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Heart block + SVT = only beta blockers will help??
I have complete AV heart block but recently turned into intermittent HB. I have a pacemaker and pace about 60%. Since my heart block began to not be constant I started having symptoms of SVT. They did an EP but were not able to ablate it. They said it's not typical SVT where the electricity goes in circles. They did a stress test and saw my heart jump into tachycardia then go into block, dropping BPM suddenly and a few seconds later the pacemaker would kick in bringing it to a normal BPM. This causes me to feel dizzy and almost like I could throw up.
My symptoms when it's in SVT are racing heart (like it'll explode), fatigue, and breathlessness. I have started breathing exercises (slow and deep) and hard, deep coughing when I feel it acting up. These work some of the time but daily life isn't getting easier. My Cardiologists are wanting to put me on beta blockers but I'm not so sure. I've been told there are not side effects but after speaking to fellow pacemaker buddies it seems 6/10 have horrible, debilitating side effects. Are there any alternatives or possibly a safer beta blocker? Is there another, safer pill that can stop the SVT? Oh and my concern about medicine is because I'm only 26 and worried about long term percussions.
My symptoms when it's in SVT are racing heart (like it'll explode), fatigue, and breathlessness. I have started breathing exercises (slow and deep) and hard, deep coughing when I feel it acting up. These work some of the time but daily life isn't getting easier. My Cardiologists are wanting to put me on beta blockers but I'm not so sure. I've been told there are not side effects but after speaking to fellow pacemaker buddies it seems 6/10 have horrible, debilitating side effects. Are there any alternatives or possibly a safer beta blocker? Is there another, safer pill that can stop the SVT? Oh and my concern about medicine is because I'm only 26 and worried about long term percussions.
Some folks have good experience with Bystolic. It's a selective beta blocker, meaning it focuses on the heart muscle so it can limit side effects.
Another option, since you were 3rd degree AV block already, is to ablate the AV node and be 100% pacer dependent. If it were me I'd try the med route first.
The beta blocker approach doesn't actually treat the underlying cause of the SVT. If a beta blocker is recommended that might be because your SVT is enhanced by a higher heart rate. meaning, the faster your heart beats the more likely you are to trigger SVT. The goal of using the beta blocker is to keep your heart rate lower. Beta blockers do this by blocking adrenaline receptors in the heart muscle. This in turn will keep your heart rate, on average, slower. If your SVT is not high-rate enhanced this strategy won't help.
Another option, since you were 3rd degree AV block already, is to ablate the AV node and be 100% pacer dependent. If it were me I'd try the med route first.
The beta blocker approach doesn't actually treat the underlying cause of the SVT. If a beta blocker is recommended that might be because your SVT is enhanced by a higher heart rate. meaning, the faster your heart beats the more likely you are to trigger SVT. The goal of using the beta blocker is to keep your heart rate lower. Beta blockers do this by blocking adrenaline receptors in the heart muscle. This in turn will keep your heart rate, on average, slower. If your SVT is not high-rate enhanced this strategy won't help.
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