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Living with SVT Without Worries
Very important: When you are diagnosed with SVT, follow your doctor's orders, but be informed.
I have been diagnosed with SVT and I am living a totally happy life with no worries and I am given a "keep-it-up" clean bill of health at each of my annual Medicare wellness check ups.
It bothers me that it appears that many, many people in this world have SVT and are worried sick about it. Therefore, I wanted to tell my story here. It may not apply to you or someone reading it but it is my story.
Background:
I only recently discovered this Mayo Clinic forum on heart rhythm. Very interesting! Thank you, Mayo Clinic for hosting it.
I was searching for information on a wearable bpm recording device. I then posted a question in a new topic here.
Then, I spent time over the past two days reading dozens of SVT discussions here dating from recent ones and all the way back to 2013.
I have had SVT for 30 years. (randomly occuring , or "Paroxysmal")
Back at the beginning I went to my physician (GP) and he diagnosed it as "skipped beats" or "extra beats" and told me that my condition was benign if my symptoms remained occasional, and if I could control it without tachycardia going on for long periods of time. To control it, he introduced me to the Valsalva maneuver. I was able to perform the maneuver and so for all these many years, I have had few problems in starting the Valsalva maneuver when my rapid heart rate, or tachycardia, began, thereby eliminating the symptoms.
After a few years, my physician referred me to a cardiologist to be sure.
The cardiologist did all his tests and officially diagnosed me with PSVT. He also recommended that same Valsalva maneuver and also pronounced my condition was benign if controlled.
(Note: he said that if Valsalva didn't work or if I could not do Valsalva then oral medication would be needed. If that didn't work then surgery via ablation would be necessary.)
After 15 years in that city we moved across the state for retirement.
My new physician there (GP) did his EKG test on me and said the same thing as my previous doctor in that my SVT was benign if it could be controlled.
So, fully understanding what was happening and being able to stop the SVT almost at will, I have had no worries and lead a carefree, happy life. I realize that my particular condition may be unique. My procedures may not apply to everyone especially if they have heart abnormalities like AFIB or PVC. But if my story applies to even just one other person out there, who is now very worried and distraught over their SVT condition then I will have accomplished some good.
Again, my cardiologist and my regular doctor say my annual checkups are great. While the SVT diagnosis remains in my medical record, I perceive it as no more important than if it was hayfever or an allergy. It certainly doesn’t interfere with my lifestyle and I have no worries when I go to sleep at night or doing normal activities.
I have great sympathy for anyone who has to spend hours looking at the ceiling while their heart races.
That concludes my speech.
Now, I would like to add a couple more things.
When I turned 65 years old, 11 years ago, I was given a free membership in gyms through the Silver Sneakers program with my Medicare advantage health insurance. I embraced going to the gym for the first time in my life. My wife and I still go at least five days a week. I have never been in better shape since high school. Thank goodness that Medicare advantage programs provide Silver Sneakers. My insurance provider is certainly investing in my health (and reducing their costs) by reducing payouts for medical procedures that I might not have to have because I am physically fit. My SVT records don’t perfectly match my exercise programs, but I do feel there is an indication that vigorous cardio exercise reduces my SVT symptoms.
As an engineer, I have kept good records of almost every occurrence over those years. I did this, so I could share the records with my doctor at my annual physical. I recorded the time, the duration, the bpm rate, and my physical symptoms.
At each physical my doctor continued to say my SVT was benign. and he said that was because my EKG annual tests showed that my heart rate was strong and proper, and these extra beats were just interfering a little bit and causing the tachycardia, but my normal heart rate firing mechanism was there all the time and was proper. Plus I had no heart valve or heart abnormalities whatsoever.
If your physician can't say this about you then my story may not apply to you.
Finally,
I have three pictures to attach to this memo. The first one shows when I, in December 2022, had a SPT episode at my gym. I did not have my heart rate monitor chest strap on. So, knowing the onset of my SVT symptoms, the rapid heart rate, etc, I took time putting the Polar H9 strap on, then waited a minute or two to record something for my doctor and then performed the Valsalva maneuver and my BPM dropped immediately. The whole procedure took maybe five minutes.
The second picture is of just this morning at 4:25 am. Of hundreds of my recorded SVT eliminations via my Valsalva maneuver, this graph may be the gold standard and the best I’ve ever done. At 4:25 am you can see my heart rate race over 130 bpm. My heart rate strap through my smart phone triggered a gentle alarm that woke me up from a deep REM sleep, and I, without even getting out of bed, compressed my chest and eliminated the SVT almost immediately as can be seen in the graph. Within 2 minutes I was back asleep. My wife beside of me in bed never even woke up.
The third picture is of my Garmin wrist device for recording of the same event over last night's sleep. However, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 averages bmp readings over a two minute period so it can miss the second-by-second bpm that Polar H9 records. But Garmin tries to measure REM (accurate?), deep sleep and light sleep.
So, during the day I can easily tell when SVT starts. But at night I need a monitor.
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HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.
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In case anyone is interested, this very recent European study is astoundingly comprehensive and detailed about atrial fibrillation. I don't know if it can be generalized to other disordered electrical functions of the heart, or if it will be. It's very long....VERY.
https://www.heartrhythmjournal.com/article/S1547-5271(24)00261-3/fulltextNote that we now have two different streams talking about SVT. Here’s a recent article from. The National Library of Medicine on SVT and it mentions the REVERT procedure. Do note however, it talks about the initial Valsalva being done for 60 seconds. We would all likely pass out if we did Valsalva for 60 seconds. The specific literature on REVERT says 15 seconds for both has one and two of the REVERT. Because I am usually exercising when this happens ( so already have elevated BPM, I can barely hold my breath for 15 seconds… sometimes it is only 10-12 but it still works!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441972/
PS I am an RN, so always want to see the official evidenced based researched articles… particularly w the complexity of arrhythmias and the many different types!
