Question about SVT & PALPITATIONS

[aussie mum]

Hi...i'm a 42 yr old who's lived with svt & palps for 8 yrs now...when it first happened i thought my world was ending but here i am 8 yrs on, still getting them BUT over time i have learned to live with them...this forum was my life saver...i haven't been on it much, only really to record my svt's but i thought i would just ask this 1 question...now not that this happens every time but do other people get a " flush " feeling come over them when they have svt or palps etc...oh & btw i would rather have svt then palpitations...thanks

[MichelleP_3811]

Yikes, it really bothers me that doctors are almost too cavalier about svt.  In general svt is not dangerous but over time if a person has frequent episodes it can wear the heart down.  I really think there should be some sort of protocol for severity or frequency of occurrence to gage whether or not more aggressive means should be approached instead of the standard elective approach.  According to my cardiologist meds don't do a whole lot to stop the episodes.  They may slow them down when you get them but subsequently you will still get them.

Accessory pathway svts are usually triggered by pacs and sometimes by pvcs.  Pacs and pvcs are usually triggered by any number of things but occur generally in the presence of a heart that is irritated.  The more svt episodes the more irritated the heart, the more irritated the heart the more ectopic beats and so on and so on.  The two conditions are not related but they do feed off each other.  

I grew up with svt having episodes ever since I can remember.  That said, most of the episodes early on were very few and far between and those I did have were very short lived and so my heart was not affected much at all.  Had things stayed that way I would have probably never really bothered to do much about it.  There was no need, it wasn't disrupting my life or adversely affecting my heart.  As I aged however, the episodes became more frequent and over the last 6 years of having the condition a few of the episodes I had lasted hours.  Looking back I should not have let those few episodes go on for as long as I did because I do think it took a toll on my heart as well it took quite a while for my heart to recover and feel normal again after my ablation.  A year and a half to be specific.  But up until those last 5 years I never noticed my heart but the last few years I was having daily symptoms even without having svt so the point being, if you are starting to notice your heart and have daily symptoms it seems to me that your svt is disrupting your life and you might want to consider trying an ablation to correct your issue.  For most it is a super easy fix with low risk and very high success rates.  Please do impart on your doctor that your quality of life is being affected by having episodes so frequently because sometimes the protocol for doctors to take notice is simply the disruption of ones life so be vocal if you need to be.

Overall your heart is in a state where it can handle what is going on.  If you continue to have very short lived episodes it may never be an issue for you but having them every other day seems a bit excessive.  Has an ablation ever been discussed with you?  If it has and it is not an option for you then my best advice is to make sure you do all you can to lower your ectopic risk.  This includes being gentle with your heart, addressing any stomach issues like acid reflux, seriously addressing any stress and anxiety in your life, avoiding carbs and sugars as well as adding cardio workouts without pushing too hard.  The cardio will definitely help the overall health of the heart and your ability to tolerate the svt episodes.  Of course do not exercise if you are in the midst of an svt episode.    

The fact that you are getting flush and now knowing you have these as often as you do makes me concerned your heart is starting to be adversely affected by your svt.  If your svt is corrected once and for all chances are your heart will recover fully and you will go back to not noticing your heart every day but please do not let any of your episodes go on for hours at a time.  As well if an ablation is an option I would take some time to seriously consider it.  I would never force one on anyone but most of us who have had it done have not regretted it.  In any event, if you choose not to or an ablation is not an option please do get your heart checked regularly and live as heart healthy a life as you can.  In general svt is benign so long as it is well controlled.  Odds are a person will not just drop dead from one however repeat, frequent or long episodes do put one at risk for congestive heart failure so please do take good care of your heart.  A classic sign of CHF is shortness of breath without an svt episode and swollen ankles.  

I know ablations are big decisions and some countries have strict protocols when it comes to approving one but if you ever consider having one done please do not hesitate to come here for moral support.  Otherwise, again, just try and be as heart healthy as you can. Stay strong.

[aussie mum]

Thanks for your reply's...i only get the flushing feeling sometimes, both with palpitations & svt...i seem to go through stages of having none then like this month having them every other day...i used to only get then when i bent over but sadly now they come on no matter what i do...i have been reassured many times by my cardio that "in a structurally normal heart these are harmless " still when it's happening i can't help but think other wise...

Does anybody else get them all the time ?? would like to here your story's if you'd like to share...

Thanks

[donna4140]

I know it may sound weird but next time your heart goes into svt try standing on your head.It always stopped mine within seconds,until I had my cryoablation which stopped it completely.

[TaraLynn77]

Good evening!

SVT can be scary.  I would imagine the adrenaline related to the prompt heart rate of SVT (greater that 150 bpm) is contributing greatly to your flushing.  This would be further supported if your flushing decreases and disappears after the SVT has resolved.

If your SVT continues, please contact your cardiologist.  A halter monitor may be in order as well as maintain a log of date, time incident occurs, and what activity, if any, you were doing when the SVT occurs.   I hope this is of some help.

Have a good evening.

[MichelleP_3811]

I don't think it is unheard of for that to happen.  It happened to me a couple of times but I would say make sure you don't over exert yourself while you are in an episode and see if that helps.  I also hazard to guess if maybe hormonal changes are also in play adding to the flushing.  At around the same age as you I can get flushed over very little exertion sometimes.  So what type of svt do you have?  If you have an accessory pathway svt an ablation may be able to fix you for good if you can get one.  Not sure how your healthcare works in Australia.  Afib is also fixable by ablation sometimes though the statistics aren't as good as accessory pathway svts but it may be worth a shot getting it fixed for the long term health of your heart.  Anyways, do keep up with getting check ups so long as you have your svt.  Svts aren't generally an immediate threat but can tire the heart out over the long term so you should make sure you keep tabs on the health of your heart if you are having frequent episodes.  Rare ones maybe not so much but if you are getting them monthly do keep an eye on your heart and consider an ablation if it is available to you.  Take care.