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Original poster

Teens pulse over 140 for extended periods of time.

49 replies

Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 17:30

I took her to the doctor and they said to get bloods (10 day appointment wait), she says her heart is fluttery and sometimes gives her pain when it’s slows back down. Her pulse peaked today at 205. I’ve measured through the finger gadget and and also manually by keeping count. She’s normal weight, reasonably healthy. 10 days for bloods and having them returned doesn’t seem very urgent (she saw nurse practitioner), should I wait or take her back to the doctor? Push for quicker bloods?

OP posts:
ohnowwhatcanitbe · 12/04/2025 17:36

Does she drink energy drinks or coffee with a lot of caffeine in it?

CharityShopMensGlasses · 12/04/2025 17:38

Does she drink monster/ similar?

Original poster
Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 17:45

No nothing. She doesn’t like tea/coffee, doesn’t drink energy drinks, doesn’t vape. Probably eats less veg than she should.

OP posts:
ohnowwhatcanitbe · 12/04/2025 17:46

Does she eat a lot of sugar (be aware that she may be hiding this from you)?

Sevenandahalf · 12/04/2025 17:49

SVT? Did the nurse say this ?

NorthernGirl1981 · 12/04/2025 17:51

I’ve had two episodes of SVT in the past with my heart rate being 170 for the first episode and the second time it was 150.

On both occasions I required A&E care (Resus), including giving me drugs to stop my heart to re-set it back to a normal rhythm. I was referred to Cardiology after my first episode and commenced on medication.

I have had a third episode at home but the ambulance crew didn’t need to take me to hospital on that occasion as after an hour of my heart rate being about 150 it self resolved and went back down to normal levels.

Next time it happens to your daughter I would go to A&E with her. Irregular and erratic heart rhythms aren’t something for doctors to be casual about.

inigomontoyahwillcox · 12/04/2025 17:53

With a heart rate of between 140 and 205 I’d be heading over to A&E with her, especially if she’s feeling pain.

17years · 12/04/2025 18:04

My 12 year old is going through similar. Dizzy spells, occasionally to the point that her vision is blurry. She hasn't had chest pain/ palpitations as such, just an odd feeling. We weee originally told it was possibly postural low blood pressure. ECG showed fast heart rate (she was very nervous which wouldn't have helped) so the GP referred to paediatrics who want to see her urgently. Waiting for the results of the blood test. She was born with SVT and medicated for a year, and we were told that it's common for more episodes during puberty. I'm keeping a really close eye on her, the GP said to call 999 if she feels any chest pain or feels faint/ faints.

Original poster
Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 18:07

Thanks. I’ll ask her about the sugar, her food is quite carby so there’s hidden sugars there. She’s asd so she goes through phases of foods, maybe it’s sugar. I’d prefer it to be sugar than anything more serious.
The nurse was quite blasé about it which makes me wonder if I’m over-reacting.

OP posts:
Original poster
Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 18:09

17years · 12/04/2025 18:04

My 12 year old is going through similar. Dizzy spells, occasionally to the point that her vision is blurry. She hasn't had chest pain/ palpitations as such, just an odd feeling. We weee originally told it was possibly postural low blood pressure. ECG showed fast heart rate (she was very nervous which wouldn't have helped) so the GP referred to paediatrics who want to see her urgently. Waiting for the results of the blood test. She was born with SVT and medicated for a year, and we were told that it's common for more episodes during puberty. I'm keeping a really close eye on her, the GP said to call 999 if she feels any chest pain or feels faint/ faints.

Oh that does sound like my daughter, she’s asked me to book an eye test for her as she said she’s had blurry vision. She said she thinks she needs stronger glasses but maybe it’s connected.

OP posts:
Margaritawithlime · 12/04/2025 18:10

Hello! My son has something called WPW which means he sometimes has episodes of SVT. It can be seen easily on an ECG and if I were you I’d be making an appointment to get an ECG and asking for a referral to cardiology. It’s highly unlikely that carbs will make your daughter’s heart race and a pulse this high indicates episodes of SVT. Nothing necessarily to worry about but definitely something to know about and ideally know what’s causing it. Yes to puberty - definitely triggers my son’

Treeleaf11 · 12/04/2025 18:14

I would take her to A &E if it happens again. I have Atrial Fibrillation which is a fast (over 200) and irregular heartbeat. If you can afford it I recommended a Kardia mobile which is a portable ECG. It will measure her heart rate over 30 seconds and is very accurate.

SabrinaThwaite · 12/04/2025 18:20

SVT is definitely a possibility - the difficulty is the medics would probably have to see her whilst she has the high heart rate for a diagnosis. Another option would be to ask about a Holter monitor, which would record her heart rate over a period of time. It’s not necessarily a major issue, but needs to be checked out.

