SVT - arrhythmia

[Robgem81]

Good morning,

I found myself in A&E over the weekend with a very fast heart rate. It was 230bpm (normal HR 60-100bpm) it self resolved after 30-40 mins. I had to stay in overnight. It was all very scary. ECG is normal and bloods are normal which is good. I will be having a holter for a month soon. I also can't drive for a month. I have a 2y old son.

It looks like I had an SVT episode. Can anyone relate and tell me how they picked themselves up and got on with life?

My mother and I both have SVT, we take beta blockers and have had catheter ablations we both still have episodes but not as frequently. The episodes are very scary but generally resolve themselves in around 40-50 minutes (although my mother has needed adenosine and paddles to resolve hers on two occasions in the past but that hasn't happened in the last two decades thankfully and both those episodes lasted hours), there are a few things that might help - leaning your back against something very cold, running your wrists under very cold water, coughing, and holding your breathe and straining as though doing a bowel movement (sounds strange but I think it's a vagal manoeuvre that can help resolve an episode). Have you ever had any episodes before this?

Thank you for you reply. No not like that but I started to get lots of ectopic last November. I had a 24 hour tape that showed a broad complex tachycardia that they wasn't concerned with. I got prescribed bisoprolol but didn't take it as I have been trying for baby number two (unsuccessfully x2 MC). Everything had been really calm until the weekend. The cardiac consultant thinks the broad complex could be svt but it's shown itself differently on the holter. Echo is normal. Feeling very frustrated with my body this year.

Thanks for the advice also. If/when it happens again I will be trying all this

I have this too and am also on beta blockers, etc, following some hospital admissions and procedures, but not for a while, fingers crossed!
I have also completely given up coffee, as the caffeine spike affected me a lot, and have reduced drinking alcohol.

The two biggest remaining triggers for me are being feverish and allowing my heart rate to raise too much, as it takes forever to slow back down, or else it doesn't slow down at all, and I have to go to A and E…
I have successfully used the techniques KevinTheKoala describes above, and also use a slowing breathing technique, if it begins to feel it's getting out of hand, where I breathe in, hold and breathe out.

As I get arrhythmia and ectopics as well as the tachycardia, the risk of clotting is raised, so I am also prescribed amylodipine, aspirin and statins. (I dislike taking all these daily meds, but life is pretty normal apart from that.)
Best wishes.

I have this. It started 5 years ago. After holter monitors and stress tests I was referred for elecrophysiology (EP) study and possible abalation. They found the problem but it was atrial tachycardia and not suitable for routine abaltion.
I take calcium channel blockers which largely control it.

Like @Giggorata my palpitations and ectopics always increase if I am ill. I have low BP and cholestrol and I never touch caffiene.
I've had some success with vagal manouvres.
My cardiologist doesn't think I need anti coagulants even though I am 63.

I’m currently 6 weeks on from where you are and wearing a 2 week ECG monitor at the moment to try and get an episode on ECG.

I was treated as ‘just’ having a panic attack so very little care was given in A&E the two times I went. Thankfully the consultant I’ve seen has been much less dismissive and actually listened.

It’s a horrible place to be in though xx

Honestly would you love this to be a panic attack! I would pay good money for it to be a panic attack all day long as awful as they can be!!! I'm sorry you are going through this too. It's bloody awful. And there's always a good chance nothing will happen with the holter on. I hope you get some answers. Keep me posted x

I have SVT too - although my episodes are not as long. I'm 39 and can now recognise triggers such as stress, tiredness, fever. I haven't drunk alcohol for four years as it made it so much worse.

It was awful in my last pregnancy and I ended up in resus at one point.

Currently on bisoprolol which does help lower my HR - I'm not entirely convinced it helps a great deal and have another cardiology appointment booked for Jan.

I have the same, pregnancy made it ten times worse but since giving birth I haven’t had another episode. I’m still taking beta blockers and will be having a follow up appointment soon to see where to go from here.

I has SVT, but got an ablation that resolved it. Mine were quite regularly and had adenosine many many times, the a and e staff knew me! I also had to wear a 24 hour monitor, but they never stopped me driving and I never had a holder.for a month Pregnancy is meant to make it better but like a pp, it made mine worse.

I was diagnosed with this over 30 years ago, but wasn’t offered any treatment at the time or since. I now only get very occasional episodes, and have found my triggers are too much salt in my diet and stress (happened during both labours but hospital staff were unconcerned). Doctor that diagnosed it suggested eating ice cream, as eating something very cold can help, but I have found the vagal breath technique (Valsava) usually does the trick.

Thank you for all your replies. It has given me some reassurance. I hope to not experience one again any time soon but will give these techniques a go if it happens.

Hi all don’t know if this advice will help anyone suffering with SVT but it works extremely quick for me. I am 51 and have had SVT since I was 26 and tried various methods to stop an episode to prevent a trip to A&E. so here goes, I do a head stand works everytime. It makes sense really as they put children in SVT on a tilt table. Try it , you will be suprised at how effective it is .🙄

It took a long time, for my episodes of very fast (up to 280. bpm) heart rate to be diagnosed.
Initially GP said it was panic attacks, then after 2 A& E visits and IV medication I saw a cardiologist who said it was SVT and recommended ablation. I was desperate to avoid an ablation as I knew someone who'd had a bad experience, failed attempts ++ and it didn't work.
Anyway, long story short, I eventually worked out that it was triggered by wheat containing foods. I was diagnosed with celiac disease and the SVT stopped completely once I went gluten free.
This video about gastrocardia by UK cardiologist is worth watching.