SVT (supraventricular tachycardia)
According to Web MD, Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) means that occasionally your heart beats very fast for a reason other than exercise, high fever, or stress. “For most people who have SVT, the heart still works normally to pump blood through the body.”
“Types of SVT include:
- Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).
- Atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT), including Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
During an episode of SVT, the heart’s electrical system doesn’t work right, causing the heart to beat very fast. The heart beats at least 100 beats a minute and may reach 300 beats a minute. After treatment or on its own, the heart usually returns to a normal rate of 60 to 100 beats a minute.
SVT may start and end quickly, and you may not have symptoms. SVT becomes a problem when it happens often, lasts a long time, or causes symptoms.
SVT also is called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) or paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT).”
Here is an amazing video that explains SVT precisely!
Anxiety or a panic attacks might make you feel like your heart is racing…but the truth is that the racing is still within the control of your breath. SVT is when your heartbeat goes into a pattern and can no longer be controlled by your breath.Unfortunately, SVT and panic attacks can seem to go hand in hand, one feeds the other, and it can be confusing to know which one you are experiencing…until you have an SVT! After having panic attacks for years, I knew immediately the first time I had an SVT that something very different was happening to me.
I have AV node re-entry supraventricular tachycardia (AVNRT) . There are different types of SVT and accelerated rate heart issues and you should check with your DR. to try to define the type you have. (except don’t be surprised when they tell you they don’t know!!…they can only know for sure when they catch one on an EKG).
The best thing is to try to get an EKG while your heart is in an SVT or any type of accelerated rate, so a Dr. can try to determine the type. If you go to the ER during an episode that is the best time to catch one. That’s what I did and the ONLY way they “named” mine after 15 years of episodes…they caught it ONCE.
AVNRT ( supraventricular tachycardia) means that at random times a heartbeat that originates in the upper chambers, gets caught in a “loop” instead of flowing down through the lower chambers and releasing. The beat goes back up, through an “extra pathway” and gets stuck creating a cycle of extremely rapid beating.Then you need to break the SVT either through maneuvers or by a shot of adenosine. This type of SVT is an “electrical” issue not a “plumbing” issue. Again, you should check out all the areas of your heart to see if all your “plumbing” is working ok, and not clogged etc. As a generalization, SVT is electrical.
My SVT’s are fast, like 260. They can come on at ANY time, although I whole heartedly (no pun intended) believe that there are REASONS it happens and it’s up to us to figure it out. This belief is the premise of this entire site. To find the hidden or not so hidden causes of SVT. My finding conclude that SVT’s are not as random as we think.
Ways to stop an SVT:
You can try to stop an SVT on your own. Learning how is helpful so that you don’t need to rely on a ER.
My episodes usually start with a thump, or a weird sensation like you suddenly missed a powerful heartbeat. My heart seems to stop for a few seconds…then when it starts back up it’s like a race car….Right at that very moment, when you become better at catching it, try to bear down, hold your breathe, and blow as hard as possible into your cupped hands. Try that several times. It’s like trying to catch it at the onset, which sometimes stops it right away before it gets into the full blown SVT.
The following methods have stopped an SVT in the past…
- Stay calm, lay down and elevate your legs,
- Blow strongly into cupped hands, a straw, or a syringe
- Massage the side of your neck
- Place ice bags on your face and neck
- do a yoga shoulder stand
- bear down or try to have a bowel movement
- focus on prevention
I’ve had 2 episodes that I couldn’t stop on my own, and became scared and went to the EF for help. It took one shot of adenosine to stop it both times. Sometimes it takes more than one shot to stop it.
If the thought of an SVT episode makes you have a panic attack…then join the club. An SVT can be very scary! Layer in that it can happen anytime, anywhere, and that most people dont know what it is, and the thought of one can wreck havoc in your life. For those reasons, preventative techniques become the key to living with SVT. We can do everything within our control to avoid episodes, because I really do believe that there are many many contributing triggers. .
Some people (like me) have other symptoms that we “feel” prior to an SVT. My pre-SVT symptoms are…
- feeling hot
- like I need something cold to drink with ice
- feeling “OFF”, vacant-like
- Craving salt
- feeling like Im foggy or ate something I was allergic to
- slightly puffy eyes, or tenderness above my eyes and eyebrows
- being tired ( generally tired, or even exhausted)
- being constipated (this one is huge contributer!!!!)
- being mad, angry or unable or unwilling to express my feelings
- getting scared at something in the moment, like a child getting hurt
What are your symptoms prior to or during an episode??? Feel free to comment below…and also read through all the comments on this site as other people have shared amazing stories and information.
Below is my heal SVT naturally jumpstart kit. It includes my Top Ten tips to Heal SVT naturally, My SVT & Gluten free mini guide and a food a lifestyle tracker to help you be your own SVT detective! Once you are on my list, you will get an email every time I write a new post or have something to share!
I know that this can feel crazy scary, but having SVT taught me so much ans has made my health and how I eat and live a priority. Viewing your SVT as a friend and not an enemy is very helpful in handling this issue.
All the best, I know you can do it, and will be OK, even better than before!
Love + Healing, Laura xoxox
Heal SVT Naturally 
Symptoms is spelled wrong. Just letting you know! 🙂
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Thank you! Just a typo!!!
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I do not get ‘Hot” I get very very cold and shake like crazy. any one else have that?
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I only get Hot before…I usually shake and get chills during, and after….Try to notice next time if you feel any hot sensations up to one hour before…If so, its a good indicator for you to drink a lot of water, and even take a rest break, both of which may divert an upcoming episode…also look for how you slept the night before, what you ate etc…try to draw any connections you can to your diet, routines etc, and how your feeling to an episode…
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I had the feeling I get before an SVT quite a few times today as I was walking to my house. It’s so difficult to describe. Like a slight pressure on the chest and the feeling of the heart “whirring” or even a feeling like it’s stopping. I was very very tired before it. And I’m feeling extremely tired now that I’ve had it. I had a little bit of chocolate this morning, don’t know if that triggered it? No matter how many times it happens, and how much my cardiologist reassures me that nothing dangerous will come of it, I still get this feeling of impending doom when I get it. It didn’t materialize into an SVT episode today. I take 60 mg of Verapamil daily. \\\\\\\
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Thank you for sharing your comments! Try to avoid chocolate and all sugar, especially in the morning..Sugar is def a trigger…Start your day with either millet toast with almond butter or millet bread with tahini and some honey. Also try a smoothie which is also sweet but not chocolate. You might be craving sugar because you need greens and protein. Drink the Green vibrance and over time you will feel a drastic decline in your sweet tooth! Thanks for sharing!!!
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What I notice most about your comment is that you were tired before the SVT….So the question is…Did you honor your need to rest and lay down etc…or did you push yourself and ignore your body’s signs and make yourself use your “reserve”….and hence your body couldnt handle it and went into SVT…??? The gentle point being…why are you not resting when your body tells you to? What could be more important than resting to avoid an SVT? Rest my friends! Whenever you feel the urge…Dont push yourself into overdrive….our sensitive hearts are protesting our constant GO GO GO attitude!!!
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I get the same symptoms as you …hot, dry mouth, thump like a missed beat, and chills after. I am tring to track it and so far being tired or exercise seems to be a trigger. Great to find somebody else who has this. It is very scary!
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yeap!
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My first SVT was while I was camping out in the middle of nowhere. Talk about scary stuff. That was about 5 weeks ago. Yesterday was my second ‘episode’. Both times I can feel my heart go from normal to warp speed in a nanosecond. My vision is tunneled and it’s the feeling that I know I’m going to pass out. Thankfully, I haven’t passed out yet.
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I get the thump thump thump and then I’m triggered into a svt run. Sometimes I just get a thump with nothing, and it makes me nervous -.-
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I get light headed and dizzy just seconds before my heart starts going nuts. I’ve had episodes that last a few seconds to ones that last up to 25 minutes. Stress is a major trigger for me. After an episode (regardless of how long it lasts) I feel totally exhausted and usually have a slight headache. I have had an ablation but it did not work. I cannot take the medicine prescribed for SVT because my blood pressure tends on the low side anyway, the medicine caused it to drop too low.
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This is exactly me too. Unable to take the meds. Light headed and dizzy, feeling faint. I get the dreaded thumps before too. Sometimes I get hot. I have found some triggers and can no longer touch anything caffeinated, no chocolate, no alcohol, no msg, and aspartame and sucrolose are immediate triggers. I also notice getting it for the few days prior to my menstrual cycle so possibly hormones but I can’t do much about that. I am in perimenopause and have just recently had bioidentical testosterone pellets inserted and I use progesterone cream part of the month. I still had them multiple times before period. I had hoped hormone therapy would have helped but doesn’t seem so. This is a horrible problem to have. I had to quit a nice high paying job that I have been doing for 9 years because of the unpredictability of these. I had to travel extensively with my job and got to the point where I was afraid to travel alone anymore. Very sad.
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Hello Candace, Im sorry to hear that you are suffering! Especially that you had to quit your job! I can try to help you figure out your SVT triggers….Did you ever do a stool sample to identify your food allergens? Are you consuming white flour? Have you ever been gluten free? Do you have kids?
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I have not done a stool sample, may look into that. I do know that I cannot do dairy unless it is cooked. I get eczema on my hands and face from dairy. When all of this started I was having terrible pains under both ribs. Doctors took forever to figure out that my gallbladder was no longer functioning. I am a healthy weight female who eats fairly healthy 85% of the time. Why that went out is beyond me. The GI doctor thought my gallbladder was spasming and that was what I was feeling in my chest. After having my gallbladder out I continued to have the flopping and pounding in my chest. That is when my event monitor picked up the 4000 extra beats daily that I was feeling at the time. I thought it was so weird to have 2 different health issues going on at the same time. I had just lost my father to an unexpected heart attack, a tall thin man who grew his own food and ate a lot of game. Doesn’t make sense to me why that happened to him. Anyway, doctors are recommending an ablation. I have not committed to that yet since I have found many triggers and avoiding them. I have not worn another monitor to check where I am now but I am sure I have significantly reduced the ectopic beats and svt. I do still eat gluten, I have been checked twice by GI for gluten sensitivity and that came back negative, although, I have noticed sometimes, not always, when I eat bready things it will happen. I have also noticed that when my stomach is bothering me it can trigger. I take a high quality probiotic morning and at dinnertime.
