SVT and Triggers

[catspurr]

Hi - I have had SVT since about 21 years old - now 36. I never knew what they were but quickly figured out that if i bent over while holding my breath they would stop pretty quickly. They came and went over the years and never really bothered me since, a) they always seemed to happen at home b) i could stop them quite quickly.
I went through over a year of not having an attack when suddenly during exercise class i felt like switch go off and into SVT i went. My pulse was already high and it felt like it jumped to 300+. After a several minutes (which seemed like hours) i was finally able to stop it but not before feeling embarrassed and very very scared. It then happened again on the way home in the car - thankfully i had a red light where i could do my maneuver to stop it. That really scared me as its never happened during exercise or in the car or in such quick succession.
I have hashimotos and its almost now under control but now the SVTs have come back. After a year of not having any attacks, I am now terrified that they will strike at any minute. It has also terrified me of exercising. Over a year ago - i had mentioned to my OB about these episodes and she referred me to a cardiolgist, they gave me an EKG and Heart Ultrasound and told me everything was normal but that he could prescribe meds for when the attacks happen. At the time i said no, since they were VERY infrequent and that i had them under control with my bending over trick.  My question is, does anyone take meds to prevent attacks or when they hit. Does anyone exercise and get SVTs - if yes how do you deal with them. Is there any other advice anyone can give.. This HAD been the longest that i had gone without SVT and i'm so frustrated they have come back. I wish I had some answers!

[FLIPPINPATTY]

Heart palps are very common when your thyroid is out of wack, or changing levels, especially if your dosage is upped.

[catspurr]

Thanks so much for your response. When I went to see the cardiologist he did mention this pill in the pocket approach. What pills are these? Are they beta blockers? I never took him up on the offer as I was not having attacks and I was confident if I did get them I could stop them. Which I can, but I would feel better with a back up option!
I'm still trying to get optimized on my
Meds and am having bloodwork done every month or two for my thyroid so I'm on top of that at least! Thanks again - I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my.

[CCFCardio MD2]

Sorry to hear you're having such difficulty.  SVTs can come on at any time, and thyroid disorders and exercise are two very common precipitants.  Depending on the type of SVT and how fast your heart races, some can be more dangerous than others.  Certain types of SVTs can be terminated with certain maneuvers, as you have already figured out.  However, when these don't work it is nice to have a backup plan.  There are medications that can be given to terminate an SVT during the episode, the so-called "pill in the pocket" approach.  If your cardiologist is recommending this, it may not be a bad idea to follow his/her advice. It may also be worth having your thyroid levels checked again if it's been a while.  Hope this helps.  Best of luck to you.