SVT

Did you ever find the cause to your SVT?

Hi I am a 74 year old female who has had SVT for years. Recently experiencing frequent episodes lasting for hours at a time. I just had a heart monitor on for 7 days. Can’t seem to get my rhythm back to normal. Could be stress related?

It could be stress, it could be anxiety, it could be lack of sleep/poor quality sleep, comorbidities in kidneys, liver, lungs, vascular disease, GERD, visceral fat, diabetes, virus, chronic inflammation, poor diet, insufficient magnesium or maybe potassium in the diet, other medications that your system is slowing developing an intolerance to, allergies, sleep apnea hitherto undiagnosed and untreated....the list is lengthy. Cold medications, caffeine, sugar...they too are problematic for some sufferers of SVT and AF.
Generally, arrhythmias are progressive in nature. The heart, once it is disordered electrically and develops ectopy or other arrhythmias, is likely to commence a process of remodeling. This changes the substrate of the myocardium that will include deposition of collagen and the development of fibrosis. There might be vessel enlargement involved, and if that goes on for some time, mitral valve prolapse and eventual heart failure.
Medications work for a while for most people, sometimes a good long while. They tend to lose ground over time and the arrythmia takes over again, gaining the upper hand, or a new arrhythmia/series of them takes over. In many cases, after consultation with an electrophysiologist, a catheter ablation procedure can stop the arrhythmia. I urge you to see a competent and highly regarded electrophysiologist (EP) right away.

Hi
I was diagnosed after 4 years with svt and thankfully I’m able to have the ablation.. just on the waiting list and I’ve been told it’s about 3 month wait.. so I’ve been put on Bisoprolol 2.5 and the side effects were nasty for about 5 weeks and then I started to feel great.. I’ve only had a couple of svt episodes in 10 weeks and I’ve been able to deal with them.. but the last 5 days I’ve had such bad anxiety and I hate it as it’s starting to take control of me.. I’ve had all the tests and my heart is healthy so I have no reason to be worried and I’m getting the ablation but this ball of stress in my chest and back is effecting me so bad.. my doctor has been great and told me it will pass but obviously I expected to be diagnosed and then that would be all my questions answered and the anxiety would go.. I worry that they have it wrong and my heart isn’t healthy I worry I will suddenly have a heart attack.. it’s so hard to explain to your family if they just don’t get it.. I meditate have reiki and I walk do yoga you name it I’ve done it and it hasn’t gone.. any advice please x

You might contract with a therapist for a few sessions to learn techniques to manage your anxiety.
Your heart IS healthy. How do I, someone who doesn't know squat about you, know? Because the EP wouldn't have you on a waiting list if it were not. If you have valvular problems, cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, serious hypertrophy of the atrium or ventricles, you would not be an appropriate patient for ablation. So, your EP has all the information he/she needs to make an informed decision, or else that person could be sued for malpractice...operating on a patient for whom the procedure could be dangerous due to a known and existing medical condition. You've had an echocardiogram, maybe and angiogram, a stress test, and maybe even an MRI, and they all show no obvious structural defects, no enlargement (hypertrophy) beyond normal for your age and time with an arrhythmia, and you have no other serious comorbidities that will seriously erode his (and your) chances of a successful ablation.
When I was in line for an ablation, and after all the reading I had done, I couldn't wait. I literally felt like the midway was coming, I was still a kid, and I had enough money to go on every ride....three times. Plus a corndog. I was that excited. You need to place yourself in that frame of mind.

Hi I WISH the EP,s would spell it out like you did reading this also calm my anxiety I was just told that I have good chance it will help with my AFIB

I had my first ablation in 2019 and was fine for 9 months. I had another ablation early 2020, which had no effect. In June of 2020 I received a Boston Scientific pacemaker and have been fine until in January of this year. I was having AFIB 29% of the time. Nothing was done. In July when I was check AFIB was 50% of the time. I was put on medication. I see the dr again in September and he and the EP will decide what I need, depending on how much AFIB I am having now. I have never felt it all these years, which is odd to me.

Once again, Gloaming, you have taken the time to do what the doctors don't seem to have time to do. I wonder if that is because of time or the mental set that we mortals wouldn't understand. I think the docs should print off your explanations and hand them to the patients.
Thanks again for sharing all the expertise and information you have gleaned over time.

I'm happy to oblige. You are welcome.

I am struggling to understand exactly what is going on with my AFib. I was told all my life (just turned 81), that I had a mitral valve prolapse. So I pretty much ignored the racing heart beat, and worse feeling with hard exercise. In 2021 I complained of a tiredness I could not seem to get thru the day even with small chores. I had a stent implanted, then Cardiologist said I needed a pacemaker, which was done. Then they put me on Eliquis which I feel has complicated my health and made me feel worse. They tell me I have to stay on it unless I have an ablation, then maybe a Watchman implant. The pacemaker is uncomfortable to live with, I am not excited about having my heart "burned" or another implant. Now my son has a pacemaker for a valve stenosis problem. I worry about a genetic complication as my brother has had similar heart issues. When I complain about the Eliquis they say I must stay on it because I am always in AFib??? I don't know what any of this means. My grandmother died of a massive stroke, never regained consciousness. So I am scheduled for an ablation soon but not happy about it. You seem to understand the disease (if we can call it that). Please respond with any questions I need to ask these Cardiologists because I just had a CT scan of my abdomen for a recurring pain. I have no appendix, no gall bladder. I do have adhesions from previous C sections and other surgeries. I mention this because the CT scan said my heart was enlarged and my liver was cystic and scarred (cirrhosis). So I'm concerned about any invasive procedure. Going for more blood tests as last one not specific for liver issues. Never thought I would spend my golden years in the clinic every time I turn around. My BMI is normal, I don't smoke or drink. Maybe this is just nature's way of winding down but I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Any suggestions are appreciated.