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Yours sound exactly like mine. I quit my job of ten years, and i also am
Afraid to travel alone. 😦
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I’ve had SVT since 2nd or 3rd grade, from then till 21 I was told it was puberty, stress, etc… when I was 21 & at the ER one night, they caught it on my EKG. At age 24, 6 weeks after the birth of my 1st child, I had the cardiac ablassion. I loved it! Now, 16 years later, it’s back, but TOTALLY different! It’s so strange how different they are. I still get the racing heart beats, but now they pound. My stomach is effected, I get dizzy, blurry vision & a horrid heat flush! My whole head & chest, sometimes all the way down my arms & to my stomach will be bright red. Before it happens, my nose stuffs up and my upper lip tingle and it seems to always go hand in hand with my stomach. I always get stomach cramps with it, the same type you get before your period starts. They seem to tear my stomach up and once I have a bowel movement, it goes away (I do onow how to do the valsava techinque to stop svts, so I’m sure that’s related) and then I’m freezing cold, feel pike my eyes are on fire & have heart burn. These are a million times worse than when I was younger. I hate that they’ve came back, every EKG @ blood test say my heart is fine, but this crap sure doesn’t feel fine! I HATE it!!! 😢
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Thanks for sharing your story! As usual, my completely non-medical opinion is…that abalation doenst not CURE the REASON why your body goes into an SVT. So, by having ablation, your body will just find another way to have the same original reaction…either through another pathway, in your case, its now stomach related…but your body is not HEALED….
Abalation, like every other thing that only address the SYMPTOMS of dis-ease, doesn’t even begin to address WHY ON EARTH this is happening to random people to begin with…WHY ISNT ANY DR. looking for answers?….You are the hundredth story of abalation not working, so where they come up with their effective rates is beyond me. My vote is for you to really look at your diet…bottom line as you say so yourself, its all related…stomach, SVT, and bowel movements. Our bodies are giving us the clues…lets try to fit them together…What did you eat 24-48 hrs prior to your last SVT? and of course…Do you eat gluten? MORE than ever I KNOW that GLuten causes SVT and I will post again soon as to my latest findings…
Prevention is the key with SVT just like every other major thing like diabetes and cancer…So while we all patiently wait for some miracle cure…we have to take matters into our own hands with as much prevention as possible….Read my past posts for all my self-care prevention tools…(being Gluten -free, drinking tons of water, green vibrance, green juice, journaling, healing anger, figuring out your food allergies etc) I hope these scary SVT’s you are having inspire you to live as healthy as you can, the best way you know how at this time! All the best, xoxo Laura
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Hi, I would like to add that I had SVT for 9 years, it would usually happen 2 -3 times a month for 8years. I went to ER several times and was taught to “bear down”, and sometimes it worked sometimes not and would last 45 minutes sometimes. Last year started having a lot more frequent, sometimes 10 – 20 times a day. I bought an oxygen concentrator and began using it when I felt it come on, and was amazed how quickly my heart would go back to rhythm. When I told my DR of my discovery with oxygen, he downplayed it, but it does really work. The sooner I use the oxygen the quicker I get over it. They checked my oxy. levels and said I shouldn’t need supplement oxygen, but did not offer any explanation of why it helped.
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Thane thing happens to me. I start out with stomach pain and diarrhea and then the same thing happens to me!!! So scary!
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Hello everyone, I am very glad to have found all of you. Thank you Laura for this amazing site. Here is my story that I would like to share with you. I had a cardiac ablation in April 2009 for SVT AVRT. Prior to the ablation my heart rates would get up to over 225 bpm. After the ablation, I had some weird stuff happening, I would still get some rapid heartbeat episodes but I was told that the heart was healing. I had an extremely long episode in April 2011 (2 weeks) when I last saw my EP. Of course I wore the holter monitor for 2 weeks and nothing showed. I also had an Echo and nothing showed. Things started to settle down after that episode in 2011 and I haven’t had any kind of problem since even though I was eating gluten, etc. Now 2 1/2 years later it has started all over again. Since Oct 21 my heart has been stuck in some higher heart rate hovering around 100 bpm and I am short of breath. It is freaking me out. I am scared all over which of course makes it worse. I have had an extremely difficult year health-wise, I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in April and had a radical hysterectomy in May. Oh, by the way I forgot to mention that I also came down with Shingles one week before my surgery which I am still suffering with. I did not have a breakout just the pain. Not fun! Who knows maybe this episode is stress related. Based on the symptoms I don’t think so. Anyway, typically I do eat quite healthy, I juice daily, eat a lot of greens, probiotics, etc. I was off wheat/gluten for some time and definitely felt better. I am again of wheat. I am so exhausted from this condition. Saw my DR last night, going for blood work this morning to see if it is low iron related and have an appointment on November 11 to see my EP. I will keep you posted!! Take care everyone Deborah xx
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Hi Deborah, Thanks for sharing your story…Have you tested your stool at enterolab? Sounds like you need specific food allergy testing since you are eating “healthy” you would need a deeper understanding of whats going on in your gut…..Meanwhile, sounds like the shingles outbreak was stress related…most things are….The good news, is that after your health break”down” will hopefully come a breakthrough….Look at other areas of your life besides food and see what needs serious change…Are you carrying around old anger? Are you living your life purpose? Do you know what your life purpose is? Are you practicing daily self-care like rest, journaling, meditating, stretching, breathing, releasing….? So you have daily bowel movements? These are all just some other places to analyze….Best of luck to you, feel free to post anytime and I will always reply!!! Love and healing, Laura
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Hi Laura thank you for replying. No I have not had a stool tested yet. Sounds interesting. Definitely not carrying around old anger. I am a certified life coach and sometimes it is difficult coaching yourself. I recently did a blog post on stress reduction, rest, meditating, etc. But I certainly need to incorporate more into my life like most people. Never had a problem with bowel movements at least 2 per day due to all the juices, vegetables, fruit, flax etc. I am certainly looking for a breakthrough for sure. Anyway, very lovely to talk to you and again thank you for this wonderful site. Deborah xx
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What Are Some Symptoms After An Svt? I Am So Weak That I Can’t Drive FOr 3 Days Or Really Walk At All. I Gradually Improve In Those 3 Days, But It’s Like My Gas Tank Goes From Full To Empty Just By Standing Up. Is This Common?
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I get extremely weak as well. My arms and legs basically give out during and after an SVT. I would say its probably common because you are getting very little oxygen to the rest of your body while the heart is working so hard and beating so fast.
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I have been an SVT sufferer for 10 years. My incidences have been sporadic. Some times once a month some time none for as long a 15 months. I do take 25 mgs of a beta blocker per day. I have learned to always carry a pulse oxymeter with me. As long as my oxygen level doesn’t fall below 95 % ,I don’t worry too much any more. I usually do go to my doctor or the ER to get a shot of intravenous metoprolal. Yesterday I walked out of the ER choosing to skip all of the other tests they want to do.
I recommend that people who have SVT carry a pulse oxymeter which can be purchased on line for as little as $15 and carried easily in a purse or on a belt. It really helps both psychologically knowing that as long as your getting oxygen at a good rate (all other thing being equal) you probably won’t have a heart attack. It also helps you monitor exactly what your heart rate is when to seek immediate help
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Hey everyone,
So glad to find this website..I have been dealing with “episodes” as you all have been describing for a while now..wake up at night,with a jolt,usually from a very vivid dream..sometimes I feel like I am cold and “trembly” with heart racing…had a sleep study because it is effecting my sleep but,of course, it didn’t happen that night! Will try to track food..having one now while I write this…did you all suffer from panic attacks when you were younger?
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Yes I had panic attacks for years prior to my SVT!
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How can you tell the difference between panic attacks and svt.. I wake up sometimes from sleeping and if eel this feeling of dred sort of.. or butteryflys.. not really heart palps or skipped beats, and I get this tension that takes me over and i start getting really hot and sweating, and than my heart starts taking off into some weird mode where its beating steady and fast.
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Hi Paul, SVT and panic attacks can be confusing, and sometimes go hand in hand. An SVT can bring on a panic attack. The main difference between the two is that you should be able to slow down your heart during a panic attack by focusing on breathing. During an SVT, usually you have to “BREAK” the SVT by bearing down, coughing, adenosine shot, etc. Some people say they can eventually break their SVT by relaxing, laying down and focusing on slow breathing. I personally am going to try that the next time I get one. Either way, no matter what you have… things like, yoga, meditation, eating better, journaling, taking hot baths, long walks, etc. will help both issues. I have suffered from both issues throughout my life and know firsthand that the more you create a life you love that is healthy, the better you will feel. Please let me know if you made any changes and how they are working for you! All the best, Happy New Year, Laura
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Me too. I usually have a summer episode when it’s hot and I have gotten dehydrated from not drinking water. Last summer this time ended in ER could not get heart rate down. Starts with a panicky felling then my head feels like the plug was pulled and I think I’m going to faint but I don’t. Typical is the fast heart rate right then. Today a year later I got the precursor described while sitting in car ( glad not driving) but I may have grunted in time as the heart rate did not sustain. First time that happened while sitting down. I keep the Cardio app on my iPhone and it is amazingly accurate for beats per minute. So upsetting. Drank 2 glasses of alkaline water and a low calorie bottled if Gatorade G2 and ate a piece of fruit , feel better I guess .
