Newly Diagnosed with SVT at 27 waiting for Ablation and terrified.

[chevidaniels]

Hi All I am new here but since all my heart symptoms started I have become quiet a post stalker lol.

Since November I was suffering with a extremely raised D-Dimer, Palpitations, dizzy spells, tiredness and a pounding heart. I kept being told its anxiety and although my body was saying its something more I brushed it off.

A few weeks ago I felt clammy, sick, heart pounding and I went to A&E, kept in overnight and seen by cardiology as the heart rate of 140 was up all night and not coming down. I was tested for any infections to try find a cause and nothing found.

I have previously had a 48 hour holter which showed not much other than a few palpatations, so I just had a 5 day cardiac monitor and the results came back and the doctor said I have an Arrythmia called SVT, he said I had far too many episodes of SVT ranging from 180BPM-230 BPM over the 5 days which could not go untreated.

This all came as a shock to me as quiet honestly apart from dizziness I cant even tell my hearts going that fast, I don't get the typical SVT attack symptoms. So I asked if we can watch and wait and he said no and said if left untreated it could be dangerous. So I have been started on 1.25mg of Bisoprolol and he has said I need ablation.

I am terrified and feel sick to my stomach at the thought of ablation, I am terrified they may have got it wrong and I am having ablation for nothing and no faulty pathway will be found. After being told for so long Its stress and now to have a diagnoses I feel petrified and I am at an age where I want to start to attempt to have kids and feel like this will hold me back.

Sorry for the long post I just wanted to ask if anyone out there can shed some light on ablation and how long you need to recover and what the process is like. I also want to know if SVT can be different in certain people as I feel like I have not noticed that much myself.

Lastly is anyone on Bisoprolol , My doctor warned me of its side effects. I work in a busy job on my feet all day running around and feel exhausted as it is lol.

FYI still awaiting my echo and stress test results, this diagnoses was not from my own cardiologist but the cardio team in another hospital who I am not under.

[bobrob]

Ive had 2 ablations and am on the lowest bisoprolol dose there is. Bisoprolol makes you tired for a bit till your heart muscle health improves - which it causes.

Ablations dont hurt much [like muscle ache for a few weeks] and do work. The 3D mapping is very sophisticated stuff but they can miss a pathway or a new one can become active so a redo is possible. My second one nailed it, im cured.

[chevidaniels in reply to bobrob]

Hi Bobrob,

I am glad to hear you were cured after your second ablation, must have been a bit scary thinking will there be a third time.

I am starting my Bisoprolol today so I am really hoping my body takes it ok and behaves lol.

I do worry about things going wrong during ablation, however I guess when you are told its absolutely necessary you just have to put your faith in the surgeons and do your research make sure you are getting the best.

[Lynntaylorsmith in reply to bobrob]

Hi

My husband is currently on the waiting list for an ablation. Can you give your candid view of what happened and how you felt please? I understand everyone is different , but it would be great to hear first hand as to your experience if you wouldn’t mind. Thank you.

[Alice_Ro in reply to Lynntaylorsmith]

Hi Lynn. See my post below for my experience of my ablation last week. Let me know if you have any questions x

[Lynntaylorsmith in reply to Alice_Ro]

Thank you and I hope you are doing well. I’ll have a read and ask away now! X

[Kaz747]

I had 2 ablations for SVT - the first under sedation and the second under a general anaesthetic (which I much preferred). Unfortunately they discovered things were more complicated than they originally thought. That said both times it took about 4 hours and I had an overnight stay in hospital. I was back at work a week or so after the first one and it was a bit longer after the second.

My neighbour’s son had an ablation for SVT when he was in his mid 20s (about 5 or 6 years ago). He cruised through it and hasn’t had a drama since so I have every confidence that you will be fine.

All the best

Kaz

[chevidaniels in reply to Kaz747]

I can totally understand why anyone would prefer G/A, I don't like the idea of feeling them trigger the arrhythmia.

Wow a week off, not what I thought at all I assumed it would be more like a few weeks or more.

