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[momma162]

My daughter just turned 18 and started having rapid heart beats and dizzy spells when she stands up. Her general doctor said he thought it was SVT and that it wasn't severe enough to be treated. However, he sent her to a cardio speacialist for an Echocardiogram and of course they did several other test. Now the cardio dr is saying they can't find anything wrong with her heart, even though the 21 day monitor had plenty of rapid beats on it. But he scheduled her for more test after telling her to follow up with her GP on an "as need to basis". She is still in high school and the spells hurt really bad. Sometimes she even has to leave class to go somewhere to focus on calming her self down to prevent panic attacks. She has cut out all caffiene and is eating limited amounts of sugar. The odd part is that when she is active, she doesn't seem to have as many spells as when she is sitting or just standing, but she does have them daily. Does anyone have more information they can share to help us find a treatment for this?  Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[tom_h]

Good advice from Jan!  As she says, if it's SVT, it's an electric mis-wiring in your daughter's heart.  Drugs therapy, and perhaps even grape juice may help, but won't cure it.  The only cure for the problem is to locate the source of the electrical problem, and literally sever it by ablation.  I've had hundreds of SVT events, and have felt anxious during each one of them. You do feel like your personal world you carefully control is literally collapsing around you.  If this cardio doc won't listen, find another!

[Janpes]

I think the only way to rule out SVT is to have an EP study done by a qualified and well experienced doctor done. If they can't induce the SVT in the lab then it is probably not that.
Ask for a referal to an EP study. I know I had to run around, back and forth until I got someone to listen. One nurse at the ER even came upto me after finally getting the diagnosis and said "Good to know it is not all in your head"
Anxiety does play a part in this too, as we don't know what is wrong and everytime our heart sets off racing then we panic. A couple of instances of SVT and our whole world starts to colapse and with it rolls in the anxiety which makes the SVT symptoms worse.
About the grape juice, try it, what will it hurt. I don't know if it will help as I am not into all that natural approach.
If it is SVT then the only chance of a cure will be an ablation. Search around and knowledge yourself up. Knowledge is power as they say. Make them listen, if they won't then shop around until you find one that does.

[momma162]

Her GP actually thinks it is SVT. It is the cardio doctor that doesn't think it is anything. The cardio doctor didn't give us much info on the readings, other than it is not an arythmia or murmur. They are doing a stress test next week and if they don't find anything we are going into Atlanta to find a another doctor. I will exhaust all options until somebody finds something.
They actually caught a "spell" on her EKG at the GP's office. That was when the panic attacks started because the pain lasted longer than normal. She was having a spell at the Cardio visit yesterday and he didn't even listen to her heart. Kind of pissed me off.
I read an article about all natural grape juice helping to slow down the rapid beats. Have you ever heard anything about that or other foods that might help? We are not into the all natural life style, but it seems safer than some of these meds.

[Janpes]

forgot to say it took me 9 months of constantly running back and forth to the ER before I was diagnosed :(

[Janpes]

I agree with Tom, don't let up on this, keep going until you find an answer or better still a cure.
I was wrote off with anxiety and given anxiety pills and it wasn't until that I caught an episode on portable ECG and when the episode wouldn't convert I got it on film in the ER too.
After that and the diagnosis of SVT (AVNRT) the rest followed pretty quickly. I also like tom had the pressure feeling on my chest whenever I had an episode, but not pain at all.
I had an ablation done 9 weeks ago.

[tom_h]

The term 'SVT" encompases a wide variety of conditions that cause a rapid pulse.  In many cases an echo and/or EKG will show nothing out of the ordinary.  This disbelief attitude by the medical experts is something that all of us encounter at one time or another.  Many pass it off as anxiety or panic attacks.  I was questioned repeatedly by a cardiologist as to whether I was a drug user, because I was asymptomatic during my visits with him.  Your daughter needs to keep log of these events.  She needs to record the rate of her pulse.  The term "rapid" or "fast" is very ambiguous.  For example, if a physician sees 225 bpm, that is much more helpful.  She needs to note what she was doing at the onset of the event, along with observations  of any pain or other feelings.  I had SVT events for 54 years, but it was never accompanied by actual pain.  I had a heavy feeling in my chest like aweight was on it, but never actual sharp pain.  Finally, don't accept being blown off by your GP.  Keep on it.  Don't let up.

Eliminating caffeine is a good thing for SVT.  When I was younger, most of my SVTs occured under high physical stress.  But as I aged, the majority of them began to occur when I was just sitting still; maybe driving or eating dinner.  Again, recording observations like this are helpful in determining a diagnosis.

Question for you:  Do you know what kind of "rapid beats" were recorded on the 21 day monitor?