SVT

I am a 36 year old woman. I am healthy for the most part, healthy weight, healthy lifestyle. In 2007 I battled with a very bad virus.  About 3 months after the virus I felt better but I started having heart palpitations. When I was seeing my doctor he heard any extra beat or a clicking so he had me wear a halter monitor.  I had obvious SVT and one small episode of V-tach. So he put me on a beta blocker and sent me to a cardiologist. The problem was that I also seem to slip into a bradycardia at times and the beta blocker made me go to 29 heartrate and a hospital stay.  The cardiologist did lots of tests and everything as far as anatomy came up normal.  He told me basically it was the virus and it would go away.  I learned to live with it mostly. now 2 years later I am really sidelined with this.  When I am laying down my heartrate is around 50 when I stand up it is around 100-120. I have done a tilt table test which came back as borderline and only took me 3 minutes to reach my target rate of 180 during stress test. Have EP study scheduled for next week. I also seem to have a problem with keeping my blood volume up.  I was prescribed salt tabs and florinef by cardiologist in 08 but they only seem to make me swell. I am tired of people saying I dont drink enough.  I seem to always have a glass of decaf tea. I know water would be better but also know I wont drink enough of it if that is what i choose.  Is it normal for these to conditions to co exist or is the hypovolemia causing the other?

[joanincarolina]

What other cardiac signs besides the varying heart rate issues? Do you have chest pain, SOB? Any other arrythmias? What is the reason for EP study? Joan.

[nurse_04]

I was sent to the ER by my doctor this time due to chest pain and shortness of breath.. Also have had episodes of syncope in the past.

[joanincarolina]

Sounds like you do have a problem with heart rhythm given the border tilt and syncope history. I'll be waiting to hear about your EP results. CP and SOB are not pleasant; you probably were hoping for a syncopal episode at that point! I really can't comment on the hypovolemia point, but doubt that drinking water will aid this one.Just keep track of signs and be cautious about negative tests in light of your cardiac symptoms. Best wishes. Joan.

[nurse_04]

Thanks Joan I appreciate it.  I will postafter study.  I am looking forward and am nervous at the same time for the procedure. I want to feel better but it seems from what I have read the procedure is about a 50 percent sucess rate.. I hope that I am in that 50 percent. I am being persistent at this point with the cardiac symptoms.  Have you ever heard of anything that makes a personsflight or fight response super sensitive?  It seems at times that the alarm clock or loud noises and such kinda of jumpstart things.. I know everyone has a startle reflex but mine seems to keep going and going sometimes taking up to an hour to get my heart rate back down to a "normal" pace. Which is still high but normal for me...