Non sustained ventricular tachycardia

@leer50 I am so sorry that you are struggling to get a diagnosis and treatment. It is scary to feel your heart doing things that don’t feel right. Any treatment for the SVT or other issues that showed up on your heart monitor? The first couple of afib events I had happened at night, but I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I bought myself a smart watch with ECG feature not thinking that it would come in handy but it did. During the third event, I captured the episode with an ECG several times and took that to my PCP. Continue to advocate for yourself.

i’ve got VT not a fib. Can anybody discuss VT ? ablations/remedies to treat please ?

@jlk53 I am a 67 yr male and had an ICD implanted in July of 2025 due to a diagnosis of Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia. This should not be confused with SVT which is Supraventricular Tachycardia which starts in the Atria and is much less dangerous than VT. You will find there are many more people with AFib or SVT than VT, and thus there are many more comments about how ablations and medications affect those.

I do not have any serious underlying heart disease. During the ICD implant procedure, the EP attempted an ablation but could not induce the tachycardia, so no ablation was done. I have been on Flecainide 100mg 2x/day for 6months now. Initially, I thought it was causing constipation but that has resolved. I have had no other significant side effects so far. Others have had more significant reactions, so it depends on the individual. It appears to be controlling my VTach since I have not had another episode since I started taking it.

@jlk53
VT, Ventricular Tachycardia. I have them on and off for decades. I have a ICD/Pacemaker that will try to pace me out of the VT and if does not work shock me. Does it work. Well had the ICD/Pacemaker since 2006 and dozens of VT episodes and still here.

What you are asking and what I asked of my cardiologist and EP is preventing. I take a medication called mexiletine for VT. It is not very toxic and does not stay in body long so you have to take every 8 hours. It also helps with PVCs. Cut my PVCs in half and really cut down the episodes of VT.

I have had only one VT in last year where pacemaker paced me out of it. I know exactly when, how long, as all is saved to my ICD/Pacemaker and sent to Mayo Pace Clinic and my EP.

I also take (per my EP) OTC magnesium. It is help with PVCs but I think helping them helps with the VT. I did have an ablation many years ago in RV for PVCs and stopped them. But PVCs and VT are very different and VT a lot more serious health concern.

How is your weight, stress level, caffeine, anxiety. All can create more PVCs and thus more chances of VT with irregular heart beats.

Are you being treated by a cardiologist? If so and you are not already seeing a EP I would recommend a EP. They are electrical experts of the heart and specialize in diagnosing and treating them. Some great medications out there but lifestyle changed can also dramatically help with VT and PVCs and PACs.

@jc76 Thanks for your reply. 63 year old female. I am at a normal BMI, no caffeine, alcohol, or recreational drugs. Eat a clean diet. Exercise daily by fast walking for 2-3 miles. I am retired, but work part-time for fun. I also take magnesium and Vitamin D3. I did an in-patient sleep study last night which looks to be normal breathing during sleep. My EP ordered it to see if apnea could be an issue. I do have high blood pressure but take medication for that. My pacemaker will download in another week. I have a pacemaker w/o ICD. I do have a strong family history. My dad has a pacemaker for same issue I have and he is currently experiencing longer lasting NSVT-he had 3 episodes in the past month that lasted 13 seconds... My mom had an ablation for irregular tachycardia about 30 years ago when she was in her early 50s. I would rather have inherited something good like a nice singing voice. My ablation was done at Mayo in Rochester so that will be my next step if this progresses.

@dey10238
Seems generic like you mentioned.

It sounds like you are doing all you can to address the VT. I wish I could say my BMI was a good as yours and could fast walk. At 78, an old herniated disk from football back in high school, can't fast walk anymore. I can do about a 17 minute pace and stay of concrete and okay.

When I take my dog for a walk he wants to speed walk and keeps telling me (walking ahead and pulling me) my dog that but he seems to be egging me on to go faster and he is 12.5 years old. Do guess can use the 78 years old as an excuse can I?