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Hi,
I would like to know if alternative cure for SVT can be applicable to my daughter who is only 7 years old. She was diagnosed with SVT 2 years ago. Although while she was still in my womb, she already had tachycardia. Then when she was born, she was diagnosed to have arrythmia then 2 years ago, as per holter monitoring it was confirmed she has SVT. Her heart rate jumps up to 240-250 and her slowest heart rate goes really slow like 40-60 (I was thinking maybe this was to compensate the rapid heartbeat, like the heart is resting). When I observe her, she doesn’t get tired easily,she’s like a normal child who just likes to play a lot and she runs really fast. So symptom-wise, SVT is not evident,
She just had her 2D echo done last Saturday and her pedia cardio concluded that her heart is slightly big for her weight (22kilos). So the doctor would like to prescribe beta blocker. Although during the procedure for 2D echo, her heart was beating quite normally, 70-80 beats per minute. She just wants to make sure she has no asthma as this may be triggered by beta-blocker.
I am quite hesitant to have her take medicine as she is so young. So I searched and found this website. I am not sure though if this would apply to her as her SVT seems to have been with her since she was born.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Ronah
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Hi Ronah, Thanks so much for your email. I wish your daughter all the best! I honestly dont have any specific advice for you as I am not a doctor and I really dont know what would cause your daughter to suffer from SVT’s in the womb (or how that was even diagnosed, first I’ve heard of it actually!!!)….I dont know anything about enlarged hearts or how perscription drugs might be an answer for that condition or why her heart is not only going in to SVT but also beating too low at other times. I do know that POTS can be helped by the same things that I believe help SVT which is eliminating our food allergens. What I would say, and what I believe would be helpful no matter what anyone’s health condition, is to look at some of the basics that I list on my site. My personal, non medically trained opinion, is that every health condition has links to food allergies and poor nutrition and diet, inflamation in the digestive tract, and lack of absorbing nutrients and minerals. So much of our food is genetically modified, especially wheat and corn which is in everything we eat. I think that no matter what someone health issue is, they should start by looking at how their digestive tract is reacting to their foods…and this begins with a stool sample. Enterolab is where I point everyone who wants to see what their stool has to say. I am pregnant right now, and we know that all our food intake is passed on to our children…So on a total whim, I wonder if you are/were eating gluten and if the allergy could start with you….If you also carry a gene in addition to reacting in the gut, you would have passed that gene on to her as well.
No matter what decision you make regarding treatment for your daughter, I can promise you that by figuring out her gut, and feeding her super high quality organic foods and eliminating gluten, sugar and whatever else she may be allergic to will help her live a more vibrant life…I would start by looking at her diet….and for a 7 year old (as I have a 6 year old) it usually means looking at and studying your own diet and lifestyle habits first! I would honestly look at her stool, their color, consistency, shape and start my detective work there! Best of luck, please let me know if I can help you as you continue on your path to trying to find the best course of treatment for your daughter! If you need help understanding her stool, please write me again with descriptions of the frequency, if its loose, etc…Healing wishes, Laura
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I’m so happy to have found you! I was just recently diagnosed with SVT. My exact type has yet to be diagnosed (waiting to see a specialist). The past 5 months have been hell and I’ve been basically afraid to live my life for fear of having an episode while driving or in a public place alone. I’m excited to see what natural ideas you have to help as I’m not keen on starting heart medication at 29 years old for the rest of my life. OR having to go for an ablation(sp?) (with a 2 yr old and a husband at home.).
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Hello! Well Im happy you found us too! There are sooo many things you can do to support your SVT…Feel free to comment with any special questions regarding your personal situation, but browse through all the posts and start reviewing the type of food, water intake, rest, bowel movements, etc…My SVT acts up only if I eat Gluten, don’t have a bowel movement regularly, am super depleted etc…Try to start nourishing yourself in every way you can and see if that helps…I would start with eliminating gluten…and increasing your greens, and water…Let me know!
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Hello! Glad to know that there are others out there like myself suffering with SVT. Had my first attack Nov. 2012. Went to ER, thought I was having a heart attack or aneurism of some kind. Doctors chalked it off as panic attack. Had a second attack 3 mos. later. This time doctors were not able to slow down my heart, kept me overnite for observation. Was sent home with diagnosis of SVT. Couldn’t function for the whole week after that, had more bad attacks and irregular heart beats, flutters and skips all day long. Couldn’t take care of my kids, feared having more attacks while driving with them in the car. Doctors put me on Diltiazem (channel blocker) one a day. Had many different horrible side effects, that now a year later have subsided. However, still have some small quick attacks once in a while. In the beginning I too felt like it was a cyclic event, happening around my period. Took tests for early menopause and thyroid conditions. Wanted something to explain why this had come out of no where and why it would not leave. They say I can have an ablation, but like many of you, I am very scared to end up worse off then I am. Also, scared to be on meds for ever. I am 44 years old and I live a gluten free lifestyle. Have been gluten-free for 5 years, due to an intolerance. So started this diet before the SVT. More recently, stopped drinking caffiene, drink less alcohol and eat way less sugar and chocolate. My life is pretty boring now. LOL. I’m trying to exercise more and eat better, although it doesn’t always seem to help. SVT is pretty random rearing it’s ugly head when we least expect it.
Unlike most of you, I had open heart surgery 11 years ago to close an atrial septal defect (a whole in my heart present since birth) that was only found out after giving birth to my first child. It was the size of a quarter. After the surgery I was feeling the best I ever felt, even better than when I was a kid (makes sense since I had the condition back then too). So, sometimes I wonder if my SVT could be due to some scar tissue from my surgery. Anyone else had other heart issues before there SVT??
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I haven’t yet to have been diagnosed with svt but my doctor is sure of it. I have been having these attacks for around 4 months now. at first my heart started pounding, like it would come out of my chest and I had a strange sensation in my chest. then I gradually started getting pains along with a fast heart rate. I had an ecg which monitored my fast heart rate of going over 200 throughout the day, even in my sleep. however doctors sent me home because although my heart rate was fast, it wasn’t irregular or something. I also had an ultra sound and everything was ok with my heart and again I was told to ignore it as best I can as it would be no harm. as I am doing pe for my gcse, sport is very important for me, and exercise seems to trigger these attacks aswell. over time these attacks would still happen, however I feel are getting worse. I feel very tired, and feel thumping in my chest. at first I feel as though my heart is doing a flip and then the racing starts. I get very shaky and tend to get shooting pains, or pressure on my chest. sometimes I go really hot or I get cold and start shivering. I also go dizzy. I am usually very calm, in my opinion I could react a lot worse to this, however as they are getting worse and more frequent I feel a surge of anxiety come over me and start to panic. when I mention this to my doctors, they suddenly blame this on anxiety or a panic attack, however I feel this way only due to my heart doing this. I am currently waiting to see a consultant which will hopefully determine why this is happening. i have found it frustrating being sent home from hospitals when i know something is wrong. i also sometimes get shooting pains or strange sensations without the racing, does this happen to anyone else? thankyou, comments are much appreciated x
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I had a holter monitor for 24 hrs and had 102 PACs (premature atrial contractions) and nearly the same amount of SVT- the only last for 5 beats, I had one 15 beat run, so they are very short lived. But the happen every day throughout the day- and 85-90% of the time they occur when I swallow food. Anyone else had this similar problem?
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If they happen every time you swallow food, have you looked at all your food, chewing and eating routines for answers…You may need to take your eating to a whole other level of peace and calm eating. Try turning off all electronics and set a table with flowers and candles. Make a nice soup filled with beans and veggies and make it super soft and soothing…Take 3 -6 really nice long deep breathes before eating and ask yourself what if anything is bothering you or stressing you out….Write down some things that come up for you in a journal…then reply in your journal that you promise to help handle the things that come up and that to find the energy to resolve inner turmoil you need to nourish yourself…and that you are going to enjoy a bowl of soup and then tackle one stressful things afterwards…Try that routine for a while and see if it helps…Other tips are:
1. Don’t eat fast or in the car
2. Chew each bite 30 times min.
3. Always do breathwork before eating
4. do your stool sample at enterolab to see what you are allergic to so you can stop eating it. the fact that your SVTS happen every time you eat are a clue that what you are eating doenst agree with you.
Best of luck, please email any time if you want further support or need help going deeper…love and healing laura
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I just recently had my first major episode. For years I just have had small episodes that last only a minute or two with my chest feeling very uncomfortable, palpitations and dizziness. The more recent episode I was just warming up doing some light jumping and I started to feel really tired all over and my throat and chest got tight. I kept going not thinking it was anything serious when I could feel my heart start to beat faster than it should. Luckily I was in physical therapy so my physical therapist was able to help me sit down since I had gotten very light-headed at that point. My heart rate was 278! My oxygen level and blood pressure was fine though. My chest felt uncomfortable and tight and the most pain was in my back. I had to go to the ER because after 5 minutes of my heart barely going down to 234 and no one knowing exactly what was happening. The doctor told me after some tests that it was SVT but the cause so far is unknown. I wore a heart monitor for 24 hours and don’t know yet if anything showed up. I did have a small episode while wearing the monitor. Next month I will hopefully be seeing a cardiologist. I have an older friend who told me about her experience. She took meds that didn’t help and in the end she has surgery. She still has symptoms once in a while. . In the past doctors told me it was probably just panic or anxiety attacks but as far as I know when someone is having an attack of that kind they can breath and normalize their heart beat by normal breathing. When my heart rate was at 278 I tried breathing deeply to slow down my heart rate but that didn’t help.I’m just looking for tips of what to say to doctors and dealing with SVT on a daily basis and the best way to go about treatment.
