1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

Suspected SVT diagnosis, seeking advice

Posted by amalite @amalite, 1 day ago

Hi. I was recently in ER for very elevated heart rate and bp (was swinging around at whim associated with an icy feeling in my chest, 180 was the highest they saw it but I got a few 140-150 spikes even through the meds they pumped in my arm). Couple weeks ago. Only other time I've had anything like it was five years ago- my heart rate randomly took off like a rocket one day, it was beating probably in the 180s and only ever going down to like 90-100 minumum (my normal resting is ~63) and that happened for a couple days straight but no doctors gave me the time of day, probably because I was 17. Eventually went back to normal and just became a source of PTSD. Well now I'm 22 (male) and it's come back for me.

ER doc 1 said it was probably SVT or "inappropriate sinus tachycardia" and that since my heart was in a normal rhythm that it wasn't dangerous, gave me 25mg metoprolol succinate and basically said "this might help a bit but this is your life now". Thanks, sure, okay man. That helped for a couple weeks but now even with the medicine the icy feeling and heart rate spikes are coming back. I'd say it's happening like once or twice a day now? I ended up in the ER again with it yesterday because my BP was at 175/98 and my fiancee yelled at me to go in, ambulance ride drivers said I was having 'small svt runs to 150 self terminating' and some other stuff that's all I got out of it. Said it didn't seem too bad but I didn't feel that consoled. In the ER he essentially said "yeah it sounds rough to be you" and gave me some Ativan for the stress (which, admittedly, has made me feel the most calm I've felt since I wasn't even a teenager yet.)

Currently I'm trying to get with a cardiologist but the referral process takes forever and a day. ER did an echo ekgs blood all that said I'll live but it is still freaking me out. Does the frequency of SVT bouts normally go up like this, will it stop going up? Hell, does this even sound like SVT? Fortunately ever since I got my panic under control when it happens (with the benzos helping just a little bit) the spikes have only been lasting a few seconds. But even coming off the new short ones I get horribly shaky and nauseous for a while.

I have a depressive disorder that's quite severe- I'm looking for someone to be honest with me, let me know what life is going to be like from now on, give me some peace. Because right now I feel like I'm just staring at a clock waiting to die before I get checked by an actual doctor, even though that's totally unreasonable. Just how depressive disorders are, though. Trying to shake off the idea that my life is just out of nowhere ruined forever, which is basically what the ER cardiologist told me.

Edit: I forgot to mention a symptom. This might just be because I've been too scared of more attacks to leave bed much, but just going around the house now brings my heart rate to 110s-120s; used to be 90. Basically, my HR seems to just also be passively higher when active, despite the Metoprolol. Idk if that would even matter, I guess. Sorry, this is my first time baring my heart to strangers online. I just...need some connection, I guess.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

Mentor
Dana, Volunteer Mentor | @danab | 1 day ago

Hi @amalite , Nice to try and help. First off my recommendation is to get your condition confirmed with a cardiologist. There are so many different types of Tachycardia or fast heartbeat. SVT is called Super Ventricular Tachycardia. It normally in the lower region of the heart or the Ventricles. I had its sister version or VT. I'm not as familiar with the SVT type as Ive heard the treatment is similar but also managed differently with different people. Even among Cardiologist there are those who deal with the structure of the heart and those are the regular Cardiologist. For SVT, VT and AFIB to name a few you will see a EP cardiologist. They specialize with the electrical problems of the heart. EP stands for electrophysiologist. But most likely you will see a general cardiologist first so the right type of EP Cardiologist can be recommended. These days with all a doctor needs to know I would not worry yet. A short term fast heartbeat for someone your age can be just a nervous reaction and now that your sensitive to them it can make you a bit nervous, which will bring them on. It happen to me often.

so I myself got good at checking my pulse and if i had a good pulse then blood was flowing, just kind of fast. For me when I had an actual episode my heart would go into a quiver state where no blood was flowing, and my pulse would disappear.

A trick I have used when it happens is to cough real intensely on purpose and that movement of your lungs can kind of give your heart a nice hug and it can get it to calm down. Lets me know what you find out and maybe I can explain treatments further depending on what you find out.

REPLY
1 reply
gloaming | @gloaming | 1 day ago

It sounds, unfortunately, like you're going to have to rely on your local ER for relief. You should not let SVT over 100 go on for longer than 24 hours before seeking help, and at the ER is where they specialize in more immediate and personal care. A decent cardiologist will tell you what you have, hopefully why, maybe how to control it going forward, and I would hope, as should you, that you get referred to an electrophysiologist for an assessment for mechanical intervention. What that might be is only a guess....first things first.

REPLY
1 reply
janetbender | @janetbender | 1 day ago

I had several symptoms and was diagnosed with POTS
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome does NOT present in labwork and is hard to diagnose. You diagnosis might be different.

I had very early Covid, then Ling Covid and lost most of my immune system.
Next diagnosed with ET, essential Thrombocytosis- chronic leukemia.
Even after my platelets were lowered from 1.1 million to 600,000 I felt terrible and was diagnosed with POTS.

The long term effects of Covid are different for everyone.
Try to find a long Covid center. Mine wasn’t helpful but it depends on the doctor - nice telehealth appt with the doc, but not helpful.

Ask to be put on a waitlist for canceled appts with the cardiologist.
Keep a list of ALL your symptoms to show your doc.

If you have a pulse ox or blood pressure cuff, test yourself sitting quietly and again when standing or walking a few minutes. With POTS my numbers fluctuated 30 points. After a year from diagnosis my doc still hasn’t found the right combo of medicine to normalize my pressure.

Don’t be discouraged - it takes a lot of effort to be diagnosed and get the care you need. Don’t give up! We’re here for you.

