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Question: How has SVT adversely affected your life?
I'm curious - how has SVT adversely affected your life? What have you had to give up and how have you had to modify your life because of SVT?
Last night, I was pondering the many ways SVT has changed the way I live over the last 25+ years. So many favorite foods and beverages I've had to give up, so many activities I no longer take part in. I've posted a short list of things below.
Foods, beverages, and OTC medications........No more.....
- Alcoholic beverages
- Caffeinated beverages - soda, coffee, tea. And have stopped decaf beverages as well.
- Soda, diet soda, and any other beverages containing aspartame or artificial sweeteners
- Cough and cold medicines - anything with Pseudoephedrine
- Allergy medications
- Chocolate - fortunately only have to give this up temporarily until after ablation.
Outdoor & Indoor Activities and other things that will trigger an SVT event.
- Hiking.....which I absolutely loved. My heart can't handle uphill climbing. For whatever reason, walking downhill isn't a problem, only uphill.
- Climbing stairs - barely able to climb a flight or two of stairs without having to stop. This has been one of my biggest triggers for SVT.
- Roller coasters and amusement parks in general. (And I love roller coasters, the bigger the better!)
- Exercise - no more walking on the treadmill till my cardiologist gives the OK after ablation.
- Volleyball - another activity I loved, had to give this up 25 years ago
- Aerobics - had a really bad SVT event in the middle of an aerobics class - very embarrassing, that was the end of the aerobics.
- Swimming in the ocean - cold water guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Work functions - I used to take a vacation or sick day anytime the company had an employee activity, like going to a waterpark, beach, party, participating in presentations, holiday parties, etc. Did not want to take the chance of having an attack in a crowd of people. This gained me the reputation of being "antisocial". Only my boss and HR knew about the SVT and kept it in confidence.
- Working out in the yard. I feel bad that I can't help my husband with the yardwork and gardening.
- Snow shoveling ...... ok, this was something I didn't enjoy, but nevertheless it's another thing on the "do not do" list.
- Climbing stairs - guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Taking hot showers - guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Stooping, kneeling, or squatting - fair chance of setting off an SVT event when I got up.
- And one of the worst things - being startled by the phone ringing in the middle of the night. It always set off an SVT event. (Unfortunately, we're not able to turn off the phone as I have an elderly parent who isn't in the best of health.)
Last night, I was pondering the many ways SVT has changed the way I live over the last 25+ years. So many favorite foods and beverages I've had to give up, so many activities I no longer take part in. I've posted a short list of things below.
Foods, beverages, and OTC medications........No more.....
- Alcoholic beverages
- Caffeinated beverages - soda, coffee, tea. And have stopped decaf beverages as well.
- Soda, diet soda, and any other beverages containing aspartame or artificial sweeteners
- Cough and cold medicines - anything with Pseudoephedrine
- Allergy medications
- Chocolate - fortunately only have to give this up temporarily until after ablation.
Outdoor & Indoor Activities and other things that will trigger an SVT event.
- Hiking.....which I absolutely loved. My heart can't handle uphill climbing. For whatever reason, walking downhill isn't a problem, only uphill.
- Climbing stairs - barely able to climb a flight or two of stairs without having to stop. This has been one of my biggest triggers for SVT.
- Roller coasters and amusement parks in general. (And I love roller coasters, the bigger the better!)
- Exercise - no more walking on the treadmill till my cardiologist gives the OK after ablation.
- Volleyball - another activity I loved, had to give this up 25 years ago
- Aerobics - had a really bad SVT event in the middle of an aerobics class - very embarrassing, that was the end of the aerobics.
- Swimming in the ocean - cold water guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Work functions - I used to take a vacation or sick day anytime the company had an employee activity, like going to a waterpark, beach, party, participating in presentations, holiday parties, etc. Did not want to take the chance of having an attack in a crowd of people. This gained me the reputation of being "antisocial". Only my boss and HR knew about the SVT and kept it in confidence.
- Working out in the yard. I feel bad that I can't help my husband with the yardwork and gardening.
- Snow shoveling ...... ok, this was something I didn't enjoy, but nevertheless it's another thing on the "do not do" list.
- Climbing stairs - guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Taking hot showers - guaranteed to set off an SVT event
- Stooping, kneeling, or squatting - fair chance of setting off an SVT event when I got up.
- And one of the worst things - being startled by the phone ringing in the middle of the night. It always set off an SVT event. (Unfortunately, we're not able to turn off the phone as I have an elderly parent who isn't in the best of health.)
im scared to move from my current dr :( hes the first out of 6 or 7 heart dr's that actually believed me...im really scared.
oops....I meant to say EP or cardiologist, not doctor.
Dear youngandignored
I can relate to what you're saying. My concerns were basically ignored throughout my teen years, my 20's, 30's and well into my 40s. My heart goes out to you because I understand exactly what you're going through. Especially how the SVT has taken over bit by bit. I too sometimes feel like only a shell of what I used to be remains. It's so hard not to be able to do all the little things that everybody else takes for granted. My biggest regret is that I didn't get a second opinion for so many years until the situation got so bad that I had no other choice. I wish I hadn't waited so long. I'm now 58 and looking back on all I've missed because of SVT......and because I didn't challenge my PCP sooner. Any possibility you can get another opinion from a different doctor?
I can relate to what you're saying. My concerns were basically ignored throughout my teen years, my 20's, 30's and well into my 40s. My heart goes out to you because I understand exactly what you're going through. Especially how the SVT has taken over bit by bit. I too sometimes feel like only a shell of what I used to be remains. It's so hard not to be able to do all the little things that everybody else takes for granted. My biggest regret is that I didn't get a second opinion for so many years until the situation got so bad that I had no other choice. I wish I hadn't waited so long. I'm now 58 and looking back on all I've missed because of SVT......and because I didn't challenge my PCP sooner. Any possibility you can get another opinion from a different doctor?
i had to give up coffee, tea, alcohol (in any amount), walking alone (if it starts up i'll be stuck wherever im at, not being able to move for a while), shopping for longer than an hour, driving (almost completely), sitting in the heat for too long, any shock to the system (scare, ice cold water..or weather, etc), running outside with my kids, sex (9 out of 10 it sets me off and takes a long time to finish), ....basically, it's stripped the person that i am apart, bit by bit and it's taking me over. all while the doctor says i have sinus tach, not svt (wtf, doesnt SUPRAVENTRICULAR mean above the ventricles, and isnt the sinus node ABOVE the ventricles?!?! i mean its categorized as an svt...whatever.) and so he can't do an ep study because he cant cure st (WTF! i thought an ep study was to find the rhythm problem and THEN try and fix it if its fixable......?!?!?!?!), even though me and other doctors i've seen over the past few weeks have suspected avnrt thanks to my symptoms being different than st.
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