Superventicular Tachycardia attack

[MoBeee]

Last Saturday my pulse started going up and ended up on 208 bpm consistently . I believe if was heat related. Ambulance finally turned up about 2 and half hours and after diagnosis they decided to take me to hospital on blue light flashing, was promptly seen by a doctor who first tried physical correction ( balsanova technique) but then resorted to Adenosine medication which brought it down . Has anyone had this and how do you manage it long term or there a long term cure medically or surgically? It was a very frightening experience as my heart going at over 200 for nearly 4 hours.

[Tos92]

Hi MoBeee

I’m sorry to hear about your SVT attack.

The heat can cause a racing heart because it makes the heart work faster in order to keep you cool.

Did A&E refer you to have any further appointments or investigations carried out?

The BHF has the following advice on how to keep you heart safe during hot weather. There are some good tips in the link below so I hope you will check it out.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

All the best.

Tos

[MoBeee in reply to Tos92]

Thanks, I have been referred to a cardiologist and the great She has incarnated me in the darkest room , not allowed to leave till sun goes down. And then accompanied with an escort. But to be at that level and not coming down was a horrifying experience. Its not the bpm going but when it got stuck at over 200 ,; frightening. Thank God for the smart watch.

[Fazerboy in reply to MoBeee]

Hi, I had svt. My hr would instantly jump from say 90 to 140 (or higher at times) then later drop instantly. I found by chance that lying on my back and relaxing (not always easy depending on where you are) would reset it.

Mine triggered by stress (adrenaline rush) or even by bending down.

I eventually had an ablation and its been ok since.

[Easternmost]

sorry to hear that you suffered an episode. I have on three occasions had a heartrate of 240bpm for 4+ hours and fully appreciate how frightening this is. Mine is caused by atrial flutter (rogue electrical pathway) and and ablation cured it for 2 years - now my heart has formed a new one and back on Bisoprolol to rate control which is working at the moment. Keep hydrated in the warm weather. I wish you well.

[MikeThePike in reply to Easternmost]

Always makes me sad to read this. Why is there always risk of recurrence with ablation? EPs really need to learn much more about the way our hearts work.

[Easternmost in reply to MikeThePike]

I’m certainly grateful for the 2 trouble free years that I had, but it is in other respects daunting to be back where I was pre ablation. I am 55 and do worry about the future.

[Hana2106]

Hi MoBeee,

Your experience sounds terrifying - it can feel like you've run a marathon after an attack like that, and it takes a few days of rest to recover.

I also have SVT with rates of up to 240bpm. I had them since I was about 10, and they suddenly stopped at the age of 22. Then in 2021 after my covid jabs, they started up again and I had two pretty bad attacks. My cardiologist finally diagnosed me with SVT (previous doctors have always said its anxiety), and I take 10mg propananol on some days if I feel my heart is jumping around trying to start up into a fast rhythm. I find blowing hard into your thumb several times (straining), and an ice cold sip of water can actually help reset your heart. I have declined the offer of an ablation as the cardiologist went through all the risks and I was too scared.

Sending you best wishes,

Hannah x

[daisy2311]

I have had a number of events just like you with SVT. It was controlled by meds up until this time last year. As I have now had more regular events, I had an ablation on Monday which should hopefully resolve things. I totally understand how terrifying these events are as I have been there many times. What I would say is if there is a next time do not wait so long to get to hospital. Ambulances are notoriously unreliable these days so if you have someone who can drive you it may be quicker (I wouldn't suggest driving yourself). I have walked into A & E with these symptoms on many occasions and have always been taken straight in for triage. At the same time, be reassured that SVT is common and very treatable.

[MoBeee in reply to daisy2311]

Thanks for the reassurance, the doctor was really helpful and said next time just walk in and mention svt to the front desk and you'll be seen immediately. What exactly is an ablation and how long does it take?

[daisy2311 in reply to MoBeee]

An ablation is undertaken in a cath lab usually under sedation. The cardiologist feeds wires up to your heart through a vein to try and get the heart into SVT. They are then able to map the area of the heart it is coming from and use ablation to create scar tissue to prevent the heart's electrics as it were from travelling across this area and causing the problem. There is information on the BHF website which will explain it far better than me. However, try not to get ahead of yourself and worry about procedures. Once you see the cardiologist, you will have a much clearer picture of what is going on for you and what should be done. To give some perspective, I had my first event in 2011 and have only had ablation now as my events have become more regular and starting to impact my life (I was away on a work trip when I last had to attend A & E in April, which was not ideal).

[MoBeee in reply to daisy2311]

Thank you so much, its just I had the angiogram, mri, ecg and cat last time bug showed no artery blockage or cholesterol issues; bp even last event was fine.