Diagnosed with superventricular tachycardia

[countrygirl]

Have had an implanted cardiac moniter since June and had two attacks of the flutters with near faints and today got the results from cardio.

Thankfully its not dangerous although extremely unpleasant and if happens daily could have immense impact on life. Apparently I will have been born with an extra electrical pathway in my heart and at times of hormonal upheaval like puberty/pregnancy and menopause this pathway can get triggered. I was in throes of menopause when mine started so that fits.

They can do ablation if my life is very affected by it but as there is a 1% chance of death/serious adverse effect I am not having it done. Cardio happy to moniter me for next 18 mnths with my implant but I can have the ablation at any time if I want.

So the good news is that what I have is NOT dangerous or life threatening. I have always had alot of ectopics for past 30 odd years and ectopics can make you feel faint as well but these are harmless anyway.

Just wondered if anyone else on here has been diagnosed with svt as I don't want to google but would appreciate talking to someone else with it.

[Traceypo]

Haven't had this, but pleased you've got answers, bet that explains a lot for you hun?
How's your anxiety now you've had that result?
Hope you're sleeping better, xxx

[countrygirl]

Thanks Traceypo. Have been doing okay recently, am due first cbt session on Monday afternoon. Really weird but when I went for my initial cbt consultation about not sleeping and panic I had been sleeping fine for weeks but sure enough just talking about it, that night I could not sleep.
I am hoping that this cbt which is aimed at helping anxiety rather than specifically for sleep problems won't have same effect!

[Traceypo]

Good luck hun, I'm back in CBT too, looking at general catastrophic worry as well as health anxiety, it's a journey and we find new fears and triggers along the way.
Your thread reads very positive, definitely a step in right direction. Xxx

[Lifelonganxiety!]

Sorry to hear that. I don't have it but work for a cardiac company. Have you ever tried the Valsalva maneuvre when the events occur? Basically just close your mouth and pinch your nose and then make like you're blowing air (look it up).

It may be of some use to you, seriously.

[rsanchez]

I would talk with your doctor more about the ablation procedure and the risks and benefits. They say 1% but they are likely rounding up, I've heard ablation is a very safe procedure. It can also have a huge impact on your quality of life.

[molly36]

Hi I have been diagnosed with svt and I hate it scares the hell out of me each time I get it. Mine usually happens at night it wakes me up first few times I called a ambulance as was so scared. Heart rate of near 200 is not nice to try and deal with especially on you own. I too find mine worse when hormones are a bit mad. But like you say it's not dangerous as I've been told many times but still scares me . I'm glad you now know it's not dangerous as the worry is awful when it first happens . I can just about cope with the svt but when it starts giving out ectopic beats at the same time I really don't cope so well but also been told it's harmless. My trouble is I find that hard to accept when in the middle of a attack . Hope this helps xx

[jobber]

Hi,

I've been a reader on this forum for quite a while, decided to join when I read this message.

I've beed diagnosed at 27 with lone atrial fibrillation then, a year later, with SVT, for which I had an ablation.

Surprisingly, I had these problems from being a little too fit ! I have a naturally slow heart rate, and fitness caused it to drop a little lower, opening a "window of opportunity" for ectopics to disrupt sinus rhythm.

Just so you know, the ablation totally cured my SVT. The 1% chance of adverse effects is for the whole range of possible complications, not only death. Also, you have to understand this 1% includes people with all type of health conditions, from healthy people to those with chronic diseases.

It was a one day procedure for me with no major side effects except for a little bruising in the groin (where they insert the catheter) and a few more skipped beats than usual for a week or two.

Also note if you read about this surgery online that ablation for SVT is different than ablation for A-Fib: it's a lot simpler and have less risk of side effects.

Hope it helps!

[countrygirl]

Sorry to hear that. I don't have it but work for a cardiac company. Have you ever tried the Valsalva maneuvre when the events occur? Basically just close your mouth and pinch your nose and then make like you're blowing air (look it up).

It may be of some use to you, seriously.

I should have said that I already use this proceedure to stop the attacks and it works, occasionally I have to do it a couple of times but I know its the best thing to stop the attacks. Thanks for the advice though.

---------- Post added at 20:20 ---------- Previous post was at 20:16 ----------

Molly - thanks for sharing with me. Agree its very scary especially the first few times you have it. I too ended up in A&E but of course because the attacks only last with me no more than 30 seconds there was nothing to find by time the ambulance arrived! Eventually I realised that I was still alive and kicking but its still very unpleasant when they hit out of the blue and you really think you will faint.

Jobber - glad the ablation worked for you. Part of my health anxiety is totall terror of any medical proceedure although I do realise that the proceedure is very safe. Its not so much the proceedure as the terror I will experience having it done! If my bad attacks came every day then I would def go for the ablation but I can go weeks and even months without bad attacks although I get little ones lasting just a second or so a few times a week. I also have bad ectopics as well and its hard to tell the difference so the little attacks could just be bad ectopics.

[jobber]

Well as for the procedure itself, they give you something like Versed. You're not sleeping but you don't remember much afterward. It really ain't that bad. :)