How do you live with SVT

I was diagnosed with SVT 18 months ago and had an ablation which unfortunately I was in that percentage that didn’t take care of it. I was like you stressing about it, wondering when the next episode would be prior to the ablation. After the ablation I just thought that was it and I was good. 4 months later occasional episodes started but I wasn’t anxious about them. My cardiologist felt that since the episodes were very sporadic medication wasn’t needed as I could stop them immediately with valsalva maneuver and I chose not to under go another ablation. 6 months later he decided I should take Metoprolol and Flecainide and yet nothing had changed. Reluctantly I started them but 10 days in had to stop Flecainide due to severe acid reflux symptoms. Still on the Metoprolol which I want to get off of. I found this forum accidentally after the ablation and it really helped with being anxious about the diagnosis as numerous people had stated they had SVT for many years and don’t let it take over their lives and haven’t had treatment for it. In the past 7 months I have had 3 episodes which last less than 1 minute and as I said can stop them with valsalva maneuver. You may be one of the people an ablation stops the episodes. if you are considering it I wouldn’t hesitate as it was a relatively easy procedure.

I am totally, completely empathizing with you. I was diagnosed with A-fib over a year ago; it was/is? paroxysmal and I did fairly well with life-style changes and meds, but I felt that an ablation to keep it from "spreading" was the way to go for me. I had an ablation about 5 weeks ago and have had no A-fib episodes since then BUT now I have SVT arrhythmia--just like you describe--not rapid pulse, but just "skipped beats" that annoy me to no end. They are worst at night, when I am at rest or when I am in certain positions! I am happiest when I am at the gym working out hard. I traded one arrhythmia for another! I was told by the APRN that it was "too soon" to decide if the ablation is/was a "failure" but I am not thilled with how things are going. I know these are supposed to be "harmless" but I would just prefer to have my "old life" back; you know what I mean. I am wishing you good luck, seriously. I hope you get some answers and let us know.

Thank you for sharing. I hope it gets better for you. It truly helps when you know your not alone.

@slw7252
Thank you so much. My anxiety level has already decreased finding this forum. I wish the doctors would make these suggestions instead of ending it with a diagnosis. I am not a fan of these meds and their side effects. I found a modified valsalva maneuver on last night that I will try next time it happens. Wish I had it before the episode I had last night. Called my roommate home from a party🙃Again, thank you.

This will be long, so get a cuppa and come back when you're ready to read and to ponder: I am an AF patient, in 'remission', and I have done a great deal of self-teaching about the topic of arrhythmias. I don't always get it right, and I'm not medically trained....a disclaimer for you:

a. AF is a progressive disorder. The rate varies, and patients' responses, both to the diagnosis and to the disorder itself varies widely. Some feel the events happening, some haven't a clue and only learn they're in AF when they see a family doctor or go to emerg for another event;
b. AF is most easily treated when it is in the earliest stages, they being paroxysmal and persistent. The longer it is allowed to run, hour after hour, day after day, the harder it is to treat, and usually the more anxious, breathless, and thumpy the patient feels....thumping in the chest wall. Sometimes a cardioversion works, a series of minor shocks to the chest, and that's it...for years or even for life. For many, cardioversions might only buy them a single day free of AF...my own hand is up;

c. AF will not kill you. Your anxiety might, but most will die much later, and almost certainly not because of their AF. It will be something else;

d. Your kind electrophysiologist will want to help you to live better...not longer. They cannot fix AF. They can block it from happening, which is the next best thing. They do that by creating a series of small burns in the lining of the left atrium, all of them around the place at the back wall where the pulmonary veins empty re-oxygenated blood into that vessel. This is where 90% of all paroxysmal AF patients have the 'rogue' signals issuing and causing the chaotic beats....in the mouths of those four veins...also properly called their 'ostia', plural for ostium, Latin for mouth. By circling those veins with a ring of scar tissue, which is what all those burns make, the signal cannot pass over or through the scar tissue. End of AF!! Not a cure, but if you can live free of that danged problem and its nasty symptoms, isn't that good enough? And the EP community has publicly stated for a couple of years now that ablations are the 'gold standard of care' for AF patients. That and the DOACs like apixaban and rivaroxaban to reduce the risk of stroke (a whole 'nuther topic about AF that I will spare you at the moment);
e. AF begets AF. That's the saying in the EP business. Once it starts, it likes to keep going. So, the more you can beat it back, whether with drugs or with an ablation, but even with some serious improvements in lifestyle (lower refined carbs, lose weight, no alcohol, get better sleep, and go for brisk walks five times each week), the easier it is on you and for your helpers to help YOU to manage it. If the symptoms when it happens are truly awful, as they were for me, and you get anxious as a result, the EP will want to address that negative aspect of your new disorder. They can't fix your heart. It's started on this path. All they can do is to help you to suppress the symptoms and to try to prevent those rogue cells from firing in the PV ostia and making the left atrium beat chaotically;
f. I had to have two ablations. Across the industry, first, or index, ablations fail at the rate of about 25%, but the best EPs out there, the ones with scads of experience and training, do better...more like 15% failure. Then, a few months later, if you are still confident and willing, the EP will attempt a second one, and the rate of success is significantly higher. Happened that way for me. Unlucky at first, sooooooo grateful to be free of AF for three weeks shy of three years....so far. The second attempt worked like a charm. You could be there as well, but you need to learn more, and to want the success. I couldn't wait for either ablation, I wanted them that badly.

If you have questions, I would be happy to address them.

