question about SVT

[annako]

Can supraventricular tachycardia last for like 10 seconds or is it more of a very fast rhythm that remains regular but for longer periods of time.  My cardio told me he thinks I have SVT ( im awaiting a holter appt) but I forgot to ask him if these SVT episodes can last only a few seconds to maybe 10 seconds, because that is the longest my flutters last for.  I don't see him again until after I have my holter on.  Any input from any SVT sufferers?  Thanks in advance for your help.

[770shelia]

SVTS can last a few seconds, minutes, or hours. If mine lasted longer than a few minutes I would have no second thoughts on having my ablation done.  When I get mine they last a few minutes and I can always stop them with vagal manuevers. However I am scared that one day it will not stop, so I am scheduled for an ablation next monday. Good luck

[nicolette36]

yes i got the ablation done 10 days ago,prior to this i was on 10mg bisoprolol a day since even being on a lower dose wasnt controlling the svt.whenever i was having an attack i found that none of the manouvres worked for me and being on the betablockers was seriously affecting my quality of life.fingers crossed im cured now!!!!

[ireneo]

That's a pretty brisk rate. You said the valsalva maneuver (holding your breath) seemed to help but if your tachy times last 1.5 hours, that's just not good. If the valsalva is going to work, it usually does so in the first minute or two. Does that mean you have other times where your heart pops into PSVT but you break it with valsalva? You should count those as well in your 1-3 times a month.

The problem with message boards is people who have had successful ablations tend to go their merry way in life and not hang out here. So all you get to see are the unsuccessful cases. That can be discouraging. Again, just keep the ablation in mind if things get too rough or the tachy is too symptomatic and you're just tired of it.

[mabebesc]

Thanks so much for your reply. My SVT happens about 1-3 times a month, lasts anywhere from a minute to an hour and a half and the rate is about 160-180.  I am taking the smallest  dose of Nadolol( a beta blocker) once a day. I am so tired of dealing with this but on the other hand, I am so afraid to risk having an abaltion done and ending up worse. If I could know it would be a success with no complications, I'd do it in a hearbeat.(no pun intended!)  I love reading the success stories-it gives me courage to do it.  But when I read the negative stories, it scares me into not doing it.  I am so torn. If I had to go to an ER every time or if I had symptoms when it happened, I'd also do it without hesitation.

[ireneo]

I was in your shoes years ago. I had arrhythmias all my life and learned to deal with them. They were my "normal." Back in 2000 I got a new doctor who sent me to a cardiologist. He told me my arrhythmias wouldn't kill me but they could fix it by doing an ablation where they go into my heart and burn the pathways. I thought he was nuts. Why should I let them poke around in there to fix something that won't hurt me anyway. When I compared the ablation to a nose job (an optional surgery), the cardio go annoyed with me and said, "Well, I wouldn't live like that!" and he walked out. LOL

I did finally go in for the ablation. It wasn't bad at all. I didn't like taking off my clothes or getting the IV but the procedure was no big deal. Actually, I've had 3 ablations now because my heart is so goofy but things are so much better now. I don't have the long episodes of PSVT, the atrial flutter (which I didn't know I had) is gone. I don't have tachy every day and when I do have a tachy time, it's less than a minute. So yes, the ablations were worth it all. And I don't have to take any meds. That's a real bonus for me since I can't stand medication.

I don't know how often your SVT happens, how long it lasts or how fast the rate but you might reconsider the ablation. At least keep it in mind if your arrhy's get too annoying.

[mabebesc]

Hi,
Have you had an ablation? I am a 52 year old female who has had SVT since the age of 16. My episodes last anywhere from a few seconds to an hour and half.  I have always been able to terminate them by holding my breath but what a nuisance this is!  Since I have no symptoms and can terminate them, I am holding off on an ablation because I am so scared. I don't want to end up worse but worrying when an episode will start up is driving me nuts!!

[nicolette36]

svt can last from a few seconds to several hours.my worst attack lasted 11 hours and only ended because i was in the ER getting treatment.the reason you cant get your pulse when having an attack is because it is so fast........i have a bp monitor and i remember even that couldnt track my pulse,and that is very scary,i can relate to the fluttery sensation,i used to get that at the onset,thats when i knew it had started.