Original poster
Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 18:27

Right, I’m going to phone and request that we meet with the doctor and request she be sent for an ECG. Thanks everyone, the nurse made us feel like we were wasting their time.

OP posts:
Greybeardy · 12/04/2025 18:30

next time she has an episode best bet is to take her to ED and get it captured on an ECG. It's great that it sounds like it's not causing that much in the way of symptoms, but the only way they're going to work out what's going on is to see her during an episode. An ECG while she's not having palpitations may give some clues, but equally may be completely normal. If it's a sats probe you've been using to measure her pulse though, they are notoriously a bit naff when you're going very fast so it may not be completely accurate.

17years · 12/04/2025 18:35

@Nomdejeur
DD was able to have her ECG at the GP surgery within a few days of me calling, hopefully it can be similar for your DD.

NorthernGirl1981 · 12/04/2025 18:35

Nomdejeur · 12/04/2025 18:27

Right, I’m going to phone and request that we meet with the doctor and request she be sent for an ECG. Thanks everyone, the nurse made us feel like we were wasting their time.

Just be mindful though that when it comes to SVT the ECG can only diagnose that if she’s having an episode at the time of the recording. If she doesn’t have an episode during the recording (which they usually do for about 5-10 minutes) then her ECG will come back normal but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an underlying issue.

I’ve had so many ECG’s done due to my SVT, as well as Ultrasound scans of my heart and they come back normal because my heart is beating normally during the procedures, but I still have the diagnosis because of my clinical experiences and what my ECGs showed when I was in A&E.

I’m only telling you this because if her ECG recording comes back normal that doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is fine and so don’t let them use a ‘normal reading’ as an excuse to brush you off.

She needs to have an ECG done whilst she’s actually having an episode of increased heart rate which is why she should go to A&E next time it happens.

Mischance · 12/04/2025 18:38

I do not think you are over-reacting. Next time it happens I would take her straight to A&E - no messing.

I had a pacemaker op on Wednesday and know only too well how distressing this sort of heart rate can be.

Mischance · 12/04/2025 18:40

Do you have a smart watch on which you can record heart rate? Or does a family member? You will then have a record of when it is actually happening.

17years · 12/04/2025 19:36

@NorthernGirl1981

She needs to have an ECG done whilst she’s actually having an episode of increased heart rate which is why she should go to A&E next time it happens.

Out of interest, do you find that they can get you on the monitor straight away if you go to A&E? Our closest hospital is about 35 minutes away, waiting times are absolutely crazy everywhere from what I can gather, I'm concerned that if I take DD we would end up missing the SVT due to waiting so long? Especially if her symptoms are just feeling dizzy etc I don't feel like it'll be seen as urgent.

NorthernGirl1981 · 12/04/2025 19:55

17years · 12/04/2025 19:36

@NorthernGirl1981

She needs to have an ECG done whilst she’s actually having an episode of increased heart rate which is why she should go to A&E next time it happens.

Out of interest, do you find that they can get you on the monitor straight away if you go to A&E? Our closest hospital is about 35 minutes away, waiting times are absolutely crazy everywhere from what I can gather, I'm concerned that if I take DD we would end up missing the SVT due to waiting so long? Especially if her symptoms are just feeling dizzy etc I don't feel like it'll be seen as urgent.

That is exactly what I said in my post so I’m not sure what you’re actually trying to correct me on?

On the two times I’ve been to A&E and said I’m having very high heart rates they triaged me straight away and put me on a standard monitor to check my heart rate (a typical ‘Ob’s’ machine) and that’s when I was taken straight to Resus for treatment. I didn’t have an ECG done during my acute A&E attendances because the priority was getting my heart back to a normal rhythm. They wouldn’t have just left me with a heart rate of 180+ for 10-15 minutes so they could do an ECG.

All my ECGs were done at outpatient appointments and obviously they came back fine as I wasn’t having an episode of SVT at that time. The ECGs were being done to rule out an underlying heart condition, or a chronic problem with my heart rhythms (I.e they were checking to see if my general heart rhythm was abnormal in any way).

It's because my ECGs were normal that my episodes were diagnosed as having been SVT as the Cardiologist then knew the episodes of high heart rates were innocent in nature and not due to me having some form of heart disease.

17years · 12/04/2025 19:57

@NorthernGirl1981
Sorry, wasn't trying to correct you on anything, just asking a genuine question!

17years · 12/04/2025 19:58

@NorthernGirl1981
I tried to put your comment in bold but it didn't work, sorry!

NorthernGirl1981 · 12/04/2025 20:00

17years · 12/04/2025 19:58

@NorthernGirl1981
I tried to put your comment in bold but it didn't work, sorry!

🤣🤣🤣 That makes sense!

Just a mix-up then 👍

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 20:01

SVT is rarely an emergency though but does need treating. Thsi page tells you more and tells you when it is an emergency.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/supraventricular-tachycardia-svt/