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Sadly, there really are no tips to say to a cardiologist. They are in complete denial about contributors that are clearly within our control. If you meet a cardiologist that says anything other than go on meds, get abalation, and avoid caffeine…please POST about it. Their thinking is old fashioned and not WHOLE-istic in any way. Its truly a sin, as so many other health issues have made advancements with such proven benefits just by changing lifestyle habits…Just look at the advancements in diabetes type 2. Its proven and accepted that its reversable with diet alone! If I were you, I would look at WHAT if anything you did differently prior to your episode…Were there any obvious contributing factors? Extra tired? Ate wheat within 24-48 hours? Didn’t have a proper bowel movement? Dehydrated? Stressed? Love D3 or B or cal-mag? In the end, the best way to go about treatment is whatever you feel is BEST for YOU! There is no one treatment, BUT whatever you decide, still try to self-care the best way you can, rest, eat well, drink lots of water, add in greens, and give your heart the joy it deserves by letting go of anger, and doing what makes you happy…cut out all the rest…Remember your heart doenst have a voice to shout out what it needs…its up to us to go deep and discover how to feed it…Pay attention to it, it needs you!! Much love, and healing, Laura
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Well I wasn’t aware that there were so many people who have the same thing, I have had episodes of this for years. However I must be lucky because usually my episodes are separated by 4 or 5 years never caught one on an ekg until i had one Sunday night was building a fire and felt a small thump I stood up and walked around trying to take slow deep breaths sometimes it goes away but it did it again and again didn’t want to feel my pulse cause I knew but i did and I went to the er my pulse wasn’t as bad as some of the people on this site it was 150 on the ekg i have eaten some of the same food as i did Sunday and so far so good Dr put me on antenolol 25 mg only been on it 2 days I’m 46 hate to think about being this way for the rest of my life there’s not a lot of quality life when your afraid to even go for a walk for fear of triggering it im light headed all day and feels sore in my chest n back I hope that it goes away in a few days maybe if I stop thinking about it it consumes my thinking all day long I believe that your mind is a very powerful thing and sometimes I feel like I make it worse when I think about it all the time just want to be normal thanks for listening
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Hi Laura,
Your blog has provided me with great comfort as I have had about 4-5 of these in the last 4 years and had no idea what it was until they caught it on EKG last year in an ambulance. I just had another yesterday after being on Metaprolol for the last 8-9 months. I am convinced that diet plays a huge roll and am finally committed to get off wheat and gluten and to start keeping a food journal. I need to read more comments as I browse here, but somehing that i experience is like a BODY FALLOUT !!! My arms and legs lose all strength and post an episode like today for example, i am weak as though I have been in a car accident. Has anybody else exerienced these symptoms during and after an episode ??
Eve
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No, but I get really shaky before,and during.. If I do breathing exercises when I feel that way it helps to shorten the duration of the attack.. I also need to make sure that I don’t get dehydrated.
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Hi recently I was diagnosed with SVT I’ve had 2 attacks which landed me in emergency. I know nothing of this condition and of course Heart specialist didn’t explain much. Glad I found this site. Now at least I know what it is. My question is.I’ve planned on a trip to Universal studios in Orlando Florida. Are rollercoasters and all those rides I love out of the question now that I have SVT?
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Hi Domenic- I wonder the same question. How did your trip go? i have to say I’ve been on a few rides in recent years (Space Mountain for example) and been living with SVT for about 5-6 years. Rides are enjoyable to me so I find it doesn’t trigger an episode (so far). I also like hiking and felt like i was going to have an episode while going up a steep incline once, but that turned out to be anxiety not an SVT episode. Being “at rest” is when my attacks have always occurred. How about you?
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I feel so blessed to have found this website! It just makes it easier to know I am not the only one. I had an SVT episode at work last night (and being a nurse, surrounded by nurses) all they wanted to do was get me to the ER for adenosine. I knew that as long as I drank a ton of water, and continued to bear down, my heart rate would slow down. I have had every monitor in the book , as well as test, and I have never been able to catch the rythmn…by the time they got the monitor on me last night, I was in the 140’s. Frustrating, to say the least.
I have seen 2cardiologists, who both say meds and ablation…Being from a holistic background, I say no to both.
When I replay my day yesterday, yelling at the kids…worrying about hubby losing his job…and taking care of difficult patients….I haven’t been sleeping well lately either. All those symptoms lined me up good for an episode.
I have to practice what I preach for stress reduction..because I known that’s a big piece of it. I also, will check out gluten free.
Just want to say hanks for being my refuge in the storm!
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I have same symptoms, very hot and the last one happened after I had a sleepless night. I have noticed last two times mine have happened, my potassium was low.
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This site is a godsend. After 25 years of off and on episodes i can concur with many of you here. No real answers or solutions from anyone in the medical field. No one knows why they come out of nowhere. Asleep or awake. Tired or refreshed. Stressed or calm. Alcohol or not. Good diet or bad diet. MD’s, Cardiologists, Natural paths, Chiropractors, Massage therapists, Vitamin husksters, Faith healers, i’ve been to them all. Many emergency visits including a cardioversion. No one knows why. Started when I was 34. Never smoked cigarettes or dope. Never did drugs. Normal blood pressure. BMI 22. Do exercise including cardio, lifting weights and yoga. Only solution offered is drugs (that don”t work) or a scary ablation where an SVT has to be induced to find the problem spot. Ablations are not risk free and they don”t always work..Am definitely going to try the gluten free route. haven”t read everyone”s advice, but will come back to look at everything. Thank You!
Patricia..
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I’m very new to SVT. I gave birth jan 30th this year and I delt with thrush with my first child and didn’t want to do that with the second so I went on the Candida diet right away. (For those of you who don’t know it’s wheat, gluten, starch, dairy and sugar free diet). On Feb 17 I had my first episode lasting 30 seconds and shrugged it off as tired and dealing with two kids. I then had 1-3 each day, all lasting no longer than a minute for the following 2 1/2 weeks. Got put on a holter monitor and of course I didn’t have one while on it. Then I had a short one, none for almost two weeks and then my first longer one 14 min long which felt like forever. Ems came but by the time they came over my heart reversed itself. Two days later I had another one that would stop, ems caught that one and were just about to give me adenosine but then it reversed. I was diagnosed with SVT. Anyways today I had another episode and I tried valsalva maneuver, pushing on my eye lids, bearing down, drinking lots of cold water, massaging the side of my neck and slowing my breath, after 30 min it finally went down while I was just sitting there doing nothing. I just wanted to say thank you for letting it known that there are a lot of people out there dealing with SVT, it feels comforting to know that I’m not the only one that is dealing with this cloud.
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Hi Candice, Just wondering a few things…when you say you went on a candida diet right away, do you mean during your whole second pregnancy you were gluten, dairy, starch, &sugar free? Also, just to clarify, are you saying that aprox 2 weeks after you delivered your second baby that your SVT started? If so, is it safe to assume you are not sleeping through the nite? Are you breastfeeding? I would love more information so I can help you put the pieces together…How many and what brand probiotics so you take? One of the most common triggers for SVT is Gluten, and Depletion. Taking care of a newborn will deplete anyone…so I will give you some ideas of things to do based on a few assumptions…that you are sleep deprived, taking care of a newborn, and breastfeeding….I would start with supplements…Take some form of cal mag citrate (powder form). add this to your water and have at least one glass per day. There is a product called CALM, it is another cal mag powder, if you cant find the citrate you can take that one. Also drastically increase your B’s and make sure to take D3. Also, increase your probiotics, and maybe even add a little iron (have you had this level checked recently?) How long have you been GF for? How much water are you drinking? Are you having bowel movements each morning? Are you drinking your greens? and DOWNLOAD the food tracker and fill it in for more clues…there are so many factors to an SVT, but lack of sleep and rest is just a gigantic trigger…Maybe you need more naps throughout the day…and I would be glad to help you with your food intake if you want to fill out the tracker….Feel to give me more details so I can help….All the best, Laura
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Thanks for your reply Laura, I will start doing a few of these things! I was doing no refined sugar for the last three months of my pregnancy and then as soon as my boy was born I went on the diet. I didn’t want to restrict too many nutrients from him as the Candida diet is very strict, meaning you can’t even have fruit sugar. Then two almost three weeks after he was born the episodes started. I get about 5-8 hours of sleep/day (of course broken up). I am breastfeeding, I don’t take any probiotics right now but I will start, any recommendations? I take a pre-post-natal vitamin and a calcium (since I’m lactose intolerant). I will look for the cal mag citrate and start that right aways along with Vit B & D3. I just had my physical done 6 weeks postnatal and blood results came back normal. I drink about 12-16 cups of water/day and have 3-5 BM/day. I don’t drink my greens but I do eat a lot of green vegetables. I am not normally GF but I was on the candida diet with my first son for about 5 months and then with my second I started it after he was born. I do nap when I can but with a 21 month old and 2 month old it doesn’t work out all the time. I appreciate you asking my all these questions and helping me as I completely agree with you that your body responds to what you put in it. (Doctors said that my first son and I would have to be on medication for the whole time I was breastfeeding to keep our Thrush at bay, but I got rid of it within 2 weeks of changing my diet). I don’t think doctors put enough emphasis on how powerful diet can be, I think they have too many stocks in the pharmacy, lol. Thanks again for all your help!
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My pleasure! I love to help! I will review this again when I have more time and make more suggestions…but one thing I want to add asap is for you to increase your salt a little if that feels right for you. I make my own mixture of iodized sea salt and pink himalayian salt and I use a decent amount of salt per day…I find it helps me regulate my SVT symptoms on a daily basis…and if I feel “off” a little salt usually does the trick…I will write a post on it soon..The pink himalyian salt has a ton of minerals and then you want some iodine as well…Also, try to stay off the gluten…you need time to heal your intestinal track so you can actually really absorb all the awesome nutrients you are consuming….Just replace it with GF whole grains, rolled oats, brown rice. There are some good breads you can buy now, like Three bakers 7 grain. Whole grains are way better for you in the long run anyway. Gluten is so genetically modified now, that’s why everyone has a hard time digesting it…and it does damage long term…and YOU desperately need priobiotics. They will change your life. That’s the number one thing I would add in to keep the thrush away. I swear by probiotics, they have changed my overall health…(another blog post). Start with any refrigerated one. You can start with Jarro brand, or there are a ton of good ones out there…but they must be refrigerated. Absoultely not the ones in a box. Don’t go to GNC, try whole foods or a local health food store.
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I love this page! Here’s my story to add:
I currently take a beta blocker-atenolol, and after recently having an AFib attack, I also take Multaq. I had never had issues with a racing heart until this past Aug, when I received a defibrillator. Even then, it went off in Dec. because I had not taken my meds in the morning- my bad!
