How to cope with SVT....Need advice...ablation or drugs or nothing?

[sb786]

Hello everyone,

I am 27 years old and have been recently diagnosed with svt and have just started to get the annoying PVCs too. I have not really tried any meds to help with the svt yet. I have mild asthma so can only take a very lose dose of beta blocker. I tired calcium channel blockers for 2 weeks only but they do not work for me and i hated the side effects. Now i am thinking about an ablation. I have read very few success stories and many horror stories. Personally i'm afraid of the whole procedure and don't like the idea of scarring/burning areas of my heart. I just want to ask other SVT sufferers that have had an ablation for their experiences.
After the procedure did you experience other arrythmias such as increased PVCS? I have read that some people still get the svt but only very short runs instead of the sustained attacks. I also remember asking a paramedic about ablations and he said they were not a very good idea unless your svt attacks were unbearable and very frequent. He told me that the scarring from the ablation has caused some patients to suffer AFIB later on in life! How true are these rumours?

Also are there any SVT sufferers who have found success with drugs rather than the ablation? Or perhaps you have other coping techniques that work during an svt attack??
It would be interseting to see how many people have taken the ablation route, drug therapy route or do nothing and just put up with it route!

[century21LA]

I have my ablation on June 15, 2012.  It was very simple and pain free.  I passed out at a restaurant out of town in Fort Worth Texas.  The Doctor on call was the Director of the electrical unit of the heart hospital I was in.

So, I decided do it now since this was the first time I passed out.
Most of the other episodes I had, my heart went 200-300 beats. I was able to wait it out and get over it after sometimes 2 or 3 hours.  I was so tired of being scared to drive alone, always looking for hospitals near by incase I had an episode.

I have been taking it easy for the last 8 days.  I will let you know if it worked for me.  So far, no SVT beats. I am off medication and no longer take xanex.

Just do it.....is my opinion if you have SVT. Dont live with it as long as I did.

Good Luck. Keep in touch

[ireneo]

I avoid heart meds because I just don't like taking them. But I was taking Diltiazem for awhile (a CCB) and it gave me horrid headaches for a good two weeks. Then they started to taper off. I think it had something to do with relaxing the blood vessels and that's how I got the throbbing headache.  I did not have any vision problems, just a bit of dizziness and fatigue.

How long have you been on the medication?  

I've had 3 ablations for PSVT and a surprise bit of atrial flutter which they didn't know about but it was inside the heart, not outside. Guess I'm not any help there.

[cmish]

I'm 44 and was recently diagnosed with idiopathic VT.  I've had problems since I was a teen, but no one really did anything about it then.  I recently changed PCPs and Dr. heard it when he took my BP.  That was in February.  Since then, it's been ECGs, Holter Monitors, Echos, Stress Test, 30-day monitor that caught a long SVT and landed me in the ER, followed by more tests.  Cardiologist referred me to EP for study and possible ablation.  EP study showed where the problem area was, but ablation wasn't possible from the inside-it was on the outside of my left ventricle.  That was 4 days ago.  Now I'm on Fleicanide and have had weird vision problems followed by migraines.  I'm hoping this goes away.  If not, I may be a candidate for epicardial ablation which is more invasive.  Has anyone else experienced migraines with fleicanide or had the epicardial ablation?  The fleicanide does seem to have reduced the NSVTs...but I don't like taking meds because of side effects.

[selim741]

i just had a pac ablation. it was not successful. the ep had to stop the surgery mid point. the pac's i have been having is coming from the his bundle. how unlucky am i!!!! he said if it was two inches to the left he would have got it. i'm stuck with 20,000 pac's per day. he wants me on multag. i don't think so.....

[georgi212]

had non-surgical ablation onThurs. Drs say it was a success. Mine was the most common type. awake throughout the 4 hrs. unique exp. feel great and highly recommend this option.

[littlegreenman1]

I just had an ablation done 5 days ago. Reason: I'm 41, and it's had me in the ER twice.  I get (hopefully used to) them about once a week, and they'd last a minute. (while exercising)

If I didn't exercise, I'd get them about once a quarter, and could manage them.  If I chose that path or say, a lower impact exercise regimen... I'd neither do drugs or gotten ablated. I would deal w/ the SVT - because, while it's a pain, it's generally benign.

But I do get them a lot... I'm competitive. So, when I do road races, I like to BEAT people. Therefore, I push my body, and my heart was the limiter.  I like to say, "I can't do drugs."  I can't smoke dope like in college... too responsible now.  I can't take cold meds... they bring on SVT.  I can't use caffeine.... brings on SVT.  I can't drink like a fish... makes you a complete mess. OK. You get it.  I don't do drugs, so why do heart meds?  Why start that FN cocktail? My Grandparents (and Greats) all made it to 89-103. So I'm looking down 48-62 years of meds, vs a definitive fix.

I *****DID**** throw cost/benefit into this equation.  Here's a thread: grab your EOB's and tell the world. How much did your Ablation cost??? I'm expecting to pay (including premiums) $10,000 this year vs $2200 last year. Total cost of the procedure, one (I think RIP OFF, and unnecessary) Ambulance ride ($966 - 1 mile/3 minutes) and ER visits, tests, labs, Holters.... I'm bracing for $50k. In Canada, they get in line.  In USA, we get a loan.