SVT WORRIES ??

[aussie mum]

Hi first off a BIG THANK YOU  for this forum. I'm a 35yr mother of 3 whom after the birth of my third child started having runs of svt/palpitation. After many trip to the ER dep with no answer was to what/why this was happening i was finally put in contact with a GREAT cardiologist whom finally gave me the peace of mind i was looking for. Had loads of tests and all came back fine, so basically i have a normal heart that some times miss fires. Now that i know what the cause of these DELIGHTFUL things are i've come the conclusion that they will be apart of my life and I'm learning how to deal with them day by day. The palpitaion/quivers i can handle (sometime i have them on & off for weeks then it seem to be weeks/months without then) what i HATE is the svt of which thankfully i only get occasionally. So my questions,

1) How long is it safe to be in svt ??
2) Is it ok to be having svt daily ??
3) What damage can this cause to your heart ??
4) What are the dangers of svt e.g clots ??
5) When is it time to go to the ER dep ??
6) Should i have annual reviews with my cardiologist if so how often ??
7) Do you have any trips to help revert svt ??

Thanks for your help !!

[Forum-M.D.-MJM]

Hello,

1) How long is it safe to be in svt ??

SVT can be a serious lifestyle impediment, but is very seldom life threatening. you could probably live with it forever, depending on what the mechanism is.

2) Is it ok to be having svt daily ??

Again it depends on the mechanism.  If are having daily SVT, I would do an EP study and consider ablation.  We would have to make sure we are working from the same definition of SVT (heart rate greater than 100) and make sure we aren't talking about sinus tachycardia.

3) What damage can this cause to your heart ??

It depends on the mechanism, heart rates, and frequency.  It is only rarely that SVT can cause heart failure.  Unfortunately, one limitation of this format is that I cannot see you EKG, holter, event monitor, etc.  A picture says a lot in EP.

4) What are the dangers of svt e.g clots ??

Non atrial fibrillation SVT carries minimal risk for clots.


5) When is it time to go to the ER dep ??

I know I repeating myself, but it depends on the mechanism. If it is inappropriate sinus tachycardia, the ER won't be able to do much.  If it is an adenosine sensitive SVT, the ER can break it with medications and therefore could be pretty useful.

6) Should i have annual reviews with my cardiologist if so how often ??
If you do not know the cause of the SVT, it is important that you do.  I don't mean to dumb this down because I take your questions very seriously -- but imagine if I were to ask, can I drink water?  Well the answer is yes, sometimes, is it salt water, clean water, swamp water, etc.  My point is that SVT is a VERY general term and does not speak to mechanism.  To know how to treat a tachycardia, I have to know the mechanism. If your cardiologist cannot tell you the cause of the SVT, you need to see an EP.

7) Do you have any trips to help revert svt ??

Adenosine sensitive SVTs can break with vagal maneuvers like having someone press on your stomach while you hold your breath and try to push your belly out or pushing like you are having a bowel movement.

I hope this helps.  Thanks for posting.

[ireneo]

You didn't mention the SVT rate - 150? 200? somewhere in between? I would think that would make a difference.

As for converting the rhythm back to normal - my personal favorite is the valsalva maneuver. I take a breath,  hold it and bear down like having a bowel movement. I usually hold for the count of 10 then slowly release my breath. If I let it out suddenly the tachy tends to come right back. It's not comfortable to do this; I can feel my heart protest by thumping and going a bit irregular for a moment but it usually works for me. Some folks splash cold water on their face. Not always convenient to do.

[anacyde]

Hi there :)  I also started having SVT after the birth of my child.  After 16 months of it, I have finally been getting some relief.  There was no explanation found for mine either.

[sb786]

aussie mum: Hi, i also suffer from svt. My heart rate is usually 200bpm. I have never tried any of the manouvers to stop the svt because i become numb with fear when the svt starts and i'm unable to do anything. How long do your attacks usually last for? Mine usually last for 20 mins but i have had an episode that lasted for an hour and went to the hospital and they gave me adenosine which stopped it! do you also get pvcs/pacs?

Ireneo: how long do your svt attacks last for?

[Forum-M.D.-MJM]

If the SVT stops with adenosine, ablation is often a safe, relatively easy cure.  You should talk to an electrophysysiologist if have not already.

[ireneo]

My PSVT is not so bad any more since I've had 3 catheter ablations. It used to happen several times a week and could last up to 45 mins. That's not as bad as some folks that have it last hours. Typically mine will simply pop up for a few seconds to no longer than 15 mins. The rate? Oh, 150 - 190 bpm. It's noticeable and I don't like it but I know it goes away. Plus it only happens a couple times a week now. That's better.

[aussie mum]

Hi thanks for your reply. I was not quiet clear with one of my question, i really wish to know how long (minutes/hours/days ect) can one safely stay in svt. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

[aussie mum]

Hi everybody and thanks for your replies. Well I'm not to sure what my heart rate is during svt as they have never been captured while wearing a holter. The last one i had i couldn't even count my pulse (lost count) it was going that fast :{ I seem to be able to handle my palps but these svt really scare the life out of me. What is the longest any of you have been in svt ?? Do any of you get them more then a few times a day ?? I should mention that i have only had 8 svt's over the last 15-months (the age of my third child) the longest one (last night) lasted nearly an hour before it reverted. Over the past few months i've only had the odd palp them BOOM svt. WHY WHY WHY ?? How do yours start ?? Do you know if it's only a palp or can you tell that it's going to become svt ?? Sorry for so many question but this forum is my only life saver. I don't want the DOOM that lives within me to rear it's ugly head again :{

[Carey01]

What is your heart rate when you are having the SVT?

