SVT and pvc..........had enough!!!

Hi everyone! i'm sick and tired of being scared of my pvcs and svt. i have decided to do whatever it takes to try and come to terms with everything. i have just recently been diagnosed and before i can i need to understand what SVT really is. i want to know what other pvc and svt suffers are doing to cope. other than this forum there is no-one i know who has svt. i just want to hear other peoples experiences.
do all you svt suffers also have pvcs?
what triggers your svt?
what meds work for you?
does anyone wake up from sleep with svt?
does anyone get weird strong beats like your heart is slowing down just before an svt?????
does anyone get svt whilst eating?
can anyone explain how svt is triggered by a pvc?
how do you know that you are definitely having an svt attack and not something serious? (i always panick when i have an svt because i'm convinced its vt even though my docs and cardios say i don't have vt)
i know its a long boring post and you guys have probably gone through this loads of times but i really would like to hear of your experiences.

[kitcurious]

If you go to the archives here and type in SVT or PVC you will be able to read many many experiences from posters.

[heartofgld]

I just received your message from the other forum and replied. (aka outtarhythm.)

[jfoust]

hello sb786, i know exactly what your going through. i have had good days and bad days, but it seems like the pvcs just came for no reason sometimes. they can be very strong too, making it almost impossible to concentrate or even to sleep. for years now i have had pvcs that would come and go and i would also get the rapid heart rate that only seemed to happen at night. i could never figure that out. "why does this happen only when i try to sleep?" is what i would ask myself every time. i would wake up exhausted  sometimes because i would wake up out of my sleep from a rapid heart rate, walk it off and drink some cold water or something, it would go away, then not long after i laid down again it would happen again! and sometimes again and again! so you can imagine my frustration. that didn't happen every night, but that's part of the frustration because you want to try and find a pattern or a logical cause for the problem like a certain food or a certain ingredient in the food or a stressful event or something! but there never seems to be a concrete answer. just when you think you might know what's causing this or just when you think you've found something that prevents the pvcs they always come back in some form. at least that's the experience for most people that get the svt and pvcs.

[emilycaitlin]

Hi there,
I was diagnosed with svt 3yrs ago, and also get pac's every day. Are you on any meds now for yours or have they suggested ablation? Just curious as I like to talk to others on here who have this too, I don't know anyone besides here on the forums either that has it. I'm on toprol xl now and the drs have strongly recommended ablation so I am considering one.
Sometimes my svt happens for seemingly no reason, but definite triggers for me are caffeine, dehydration, being overheated or sometimes just being outdoors in the extreme humidity (it's really hot where I live.)
I've never woken up from sleep by svt, but have been unable to fall asleep because of it :)
How often are you having svt attacks and how long do they last, if you don't mind my asking? Just trying to get an idea of what this is like for others, good luck to you, em.

[CollegeGirl143]

sb, trying to understand every little thing about svt isnt going to help you. The only thing that will help, is understanding it wont kill you


yes, i suffer from palps as well as svt
eating, exersize, and stress induced my svt
Svt during sleep is VERY rare, never had it happen to me.. I used to wake up with a racing heart frequently though, due to anxiety
Those weird strong beats are usually considered palpitations
svt can be triggered by a PAC, because a premature beat is more likely to travel down the re entry loop
Vt ive been told, feels like many pvc's in a row, unstopping. If you dont have a history of vt, why would you think it was a possiblity in the first place? Vt doesnt just happen..You'de need some kind of electrical abnormality, or scarring from a previous heart attack, or congenital heart defect, or something.

[emilycaitlin]

Hi sb,
No, I've never gone to the hospital for mine, it was diagnosed on holter. I do get them after eating sometimes. Of course everyone's different, but since being on the bb for the past couple months I've only had about 4 episodes, and they were much less severe. My hr has never been as low as yours though! Best wishes to you and let us know how it goes, take care, em.

[sb786]

Thanks college girl. the reason i worry about vt is because of the pvcs!! also i'm afraid that if i have an electrical abnormality that causes svt i may have an electrical abnormality which causes vt?

all my ecgs show i have no pacs but can get 50 pvcs a day. wouldn't you expect someone with svt to have pacs and not pvcs? i understand that the pacs can trigger svt but how does a pvc trigger svt?

