearing an event monitor and had fallen down the stairs broken arm and fractured collarbone. The event monitor alerts 911 and I woke up and ems had arrived. They recorded my heart rate at 220, and said that i was lucky that I didn't pass out when it hit 180. But I had been used to it for so long that 180 was too uncomfortable but its been that high and I just had to deal with it. Went a year with it not diagnosed 2006-2007 bc I was 20 years old and healthy otherwise. Medical staff and doctors and even family members chalked it up to stress of having a baby, dehydration or anxiety and panic attacks. Which was not the case. I remember once telling a doctor, "I didn't know you could have panic attacks in a deep sleep." I get woken up to these high rate attacks.
So finally I had the ablation in 2007! Now 6 years later had my second and last child, 27 years old. I'm having the same exact issues as last time except I get lightheaded extremely quick and my heart rates are 140's much lower than last time but I guess still high and I'm experiencing arm/neck and chest pain.
So getting another event monitor and we will see the outcome in 21 days, if not sooner. Hopefully I don't lose consciousness when I'm in the middle of holding my baby or while I'm with my kids or like last time at the top of the staircase.  
My heart rate goes up whenever it comes on I could be watching a movie laying on the couch, sleeping, cooking dinner, taking a bath, etc it comes on not only when I'm standing but laying flat doing absolutely nothing.
My question is I had the ablation and wanted to know if anyone else has had more than one an the first not work?
My doctors are saying I may have Atrial fibrillation now. But getting blood work down tomorrow and event monitor sometime this weekend or Monday.

[Gracie6685]

Sb786,
I too have asthma and was given propranolol and even a small dose at 12 mg sent my bp crashing down. I felt like I was going to die. I have too many allergies to meds too. So the ablation was an easy yes to do. I didn't have any problems with mine . It worked in 2007 and its now 2013 and I'm having SVT again. They are talking about cardio aversion possibly having to do that instead of the ablation. But I didn't see I have any issues with the ablation.
And three days after I was fine went back to doing what I did before I had the issues.
Hope you are better!

[ej5981]

I recommend you do your research on the Doctor who will perform the ablation.  I went to a big city hospital to have mine done about 4 years ago and I have not experienced any problems with my heart since.  Before I was even diagnosed with it, I had lived with the palpitations for almost 20 years.  I taught myself a deep breathing routine that would slow the palpitations down but not stop them all together.  I later found out that when you do start to have palpitations, if you put your face in a big bowl of ice and cold water, it will shock your system and stop the palpitations faster.  I opted out of medication because when I was on it, I was constantly in vertigo and it didn't really help.  Also, if you do choose to get the ablation, I recommend cardio workouts in the weeks following and continuously throughout your life.  The more you work your heart, the stronger it will become! Hope this helped!