I’m so sorry to hear about how SVTs are disrupting your life. I was experiencing shortness of breath with minimal activity and was diagnosed with Premature Atrial Contractions 22% of the time. I had an ablation but unfortunately the errant beat emanates from an area too close to the correct path to be successfully ablated. I’ve been on Flecainide 100 mg and Carvedilol 3.125 mg twice daily with some improvement in symptoms, which for me are fatigue and shortness of breath with activity. Thankfully I am now rarely experiencing palpitations or shortness of breath when lying down.

I have had some improvement in symptoms after starting Jardiance (I also have Type 2 Diabetes) but still am experiencing PACs regularly. I have been able to find a new cardiologist and a new electrophysiologist who are more interested in finding a root cause for my symptoms and recently had a nuclear stress test and another 72 hour event monitor. The new EP has suggested that I may have better results with Tikosyn, so I am hoping to get some direction within the next week.

My experience has been gradual improvement with trying different medications (I didn’t tolerate Metoprolol either). I am grateful to be in the care of physicians who are more proactive than the previous providers. So far no AF, so I am very lucky.

Good luck to you.

I have dealt with SVT for 33 years. The Valsalva maneuver or modified version have always stopped it. The other easier thing that has been successful almost every episode recently is sitting and dropping my head down between my legs. It’s worth a try.

SVT is very different from atrial fibrillation and according to my EP, SVT does not increase one’s risk for developing it. It certainly can make one anxious when it comes out of the blue, as it does, and that extra surge of adrenaline is never helpful!!
Hang in there.

@psyche Thank you for pointing out that SVT is not AFib. My understanding of the two, I'd much rather have the SVT. I first experienced an SVT episode ~ 10 years ago. Months in between episodes, and luckily after the first year, no symptoms for more than 8 years. Unfortunately they resumed about 18 months ago. Infrequent, but they rarely can be stopped with valsalva maneuvers and at a constant 180-200 bpm I head to hospital when my maneuvers don't work. There I have medication cardioversion (Adenosine) administered in the ER (at least I'm glad you get to the front of the line with this condition 😉 ). Although I will try that sitting and dropping head next time. Thank you @psyche !

This forum has been very helpful in reducing the little of anxiety I had about the condition. For me, I'm not that far away from a hospital and never worry about driving. Figure I can always pull over, and call an Uber if need to. My last episode was < 1 month before a "trip of a lifetime" that was going to involve very long trans-Pacific flights (10- and 15-hours long). But from reading on this forum, I decided if I couldn't get it stopped, I would still survive the balance of the flight until I could be transported to a hospital (Adenosine needs experienced personnel as it is an IV administration that requires an immediate "flush" to follow. My understanding is the procedure can stop your heart, so they need to be prepared for that occurence. I decided there was not much point in worrying ... that just makes it more likely to occur. Fortunately, any worry was needless as I haven't had another episode since that one in September (2025) and flights went smoothly.

All this is to say, SVT is not likely to kill you (unless you can't get treatment after MANY MANY hours). And it can be annoying if it interrupts day-to-day living in order to handle it. I am VERY fortunate that my episodes are few and far between. I'm not on any medication but my cardiologist did offer an ablation. I would consider it in a heartbeat, ahead of needing to take daily medications. At this point I don't require either, but will talk with a specialist to assess the situation.

Glad you are finding reassurance in this forum. It is nice to learn more about the condition, beyond the little time that is often offered by GP's and cardiologists. Good luck!

@dyspnea
Thanks for sharing. I left off the shortness of breath at rest and the fatigue. I will be 63 in April and then retiring at 65, not 67. I want to get back to enjoying my life which mostly consist of spending time with family and going to NFL games, I'm a fanatic, lol.

A quick review of my situation and why I don’t worry:
I have both 4% PVC’s and occasional NSVT lasting a few seconds at about 140 beats per minute. Over the course of two years, my EP recommended the following and I complied;
Wearable heart monitor for two weeks, documenting PVC’s.
Had an ablation to bring PVC’s down to a harmless 4%.
During that procedure, I had a link monitor implanted to continually monitor the PVC’s.
Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia(NSVT) began within months picked up by the monitor.
Next up: I had an ICD defibrillator implanted to give me 99.9% protection from a tachycardia which would cause sudden death. I take one long acting capsule a day of Verapamil to lower my heart rate.
I have never fainted and the ICD has never been activated. After exhaustive testing before the ICD procedure, it was determined that my heart is otherwise healthy with normal functioning and no blockages or structural defects.
I have a healthy heart as proven by recent testing and I am protected with the ICD.
Aided by all that information and protection, I am able to have a positive outlook, recognizing how fortunate I am to live during a time when so much can be done medically to help those of us with arrhythmias. I am free to do anything I wish with no physical limitations. I am 77. Already, some of my friends are suffering from health problems which include issues that limit their ability to function normally. My husband died at 72 from a terminal illness for which there was NO treatment. We are the lucky ones!
For me, I have found that knowledge is freedom from worry. A lack of understanding leads directly to frightening speculation. We can learn about what our hearts are doing in great detail. I feel every PVC in bed at night before falling asleep, but there is no need to worry about it.
I see an EP who is extremely respected within the Philadelphia medical community who has vast experience. I trust him- very important for your peace of mind!
We all need to try our best to approach life as the glass being half full, while also taking advantage of every available medical advancement with the best EP you can find to assess your individual condition and provide appropriate treatment.
Best of luck to you in your journey to the thorough and excellent care you deserve and for the peace of mind you’re working toward.