[maggiemag]

I think the doctor said that they would need to know what type of SVT you are having to tell you how long you could let it go.  If it has never been captured on a monitor that would be a problem.  Have you had an event monitor?  For me it depends, as I have had several different types of SVT.  For me the worst is the rapid atrial fib with rates up to 240.  My BP bottoms out with that (60 palpable) and I have to go to the ER pretty quickly.  With others like AV nodal reentry tach, my rate only goes up to about 170 and I generally have no symptoms.  This one I could tolerate for hours if need be, but since I have structural heart disease, I have been told to wait 30 min. or so before I go.  It is such a pain to go to the ER that I would wait as long as it took!  Some of the methods I have to heard to try to stop it, are to drink a carbonated soda and the gas may help convert; standing on your head (which I have heard always works but I never tried it! ;-));  eyeball pressure; massaging your carotids (only by a trained medical professional);  ice water on your face as Ireneo said; and vigorously coughing repeatedly.  Have you tried any meds yet?  Before I got heart disease, I was on Verapamil for 5 years with NO episodes and minimal PVC's too as a bonus!  Hope you get some answers soon.

[Forum-M.D.-MJM]

I can't answer the question without knowing the mechanism and the rate.

[aussie mum]

Hi thanks for your post. No to the meds as i am concerned about there side affects also i've only just stopped breast-feeding. How long has this been going on for you ?? And if it's not to personal a question what heart disease do you have ?? Was it's cause due to the palps/svt ?? This forum is GREAT medication for me (LOL) as what i've got only seems miner compared to some of the post i've read !!

[aussie mum]

Hi thanks for your post :} I'm not sure what my heart rate is when in svt as i always lose count of the number of beats !! I'm thinking i should buy some sort of heart monitor for when these happen. How long has this been going on for you ?? How long do they last ??

I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO CHAT WITH ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN PREGNANT WITH PALPS/SVT. IS IT SAFE FOR BOTH MOTHER/BABY ??

[laurahs]

I just found this forum.  I've had PAT since I was a little girl.  What works for me to stop the arrythmia is to stand up and then lie down on the floor (doesn't work on a bed) quickly.  I don't know how I discovered this but I've always done it.  Basically, I just plop down on my back.  If it doesn't stop in about 30 seconds, I repeat standing for at least 10 seconds and then lie back down.

The longest mine has ever lasted was 1 hour.  I didn't try to stop it that time because I was going to the Dr and wanted to get the arrythmia recorded on an EKG.

I had this through three pregnancies and it didn't cause any harm.  It seemed to happen a little more frequently and was a little more resistant to stopping but I always handled it myself.

It happened several times during my first labor.  My labor was long and lack of sleep tends to make my heart more prone to PAT.  I also threw up many times during my labor which stimulated my arrythmia.  It was kinda funny, really.  First, I'd puke which stimulated the arrythmia to occur then I'd have to quickly lie down on the floor on my back (not comfortable or a very good idea when pregnant) and then jump up onto my hands and knees for the next contraction.  UGH!

-Laura

[aussie mum]

Hi Laura thanks for your post !! First off as I'm a newy at this can you please explain if PAT & SVT are the same thing ?? Do you also get palpitations ?? My main concern is that I'm having a c-section & am concerned about what will happen if one starts when I'm having this done :{ What i really hate is how they (the palpitation) always seem different, for example some will be just a little flutter then other times i get the big BOOM THUMP followed buy lightheadedness ?? Then the other day quiver then into svt ?? The other thing that drivers me CRAZY is when you can really notice your heart beating (bed time is great for this LOL) WHY WHY WHY ?? Any info would be great :}

Thanks kindly

Mishele

[moni1]

Wow, this forum has brought so much comfort knowing I am not the only one out there with palpitations. I recently had my first baby, a little girl, five months old and I too experienced heart palpitations during my pregnancy. I never felt palpitations until the end of my fourth month and then it lasted for a good three months. It was like my heart would skip a beat, continously went to the ER twice and was sent home, so frustrating. Then the skipping stopped and then I would feel my heart race so much fun! I gave birth to our daughter on January 3rd had a hard labor. I was induced and was in labor for hours I was exhausted and I could feel my heart racing uncontrollably. My daughters' shoulders' were stuck in the birth canal, c-section it was. I was so happy because I needed pain relief desperately. Oka, so the c-section went great my heart rate was a little high most likely from nerves or who knows but it wasn't enough to alarm the doctors. So, here we are months later and my heart is acting up again. In January and Feb, I felt nothing partially because I was recovering from the c-section and the drugs were a God sent. Once I started moving around again and doing things I hadn't done since before I got pregnant like exercising, holding my baby, I started feeling my heart skip but not as bad as it was during my pregnancy. I wore a holter for 24hrs and it showed that I had developed sinus tachardyia, my doctor told me that I will feel these palpitations for the rest of my life and he recommended that I take an anti-depressant. So that's what I am doing because it has been a year of hell and I want to enjoy my life again especially now that I have a beautiful daughter. My husband wants more children and I admire the woman on this forum who has three children and has suffered from palps. during and after all pregnancies. So I am trying to gain control over my life again, because these palpitations have ruled my life for too long now.

[kristabelle]

The best way I have found to stop an episode in progress is (okay, I know this sounds weird) to lay on my back on my bed and then scoot to the edge and reach down to the floor so I'm halfway hanging upside down.  Think of doing a back bend off the side of the bed.  

Strange, but it works for me every time.