How to think clearly with pvcs,pacs,svt?

[mommiex51984]

Please help.....just need words of encouragement on how to continue to live like this. I have pvcs and pacs with Svt. Doc says ablation but I am 29 with 5 kids. I'm always scared I will drop dead. On atenolol 25mg twice daily. Xanax for anxiety. Sometimes I can go on and other times I'm a wreck. I have no one to talk to about my condition. I'm lways worried and scared. I am overweight and just started back smoking. I am just needing comfort and someone to talk to. I feel like I isolate myself from the world. I work as a cna doing home health. I never had these problems untill I had a tubal in 2009 . Please anyone who can talk to me email me at ***@****. I'm at my wits end....

[Smiley2000]

Hi there,

I was 31 years old when I had my Cardiac Ablation to treat SVT's and A-Fib.  My kids were 2 and 5 so I understand the fear of leaving your kids without a mom!

But I had at least 3 SVT attacks per week and was struggling with Congestive Heart failure and severe mitral valve incompetence on top of the arrhythmias and did not really have a choice.

I had a consult with an ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST.  I can not stress this enough:  a normal Cardio should NOT be doing Cardiac Ablations!  Only get it done through an ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST.  Even if you have to travel a bit to get to one in a State or Hospital in another City!  it is worth the effort.  Normal Cardio's can ablate to much or the wrong node and you could end up with a Pacemaker!  I am now scarring you.  That is really what can happen.

So I had my Cardiac Ablation during Nov. 2007.  It is like having an Angiogram in stereo!  but it was all done while I was under sedation (can not remember a thing) and about 3 hours later it was all over.  The EP Doc did EP mapping and identified 2 extra nodes and ablated the 1.  The 2nd one was to close to my normal AV node and he left that one.  A normal Cardio would have done something else and I would have ended up with a Pacemaker and heaps more issues!

It is now 6 years later and I had surgery to repair my mitral valve and I no longer get SVT's or A-fib.

Cardiac Ablation could be your answer, but please do your research on getting it done through an EP Doc.

All the best,

[Mhach64]

I had the same condition as u, about 5 PVCs per minute, and I was getting SVT attacks about once a month..... But I was afraid of getting an SVT attack 24/7.  I was told an ablation would help, probably cure me completely.   I was apprehensive, mainly cause my dad had 3 ablations and a cox-maize and they did not work.  ( My dad did not have SVT , but A-fib)  The  last straw was  I had an SVT attack at my son's graduation party and I  told my wife to take me to emergency where my Dr is, with full intention that I can't live like this, and that I would get ablation ASAP.   Long story short, I had the procedure done 2 days later, ( this past Monday, July 7/15/13).   It was a piece of cake....  Zero pain...slight discomfort, I had all these fears in my head - none of them were realized.   I almost went SVT when they took me from my room to OR, but was quickly sedated.   It has been 5 days, I don't think I have had even 1 PVC, and when I feel an SVT could come on, it just never happens. I get a little anxious but i tell myself the pathway is gone.... Then I'm normal....  I have taken an extra Xanax or 2, but I can already see that the anxiety will get better.  I am 48, 195, with a very low resting heartrate, I workout 3 days a week ( I have been rushed from the gym to emergency twice because of SVT, in the past)  I would unequivocally recommend the ablation if your Dr tells you he can cure you.  After 5 days I have minimal discomfort in groin area, like I did a few sit ups....    I'm still getting used to my normal, non PVC heartbeat,...and I don't live in fear that while I'm in the grocery store or at the movies, that I'm gonna get an SVT attack.  I would do it again without hesitation.

[achillea]

First, was svt explained to you?  If not, here is an explanation:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/supraventricular-tachycardia-overview?page=2

You can see two important pieces of information there.  One is that you must not smoke, because nicotine increases both *heart rate* and blood pressure.  If you are interested in having fewer episodes of svt as well as your PVCs and PACs, you simply have to stop smoking.  There is no question about this.

Second, you are not likely to drop dead with the type of SVT you have, since even though it is scary, it is hardly ever life threatening.  Although your doctor has recommended ablation, he has apparently not indicated to you that this is an emergency situation.

Now, even when we understand mentally that we are not in mortal danger with things like SVT, it's still hard to believe it when there is funny stuff going on in the chest.  It sounds as though your biggest problem is anxiety and/or panic over your symptoms.  You have been given Xanax, but Xanax is not a great solution for long-term problems like this.  Quite often, a different, longer-term medication is better, along with some talk therapy.

Do you have health insurance?  If you do, I strongly suggest that you ask for a referral to a specialist who deals with your major problem, which is--understandably--fear.  After all, it's important to go to the right specialist for any problem.  You have a cardiologist looking at your heart, but no doctor for your anxiety.