Since all this, I now get SVT’s, once scary enough to go to the ER. I had just finished an exhausting day at work, doing more walking than I had ever did in my entire life I think. As I thought I was winding down on the drive home (40 min. drive), I got the thump, and then wham, rapid fire. Lasted for about an hour or so, after which I told my hubby, it’s time to go to the hospital. I was at 155 when I arrived, and it slowly dropped to below 100 in about a 1/2 hour with meds.
Now, I notice my heart will skip beats and eventually go back to normal rhythm, but it is un-nerving. I’ll count, and a couple times, it will go every 8 beats, skip, then go back, or sometimes it might be every 4 beats.
I’m not sure what sets them off at night- someone else mentioned having vivid dreams- is that a symptom that anyone else out there suffers?
I do have an original heart related issue of hypertrophic cardiomypathy 15 years ago, at which time they removed part of my septum. Was fine with meds. Even after the recent surgery, I felt great. Now, I feel like I”m scared to do anything since Dec.
I’m not gluten free, but I don’t do caffeine, very little sugar or salt, and have noticed the increase in symptoms around period time (why is that?).
I like the idea of a green smoothie and will give it a try. I will also look into getting the supplement for the morning. Thanks for all your replies to previous posts! They are really helpful
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I do get hot spells that can be very severe. I am 29. I don’t know what causes them but my doctors are looking at hormone fluctuations right now. My SVT seems to get worse before my period and it also seems to come in spurts. I might be good for a few months and then will have some random episode. It often wakes me from my sleep when I do have one. I get an automatic surge feeling as the heart beat starts. It feels like it is in my tummy. It is almost always associated with a cold sweat, pounding racing heart, and just fear because it’s hard for me to not let my mind think that maybe this time it’s something else or maybe this time I’ll pass out. It’s caused me to fear driving especially alone or alone with my child. It’s caused me to fear being alone. I feel like this has taken my independence away.
I want to add that I had extremely severe pectus excavatum that we discovered after mg daughter was born because my heart went bonkers. I found out I had 3.5 cm between my spine and sternum. I had a Nuss procedure so I now have 3 titanium rods between my spine and sternum that are pushing my sternum out to give it more room. I was fixed by Dr. Jaroszewski at Mayo clinic in Az.
I take metoprolol ER nightly 50mg as it is the only thing that keeps it under control. The hope was the surgery would fix it. We tried reducing the BB by half however and about two months later it came back which makes me very sad. I was so hopeful. I can’t really exert myself. I have to try and avoid stress which can be hard today. I can’t even drink decaf coffee bc it’s enough to set me up. I do not drink any alcohol anymore or eat hardly any chocolate. It’s a very rare occasion that I do. I seem to be very sensitive to heat and really everything.
I am thankful to read of other people going through similar things however I empathize with each of you because I know how scary this is.
Thanks for this blog!
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I’ve been having them for years but the past two have bee terrible. They last three to six hours. Totally exhausted afterward. Had one yesterday and having another one now. Can’t think straight during and after. I get dizzy, weak legs and just feel terrible. Dr. Had me tested for sleep apnea. Had me on pressure 5 Cpap. Pressure five is debateable as being apnea. I’m not going down that road anymore. I am always hot. Always. Sometimes get terrible weakness and shakes and will eat and feel better in a half hour. I feel so miserable with this svt right now I just want to cry.
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I have been taking 25 MSG. Of Toprol every night before I go to bed and it has really helped me…also being careful to stay hydrated and limit alcohol…hydration is really important and worth having to pee early in morning! (:
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I am so sorry Joanne. I can relate to everything you said and it is just horrible. Are you taking Beta blockers by any chance ? I am taking something called Metaprolol which is definitely calming those attacks,by slowing down the heart and i finally have started to break through the fear and exercise. also, watching what food or alcohol might trigger an attack, as I notice my stomach usually blows up during an SVT attack. You are not alone….and there is brighter days. Try to believe that.
Eve
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Wow! I’m so glad I found this site. After having been through 3 episodes of SVT that last about 30 minutes each, as my 4th one was happening (at 2:30am) I decided to get myself to the ER and I was glad I did. They finally diagnosed this very scary condition and gave me adenosine. My previous 3 episodes happened at the onset of my menstruation, so I thought it HAD to be something related to the change of hormones immediately before my period. The most recent time occurred during the middle of my cycle so kind of blows that out of the water- but I was stressed that day, had little sleep, little nutritious food, and had caffine. Now I am staying away from stimulants, monitoring myself and trying the techniques- bearing down, rubbing artery on right side of neck, ice water in face, and making sure to get enough magnesium. I heard that SVT and the Vargas nerve are somehow related- also levels of magnesium, potassium, and electrolytes. Good luck everyone and good health. 🙂
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I had SVT real bad up until last summer. A friend of mine told me to try oxygen. I bought a used oxygen concentrator, and was amazed, as soon as my heart would start SVT, I put on the oxygen, laid on the bed face down, (seem to work the best) and take deep breaths of oxygen. My heart soon would go back to normal rhythm. It seemed that the sooner I could use the oxygen, the shorter time it took to get to normal. I had 6 ablations last summer, and stopped both AFIB and SVT which I had suffered like you for 9 years. My heart would feel “raw” from beating so fast and hard, and was a horrible condition. I never knew when it would happen.
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I had SVT for 9 yrs, and it also started up out of no where. I went to emergency rm 4 times, 3times it stopped while in waiting rm or in route to hospital. The 4th time a doctor got an ekg done while it was happening, then told me to “bear down” holding my breath putting pressure in rib cage. This didn’t work, he had to inject me with a shot that “stopped” my heart momentarily and it restarted at normal beat – but not until the 2nd try. Over the years they increased in from every couple weeks to weekly, then eventually last year I was having them daily up to 30 times a day. I discovered by accident that supplemental oxygen would stop them. I bought a concentrator and as soon as one would start I would use it, lay on my stomach and breath the oxygen deeply and it would stop very quickly. It seemed that the longer I let it go on, the longer it would take for the oxygen to stop it. It made it more bearable, until I had ablations done last year. I had a younger doctor sit down and tell me that he could fix it, and he was very convincing and sure of himself that I had it done. It worked well. I only have an occasional episode now, and it is only for 5 – 8 beats and goes back to normal – for over a year now. I also had AFIB before, and he fixed that completely.
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For me it typically is like what Laura described… I get a flutter feeling or a missed beat feeling pause and then it kicks into its fast rhythm. I have been dealing with svt since i was 19 and I am now 43. I used to always have at least 1 -2 episodes a year but in the last 3 years they have been increasing. This last year and a half they have increased to the point where I can have up to 2-3 episodes a month 😦
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Ugghh, going in the wrong direction! LEts try to figure out why! Are you eating gluten? I know that’s a tough one for everyone…but the gluten over time does damage. you may just need to stay off it for a few months and give everything a break and then add it back in slowly. What else could it be? Don’t forget to download the food tracker to help you try to look for clues! Are you sleeping enough? Pushing yourself too hard? Let me know if you have any ideas on why and I can try to help!
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Hi all, I was just diagnosed today with SVT after two years of test after test after test.
I had a massive “spaz out” as I call it while visiting my sister in the labour ward after being rushed in after she had some kind of seizure during an ultrasound at out local clinic. Talk about “right place, right time” if you get passed me being the first man to be wheeled out of the maternity ward on a trolley it is actually the first time I EVER had one recorded.. even with all the telemetry, ECG’s and Echo’s.
I thought it was down to seeing my sister like that but I was assured that stress and anxiety don’t push your pulse to 246 and that it was just time for another episode. I did have palpitations earlier that day but it was when my mouth dried up and then began watering and my body temp shot up followed by my hearing fading out and feeling wobbly on my feet then the thump hit followed by the weird sickly erratic heartbeat and then the pain. I get loud ringing in my left ear and my vision goes black followed by extreme weakness and a “waiting to collapse” feeling. I have collapsed four times before and have had about thirty or so episodes over two years. I was “fixed” for lack of a better word with a good old shot of adrenosine (my first one).
Wow nice timing erratic heartbeat.. happening right now 😦
At least I know now what it is and I do feel a bit more at ease but can anyone tell me can I go back to training…? I used to run a lot and was an active kickboxer but I was sadly asked to pack it all in until the doctors figured out what was wrong with me.
Any answers would be appreciated.
Thanks.
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That’s adenosine sorry. In case anyone wants to know my last episode was from 17.11 until 18.42 when I was injected with the drug.
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I don’t know if I have SVT, but I know I have anxiety pretty damn bad.. and panic attacks.. I don’t get skipped beats often anymore.. just occasionally.. than again everyone gets those.. and my panic attacks/heart racing was becoming less frequent till recently.. Now i been getting them as I am trying to go to sleep.. or it wakes me up .. What i feel is odd, and i can’t figure out if SVT works this way or not..