Thanks for your info

[Kaz747 in reply to chevidaniels]

In reality I probably should have had a couple of weeks. Next week I’m going to have ablations for atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation (pulmonary vein isolation) and my doctor said the recovery for that will be a lot longer. I’m not planning on going back to work for a couple of months.

[chevidaniels in reply to Kaz747]

I wish you all the best for your op, and take the time to relax and recover.

I had almost 4 months off work after a complicated double jaw surgery opp and honestly I never got bored of the time off work lol.

Good luck x

[Kaz747 in reply to chevidaniels]

Thanks, I had 4 1/2 months off 2 years ago when I had ankle surgery. I watched lots of tv and movies and read a lot. I was in a wheelchair for 3 months so I didn’t have a lot of choice 😀

[Alice_Ro]

Hi Chevi

Firstly, it's totally legit to be scared when you're not used to heart problems. I'm still quite new to it all too. You're not alone.

An ablation is a relatively straightforward and very low risk heart op, but I hear you, it's still a heart op, which is never exactly relaxing!

I'm in my 20s like you and had my first ablation last week. It went pretty well. To prepare I found it useful to watch videos on YouTube explaining the procedure and of people sharing their experiences. There is also one on the BHF website. Do you know what type of ablation you're having done? Mine was PVC where they try to eliminate the cells in the bottom of the heart causing extra beats. There is a specific explainer you tube video for that if that's what you're having too

My op was going to be under general, but they decided just before it would be under local anaesthetic. This was a big challenge for someone with anxiety and a history of panic attacks, but I used mindfulness techniques (and the sedatives they give you!) to get through it. Under local means you also don't have to stay in hospital, which is a real bonus as I have spent too much of my time in hospital this year!

My total time in theatre was just over 3 hours. This includes part 1: they map your heart (actually quite cool to watch on the screen, a tiny bit sore) and part 2: they burn/freeze the misbehaving cells using their new map (pretty painful at some points, but bearable and they keep giving you the option of more painkillers or stopping when you need).

I've heard of lots of people having disappointing experiences where basically they get stuck at part 1 - the heart isn't misbehaving enough at that time to reveal where the problems are coming from and so where they need to burn. My heart was pretty crappy (I've had two cardiac arrests this spring and it was in near constant bigemeny (double beating) and other crap) so this wasn't an issue for me. I guess it may mean I had more burning to be done than the typical patient too, so perhaps yours will be a shorter op with more mapping and less painful burning. I don't know, but even if it is long and sometimes painful like mine it is TOTALLY WORTH IT😁...

My extra beats have reduced so much since the op and I've even been able to come off my bisoprolil. In my case it has also probably reduced the risk of further cardiac arrests, which is literally life extending, so I am a very happy customer.

The op was last Wednesday and the pain in my heart post op (Not significant) was gone after about 3 days and the pain in my groin was gone after 5 days. Today I'm even considering working out. And ready to go back to work with more energy than I had before the op

I was on quite a high dose of bisoprilol which was making me lethargic, but I didn't have these effects when on lower doses. Hopefully for you too bisoprilil will just be a temporary measure until you have your op. When is it? Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck xxx

[chevidaniels in reply to Alice_Ro]

Hi Alice,

My gosh what you have been through sounds so scary, you must be very brave to be dealing with it all. I was absolutely petrified when the doctor was umming and saying arhhh you had so many attacks in 5 days this is bad and I was thinking omg help me.

I may have to try the mindful techniques, I think my heart will be going crazy with fear lol.

I cant believe you have been through two cardiac arrests I mean that's got to take some time to get used too, I can imagine after the first it was very scary even with a ICD fitted.

They haven't told me the type of ablation I haven't even discussed this with my cardiologist, this SVT Arrhythmia was diagnosed following a stay in another hospital and then given a 5 day cardiac monitor. I am currently waiting results from my stress echo and echo and I am quiet frightened as my stress echo was abnormal at the time of doing it, to make matters worse my cardiologist will write my diagnoses in a letter and see me 1 month after!.