Emilycaitlin: my svt attacks usually happen once every 6 weeks, they last for a minimum of 15 mins. the longest i had was about an hour and i had to have adenosine to convert me back to sinus rhythm. have you ever needed hospital treatment? most of my attacks happen within the first 2 hours of going to sleep. i have no idea why. i have also had attacks whilst eating.i'm not on any meds but i want to start a low dose beta blocker but someone told me that it might increase the svt attacks!!! also i'm afraid the meds may lower my heart rate too much, my ecgs show that at night my hear rate can go as low as 39bpm buy it mainly stays at 44bpm.i asked about the ablation but my doc says try meds first. i wish i was brave enough to try the beta blocker!!

[thedwp1]

I totally understand your frustration!!! I've been dealing with all this for years. And even though I've had docs tell me there's no danger, it still FREAKS me out, and I don't know why. Finally in April of 2005 I had an ablation and it pretty much ended my svt episodes. The MAIN KEY with an ablation is you MUST find a doc who can do it right< if you get one from someone who's not very good at it, there's a good chance it will come back and you'll have to do it again.

I still have PVC's and they still cause me to pause and go..."GEEZE WHY WHY WHY? But as my doc says, it's really like someone having a strained knee or bad back...do you know when you strain it? Yes, but it's not going to kill you...it's just who you are. After you've had the tests and they've told you it's SVT and or PVC's and other than that you're ok, you have to accept it and realize they will come and go BUT your NOT going to die from it.

Occasionally I will wake up from a nap with my heart beating fast and could be short runs of SVT but I can say with 100% accuracy that it's stress related...everytime I get stressed, it happens.. I'm on a low dose of toprol XL (good stuff). Stay positive and try to focus on the fact that you won't die from this, thats worse case so take some peace in that. Good luck, do some research and if you cant shake the svt, ablate it!!! It really simplfies your life.

[CollegeGirl143]

Considering how often you get svt due to the electrical abnormality in your heart, its reasonable to assume that if you had the potential to have VT like you do SVT, that you'de be experiencing it like you experience the svt.

[sb786]

em: are your svts relly short?

collegegirl: good point! i never thought of it like that! thanks!

thedwp: thanks for the advice. i know you're right it is not life threatening but its so scary and annoying i'm always waiting for an episode, i don't even go out anymore just incase i have an attack and i pass out or something. i'm even too scared to drive now!!!

i keep worrying that the svt will become another arrythmia such as afib or a/flutter or even vtach. i don't even know if it is possible but someone once told me that i am more likely to get a/fib or a lutter because i have avnrt svt how truth is this??

[emilycaitlin]

Hi sb,
Sorry the svt is getting to you so bad, I wish I could say something to make you feel better, I've had it for 3yrs though and it doesn't limit me at all, I still drive and go out and hardly think of it unless it's happening of course. It's been on my mind lately cause I've been trying to get adjusted to this bb and been thinking about having the ablation.
Before I started the bb, mine were pretty long, like 8-10hrs with a hr of 180+. The holter recorded a 4hr long one with hr sustaining above 180. That was 3yrs ago, they said to have the ablation back then but I was scared of it and didn't want to. The episodes got alot better for awhile and then started increasing again in frequency/severity so I went back to the dr, he put me back on toprol and recommended ablation again. Since I've been on the toprol I've only had maybe 4, lasting about 4hrs each and hr not much above 150, which I'm not sure was svt, it may have just been some weird run of sinus tach. But at any rate, like the others said it's not life threatening, but yeah I know it sure is scary when it happens. Take care, em.

[sb786]

Hi em,
wow! i am lost for words!! i cannot believe your svt lasted for 8-10 hrs with a heart rate of about 180bpm and you never went to hospital for treatment!! my God you are brave!! when mine last for more than 10 mins i panic and cry and scream..... do you not panic? how can you remain at home for so long with your heart going so fast?? i wish i was like you!! my cardio did tell me that i can stay at home for hours before going to the hospital nut i never believed him!!

[sb786]

sorry forgot to ask do you suffer from pvcs? do you know how the pvcs trigger svt??

[emilycaitlin]

Hi sb,
Yeah, I remember when I was first diagnosed the dr said if your hr goes above 200, then go to the er, so I took that to mean as long as it stayed below 200 I didn't need to go, even though it was lasting so long at 180. Looking back, I feel dumb for letting it go on like that and not going though. I told him last time I was up there they were lasting for all those hours and he said I should have gone and gotten some kind of injection to convert. It's uncomfortable but I've not ever panicked when it was happening, the worst part is when my rates go up that high I get a pounding and extreme tightness in my neck, the dr said it was cause of the large vessels being close to the skin's surface there or something like that. The thing that would always get me was I could lie down for a couple hrs and it still wouldn't get better. I used to keep old toprol at the house and just take 1 or 2 of them when it wouldn't convert on it's own.
I don't remember my dr saying I had pvc's, he said what I had were pac's, he called them apb's but I think that's just a different term for pac's. Anyway, I do sometimes get a very short, like 5 sec run of them before an svt but mostly it just happens on it's own. But really, nothing bad has ever happened to me because of the svt, the dr just wants me to have the ablation I think because mine are pretty frequent and long lasting. I'm just still undecided though, not sure about my insurance paying and all that so we'll see. Hope things start to get better for you, take care, em.

