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Rapid Heart Rate vs SVT
Ok, I thought I had some of these heart issues figured out, but when things change, I seem to have a lot of questions, I hope you guys can provide some answers, and reassurance, I always appreciate that.
So I've been doing pretty well on 100mg/ day of acebutolol, sometimes 200mg/day, it's really reduced my pvc frequency, from 10's of thousands to a couple of hundred per day. Relief.....BUT...
Now I've been experiencing a really reactive heart rate, and the other night I woke with a heart rate in the low 100's (110 to 120bpm). It lasted for about 20 minutes, it would occassionally drop into the high 90's then rise back into the low 100's, it seemed the harder I tried to relax, the higher it went. I hadn't taken my evening acebutolol, so I took one then and it seemed to help, my heart rate dropped to mid-80's for the rest of the day, which was better, but not low by any means. I was also left with a profound sense of fatigue that day and I kept yawning, not really sure if I was tired or just needed more oxygen (I have no swelling in ankles or extremities).
I guess my question is then, is this something serious? What is the difference between plain old tachycardia (resting without physical activity) and SVT??? Can you feel a difference in the way the heart beats or would you need a EKG or other type of monitor to record the difference? Mine seemed to be very regular (with only one pvc thank goodness), just very fast and for no apparent reason. And generally now, it seems to speed up for a few beats when I swallow hard, then go back to a slower rhythm.
My other question is whether rapid heart rate in the middle of the night might be something attributed to perimenopause because this has happened once before, long before I started the acebutolol. I was actually not too startled by it then because during that episode, during the very high rate, my pvcs went away completely as they do when I exercise and get my heart rate to 120bpm.
I hope I'm not being too much of a sissy, I now that some people on this forum experience much higher heart rates than this. But 110bpm without exertion is pretty unusual for me, so it's scary, and I don't really know the difference between tachycardia and SVT, even after all the time I've been posting here. :-((
So I've been doing pretty well on 100mg/ day of acebutolol, sometimes 200mg/day, it's really reduced my pvc frequency, from 10's of thousands to a couple of hundred per day. Relief.....BUT...
Now I've been experiencing a really reactive heart rate, and the other night I woke with a heart rate in the low 100's (110 to 120bpm). It lasted for about 20 minutes, it would occassionally drop into the high 90's then rise back into the low 100's, it seemed the harder I tried to relax, the higher it went. I hadn't taken my evening acebutolol, so I took one then and it seemed to help, my heart rate dropped to mid-80's for the rest of the day, which was better, but not low by any means. I was also left with a profound sense of fatigue that day and I kept yawning, not really sure if I was tired or just needed more oxygen (I have no swelling in ankles or extremities).
I guess my question is then, is this something serious? What is the difference between plain old tachycardia (resting without physical activity) and SVT??? Can you feel a difference in the way the heart beats or would you need a EKG or other type of monitor to record the difference? Mine seemed to be very regular (with only one pvc thank goodness), just very fast and for no apparent reason. And generally now, it seems to speed up for a few beats when I swallow hard, then go back to a slower rhythm.
My other question is whether rapid heart rate in the middle of the night might be something attributed to perimenopause because this has happened once before, long before I started the acebutolol. I was actually not too startled by it then because during that episode, during the very high rate, my pvcs went away completely as they do when I exercise and get my heart rate to 120bpm.
I hope I'm not being too much of a sissy, I now that some people on this forum experience much higher heart rates than this. But 110bpm without exertion is pretty unusual for me, so it's scary, and I don't really know the difference between tachycardia and SVT, even after all the time I've been posting here. :-((
Dave, thank you also for your response, funny, I didn't see your posts until just now.
It IS terrifying, although my heart rate was not TOO high, at least not as high as what you and Lagoya have experienced, or anyone else who has SVT. I remeber reading lots of posts from people who have 180+ even 200+, but you know, it's not until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
I'm sorry that you sometimes lay awake until dawn with the worry and fret over it all. I believe I can now empathise because I did not want to go to sleep the next night for fear that it would happen again. Imagine, being afraid to go to sleep. And believe me, every night I look forward to getting into bed because it's been the only time (since taking the BB) that I could get a break from the pvcs--when I was asleep. I have always looked forward to that, until now.
