SVT - PSVT

I have been having svt for many yrs...i was told by my cardio it was psvt...can someone please explain the differance between svt & psvt...Thanks

[tom_h]

The two terms are interchangeable.

[ireneo]

Another term that is often used is PAT.

[tom_h]

I see by your journal entries that you have more than occasional episodes. Do you take any medication to control them?  Have you considered a possible surgical procedure to eliminate them?  Many of us here have or have had SVT and are here to help if you need it.

[ireneo]

Ah, I checked your tracker and fortunately the PSVT doesn't happen too often or last too long. But the big question is do you know your rate?

And I see you love Tatty Teddy. So do I. A friend bought me a small Tatty Teddy while in the UK and now he has the place of honor on my pillow. Love his story.

[ireneo]

Tom - what do you consider frequent PSVT then?  I won't mention how often I have it but my tachy times are very brief now so they're of no consequence to me. No worse than having hiccups.

[aussie mum]

Yep i love Tatty Teddies...I also love using the tracker...i find it very helpful in keeping "track" of things...

Almost 6yrs ago i started having svt not long after the birth of my 3rd child...at the same time i was told i had postpartum cardiomyopathy which resolved it's self over time without the use of meds...that's when i came to find this AMAZING forum...

I don't take any meds for my svt...i have needed to be converted in hospital 3 times...after the last time i needed to be converted i had to stay over night cause my bloods came back with ?? so i had to have an angiogram which was fine...i feel the times i needed to be converted was mainly because my anxiety was raised which made matters worse...when they first start (feels like a bunch of butterflies flapping around inside my chest) my HR is up near the 200 bpm but they ease off to 160/180...when i first started having them i would get this huge rush of adrenaline go through my body which made it harder to convert...back then they scared the bugger out of me...

I no longer fear my svt & have found what works for me to convert back...my cardio is a very reassuring doc & i love him for that...

Will i ever have an ablation ?? well you can never say never BUT atm no...

I also get palpitation which i do hate more then anything !! now those things do scare me...i would rather have svt every day the palps...

[tom_h]

Frequent SVT to me is what I had; 3-5 times per month. These episodea would run until I converted them. This is not counting the brief little runs that were technically SVT, but never quite got going.  Just long enough to shake you up a bit.

[aussie mum]

I went almost 6 months without even a palp then out of the blue BOOM into svt...i think a lot of what happens with my heart is to do with my digestive system...How long do your svt last ??

[merileegal]

I'm going to jump in here. I had SVT  attacks 3-4 times a year and lots of little attacks, maybe 10 quick beats. I've had them and dealt with them through vagal manuever for over 20 years. I finally was correctly diagnosed with SVT and I about decided not to have an ablation and discussed that with my ep. He agreed that I could continue on the way I have until he looked at my monitor reading. It was 250bpm and he said that was too fast and I needed the ablation. So I think that it must not depend on just how often you get them but how fast and long the attack lasts. My last attack lasted 45 min going this fast. It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest and I was so afraid my heart was being damaged. Also, when I have attacks like this my heart doesn't go back into completely regular rythm for a few weeks.

[tom_h]

Mine would run on forever if I did not intervene to slow them.  They never converted on their own.  If I was at rest, and one started, I could convert it very rapidly; less than a minute.  If my respiration was was, such as when doing physical or athletic activities, it would take as long as 45 minutes to convert it..

[tom_h]

I forgot to add, that the reason I'm using the past tence is mine was ablated 7 months ago.  As I'm sure you know, if you have it for a long time, it becomes intertwined in your lifestyle.  To be rid of it after 54 years take a while to acclimate.

[merileegal]

I agree, tom. AFter I had my ablation and had the 4 hours to just lay there and think, I tried to wrap my brain around the fact that these were gone for good, that I didn't have to worry when I felt my heart doing the flip floppy thing that I might have an attack. They became a part of who I was, part of my identity. It was strange to think I could cross SVT off of my profile.