SVT or panic attacks?

[fbmb]

I wanted to know what you guys might think. In the past 1.5 years (since after I turned 30) I have had 3 or 4 episodes where I’ll be standing in my kitchen, busy, and suddenly I notice my heart is racing. And I mean racing. Like 200 bpm. I know it’s that fast because I have put on a pulseoximeter when it happens. It happened again today.

When I tell people who know about my GAD and health anxiety their first response is that I must have had a panic attacks. They tell me that panic attacks hit you out of nowhere and they’re just awful. I’m unsure about this and I’ve done some research and have found a lot of literature about SVT and VT. So of course I’m kind of concerned. I plan to talk to my doctor about this but in the meantime I wanted to come here to talk to you about your thoughts and experiences.

In the past, I have had an EKG done after an episode and it was normal - which I expected because the “event” had passed by the time I had the test done. The doctor didn’t seem concerned and said it could be SVT, could be anxiety.

When it happens it tapers down gradually. It doesn’t just abruptly stop. I’ve not felt faint or sweaty during it. It seems like if I sit down and compose myself - kind of like riding the wave - it comes down. To me, that part doesn’t seem like a SVT.

Also I have a blood sugar reader and after this happened today I took my blood sugar and it was elevated, which also makes me wonder if it was a panic attack. Panic episodes can cause increases in blood sugar because your body dumps glucose to give you energy. I’m unaware if SVT does the same thing.

(I have the glucometer because my daughter is hypoglycemic. I am not diabetic.)

Do you have any thoughts about any of this? I’m trying to be rational and I am proud of that. But I am curious about it since I don’t have a strong history of panic attacks and I’m not sure how they present.

[elle95]

Hi fbmb! Sorry to hear that this situation is making you concern.

I am going through a similar worry right now, my heart races out of the blue just like you said it feels like 200 bpm but my heartbeat feels erratic and very irregular and this lasts (thankfully thanks God) about 30 or less seconds. I've suffered from pvcs since 14 yrs old and this feels like many pvcs one after the other and I'm as well worried about vtach cause mine doesn't sound like svt. It stops abruptly but when I get these episodes it would feel like a panick attack cause I suddenly feel cold and out of breath but I'm not sure if it's a consequence of the irregular heartbeat itself.

I'd like to know, how long do these episodes last for you?? And what does your heartbeat feel like when it happens? If it lasts longer than a minute it is very unlikely it is vtach (you wouldn't be here now!) but I'm not a doctor I'm just coming from the things I've read about different types of tachycardia.

I described my doctor about my episodes and had an ecg which came back normal as well and she said if I was having vtach I wouldn't look good but just as you I wasn't having tachycardia during the appointment.

[fbmb]

Hi fbmb! Sorry to hear that this situation is making you concern.

I am going through a similar worry right now, my heart races out of the blue just like you said it feels like 200 bpm but my heartbeat feels erratic and very irregular and this lasts (thankfully thanks God) about 30 or less seconds. I've suffered from pvcs since 14 yrs old and this feels like many pvcs one after the other and I'm as well worried about vtach cause mine doesn't sound like svt. It stops abruptly but when I get these episodes it would feel like a panick attack cause I suddenly feel cold and out of breath but I'm not sure if it's a consequence of the irregular heartbeat itself.

I'd like to know, how long do these episodes last for you?? And what does your heartbeat feel like when it happens? If it lasts longer than a minute it is very unlikely it is vtach (you wouldn't be here now!) but I'm not a doctor I'm just coming from the things I've read about different types of tachycardia.

I described my doctor about my episodes and had an ecg which came back normal as well and she said if I was having vtach I wouldn't look good but just as you I wasn't having tachycardia during the appointment.

I’m not really worried about vtach. It’s much more uncommon than SVT.

It just feels really fast. I don’t get light headed or cold or anything. I get concerned about my heart racing but I just try to compose myself and it gradually goes away.