Lagoya, thanks for the suggestions, I did try holding my breath and bearing down, and deep breathing, when it went to 90 I thought I had it licked. Then it bounced back up to 120 and stayed. I finally got up after what seemed an eternity, and took the BB, and I'd estimate 20 minutes later it did start to slow down, and by then I was exhausted which surprised me, not withstanding the fact it was only 4am.
Greendave, I think you are right, pvcs, no matter the number, are easier to take than the rapid heart rate. Of course that's easy for me to say now, I'm not having bigeminy.
I hope you all have a quiet day and evening, and many many many more of those!
It IS terrifying, although my heart rate was not TOO high, at least not as high as what you and Lagoya have experienced, or anyone else who has SVT. I remeber reading lots of posts from people who have 180+ even 200+, but you know, it's not until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
I'm sorry that you sometimes lay awake until dawn with the worry and fret over it all. I believe I can now empathise because I did not want to go to sleep the next night for fear that it would happen again. Imagine, being afraid to go to sleep. And believe me, every night I look forward to getting into bed because it's been the only time (since taking the BB) that I could get a break from the pvcs--when I was asleep. I have always looked forward to that, until now.
Lagoya, thanks for the suggestions, I did try holding my breath and bearing down, and deep breathing, when it went to 90 I thought I had it licked. Then it bounced back up to 120 and stayed. I finally got up after what seemed an eternity, and took the BB, and I'd estimate 20 minutes later it did start to slow down, and by then I was exhausted which surprised me, not withstanding the fact it was only 4am.
Greendave, I think you are right, pvcs, no matter the number, are easier to take than the rapid heart rate. Of course that's easy for me to say now, I'm not having bigeminy.
I hope you all have a quiet day and evening, and many many many more of those!
I didn't end my bit very well I think and don't really mean that PVC's are a piece of cake..
What I was trying to say but it came out wrong was that SVT's really frighten me whereas I hate PVC's but they don't frighten me any where near as much
dave
What I was trying to say but it came out wrong was that SVT's really frighten me whereas I hate PVC's but they don't frighten me any where near as much
dave
the fear that from svt is real i know before my ablation mine was at night a alot as well i would be lying in bed and boom it was like a massive rollercoster in my chest and i would always jump up making it worst and in the end i would just lay there terrified ,trying to clam it down ,svt will come on quickely and stop just as fast leaving a person feeling sick and wondering what the hell just happened ,it is an awful feeling ,,the bursts i get now dont last as long but still leave a note in my head even after this time ,my heart has it's own personal email to my brain ,,i know before it starts i get a few etopics and then a fairly quick run ,but like greendave if i move about or change position it will kick back down ,,When episodes of svt start suddenly and cause symptoms, you can try vagal manoeuvres—such as gagging, holding your breath and bearing down , immersing your face in ice-cold water , coughing, or putting pressure on your eyelids. These simple manoeuvres stimulate the vagus nerve, which can slow conduction of electrical impulses that control your heart rate. Your doctor will teach you how to perform vagal manoeuvres safely if u feel they will help u in the long run if it is svt .
Thank you both for your informative and quick responses to my post. I do appreciate you both very much, and for what you add to this forum.
I've been reluctant to use medication for pvcs and I've had a thought in the back of my mind (because a cardiologist told me this 15 years ago), that using a beta-blocker for pvcs in a person whose blood pressure and heart rate were normal, could make things worse. That first, it probably wouldn't help reduce the pvcs just make me feel them less, and that over time, my heart would become dependant on the beta-blocker for rate control.
It's only been a couple of months on acebutolol, and it really has made a big difference in the pvc frequency, but I do not want to experience another type of arrhythmia in exchange for the pvcs.
Besides, isn't sinus tachycardia, and SVT thought to be benign as well? A matter of how much it affects your quality of life rather than leading to more significant heart disease, much like the pvcs?
I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just stop medication all together and go back to 20,000 pvc/day, afterall you'd think I'd be used to them after 27 years. Good ol' friend, good ol' pal, pvcs. ugghhh.
