None Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia (NSVT's)

[Graham194]

Hi.

I've been an Afib (PAF) sufferer for about 15 years. Finally had an ablation done last November. Other than a few 'blip's in the first 4 months it's been fine. More recently I have been suffering from exercise induced NSVT's (I think - yet to be confirmed with Holter monitor at GP's). I do a lot of cycling and this morning on a 28mile ride and there didn't seem a couple of minutes where there wasn't a spike in my heart rate. Without actually seeing my heart rate in front of me I probably wouldn't have known it was spiking (no chest pain or breathlessness). Just wondering if anyone else on here suffers with NSVT's when exercising.

Does anyone know if it's safe to exercise with NSVT's.

I've attached a photo of the heart rate graph. This covers the 1 hour 55 minute ride.

Thanks for reading!

[manabouttown]

I don't know how frequently or to what intensity you exercise but you may be overexercising given your condition. Best of luck

[Graham194 in reply to manabouttown]

Thanks for your reply. Members of my family have been telling me I've been doing too much. I've posted a more detailed reply to Thecyclist.

[Thecyclist]

Yes, I ended up in hospital after some NSVT whilst on my bike, my HR spiked to 180 from 120 in seconds and straight back down again three or four times. I haven't cycled since though and am now on 7.5mg Bisoprolol, so HR doesn't go above 100 when exercising anyway. Captured one on a holter subsequently but none since. Had at least three 7 day tapes done now, with multiple PVC's inc couplets, triplets but no NSVT.

I am finally getting an appointment with an EP next week to try and find out more, its taken two years. They did find undiagnosed hypertension though. Previously suffered palpitations.

No structural heart issues found though, echo was fine.

Like you no chest pain, or breathlessness, just my Garmin going bonkers. Scared the life out of me.

There is a great book called The Haywire Heart by Chris Case, a former cyclist, he was diagnosed with Tachycardia and arrhythmia, he stopped normal cycling as well and now has an e bike. It's an enlightening read for hearty cyclists.

Sorry its not much help, but I'd get it looked into and take your time on the bike. I'd taken cycling back up in middle age and thought I was invincible doing 100k rides with lots of climbing, going to Mallorca and doing the Puig etc but doctor said I may have been doing more harm than good. Everything in moderation as they say!

[Graham194 in reply to Thecyclist]

Hi,

Thanks very much for your reply.

It seems I did the exact opposite to you on your NSVT. After the first spike happened about a quarter of a mile into my ride I went on to do another 27 miles. As you can see by the Garmin graph I attached my heart was spiking every couple of minutes. I'm suffering a bit today but only with being physically tired and a bit of nausea.

I phoned up my heart consultant's secretary after the ride to see if he could throw some light on what was happening to me by the way of a phone call. No luck on that. I had to e-mail him and he's 2 weeks behind on his e-mails. It will be a while before I hear from him.

After that I phoned my GP who luckily offered me a 24 hour ecg monitor in about a weeks time. I aim to go out on the bike that day and hopefully catch a recording of the spikes.

From what I've read about NSVT's I'm pretty certain that the spikes are caused by them. He advised me to stay off the bike till then.

Glad you were able to control yours with Bisoprolol. I just can't get on with any of that medication. I used to take flecainide as pill in the pocket before the ablation.

I'll have a look at the book you recommend. Sounds like you were a more active cyclist than I am. I would certainly miss it if I had to give it up permanently.

I am still down for another ablation after I had a few blips of AF beyond the 'blanking period' of the original one. I understand that this can stop the NSVT's. I asked the consultant if this was right in my e-mail.

Best of luck with your EP next week. Hope that your are able to get back on the bike soon!

Graham.

[Bennera513]

Hi,...don't have experience with NSVT, but right there with you on the cycling bug! First Cryo-ablation scheduled for Oct 6. Have suffered with PAC's and PVC's for years and lately, Paroxysmal afib on several attempted bike rides. Last one started 1 mile out when climbing an easy grade with HR at 90bpm. It shot to 130 and I knew something was up but felt fine. Stopped to take mobile EKG....iWatch confirmed afib, but as soon as breathing recovered, the afib went away but had ectopics the rest of the day. Same thing happened on return to car. Elected to walk the final 100 feet as it was uphill, but even that kicked off round two, which also went away as soon as I sat down and rested. So, only light Zwift for me for now, despite the fact my 15 year old Son has become keen on riding mountain bikes. Ah, the timing! Hope you get it sorted, and if you get a second ablation, that it's successful.

[Graham194 in reply to Bennera513]

Hi,Best of luck with your ablation next month. I must say that mine went really well other than a few short sessions of AF towards the end of the 'blanking' period. Since then it's stayed away (touch wood) - just these spikes of NSVT when I'm out on the bike. I have read that they are armless but they certainly don't feel like it the following couple of days of having them.

My worst experience with AF on the bike was when I was out with my local cycling club one Saturday. I noticed things weren't right before the cafe stop (in and out of AF. After the stop I was in complete AF and it was a nasty bout. We were about 25 miles away from home at that moment. I told the ride leader I would make my own way back. Luckily I had my trusty Garmin to show me the way home. Trouble is you can't programme satnav's to avoid hills and there were some big ones in between there and home. I really don't know how I did it but I made it. I had to push the bike up parts of the climbs (hard on the cleats!). I suffered for about a week after that. This must have added a bit to the size of my left atrium which is 'dilated'. I subsequently learned from a paramedic that it was rather a stupid thing to do.

Good luck to your son with his mountain biking.

G.

My ablation was at St.Thomas's in London by the way.