[sb786]

thanks em, my cardiologist always tells me to not bother with the ablation unless my attacks become too uncomfortable and too frequent. i know some people find ablation cures the svt totally but some find it doesn't and causes more palpitations! but it would be brilliant if one ablation could get rid of the svt altogether.we should start a new thread and ask how many people find meds control their svt and how many have had success with ablation!! take care :)

[mmfd]

I went SVT free for 5 whole years just by taking a small dose of Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker.  They are a drug often indicated for SVT, as well as for other stuff.  My resting heart rate did not lower, and the only side effect I had was mild constipation which is very common for CCB's.  If you only have SVT for 15 min. or so, a good EP might not be inclined to ablate anyway.  If you haven't passed out from it by now, it is unlikely you will!  Try focusing on the good things in your life instead of what will never happen!  Otherwise it's such a vicious circle:  a couple of PVC's leads to anxiety which leads to more PVC's which leads to more anxiety which leads to SVT which leads to more Pvc's and so on and so on.  You can decide that you are sick and tired of being so anxious and worried unneccessarily.  You can decide to be in charge of your life instead of anxiety.  Think about it.......

[emilycaitlin]

Yeah I agree. I think the only thing that scares me about the ablation is I worry I might be worse off afterwards than to start with, like with the pac's and such. I'm having good results with this toprol xl, but it is still giving me some insomnia and hasn't eliminated the svt completely, but it has very much improved since I started it. If I were you, I would just listen to your cardio, if he/she says you're ok as far as a structurally ok heart, then just avoid the triggers and you should be totally fine. If your cardio suggests it, then you might try the bb, I remember being really scared the first time I took it but I promise it was all ok, it actually has made me feel much better and improved my svt alot. Please try and not be anxious about your pvc's, I know it's much easier said than done lol, but I truly get the pac's every single day and they have never hurt me in the slightest. Best wishes to you, em.

[anacyde]

Hi!  I can relate to your frustration.

do all you svt suffers also have pvcs?

-I have very rare PVCs, but very frequent PACs.  Usually the PACs trigger the SVT for me.


what triggers your svt?

-Typically exercise, which triggers multiple PACs, which can occasionally trigger the SVT.  During pregnancy I could get a run of SVT just sitting doing nothing at all.  It seems related to hormones, so I exercise less strenuously around ovulation.


what meds work for you?

-I've never taken meds, but reducing anxiety through regular exercise and avoiding stimulants (caffeine and even sugar) helps substantially.


does anyone wake up from sleep with svt?

-I have, but I was also having a noctournal panic attack.


does anyone get weird strong beats like your heart is slowing down just before an svt?????

-Yes, I feel a sinking feeling.  I can sense it before it happens, and I can even sense days where I am more prone.  No clue what that is or why it happens.


does anyone get svt whilst eating?

-No, but I do get an increase in PACs from eating.  There are a few here who do.


can anyone explain how svt is triggered by a pvc?

-I don't know.  I do know that PACs can trigger SVT at high frequencies for me.


how do you know that you are definitely having an svt attack and not something serious? (i always panick when i have an svt because i'm convinced its vt even though my docs and cardios say i don't have vt)

-My cardiologist and his associate explained to me that it is quite rare to have both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias unless you have a major structural or electrical problem with your heart.  Ventricular arrhythmias (not run of the mill PVCs) are usually associated with more serious disease, thus it's not likely that you'd suddenly start having VT when you were having SVT.  Not impossible, just really unlikely.  And you'd very likely feel the difference, with other symptoms if nothing else.  Trust the docs.


i know its a long boring post and you guys have probably gone through this loads of times but i really would like to hear of your experiences.

-Not long or boring, I know where you're coming from.  Hope that helps.

[sb786]

thank you! it really helps to hear other peoples experiences. its weird i also can sense when its about to happen. are you on meds for your svt? how long are you attacks?

don't you think its weird that i have never had any PACs on any of the 24 hr ecgs just pvcs.

[kitcurious]

She said she hasn't taken any meds.