If the high rate occurs again, I'll have to call the doctor and request an event monitor to make sure I can capture this new heart mischief.
Thanks guys.
I've been reluctant to use medication for pvcs and I've had a thought in the back of my mind (because a cardiologist told me this 15 years ago), that using a beta-blocker for pvcs in a person whose blood pressure and heart rate were normal, could make things worse. That first, it probably wouldn't help reduce the pvcs just make me feel them less, and that over time, my heart would become dependant on the beta-blocker for rate control.
It's only been a couple of months on acebutolol, and it really has made a big difference in the pvc frequency, but I do not want to experience another type of arrhythmia in exchange for the pvcs.
Besides, isn't sinus tachycardia, and SVT thought to be benign as well? A matter of how much it affects your quality of life rather than leading to more significant heart disease, much like the pvcs?
I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just stop medication all together and go back to 20,000 pvc/day, afterall you'd think I'd be used to them after 27 years. Good ol' friend, good ol' pal, pvcs. ugghhh.
If the high rate occurs again, I'll have to call the doctor and request an event monitor to make sure I can capture this new heart mischief.
Thanks guys.
great stuff as well - it wasn't there when i was writing my bit
Isn't it great therapy admitting your fears who cares about being a cissy!!
dave
Isn't it great therapy admitting your fears who cares about being a cissy!!
dave
Great stuff from lagoya as always.
I am answering your question only from personal experience and for me there is no douvbt what so ever when I get what i class as SVT. It is usually aoround 2 to 3 in the morning and takes off like a rocket to incredible speeds, no missed beats, just extremely rapid unrelenting beats which terrifyingly go on sometimes for hours. I dare not move as even the slightest twitch makes it even faster - when it strikes nothing works for me except the coming of dawn - which to be honest I often think i won't see. It scares me because it comes out of the blue, no warning and always in the horrible hours before dawn. there is no mistaking it and it is my biggest dread.
PSVT I get now and then and for me it comes as a surprise a very rapid short burst and I usually have to get up and move around with this one.- very different from SVT as it goes quickly.
PVC's are a piece of cake compared to the sheer terror of a real full blown SVT incident in my experience.
dave.
I am answering your question only from personal experience and for me there is no douvbt what so ever when I get what i class as SVT. It is usually aoround 2 to 3 in the morning and takes off like a rocket to incredible speeds, no missed beats, just extremely rapid unrelenting beats which terrifyingly go on sometimes for hours. I dare not move as even the slightest twitch makes it even faster - when it strikes nothing works for me except the coming of dawn - which to be honest I often think i won't see. It scares me because it comes out of the blue, no warning and always in the horrible hours before dawn. there is no mistaking it and it is my biggest dread.
PSVT I get now and then and for me it comes as a surprise a very rapid short burst and I usually have to get up and move around with this one.- very different from SVT as it goes quickly.
PVC's are a piece of cake compared to the sheer terror of a real full blown SVT incident in my experience.
dave.
Hello...
Lagoya gave a good overview of what symptoms you can expect SVT. The way I can tell the difference is that with a regular old Sinus Tach the rate is pretty consistent. It steadily increases. Symptoms you can expect to fell with, lets say, a reentrant SVT like AVNRT...it usually starts by a PAC followed by a very rapid heart rate. A monitor or EKG is best to determine what type of tachycardia you are having.
Since heart disease is a top killer for women, great fear is instilled when the palpitations are felt. Sometimes, a woman is simply not aware of what is occurring. Some women will pass the symptom off as nothing while other women become very worried.
Keep in mind that heart palpitations and menopause is actually a very common aspect of the change of life. With heart palpitations and menopause, there is a sensation of the heart pounding uncontrollably. Usually, these palpitations when associated with menopause are transient, occurring on occasion over about a month or two.
If you are premenopausal, the palpitations are likely not associated with anything of concern. However, if you should continue to have this pounding of the heart of at any time become overly sweaty, have numbness in one of your arms, pain in the shoulder blades, chest pain, or shortness of breath, call 911.
