Has anyone here ever had svt for years, then went in to ER with the pounding heart beat after 16 hr's of it, being horrified to call~911~ then I started to pass out, they got here and said yes, you are right, it is svt~ however by the time I got in the hospital and hour went by and they said: " No, right now you have a fib with a flutter~ that you've never had before..". Now I was horrified~ they started a heprin drip, and made me stay all night, giving the cardezem drip but it never stopped so I got paddled the next day about 11:00am, and then had a stress test at the same day with the radioactive med. and after they said it was negitive for heart valve or anything wrong and my heart was fine...Why did this happen, and now I am horrified every time I feel a few fast ones, this is the first time for all of this and I am scared to pieces... just said take an asprin every day and we will see you in 6 months! Yikes, Now I take 2-81mg asprin a day have terrible anxiety and take xanax for it for 18 yrs now, but can't stop fearing. anyone to help even knowing someone else has this would make me feel not so alone... Why from svt to a fib? is that a typical happening or does it mean much worse? Thanks to anyone with any words or experience with this problem... 
hope I put this in the right forum? Scardycat times a million
SVT-AFIB in one event??: Has anyone... - Atrial Fibrillati...
SVT-AFIB in one event??
I'm sorry you are so worried! I don't know enough to answer your many questions- best to ask your consultant I think- make a list to take to your next appointment.
Knowing more will help you not to worry so much. Hoping someone on here has had same experience to share
Yes I have exactly the same and it's terrifying I know. It's so bad you really don't believe you will survive the episode when in the midst of it. I understand totally how you feel.
I have had the radioactive test amongst others plus an angiogram and heart found to be sound like you which is good. That does not negate the fear when in an svt/afib/aflutter attack of this intensity though as they are truly a nightmare.
My ep thinks i am very unlucky to have such episodes and tries to reassure me that I am not in grave danger. He recommended psychological assistance from a psychologist specialising in long term health issues and I have found that helpful in coping with the fear.
I do hope knowing there are others living with this helps you. No magic bullet but we do continue to get on with life in between. Try and get some psychological help if you can. You mentioned 911 so I assume you are in the USA. Here in the UK I got this support on the national health service.
I take an anticoagulant, one of the new ones, Rivaoxaban, along with heart rate meds ongoing and rhythm control to take as and when the attacks come. I would speak with your medics regarding using aspirin if you are being prescribed it to lower stroke risk from your arrhythmias. Aspirin is not recommended here for that purpose although some people with other heart issues may be prescribed aspirin but not for lowering stroke risk in our particular arrhythmias case.
I do hope my reply helps. Thinking of you.
Lots of us have been through this nasty experience of getting taken to hospital, Scardycat, and suddenly you have a new heart problem and when you get home you feel life is never going to be the same again. There are lots of good ways forward and you can arm yourself with knowledge and that helps to take away the anxiety. I hope you'll soon be feeling much less worried.
Remember that AF and flutter and SVT are all problems with the heart's electrics. I had SVT for many years and moved on to AF and lots of others have too. It just happens. And it doesn't mean necessarily that you have a faulty heart. Have a chat with your doctor as soon as you can as aspirin may not be the best thing to be taking, and learn also what you need to do to discourage your heart from taking off and being silly and how to encourage it back to normal rhythm when it misbehaves. Hospital visits can be avoided when you find what works for you.
Thank you!! You make a ton of good sense, and you do know exactly what I feel and have felt! I am so happy you replied~ Thank you ever sooo much, my day is brighter right now:)) xo :))
I'm glad that was helpful. I still get AF but I'm a whole lot less bothered about it now and I hope you'll gain confidence and get on top of it too!
You are wonderful! You do seem to have your self under control thinking the correct way like you do is a must..I will try also.. I hope I don't have a-fib with no signs of fast heartbeat as it sounds like you can have a stroke if that happens How does anyone know if it happens with out knowing it? puzzling to me~ hummmm.. Thank you again so very much!
Thanks for your kind words. It's easy to think nothing much is going to go wrong when you have had AF dozens of times and nothing dire has happened. I've just once had that Bad Day when I was taken by ambulance to hospital and discovered that things weren't anything like as good as I'd been kidding myself they were. It was about seven years ago. I had had SVT occasionally for about 19 years. When AF was first noticed I was prescribed flecainide (which helps control the heart's rhythm) and that was like waving a magic wand and worked well for a while.
We all worry about having a stroke, but I take rivaroxaban (which is one of the new anticoagulants) and feel it gives me a measure of security. AF to me is an annoyance but it intrudes less into my life than it did and with help from my GP and my EP (electrophysiologist) I'm (I hope) one step ahead.
I'm a lot braver than I used to be and think you will worry much less as you get to grips with how to deal with your AF.
It's not all bad! AF has enabled me, through this Forum, to get to know a wide circle of fellow AFers who have enlightened and educated me and made life with AF much more interesting!
All the best! Lisa
Hi Scardycat, I initially had SVT, but this was difficult to diagnose, the EP did say it eventually would morph into AF which was true, the episodes of SVT were a lot more troublesome for me than AF. Both together a true nightmare, but diet and exercises helped along with getting the (evidence on my Kardia App) to help the medics diagnose what was really going on when I didn't go to Emergency. You will find this site comforting and informative but each person has different reactions and problems to deal with, and as suggested, arm yourself with a diary of episodes, how long pulse rate etc, along with the time of day eg, after dinner 7.30pm this will sometimes relieve your anxiety because you are doing something to help yourself. I also do deep breathing from stomach and diaphragm depending on shortness of breath and sometimes blow into a tube, the mental and physical strain is obvious to us here but is not so obvious to outsiders including medical practitioners. Also ask for an anticoagulant, when you go back to your EP.
i will ask about the anticoagulant.. I Thank you for this reply~ feel better Gosh I always think i am the only one, well it is awful to admit, but knowing others have the same problems does make me feel better~ isn't that just the worst to admit Thank you soooo much for your time and effort to make someone else feel better! :)))))
I had about 11 years of SVTs before having an ablation which successfully got rid of the SVTs. About 13 years later fast rate afib came along. After six months and 14 episodes of afib I had a RF ablation, which was about three weeks ago. Still on my meds… Metro and Flecainide with daily ectopics but I am told that is not unusual. Very thankful for modern medicine; 20 years ago afibers had a much tougher future ahead of them.
By the way, it is my understanding that a stroke can come as a result of any type of afib, not just fast rate afib, which is the reason everyone with a fib needs an anticoagulant.
All the best to you. Educating yourself about the ins and outs of afib will make you more comfortable with the condition.
Thank you and may I say I just saw this message I would reply asap! Thank you for the info. you sound like you know from experience all that I do not know!!! I appreciate your reply verrrrry much and I hope you are feeling muchhh better!! Merci <3
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