I find this and other groups so so helpful. Agree that the medical care comes first…. But it is so helpful to hear how people are managing and coping w various conditions! My cardiologist had not heard of the Revert process that I mentioned a few comments later. She looked it up on line whirl I was there, validated its safety and thanked me for sharing and that she would teach to other patients. So, at the end of the day, we are all teachers and learners!
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2 ReactionsGloaming,
Finally, a reasoned explanation. Thank you.
I will have to re-read it a few times to get all the points.
My cardiologist(s) only have a few words for me, they are busy. My "lack of worry" stems from their comments about "benign." But education like you offer is important to me.
So, I'll read your comments again, but my general impression at this moment is this:
My heart beats very fast sometimes. Beating very fast while otherwise at rest is not "normal." Arrythmia means abnormal. Therefore, the common person would say I have arrythmia. But my doc says my PSVT is benign. And he says I just have "extra" beats sometimes. And my conclusion therefore is that I do not have arrythmia under my understanding.
Ha. (I must have a great desire to be "normal.")
I will continue to learn......
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2 ReactionsI'm no expert, opiestrer, but my reading says that SVT is an arrhythmia. While it might have the same intervals from beat to rapid beat on an ECG, the beats are not consonant with the corresponding beats of the ventricle below the atrium. The normal rhythm is for the atrium to contract, forcing blood through the mitral valve and filling/pressurizing the left ventricle...which then pumps almost immediately and forces blood up the arching aorta, through the aortic valve. If there are three or more beats in the atrium while the ventricle only beats once, that's an arrythmia!
Yes, we often use shorthand, forgetting that not everyone knows what the initialisms mean. Sorry...NSR does mean 'normal sinus rhythm'. However, I did possibly mislead about the conversion. Atrial fibrillation is what I was thinking (very technically, AF is still an SVT: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/supraventricular-tachycardia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355243 , but the medical community uses SVT for a non-synchronous rapid rhythm....which fibrillation is not. Fibrillation is irregularly irregular in beating, and one cannot call it a rhythm, whereas SVT is just a very rapid beat with the same intervals between them...again....unlike fibrillation where the intervals are all over the place. SVT is rhythmic from beat to beat, but out of synch with the ventricle. Whereas AF with what is known as 'rapid ventricular response' imposes a danger because the ventricle wants to beat along with the atrium's rapid and irregular rate (meaning ventricular tachycardia (which can quickly be lethal), SVT doesn't normally involve the ventricle, which continues to beat at its sino-atrial node rate. This, again, is based on my learning, but I'm not a physician. I hope that makes sense.
The cold dunk method can work for any arrythmia, ostensibly. It changes the tone of the Vagus nerve, charges you with epinephrine, increases muscle tone and lung volume, not to mention blood pressure, and it can bring on NSR. Again, you have nothing to lose.
All arrythmias are electrically disordered conditions. All of them can damage myocytes over time, meaning cardiomyopathy, enlargement, and heart failure. All of them create fibrotic tissue in the endothelium if left too long, which is inelastic and forces the heart muscle to grow more to overcome the resistance imposed on the inner surfaces of the affected chamber. Growing heart tissue means thickening, or enlargement, and this often/usually means heart failure if not treated.
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2 ReactionsGloaming,
Is NSR, normal sinus rhythm, in play here as you suggest? Or are you just mentioning the cold water method as a possible procedure to slow down the SVT heart rate?
I have been tested and tested and two cardiologists both say I have perfectly normal sinus rhythm. The extra nodes on my "supra ventricula" are doing mischief, but my SR is not abnormal and thereby does not need to be converted. And therefore, my cardiologist says I don't have arrhythmia either.
SVT is not about having abnormalities in the heart valves, muscles or sinus node is my understanding.
Educate me if I am wrong.
And excuse me if your point was only about cold water......
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2 ReactionsCMCG,
Your explanation is fascinating! What a great forum here that allows input and examples such as yours.
I will try your revert method next time!!!
Opie
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2 ReactionsFranie,
Can you explain the symptoms you experience when you are aware of SVT? Dizziness? How fast is your heart rate? For now long? How long do you try to maneuver it, as you say? What method(s) do you use? Any episodes while you are sleeping that wake you up?
Thanks for your reply. I've never had the opportunity to talk to fellow SVT'r before like I can do here. I am very curious about the tips and suggestions you and others are giving. The cardiologist is primary of course, but hearing from others is helpful.
Opie
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2 ReactionsI have dealt with SVT for about six years . I gradually had them more often and now take Cardiazem daily and whenever I can’t physically maneuver it to stop; I take Verapamil . I know exactly when it is happening . I don’t let it worry me as I follow up with my Cardiologist . It allays a lot of anxiety.
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2 ReactionsJust a comment: I know of a couple of other forumites who have converted to NSR from an arrythmia by plunging their head, or feet, or arms into cold water. In fact, a cold shower is effective at causing a reflex that will often convert the heart to NSR. It's cheap, if unpleasant, and might just work.
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