REPLY
1 reply
amalite | @amalite | 20 hours ago
In reply to @gloaming "It sounds, unfortunately, like you're going to have to rely on your local ER for relief...." + (show)
@gloaming

It sounds, unfortunately, like you're going to have to rely on your local ER for relief. You should not let SVT over 100 go on for longer than 24 hours before seeking help, and at the ER is where they specialize in more immediate and personal care. A decent cardiologist will tell you what you have, hopefully why, maybe how to control it going forward, and I would hope, as should you, that you get referred to an electrophysiologist for an assessment for mechanical intervention. What that might be is only a guess....first things first.

Jump to this post

I would definitely not let it go at over 100 for more than maybe half an hour before going and getting checked out, that sounds like hell. Luckily the county I'm in has a health program for people with no insurance/low income or I would be destitute by the end of this, but hey, I'll be alive at least. I'll keep that term- electrophysiologist- in mind for when I do get a cardiologist.

REPLY
amalite | @amalite | 20 hours ago
In reply to @janetbender "I had several symptoms and was diagnosed with POTS Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome does NOT present..." + (show)
@janetbender

I had several symptoms and was diagnosed with POTS
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome does NOT present in labwork and is hard to diagnose. You diagnosis might be different.

I had very early Covid, then Ling Covid and lost most of my immune system.
Next diagnosed with ET, essential Thrombocytosis- chronic leukemia.
Even after my platelets were lowered from 1.1 million to 600,000 I felt terrible and was diagnosed with POTS.

The long term effects of Covid are different for everyone.
Try to find a long Covid center. Mine wasn’t helpful but it depends on the doctor - nice telehealth appt with the doc, but not helpful.

Ask to be put on a waitlist for canceled appts with the cardiologist.
Keep a list of ALL your symptoms to show your doc.

If you have a pulse ox or blood pressure cuff, test yourself sitting quietly and again when standing or walking a few minutes. With POTS my numbers fluctuated 30 points. After a year from diagnosis my doc still hasn’t found the right combo of medicine to normalize my pressure.

Don’t be discouraged - it takes a lot of effort to be diagnosed and get the care you need. Don’t give up! We’re here for you.

Jump to this post

Thank you for the kind words. Leukemia, huh? I'm glad you're still with us. I've dodged COVID pretty well actually, only got it once about six years ago, back when Delta was still new and interesting. My pulse has always shot up about 40 points when I stand but I've never had the kind of symptoms I'm having- guess I might just have every issue under the sun all of a sudden. I'm trying my best to keep my head up and shrug off the feeling that everything is over. Your kind message helps me a lot. Thank you.

REPLY
1 reply
amalite | @amalite | 20 hours ago
In reply to @danab "Hi @amalite , Nice to try and help. First off my recommendation is to get your..." + (show)
@danab

Hi @amalite , Nice to try and help. First off my recommendation is to get your condition confirmed with a cardiologist. There are so many different types of Tachycardia or fast heartbeat. SVT is called Super Ventricular Tachycardia. It normally in the lower region of the heart or the Ventricles. I had its sister version or VT. I'm not as familiar with the SVT type as Ive heard the treatment is similar but also managed differently with different people. Even among Cardiologist there are those who deal with the structure of the heart and those are the regular Cardiologist. For SVT, VT and AFIB to name a few you will see a EP cardiologist. They specialize with the electrical problems of the heart. EP stands for electrophysiologist. But most likely you will see a general cardiologist first so the right type of EP Cardiologist can be recommended. These days with all a doctor needs to know I would not worry yet. A short term fast heartbeat for someone your age can be just a nervous reaction and now that your sensitive to them it can make you a bit nervous, which will bring them on. It happen to me often.

so I myself got good at checking my pulse and if i had a good pulse then blood was flowing, just kind of fast. For me when I had an actual episode my heart would go into a quiver state where no blood was flowing, and my pulse would disappear.

A trick I have used when it happens is to cough real intensely on purpose and that movement of your lungs can kind of give your heart a nice hug and it can get it to calm down. Lets me know what you find out and maybe I can explain treatments further depending on what you find out.

Jump to this post

Absolutely, if I find anything else about it from myself or doctors I will let you know. VT sounds really scary- my heart is at least still pumping when it shoots up, how do you even stay conscious when it starts quivering? Well, either way, thank you. Sorry for the late responses to everyone, had a tough day today.

I only really have one ask- sometimes, when it goes up and stays up, my blood pressure gets close to the "hypertensive crisis" number online. Does that mean I definitely need to go to the ER, even if my BPM isn't too bad? Or can I just try to tank the damage and let it pass? I'm prone to headaches and don't want my brain to turn into fried liver one day. Either way, I'm blown away by your kindness to explain all this to me. I'm slowly starting to understand that if this many people have these issues and are being treated, then there can't be a lot of people who died waiting on it. The fear of dropping dead has been giving me a ton of panic attacks lately after all which only make things worse, and I only have so much atvian from the hospital to tank through it lol

REPLY
janetbender | @janetbender | 7 hours ago
In reply to @amalite "Thank you for the kind words. Leukemia, huh? I'm glad you're still with us. I've dodged..." + (show)
@amalite

Thank you for the kind words. Leukemia, huh? I'm glad you're still with us. I've dodged COVID pretty well actually, only got it once about six years ago, back when Delta was still new and interesting. My pulse has always shot up about 40 points when I stand but I've never had the kind of symptoms I'm having- guess I might just have every issue under the sun all of a sudden. I'm trying my best to keep my head up and shrug off the feeling that everything is over. Your kind message helps me a lot. Thank you.

Jump to this post

Thankfully Chronic leukemia is different than leukemia.
I take 500 mg hydrea daily - a chemo pill.
My doc expects me to live a normal lifespan…
Before my diagnosis I never heard of it!

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.