Don't think of yourself as a "sissy" it is only natural to feel a certain level of fear when your heart is, as I say, up to no good. What kind of testing have you been through? ie. Monitoring, Echo, Stress Test etc...
Lagoya gave a good overview of what symptoms you can expect SVT. The way I can tell the difference is that with a regular old Sinus Tach the rate is pretty consistent. It steadily increases. Symptoms you can expect to fell with, lets say, a reentrant SVT like AVNRT...it usually starts by a PAC followed by a very rapid heart rate. A monitor or EKG is best to determine what type of tachycardia you are having.
Since heart disease is a top killer for women, great fear is instilled when the palpitations are felt. Sometimes, a woman is simply not aware of what is occurring. Some women will pass the symptom off as nothing while other women become very worried.
Keep in mind that heart palpitations and menopause is actually a very common aspect of the change of life. With heart palpitations and menopause, there is a sensation of the heart pounding uncontrollably. Usually, these palpitations when associated with menopause are transient, occurring on occasion over about a month or two.
If you are premenopausal, the palpitations are likely not associated with anything of concern. However, if you should continue to have this pounding of the heart of at any time become overly sweaty, have numbness in one of your arms, pain in the shoulder blades, chest pain, or shortness of breath, call 911.
Don't think of yourself as a "sissy" it is only natural to feel a certain level of fear when your heart is, as I say, up to no good. What kind of testing have you been through? ie. Monitoring, Echo, Stress Test etc...
hi
u probably know most of these already but i will just throw them in i feel the best way for u would be an event monitor to record these just to see what is going on ,i know when mine {hr} kicks up it still knocks me into the arms of anxiety which makes it all worst ,i still have to master that ,,,there are no sissy's in here
The electrical system within the heart is responsible for ensuring that the heart beats correctly so that blood can be transported throughout our the body. Any malfunction of the electrical system in the heart malfunction can cause a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat.
Types of heart disease that affect the electrical system are known as arrhythmias. They can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. These types of heart disease include:
Sinus tachycardia
Sinus tachycardia occurs when the sinus rhythm is faster than 100 beats per minute therefore it increases myocardial oxygen demand and reduces coronary blood flow, thus precipitating an ischemia heart or valvular disease.. Supraventricular tachycardia {svt
Supraventricular tachycardia is described as rapid heart rate originating above the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart causing a rapid pulse of 140-250 beats per minute. Symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia include palpitations, light-headedness, and chest pains.
. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is described as an occasional rapid heart rate. Symptoms can come on suddenly and may go away without treatment. They can last a few minutes or 1-2 days..
the vagus nerve which runs right down the abdomen and branches into the heart can be stimulated when drinking eating etc and when prone to extra beats as such they can trick they heart into a little run ,well thats my little view...
hope u feel good soon
be well
u probably know most of these already but i will just throw them in i feel the best way for u would be an event monitor to record these just to see what is going on ,i know when mine {hr} kicks up it still knocks me into the arms of anxiety which makes it all worst ,i still have to master that ,,,there are no sissy's in here
The electrical system within the heart is responsible for ensuring that the heart beats correctly so that blood can be transported throughout our the body. Any malfunction of the electrical system in the heart malfunction can cause a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat.
Types of heart disease that affect the electrical system are known as arrhythmias. They can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. These types of heart disease include:
Sinus tachycardia
Sinus tachycardia occurs when the sinus rhythm is faster than 100 beats per minute therefore it increases myocardial oxygen demand and reduces coronary blood flow, thus precipitating an ischemia heart or valvular disease.. Supraventricular tachycardia {svt
Supraventricular tachycardia is described as rapid heart rate originating above the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart causing a rapid pulse of 140-250 beats per minute. Symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia include palpitations, light-headedness, and chest pains.
. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is described as an occasional rapid heart rate. Symptoms can come on suddenly and may go away without treatment. They can last a few minutes or 1-2 days..
the vagus nerve which runs right down the abdomen and branches into the heart can be stimulated when drinking eating etc and when prone to extra beats as such they can trick they heart into a little run ,well thats my little view...
hope u feel good soon
be well
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