[dolfnlvr]

By the way, maggiemag...I didn't mean anything when I said, "It was NOT a PVC or a couplet or a run...(I've had those MANY MANY TIMES) it wasn't a pause or a trip, it was quivering."  It could be that annako is having runs of PVC's, but I was describing my episodes and for me...there is a clear difference.  Your post is valid and I don't want you to think that I was in any way dismissing it.

Thanks for all your great posts!!!!  You are a valuable member of the forum!!!

[dolfnlvr]

Do you feel kind of faint when they hit?  

I'll do my best to describe my last episode in words, but really it's hard to do without visuals. I usually use my hand to show a "normal" pump, a "pvc" and the very different "SVT."  Honestly, that's the easiest way for me to get it across to people, but, alas...no video here :-)

Last time this happened to me I was walking in the grocery store.  I was having a GREAT day, and I remember I was actually kind of singing along with the stupid 80's music and tappin' my hands on the cart with the beat.  Then I turned the corner into the frozen food section and BOOM....out of nowhere my heart stopped "beating" and started quivering...like when your eye twitches and your muscle vibrates or whatever?  It was NOT a PVC or a couplet or a run...(I've had those MANY MANY TIMES) it wasn't a pause or a trip, it was quivering.  There was not a "real" beat in there.  I felt like I could have fallen onto the floor had I not had the cart to hold me up.  I lost my breath and could truly feel the adrenaline rush through my body with the tingly hot sensation that rushes up to your face and through your arms.

Then it stopped and went back to normal.  I felt very scared, wiped out and shakey.  This has happened to me about 6-8 times in the past 8 years and can be counted on when I'm sick to my stomach.  I HATE stomach viruses, not because of the normal throwing up etc. but because during those episodes I ALWAYS have the heart flutter thing.  

It's like I'm driving along at 55 mph in a decent car and then throw it into neutral and gun the engine....the car goes nowhere but the engine is seriously revving and being completely useless and then suddenly I throw it back into gear and the car lurches and goes back to normal.  

I've never caught this episode on a monitor, but based on my descriptions, and the hand thing, the doctor is certain I've been having short bursts of SVT.  It's the reason I'm on metoprolol.  I don't really need beta blockers for the PVC's because I'm fairly well used to them. But the SVT is extremely frightening and so far, since the grocery store episode, I've been okay.

I do know this...if I EVER have a sustained episode (more than 10-15 seconds) it will be the end of me.  That there are people out there who have to be cardioverted in the ER is very frightening to me.  Although, at the same time it is reassuring to know how many people suffer from this and are fine in the end, I much prefer PVC's (who thought I'd EVER say that????)

Take care,

[maggiemag]

It sounds more like you are having a PVC or two, because they have a pause after that can seem really long, but it is just the heart kinda re-setting it's rhythm, and called a compensatory pause.  With a structurally normal heart, PVC's are indeed normal, although many would argue that.  (and yes, I DO know!)  Try not to worry, and your Holter will say for sure what it is.

[annako]

Thank you so much for your response.  However I would like to ask you if your heart is fluttery for this 10 seconds or just beating really really fast?  Mine feels like its fluttering almost quivering really, and it scares me.  Sometimes when I feel the flutter I feel just fine and carry on with whatever it was I was doing and other times it really scares me.  Also, at one time during an episode, I felt for my pulse at the wrist and it was absent for a few seconds and finally kicked back in after what seemed like a very long pause.  I asked my cardio about this and he said it was normal and that my heart had not stopped or even come close to stopping.  Normal??? Really?? lol, gosh I wish I could just stop worrying but it is so hard to do.  Anything you can tell me about your supra vent tachy episodes would be very helpful to me, especially about the absent pulse at the wrist for like what seems like forever.  Also, my doc said v-tach it is not, or he said is very very unlikely as all my testing is normal.  Thanks again!

[dolfnlvr]

Yes.  SVT can last for a few seconds.  Funny...SVT can stand for more than one thing.  Supraventricular tachycardia is one that can last a few seconds, make you feel sort of faint and gooey in the knees and really scared.  It can last longer too, but mine last max 10 sec.  

SVT can also stand for sustained ventricular tachycardia.  This one is a bit nastier and is not a few seconds of discomfort.  

Sounds like you are experiencing the first, and that your episodes are short.  Also sounds like exactly what I have.

Luck to you.