I first feel a nervous tension sort of.. very hard to explain. Sometimes I feel like its a battle and if i think right or calm myself .. than my heart doesn’t take off.. but sometimes i can’t beat it and i get really hot and start sweating and feel a nervous tension with sometimes a butterly feeling. LIke the type you get from nerves.. right when that happens and i lose control over the situation.. my heart starts speeding up very quickly into this mode where my heart is just racing and even …I feel the worst just prior to the heart going crazy.. like I got shot with adrenaline.. than once the heart starts beating fast.. maybe a learned response.. I automatically usually feel a sense of calm and than the heart racing stops.. Im not sure it stops abruptly but it starts to cool back down into a more regular beat. Sometimes these episodes usually last a few seconds.. to a couple of mins.. I did have a real bad one the other night.. felt that panic feeling hot flashes sweating.. but it didn’t stop as fast as usual which probably made me more nervous.. and than it got worse.. and got even faster.. and i started sweating even more profusely and feeling nervous and dread and horrified…. So not to feel my pulse i start banging my chest and trying to calm down… I took some xanax.. and than it slowed down.. again not sure it just STOPS on a dime.. its not like its super fast than bang and its normal. Its more of a quick deceleration.. When ur nervous time moves slowly.. so realistically Maybe it wasn’t even more like 5 to 10 mins TOPS… I know i have major anxiety issues and fear about my heart.. I used to get a lot of skipped beats and was scared of those.. NOw im worried about this heart racing its ruining my life.. I thought i had a handle on it.. it stopped happening for while and when it did.. Id just calm down somehow real fast and they wouldn’t last long.. or i was able to fight the beginning stages of it and didn’t go into the super fast race.. Sometimes I am convinced they were panic or anxiety attacks,, and other times i am not too sure.. I just know they don’t seem to happen like people are saying.. or at least I am not aware of it.. and i truly think i feel every skipped beat i ever get.. i am very in tune to what my heart does at every second of every day… I don’t get a skipped beat and than BAM .. Than a skipped beat or flutter than BAM its over… I get more of this intense feeling of tension and start sweating and feel anxious BEFORE the heart starts to take off… Judging from what I am saying… if you had to guess or put money on it.. do you think I am having panic attacks. or could this be SVT.
Sorry for this long post.. i am just desperate.. I been laying in bed reading about this shit ALL day long. like a sicko.
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Hi, Sorry it took me a while to write back. Are you feeling any better since reading through the site? Have you tried any of the tips? If you want to comment back and let me know your typical daily routine, I can help make some reccomendations! All the best, Laura
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I was wondering how your feeling. I must say your description was sooo accurate I had to check if I wrote this description. That’s exactly what happens to me.
Good strength to you.
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Hi Irene, I feel great. I haven’t had an SVT in over a year and the one I did have could not be avoided…It was because I was awoken in the middle of the night, to go have a c-section. I was pregnant, dehydrated because I was not allowed to drink, scared, didn’t sleep, and about to have surgery to deliver my baby. Prior to that one is was at least another year before the last one. Basically in the 2.5 years I have been working on this I have had 1 SVT. Just try to look at your diet, drink tons of water, eat a little less, more greens, take omega swirl fish oil, follow as much from the blog as possible and let me know if you need any specific type of support and I will try to help…what is your weakness? xoxo all the best,
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Hi everyone. I’m also glad I found a forum like this to learn more about svt and share my symptoms and experience as well. I’m 29 and my first attack happened around 7 years ago while doing weights at the gym. I do not remember well but I believe I beared down to lift a weight. In that moment I felt a strong beat, some seconds of no beats at all, and then the racing heart. I was really scared that I left the gym and had to sat down outside. I tried to calm down and breath slowly for 10-15 minutes and the attack ended. I was really exhausted because of the previous exercise plus the attack. I went to Dr and he told me it was svt. He explained to me several ways to stop the attack to avoid medicines. Over the years, I had many episodes, around 1-3 a month, and they could be more frequent or intense if I’m stressed or too tired. Since the first episode, I have learned to stop them right away. The only maneuver that works for me is to inhale deeply, hold it for few seconds, and bear down towards your knees. You must be sitting down to allow more pressure into the abdomen and chest.
The attack can happen at anytime, however, based on my attacks during the years, I learned there also some triggers as well. Sugar, alcohol, stress, and lack of sleep are my enemies of svt.
I do exercise non-stop since I was 15 years around 3-4 times a week doing mostly cardio now. I have had attacks several times while running and those usually takes longer to reset with the maneuver (around 5 minutes). The heart is already beating fast enough when running that the attack seems stronger and with some mild shortness of breath.
Nutrition is really important as well. I noticed a higher chance of an attack if the previous day I have not eaten some meat protein. Also, you may try to increase potassium intake with banannas and yogurt. It reduces the chance of an attack as well since it balances electrolytes in the body.
Hope this helps
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Hi,
I was finally diagnosed accurately by a cardiologist (I hope). I have had approx. 8 episodes. The last one pretty bad. But, finally diagnosed. I have a bad thyroid which can trigger and the endocrinologist told me I have “thyroid storms” until a different endocrinologist told me that you cannot resolve on your own w/out medical treatment. Anyways, other things trigger as well such as being sick and taking decongestants, super hot baths and showers in combination with being sick, poison ivy (first time) w/ cortizon shot, red wine etc. I have been diagnosed with dehydration, panic attacks, over stressed blah blah. Never have caught the full attack on an EKG just elevated heart rate coming down at 180. I am so glad that I know what is going on because I thought the last episode might kill me. With SVT, I believe it is manageable so I am making life choices such as reducing coffee, zero alcohol, yoga etc. wish me luck. It is scary when you do not know what the hell is going on so feel better just knowing. I hope the SVT is accurate since they have never caught it in route to the emergency room because I am usually resolved by the time I get there. Oh symptoms, thump of heart, super super rapid heartbeat, turn purple, hot, arms (especially) and legs go numb, cannot get up, vomit, almost pass out, anxiety like omg I am having a heart attack… then resolves in time. Afterwards, I feel like I have been run over by a truck (i.e. chills afterwords and super tired). I really do not want anymore and fear getting old and having one. Know what I mean?
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Hi Tara, Thank you so much for taking the time to write your story! It sounds like you already are making some healthier Life Choices by cutting out coffee, starting yoga etc. Thyroid conditions as well as your other health issues like being congested, getting colds and sick can all be improved by really overhauling your diet and lifestyle choices. You may want to consider adding in loads of fresh green and vegetables juice. Do you live near a trader Joes? If so. they have cold pressed juice for 4.99 (everyone else’s is 10.00). They have a green, red, and yellow option. Try to drink at least one of those daily then maybe even more! Also colds & congestion is a need to reduce dairy, sugar and wheat. So slowly try to eat more veggies, brown rice, quoina, and beans. How are your Bowel movements? Are you going daily? every morning, nice and easy, and solid? You may also want to add in more supplements, a nice raw protein powder etc. Feel free to comment back with more details about your diet and BM’s and I can try to help further! All the best, Big Hug to you, Laura
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I also drink a couple of glasses daily of emergen-c. It has the electrolytes and vitamins. I break open a capsule of magnesium in it also. It seems to be helping. I am not having daily episodes of svt anymore.
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I have responded on here before with information about my PSVT, brief review I had my first PSVT episode that didnt stop on its own at 18 years old. I believe that I had a few episodes in my childhood but they came and went quickly not lasting very long. Since 18 years old ( I am now 45) I continued to have 1 episode a year that would not slow down on its own. Occasionally I would get 2 a year but usually only 1. The episodes would find me in the ER being that they were not slowing down on their own. When I hit my 30’s I started having more like 3 a year sometimes 4. Now I am 45 and I am having anywhere from 1-4 a month 😦 The fact that they are increasing with age does bother me but I am not wanting to try the ablation route at this time.
I have noticed many times, especially if I catch it right away, that if I stop and take very focused deep breaths in and out slowly, it will slow down.
I also have cardizem ( diltiazem) pills that I can take when my heart speeds up so that I dont have to go into the ER to have it slowed down. Sometimes I can take one pill and in about an hour to an hour 15 min it will slow down, there are other times after an hour I have to take pill number 2 and wait for 2 – 2 and half hours for it to slow down
For myself I have no idea what changes I could make that would make a difference in the PVST not happening. Considering in the past I would go a whole year and only have 1 episode. I think for myself it is truly just an electrical circuit in my heart that decides to jump course so to speak 🙂 Is there anything that I could do differently that would help that?
I do speak from experience that the best thing you can do for youself when you have an episode is do your best to relax… try not to let it stress you out or cause you anxiety. That will just make it worse. I know in the past there were times I would feed the episode by being nervous or getting anxious and that just made the situation worse. I guess when you have dealt with it for so many years you learn ” Okay here we go again” i am okay, I am not dying and just do your best to work through it.
If anyone else has anything that want to share with me that would be great 🙂
Take care of yourselves
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I usually felt my heart missing a beat, then irregular beats, then the rapid beats of 180 per minute.
I found laying on my stomach worked best, I would place my hand under my chest so I could feel my heart beating. I had an oxygen concentrator that was left by my mom, and tried that during the svt attacks, and was surprised that using it while deep breathing, it would stop!! It seems that the longer I let it go, the longer it would last. So now if I am at home and feel it come on, I put the oxygen on ASAP, and it would stop real quick.
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i have my problem since i was 20 years old i turn 50 last December i have 5 sons i have a fib svt i have it all
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I had the same thing, both. I had 5 ablations done 2 yrs ago. The SVT was the worse, happened sometimes 3 – 5 times a day, and would last sometimes 40min. I found that oxygen would make it
stop, very quickly by accident. I used my mom’s oxy. one day it occurred, used her oxygen and it stopped immediately. I bought a concentrator and used it ALOT. But I didn’t have portable to carry around so I had the procedure done. I do occasionally have a very short SVT where my heart beats 7 or 8 times and then goes back to normal, which I can deal with. Before ablations, my heart would beat 180 per minute, which was painful and scary.
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Hi laura I would really appreciate your opinion
if this sounds like svt. My heart starts racing very very rapidly only at night while I am sleeping, I will awake from a dream with my heart in a weird very fast racing mode. It will slow to normal rhythm as soon as I become aware and wake up. I have been going through extreme stress recently, I lost my mother and my beloved 18 year old dog within the last two months. I went to emergency room they did ekg and monitored my heart for 8 hours but since it only happens at night while Im sleeping I knew they wouldn’t catch it. I also feel a strange sensation of buzzing through my body. Could it be too much adrenaline being released. So sick of worrying would really appreciate your opinion.
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HI Deborah Im so sorry about your mom and your dog! It sounds like it could be SVT. Not sure why they only monitored your heart for 8 hours and not 24? Did you wear a holter moniter? If you would like we can set up a free half hour Skype chat and see how I can help. Email me if you would like to talk Lmadrigano@aol.com I also offer one-on-one coaching where we could look at what could be bringing this on and how to help support you physically and emotionally right now! Have you ever considered working with a coach? I would LOVE to help. Either way, Im happy to do the free 1/2 hour chat and hear more details about whats going on. All the best!
