ectopic atrid tachycardia

Question

I am a healthy 47 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with Ectopic Atrial Tachycardia. LIke many of your writers, the adenosine did not work on a couple of tries to bring down my rate and eventually the doctors used cardizem and kept me overnight to discern no heart damage and a healthy heart. My cardiologist described this condition as a "nuisance' and benign which would not "kill" me or give me a stroke or heart attack. He has prescribed my third medicine to help with the symptoms and has reported that he does not have the technology for ablation, that I would need to go to another hospital for the procedure. He is recommending medication now and said that I could "outgrow" the condition in a year. I am a teacher and do not like when I nearly faint in class and must stop to catch me breath while blood is circulating to my head again.

Do you think I should change doctors and go to another hospital for the ablation? Can medicine cure me?

SB

This discussion is related to ectopic atrial tachycardia.

maggiemag · Answer

I agree about going to an EP, who is a specialist in the electrical part of the heart.  Some can have their episodes completely controlled by meds, others not.  Since an ablation is an invasive and very expensive procedure, I would try the meds first.  I was on Verapamil for 5 years for my SVT and had no side effects and no episodes, plus it controlled my zillion PVC's.   You may have to try more than one med.  How often are your episodes and how high does your rate get?  I really doubt that you will outgrow it!  Just beware of an EP who wants to jump immediately to ablation, as there are some inexperienced ones who want the practice and are anxious to just get in there and play around.  Ask how often they have to do a second ablation.  My EP said the only time he had to go back sometimes was for a complicated atrial flutter.