[sb786]

ooops! you're right, thanx

[sb786]

like you i also have the palpitations at night. was the rapid heart rate you experienced at night svt? how long did it last for? i've given up looking for possible triggers. the only i know for certain is that eating too much gives me pvcs and when i am having alot of pvcs i will have at least 1 svt attack.


i have been told by my docs that EVERYONE has pvcs and pacs and it is a NORMAL cardiac event but how many pvcs in a day are considered NORMAL? how many pvcs would you expecta a healthy NORMAl person to have?

[CollegeGirl143]

Usually physicians do the standard tests on every patient complaining of palpitations, and in the absense of something more serious causing the palps, there really isnt a "normal".. doctors see patients in the thousands a day range and dont treat them unless they are extremely lowering the quality of life...

[sb786]

saw this posted on another heart forum, it explains pvcs/pacs really well!!

http://www.mauvila.com/ECG/ecg_premature.htm

[sb786]

i'm so sorry to hear you son is a pvc sufferer too. I f you don't mind me asking how old is he? does your son feel them or were they just caught on a monitor? i start panicking everytime i feel a pvc because i think its going to start an svt attack!! i do want to try beta blockers but like i said in my other previous post i am scared because my resting heart rate is low:50-55bpm and my bp is low 100/60 on a good day!!

my doc says that i have most probably always had the pvcs but have just realised them now. how true can this be? he says he has 2 every min and never feels them unless he concentrates really hard. i can have 50ish a day and i feel every single one regardless of what am i doing at the time(even my cardiologist is amazed at how i manage to identify every pvc!!) can it really be possible that i've always had this many but have just become more sensitive to them??
Is there anyone who believes that they have always suffered from pvcs but have just started to become more sensitive or affected by them now?

[kitcurious]

My son is in his teens and he doesn't feel them, not a one, and I would never ask him to try.
He is not suffering. He's feeling fine.

If he started noticing them tomorrow then obviously he has been having them all along, right?

He also has a sclerotic mitral valve and mild cardiomyopathy.

Everyone gets these. The ONLY difference is that some people feel them and some don't, some feel them sometimes and not others. Having them is very commonplace.

Being afraid of something happening isn't going to keep it from happening so it's not going to do any good.

My guess is that you've become super sensitive to your body because you are frightnened.

I feel some on occasion and probably don't at other times.


If you won't try the beta you may want to see an expert in anxiety and see what they can do to help. Trying to find out everything you can about PVCs isn't going to do it. These are  not really the problem, your response to them is what is giving you the most trouble.

They themselves will wax and wane.

[sb786]

its just so hard to believe that i may have always had pvcs but just didnt feel them but do now. you're probably right, i think i may have become more aware of them when i was diagnosed with svt. that really freaked me out and made me paranoid really about my heart. thanks for the advice :)

[kitcurious]

My son has over a thousand a day he isn't taking treatment because they don't bother him.

Medications are not needed for benign conditions, but are sometimes given in hopes of lessening the force of the beat and thus calming the person complaining about them.

Since your heart is healthy they may be worth a try and well-tolerated in your case. From what we are hearing (logically) it's sick people who are most in danger from taking antiarryhthmics for PVCs.

My heart has also gone into overdrive when settling down to sleep. I haven't mentioned it to my doctor. Anytime you mention something to a doctor you get another test. Yech.

I understand PVCs tend to act up at lower heart rates.

[sb786]

hi mmfd,
its great that you have found a drug that helps you with the svt. i was initially put on the verapamil but i felt way too tired and spaced out on it and i actually got severe constipation so i had to stop taking it :( have you had any breakthrough attacks whilst being on it? how long do your attacks last?
if you don't mind me asking how many pvcs do you get in a day? I have probably had svt for about 10 years undiagnosed and it never ever bothered me! since having it diagnosed as svt i'm now all of a sudden very scared. i probably wouldn't be that scared if it wasn't for the PVCs, i cannot figure out if i have always had them or have they just started now? i realised the pvcs since being diagnosed with svt.

[heartstruck]

i just cry at times......becuase its such a awful feeling. I know am posting to late but curious about anyone else's experences

[stressedinpa]

I get very upset every time it happens. I am still confused as I was told I had afib when I wore the monitor and I am on metropol and pradaxa for that but I also had a vt 5 loop and that one is what confuses me. When it happens I get anxiety and then I don't know if I feel dizzy and light headed because I am anxious or because my heart is beating weird. My cardiologist does nto think I need an ablation at this time. I am only 47 years old and this has been going on for two and a half years. It ry to figure out causes. It does seem to ahppen if I don;t drink enough water. I also have sleep apnea and wear a cpap. Stress must play a factor but the more it happens the more stressed I feel.