NSVT

I am 27 years old and have had palpitations for several years. I recently pushed my GP to refer me to a cardiologist after several in office EKG's that showed nothing and a 24 hour Holter that he said showed "a few skipped beats." My cardio gave me a 30 day event monitor to wear and I got a call after transmitting one day that I had a 6 beat run of VT and needed to be on a beta blocker immediately. The beta blocker (Toprol) didn't work well with my body (I was taking it 1X a day) and one day, my BP was up and my HR was up, so I went to the ER. I was admitted and had a heart cath the next day which came out good--no blockages. I had an Echo, which was good and was told I have a structurally normal heart. While in the hospital, the EP doctor mentioned that I did indeed have a "wide complex tachycardia" on the event monitor, but he never said it was VT then. I then had an EP study done which showed "dual AV nodal phsiology but no tachycardia induced and bundle branch aberrancy but no VT induced." I was told by my EP that I was fine and that the abnormal rhythms were from the upper chamber of my heart and not VT and that I didn't need to continue on the beta blocker if I didn't wish, so I didn't because it really made me feel bad--I had GERD really bad and was really tired. It kind of confuses me though how they could say it was NSVT from the event monitor and then say that maybe it wasn't really???

I felt better after the EP study, but it was a very scary time with all the test and I still have fears when I feel the "thumps & bumps" (as my EP says) in my chest. During all this, I also learned that I have a I/VI systolic murmur. I had a murmur as a baby, but as I got older, I was told that it was gone--had closed up. I guess not! I am glad to see a community with other people like me who have been through the same tests or have dealt with this.  I go for periods where I don't feel anything and then I will have some skips and flutters and I just get freaked out!!! I sometimes wonder if I should seek a second opinion? I think I had good care and my doctors all seemed good--my family all seem to think that it was find & tell me not to worry, but it is very hard sometimes.

[Brooke_38]

Aberrancy, aberrant conduction and aberration are all terms used to describe an abnormal conduction of electrical impulses through the heart.  These waywardly conducted signals of SVT take longer to transmit through the heart, and consequently produce a wide QRS complex in an ECG which mimics VT.

SInce you have now been through an EP study, this diagnosis (SVT related to dual AV nodal phsiology) would be more accurate than a 2 lead rhythm strip from an event monitor. I would only suggest a 2nd opinion if you hadn't already been through an EP study.

In reference to your I/VI systolic murmur...these are graded I-VI/VI based upon how loud they are. So yours being I/VI is very difficult to hear. It's probably due to a trivial regurgitation in one of the valves. It has most likely always been there but too difficult to hear.

It sounds to me that your family has offered you pretty good advice. Take joy in knowing that you have a good healthy heart:)