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Thanks so much for responding, I would love to talk,not quite sure about skype do you offer phone conversations or email. And no they released me with diagnosis of acid reflux and anxiety, anxiety tachycardia was also suggested, but not confirmed. So scared to take drugs.
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Hi Debbie, Yes I can do the phone…but skype is great so we can see each other! Skype is totally free and easy to install. If you are interested here is a link to it. http://www.skype.com/en/ Its super easy…you just download it and then create a skype name for yourself and then I can add you to my list and call you. If you want to try it great, if not we can talk via phone, let me know! Email me at Lmadrigano@aol.com with your decision! Thank you!
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I will look into Skype,sounds good! But yes whenever you can set me up for phone please let me know I would love it my phone number is 302 737-3927
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Hang in there! Life WILL get better! Yoga breathing exercises and a caring calm cardiologist that you can depend on will ,I believe, help you as much as they have helped me. It may take you awhile to find a great cardiologist but ask around until you do. Mine just changed the time that I take my toprol and it made a Huge difference in how many attacks I have. Yogic breathing is the best technique I have ever learned to help me through anxious times. I even teach it to my 5th graders so that they can chill down when they need to!
Good luck and blessings your way!
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Karyn, I’m a 5th grade teacher too! I used to only have about 2 episodes a year, but I have had them more often. Of course, you know how stressful the beginning of the school year is. I started taking toprol again, and the episodes seem milder, but heat is really a trigger for me now. I’m afraid of having an episode in my class that I can’t control. Any suggestions? I drink as much water as I can, but teachers can’t use the restroom whenever they want! I hope this increase in frequency is not a trend!
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Hi All,
I have been to the ER 6 times since, July 2nd. On the 5th visit they finally caught my episode. The ER doctors believe it is SVT. I see an EP next week.
I was wondering if anyone else has the following symptoms prior to their episode. Before an episode starts I get a tingly/numb face, hot ears, sweaty hands, skipped beats, chest pain/discomfort, stomach pain and pain under my ribs on the left side. Occasionally numb hands.
When this happens I am convinced I am going to die. The ER doctors have assured me that I am not. They have prescribed metoprolol ER 25 mg twice a day until I see the EP. I am so glad I found this site and now know I’m not alone.
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Am relieved to have found this site. It’s 3:05 am, and I am recovering from what I think is a SVT episode. But I have difficulty figuring out whether it’s SVT or a panic/anxiety attack or both.
All I known is I had a similar attack last month. They only happen at night. I wake up from sleep, get a weird adrenaline rush or hot flash, feel flushed and antsy, and then the heart ramps up and starts racing. Sometimes as high as 160 BPM. I have propranolol and after I take 20MG after about 20 min the heart gradually starts to slow down.
I am 41 years old and this has all started happening recently and I wonder if its hormonal? I tend to get these episodes around ovulation and again before my period starts.
They always start with a weird adrenaline rush, and then bam. And seem to happen at night.
Can SVT have a nocturnal preference? It’s been 2 hrs and I am so anxious I can’t fall back asleep.
How can you tell the difference between SVT and panic?
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HI Jeannie, Its hard to tell sometimes and they do go hand in hand…and I also know the type of episode of waking in the middle of the night with a sever hot flash and heart ramping up..Its horrible! Where do you live? Do you want to set up a 30 minute skype call to talk? I offer free 30 minute calls…email me with your skype name info and we can talk if you like to see how I can help you…!!!
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Welcome to my world! Every night for 8 months I wake from sleep, usually I am having a vivid dream, my heart is racing so fast,sometimes I’m sweating, its horrible,I have been under tremendous stress with the loss of my mother and beloved dog of 18 years, it only happens at night and tachycardia anxiety it’s said to be.I went to cardiologist to be sure, had stress test and echo which came back fine! I’m waiting for monitor now. If you’ve been under a lot of stress it could easily be too much adrenaline being releases at night from your nervous system, and exhausted adrenal gland.mine is finally calming down,look for something to nourish your exhausted adrenal gland,your adrenal gland also controls hormones that is why its worse around your cycle. It’s stress related! hope this helps
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Wow, , , there is a lot of “my” situation right here on this page. Im 44 and have had SVT knowingly for about 15 years. Not a lot of problems recently but I can def relate to the “thump”, thump, thump in the chest with a quick hot flush up the neck and face, then into the SVT rhythm. However I would say 90% of the time its just the thumps, tingles in the face and hands, then the flush in the neck and face and no actual SVT. Its kinda scarey as the second that happens I expect the SVT to follow. I have been to an cardiac surgeon who does the ablations and he said mine is not life threatening but it is something he can fix……..
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Hi. I’m laying in bed right now with a bad case of the cold/flu. I’m finding it difficult to breathe as I can’t breathe out my nose. It’s 6:15am and I woke up suddenly about an hour ago due to hearing something (I’m a light sleeper), and as I did that, I held my breath for a good 5 seconds and then all of a sudden my heart pounded three times really hard and then started racing until now (it seems to have calmed but now I’m in panic mode). I used to have panic attacks very severely and they never felt like that. I’m a little scared, I’ve had a heart monitor on before but it never caught anything. Can SVT come on anytime in your life or is it from birth? Oh I forgot to mention, I’m an 18 year old female, fairly poor diet.. I can’t get back to sleep and it’s so annoying as I have this stupid runny nose and whispy throat 😦 help please!!
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I had an SVT today and went to the emergency room where they said my heart was beating over 300 bpm! My episode lasted almost two hours. They gave me adenosine and it stopped it. I’m 45 and, although this may be my first full blown episode, I think I have been having a lot of the pre-symptoms for about two years now. After reading what many here have reported as pre-symptoms, I can say that these things have been happening to me for about two years. I get the heart skipping and the dizziness that just seems to come on randomly no matter what I’m doing. The dizziness lasts anywhere from 10 seconds to maybe a minute but it does seem to leave me super fatigued and weak. I told my doctor about it about a year ago and he suggested it was dehydration. I felt like he was being negligent at that time but I committed to drinking more water and, sure enough, they subsided.
One other time I experienced the rapid heart racing but it only lasted a few minutes and it was after I had drank more than my normal one cup of coffee so I thought maybe it was that? I had the pre-jitters from too much coffee before the heart racing started. I also had not had any food that morning.
This morning the heart pounding just would not stop. After almost an hour I finally got a co-worker to drive me to the ER. I had even tried a yoga alternate nose breathing technique that helped slightly but could not really stop the extreme chest tightness and heart pounding. I found it interesting the people that posted about oxygen saying it helped because I had oxygen for about 30 minutes before they gave me the adenosine. It did not help. My heart was going between 200-300+ for over an hour. I guess I’m lucky only one dose of adenosine was needed?
I do think I have food allergies and I have tried taking gluten out of my diet plus sugar etc. when my now 8-year-old was born she had really bad eczema and thrush and I went on an elimination diet to cure it (as I was breastfeeding). When I tried adding things back in one by one (after a month of only eating baked chicken, brown rice, carrots and broccoli and little else!) she had reactions to everything!!! Her biggest reactions were to eggs and then wheat and dairy but also citrus and soy. So for about a year I stayed on a limited diet. Probiotics (Natrens Healthy Trinity) were a big game changer and helped A LOT! And still help me.
After I weaned her, I started eating wheat etc again and that’s when I noticed it was effecting me! I realized that I hadn’t had heartburn or constipation in a year but it came back as soon as I started eating wheat and dairy!!! So I do really try to limit these things but I’m not always good. Last night I had an ice cream sandwich! 😦 and I did notice my first urine this morning was dark in color and my stool was hard….all precursors now that I realize it!
I have a vegetable garden and I love kale and broccoli and all the green veggies!!! I will definitely have no problem upping my intake of those things. It’s the sugar and wheat I have trouble not eating. I love to bake. 😦 But I know it’s bad.
I have also noticed in the past two years other things that might be related? Definitely hormone shifts with irregular periods whereas that was NEVER EVER an issue my whole life. I went from clockwork 28-day cycles to ones that range from 20-26 days. Today I am four days before my cycle so, again, a common symptom. Along with the dizzy spells I experience what I call brain sizzle…like an electric short in my brain??? A tingling? That is also short lived. I’m also WAY more sensitive to heat especially hate my head getting hot. All these things I chalked up to pre-menapause but now I see a correlation here also. Maybe the hormone imbalance is causing this too?
Thanks everyone for sharing. It definitely helped to read and see so many correlations and know I’m not alone. Like you Laura, I do believe everything can be healed through diet! 🙂
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Hello everyone. I’m glad to find this site. I’m 53 and was diagnosed with SVT a little over a year ago. It was a nightmare for me the first two months. Called an ambulance twice. I was put on a low dose beta blocker. I haven’t had any episodes for the last several months until last night. I was trying to fall asleep and I felt unusually cold. I just couldn’t seem to get warm. Then I started shaking uncontrollably and my heart rate went from 60 to 145. I got it down within a few minutes by bearing down like I have learned how to do. Does anyone else feel cold and shaky just before a SVT? I don’t remember feeling cold like that before however I usually do get the shakes.