I started the bisoprolol this morning and my heart is normally 130 or more and its gone down to 90, I wont speak too soon as I may start getting the side effects sooner or later lol. I suppose my dose is the lowest so I will wait and see for when I feel tired.

As for the ablation itself the doctor could not give me a time frame, he just said its a long long wait for this.

The one thing I was confused about was drugs which interfere with bisoprolol, as I was taking ibuprofen for my inflammation of ribs but now I am unsure if they clash!

Thanks for your post helped a lot.

[Alice_Ro in reply to chevidaniels]

No problem. I think ablation cases like Gmck's (below) sound the most typical if there ever is such a thing as 'typical with cardiology - I'm learning there isn't! But their experience sounds like the ones you can watch in the reaasuring videos. The hiccups are new though... Sure they weren't taking the piss Gmck ? Hehe. Seriously, hope you're feeling better again today x

With bisoprolol, I take paracetamol now rather than ibuprofen. I think this is because ibuprofen interacted with some of my other meds I can't remembet. If in doubt, you can always google then check with a pharmacist.

Hopefully 1.25mg won't have too many side effects for you. It goes up to 10mg a day. Always read the box info. I never used to bother before I had heart problems but it's now worth a look. That said, remember that the rarer side effects are often very very rare indeed. Even when you start reading side effects of hayfever medicine the rarest ones are ridiculous, so try not to let that scare you.

I'm sorry you have such a wait for the op. I hear several months is very common. I only had to wait about 6 weeks but I was higher priority case because of the cardiac arrests and the level of my ectopics. As you are on the lowest dose of bisoprolol then there is lots more they can do to look after you medically before the op if they need to.

Perhaps use some of the extra time to see if there are techniques you can learn to try and manage your anxiety. I find Andrew Johnson's apps helpful . I used a technique where you imagine relaxing different parts of your body to prepare for sleep to calm me during the op. I always tried to take myself back to one of my favourite memories, imagining what I could see, smell, taste, touch, hear. Whatever works! 😊

Good luck xx

[chevidaniels in reply to Alice_Ro]

Hi Alice,

Yes I agree I am checking any info on the box of any medicines, I no longer take my antihistamines and just deal with the allergy affects as I don't want to risk any sifde effects lol!

I am ok with the wait to be honest, I don't think I am ready for the ablation just yet as I literally started a new job last week before my diagnoses and I don't think they would be so accommodating with the time off. But for me a few months will be ok, and as you said your situation was far more urgent and Ii am sure 6 weeks felt like a life time for you.

Going to give the Andrew Johnson's apps a go, I tried a deep meditation the other night and I literally dosed off the second he said sleep and my partner said I bolted up right screaming help so I must have been in a dep meditation sleep lol.

[Gmck]

had an ablation yesterday. Went to the theatre at 12.30 and was out within 2 hours. Had to lie still afterwards for an hour and then allowed to sit up in bed for another 4 hours and was let out at 9pm as there were no complications. The procedure was straightforward, they make a small incision in the top of the leg under local anasthetic so you are awake. It was uncomfortable at times but the staff (Basildon) were excellent. The worst part was when they made you hiccup for short periods to check the heartbeat. Had some pain during the op but nothing major. Am still in a bit of pain today but nothing major, hoping to be back at work Monday but as i have a clerical job I'm working from home just in case.

Good luck

[chevidaniels in reply to Gmck]

Wow sounds to me like this is not a complicated procedure as I first thought, I really didn't want to have it but now I am thinking its for the best.

That does not sound too pleasant making you Hiccup, I hate them when I get them as it is.

I suppose a bit of pain is worth if it means you can get a regular heartbeat and not have to worry about meds.

Thanks

[Work2010]

Hi, I take Bisoprolol 1.25mg twice a day. I have Microvascular Angina (also previously known as "Cardiac Syndrome X". I am quite tired much of the time but take a lot of different medication. I cannot say that I'm specifically tired as a result of this particular one, or whether it's from some of the other drugs that I take. Anyway wish you well and hope that if you do have Ablation, all goes well.