@jc76 Thanks for your comments. I have been taking Ecotrin Enteric coated aspirin for approximately 34 years after I had an 'exercised induced' TIA. I overdid with some vertical climbing and made the mistake of holding my breath to 'gain' more strength and paid for it with the TIA. No lingering effects and never have had another glimmer of a problem in all those years.

I am currently on 2 Ecotrin 81mg tablets daily, no problem at all. I also take Plavix and BP meds, Metoprolol, hctz, Ezetimibe for other issues. I have refused to take Eliquis or Xarelto because I witnessed the horrible bleeding my husband went through when on first Xarelto and then Eliquis, it was horrible and I do not want to go through that. He would wake up some days with horrible bleeding in the white part of his eye, it looked like someone punched him in the face. His arms had huge 3"x3" 'bruise marks' that sometimes the skin would wear off and we had to use the thin 3M product to heal them up over many days of treatment. I just don't want to go through that.

I forgot to add that with my latest Pacemaker interrogation it was found that I had one episode of NSVT with 15 beats at about 167bpm with no symptoms. This was new to me and I would be interesting in learning more.

My docs have encouraged the Watchman, but that is not without risks too. I don't believe I'm being obstinate, but just listening to my body. I feel good, I can do what I need to do and keep active as I can for my age, 86. I appreciate your realization that we are all different and individuals and 'one master plan' does not fit everyone. Best wishes!

@moey2720
I was taking 81 mg of aspirin for about 20 years. I will say we are all different again so what I experienced is not what others will and vice versa. I was told one time when they did a tube down my throat into stomach (don't remember why) they said they saw signs of damage to stomach that is common with long term taking aspirin.

What I did with that information was asked my primary care provider (PCP) to prescribed the aspirin for me rather than use the OTC type. I was told by my PCP the prescription aspirin had a better coating and was less likely to bother stomach until dissolved in intestines.

Several months ago I was told my ICD/Pacemaker remote device recorded a 4 hour AFIB. I was not aware of it. My electrophysiologist (EP) said my past device checks showed I had non sustained AFIB so Eliquis just the aspiring was recommended. With the sustained AFIB of 4 hours there were recommending taking Eliquis type drug.

Now I post this with caveat this is me personally and not what others will experience. I noticed when I came off the 81 mg of aspirin and went on Eliquis my secondary bleeding (from scratches and scrapes) and bruising actually went down. I used to bleed so easy and bruise so easy my arms were always full of bruises. I noticed this bruising and secondary bleeding actually went way down with the Eliquis.

But both aspirin and Eliquis are blood thinners designed to prevent blood clotting. With each of us are bodies respond as individuals and everyone is different. I was never recommended the watchman so can't comment on that.

I am praised almost all the time when I am talking to my doctors all saying "you are listening to your body" and that is excellent wish all would.

You are doing just that and being open in informative of your hesitations with your doctors is going a long way in helping them making recommendations for you as an individual.

@jc76 Absolutely, we are all different and each one of us reacts to medicines, issues, surgeries in way different ways. There is never 'one size fits all' as each one of is so unique.

Years ago it was difficult to get a provider to believe that even though hundreds of people could take xyz medication, I couldn't take it for a whole host of reasons. It is much easier today and providers not only listen, but the 'hear'! My mother who passed at 93, always said, "Listen to your body." She was very old school, some would have called her 'backward'.

Best wishes to you!

@moey2720
Oh your mother was right. When your body talks listen to it. Nothing old school about that.

I was in the hospital (02/28/26) because of several ICD shocks. I was feeling the same way I feel prior to shocks. I hit the nurse call button. They came in and I said strange feeling and going to get shocked. Nurse says, "no your monitor does not show that."

So just a few minutes went by and the feeling got worse. Push the call button again. Nurse came in and gave me that same reply, "no monitor does not show that." At that point with her there I started to faint and got shocked. When I awoke I heart "Code Blue and my room #). I looked around and saw about 20 people in my room.

I looked directly at the nurse and said I told you I am going to be shocked. The head cardiologist spoke up and said, "This will show all us us to listen to the patient."