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Hi Rhonda, Im sorry you had a bad experience. Some people feel hot before and then get the shakes after. It really is unique for everyone. Do you drink the cal mag citrate that I recommend? I love the one by Thorne. Its calming for your heart and helps to have a Bowel movement which is always helpful to prevent SVT. Did you eat anything unusual the day before your episode? Were you stressed, tired? Anything unique that you can think of? How is your diet overall? Try to fill in the food tracker for the next week and track how you feel. Increase your water, and REST. Let me know how I can help you. All the best, Laura
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Hello Laura. I haven’t tried the cal mag citrate. I will tell you a little bit about my diet. I have been doing the Wheat Belly diet for the last four years. I don’t know if you have heard of it but it is basically a low carb high fat grain free diet. No wheat, grains or sugar. It’s kind of like Paleo. I try to eat grassfed beef if I can find it, free range chicken and eggs. Lots of low carb veggies and lots of good fat like olive oil, grassfed butter, coconut oil, avocados, raw nuts, etc. I will admit I strayed over the holidays and ate some wheat and sugar. I was trying a different diet I heard of that jump starts weight loss and it was basically a carb cycling where you eat 5 days low carb then 3 days low fat and you allow yourself white rice and potatoes. I was on the second day of eating rice, potatoes and some oatmeal. So I really ate a lot of carbs the day I had the last SVT. Anyway, I think that diet is too stressful on me and I don’t do well eating that many carbs. It seems if my blood sugar gets too high then it kicks off pvc’s in me. So I am going back on my Wheat Belly way of eating starting today. I do take Jigsaw magnesium, two in the morning and one in the evening. I also take a magnesium bicarbonate drink twice per day. Dr. Davis who wrote Wheat Belly recommended it to me when I asked him about my SVT’s. I also take probiotics and prebiotics which he also recommends. I find that if I take probiotics, prebiotics, my magnesium supplements along with my fish oil everyday that I do great with my bowel movements. If I stray from any of those then I have trouble. I do believe I have “gut issues” and that may be part of the problem. I am trying to heal my gut. I have had GERD for the last few years and I HATE to take a PPI but I started taking one recently. I’m sure it is bad for my gut too and I know it can deplete your body of magnesium so maybe I should up my dosage of mag. I have been so excited because I haven’t had a SVT is many months. I even called my electrophysiologist a few months ago and asked about tapering off the beta blocker. He said that was up to me however he believes that my SVT’s will probably return if I do. I never tapered off because honestly I’m scared of them coming back. I was having SO many of them. I go in for my one year check up with my dr. in a few weeks and I will discuss it with him. I know he doesn’t believe in a “natural cure” but I sure would like to figure out what triggers these things. The majority of mine come when I am at rest. Usually when I ‘m trying to fall asleep. Weird I know. The other night I was a little stressed because I had been babysitting my two year old grandson. He was also spending the night and I am always a little more tense when he stays over. So, maybe that was a trigger. I was also having some heartburn when I had the last SVT. I remember when I first had a SVT episode. I was burping a lot. I just wonder if there could be a connection there. Possibly the acid reflux irritating the vagus nerve or something. I HATE taking drugs of any kind but I can’t let the reflux damage my esophagus. I do have a small hiatal hernia which could be part of the problem. Anyway, I could go on and on but I won’t. I have really felt like I got my life back and starting going out more. For months I was afraid to go anywhere alone in case I had a SVT. Now, I can feel that fear coming back a bit. 😦 Thanks for much for any input. Hope I haven’t rambled too much LOL
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Just wondering if this discussion was still ongoing?
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Yes!
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Hi Rhonda, I was rereading some of these posts and your post and symptoms are identical to mine!!! From the gerd ,to only happening at night ,when at rest!! I too have gut issues!! Just wondering since its been a few months ,how your doing?
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I had mild manageable SVT while in high school. However after i birth my first child, I experienced stronger SVT attacks three of which were stopped by adenosine injection in ER. My husband also commented my loud snoring during sleep. So I like to know if purchasing some portable devices such as oxygen humidifier can help in case of extreme cases while in transit. What portable devices do you recommend?
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Im sorry Rosemary, I dont know what devices to recommend! I do recommend looking at your diet, let me know if that is something you have already done or are willing to do?
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OK everybody I really believe that I found the answer. I Am so excited and couldn’t wait to share this !!all of this is caused by an irritated vagus nerve. Laura please read, “Using the gallbladder divergent channel to calm irritated vagus nerve” an article on line from Pacific college oriental medicine it links all of everybody’s symptoms from tachycardia , digestion, stress anxiety palpitations to an irritated vagus nerve which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system! It controls our digestion,heart rate and almost every symptom that we all our having please everybody look This up!!!when we calm this irritation down this nerve which runs the length of our body will calm down along with our symptoms, last night I had the best nights sleep with no symptoms, hooray finally
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I have had SVT since age of 14, am now 34. I was only officially diagnosed in 2010 after being found passed out with a fan on top of me. My question is does anyone else suffer after effects such as increasing weakness on one or both legs? I recently (saturday) had a bad svt attack that lasted two hours but since have had increasing weakness in left leg which has now made me incapable of driving 😦
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Hello I had my first attack 4 days ago out of the blue. When the ambo came my heart rate was 240bpm. I had tightness in my chest and throat, clammy, shakes, dizzy.
In the ambulance they managed to get my rate down to 198bpm, then at hospital 112. It lasted around an hour.
4 days later I am still almost bed ridden I’m exhusted and sleeping up to 18 hours a day.
Wondering what most feel like after?
Still waiting to see a specialist, doctor had no clue.
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That’s not what it’s like for me. I feel a little tired, but mostly normal after – hard to tell anything happened. With your chest symptoms, it sounds like more than just SVT was happening. What did they tell you?
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Hi everyone,
I am 18 and was just diagnosed with SVT, but have not found my specific symptoms on any websites that I’ve looked at. I would love to see if any of you that know you have SVT have these similar specific symptoms, for my own peace of mind.
Here are my symptoms:
My SVT episodes only happen when I am exercising. I can always tell when SVT is about to happen, as I feel that my heart is somehow “jumping” in my throat. It starts very suddenly, and feels like my heart is beating very rapidly in my throat. I get very anxious when this happens, and kind of feel like I’m floating, somehow detached from what’s going on (but still aware and able to think, talk, act pretty much the same–if in a social situation, and know where I am). My episodes normally last between 5-10 minutes, and I usually just put my head between my knees and take deep breaths. Each episode ends with a pain in my head (most likely blood rushing to my head–Does anyone else feel this at the end of an episode?), and again just as they start, they end very suddenly.
I would also like to add that I have never fainted, and have probably had in total 15 episodes. They have become more frequent as I’ve gotten older, but only maybe 2 per year.
Please let me know if your symptoms are similar, as all I’ve been able to find on websites is that SVT symptoms include: chest discomfort, pounding pulse/ racing or fluttering feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, sweating, etc. I feel all of these except chest discomfort–does anyone else not feel pain in their chest? I have also noticed that these symptoms do not contain things like the feeling when I know it’s about to start, or the pain in my head at the end.
Also, I have had 3 EKG’s and a stress test, so know that my heart rate is normal. But, one of my friends was just diagnosed with Long QT syndrome, and although I know the disease is generally found on EKG’s, I want to make sure that having 3 EKG’s and stress test is enough to tell that I don’t have Long QT syndrome. Otherwise, I’d like to have a genetic test done.
Thanks so much for help!
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Hi everyone,
I am 18 and was just diagnosed with SVT, but have not found my specific symptoms on any websites that I’ve looked at. I would love to see if any of you that know you have SVT have these similar specific symptoms, for my own peace of mind.
Here are my symptoms:
My SVT episodes only happen when I am exercising. I can always tell when SVT is about to happen, as I feel that my heart is somehow “jumping” in my throat. It starts very suddenly, and feels like my heart is beating very rapidly in my throat. I get very anxious when this happens, and kind of feel like I’m floating, somehow detached from what’s going on (but still aware and able to think, talk, act pretty much the same–if in a social situation, and know where I am). My episodes normally last between 5-10 minutes, and I usually just put my head between my knees and take deep breaths. Each episode ends with a pain in my head (most likely blood rushing to my head–Does anyone else feel this at the end of an episode?), and again just as they start, they end very suddenly.
I would also like to add that I have never fainted, and have probably had in total 15 episodes. They have become more frequent as I’ve gotten older, but only maybe 2 per year.
Please let me know if your symptoms are similar, as all I’ve been able to find on websites is that SVT symptoms include: chest discomfort, pounding pulse/ racing or fluttering feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, sweating, etc. I feel all of these except chest discomfort–does anyone else not feel pain in their chest? I have also noticed that these symptoms do not contain things like the feeling when I know it’s about to start, or the pain in my head at the end.
Also, I have had 3 EKG’s and a stress test, so know that my heart rate is normal. But, one of my friends was just diagnosed with Long QT syndrome, and although I know the disease is generally found on EKG’s, I want to make sure that having 3 EKG’s and stress test is enough to tell that I don’t have Long QT syndrome. Otherwise, I’d like to have a genetic test done.
Thanks so much for your help!
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hi Mary, I’m so sorry that you’re having these problems at such a young age? Just curious though, how is your digestion? do you have issues with bloating, gas, acid, burping etc…..?
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I have never had any warning (i.e., no precursor symptoms like being hot), and it seems to happen randomly, though never when I am asleep. This generally only happens a few times a year, anyway, so it may be coincidence that I am always awake when it happens, I suppose, though odds are against that after so much time.
If there is any trend to when it starts, it’s that I am doing things that are fairly sedate or even boring: working at my desk, just finished a relaxed lunch (that was the last one), driving calmly down a road, and the like. The time that took me to the ER finally was as I was cooling down from a long bike ride (HR about 130 BPM right before), which was the first time I remember it being at all associated with exercise. Since I was still cooling down, I nearly passed out (was getting tunnel vision, hearing severely muffled), even though I was just sitting in my car.
I, too, notice a sudden thump and pause from my heart right before it starts, and something similar when it reverts. Only got diagnosed a couple weeks ago when I finally got an EKG while it was happening, but had it for at least 35 years). Took 3 tries with adenosine to convert the rhythm. Yuck!
They are lasting longer than when I was younger. Now they can go on for hours, sometimes, if I wait. One lasted at least 8 hours, but stopped on the way to the ER, of course! I was told not to worry because they were in frequent – wish they (internist and cardiologist) had emphasized the importance of capturing an EKG to get a real diagnosis. If I’d known, I would have gone much sooner, even though it was inconvenient. I guess I know now!
Just had stress echo today, and I see electrocardiologist tomorrow to see what to do next.
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