Hi all
In October I was taken straight to hospital by my GP with a heart rate of 160bpm. I am fine now but I am very aware of my heartbeat now. I go out shopping and I am not afraid but at night I sometimes find myself thinking is this it just a lifetime of medication? I had an echocardiogram and it was completely normal so my Consultant said this is an innocent condition but I am now on Verapamil 80mg one tablet 3 times daily
My daughter has SVT, she had her first episode on her 7th birthday. She's now 35, gets fairly regular episodes which she can stop using one of the vagus nerve methods (google vagal maneuvers). Her HR can be 220 bpm but she doesn't take any medication and lives an extremely active life working as an anaesthetist and accompanying groups on challenging hikes and climbs as the expedition medic. She keeps her self super fit. I'd try not to worry too much but if your episodes become frequent and difficult to stop an ablation should sort you out.
Wow thank you for sharing your daughter’s experience. I work in the Cardiology department as a secretary typing up about heart conditions and plenty of exercise and healthy eating and no coffee which I am finding extremely difficult (my boyfriend told me I am a nasty cow without coffee) haha
Me too My first SVT was September with a heart beat of 210bpm Now on Verapamil 80mg plus Vastartin for blood pressure and a Statin Echocardiogram was normal I am 63. I am accepting the fact I'll probably be on meds for the rest of my life but if that stops further episodes of SVT it will be worth it, only other option as I understand it is ablation. I am trying to keep active - walking mainly, eating healthily, cutting alcohol and caffeine. I too am conscious of my heartbeat I wear a smartwatch to monitor it but I try not to worry or stop doing things I want to do. My mindset is to manage my condition not to let my condition manage me Good luck with everything xx
Hi I don’t have AF, but I do have SVT and accompanying ectopics (heart palpitations). I saw a cardiologist and had echo, 24 hour holter, full heart mri and follow up consultation, all within 6 months. Im lucky to be in Ireland with private healthcare. Initially they thought it might be AF but the holter showed it was SVT and the MRI showed it was electrical and not physical heart disease (phew!). Both conditions are managed by Dronedarone Multaq (can only be prescribed by a cardiologist) and bisoprolol 2.5. In 10 months no further instances of SVT but I still occasionally get the ectopics. My triggers are alcohol, caffeine, intense exercise, stress and eating too much / too late.
I gave up all alcohol and now drink 0-0 versions. I gave up all forms of caffeine and I have the occasional cup of decaf but mainly I drink berry tea and have 2 to 2.5 litres of water every day. I stopped high intensity exercise and now do power walking steady state exercise. I practise meditation and philosophy and finally I have cut back on food and we eat much earlier and only go to bed 3-4 hours after last eating. In the last 2 years I have lost and kept off 2.5 stone. I also cut out most heavily processed foods. I also get 8.5 hours sleep every night.
I 100% know how scary it is to know that something is not quite right with your heart and for it to race up to 160bpm and the palpitations. Next to breathing, your heart is the surest sign that ‘we are alive’. All of the above has MASSIVELY helped me and in particular de-stressing and practicing meditation.
Be good to your mind and body and see this as a positive sign that you have had a warning and can make changes, rather than a major event in 5-10 years that is life-changing. Be selfish and prioritise yourself. Crack in a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise every week. That’s only 5 x 30 mins of fast paced walking.
Genuinely I am healthier now (particularly mentally) than I have probably ever been.
Hope this helps
Jezza
I’m also a big fan of wearable health tech. I wear an Apple Watch and use an app called Qaly to read my ecg’s. The Calm app is superb for meditation. I check my blood pressure weekly with a home BP machine. Sit for 10 minutes relaxed and take it 3 times with 3 minutes in between each reading. If you do it frequently you will desensitise your mind to the ‘panic’ when the machine starts and the cuff tightens.
Thank you for your kind words. I wouldn't get any work done if I wore an Apple watch watching it too much!
Hi just wanted to say this is the most positive reply and exactly what I need to hear today.
I have tachycardia with a & v ectopics - still investigating why, first put down to POTS but Holter monitor indicated not. HR is regularly over 160 - like every day. I have lupus, my lupus docs won't let me take beta blockers worried its due to inflammation as it went away when I was on high dose steroids - but 23 month wait for cardiology!!
My GP tells me to keep exercising but between the joint pain/fevers/fatigue from lupus and the crazy HR it scares me. Several members of my family died suddenly from CVD and I worry this will be me.
However this has been going on for nearly two years and I'm still going, so I take comfort in the fact although walking up a slight slope or talking AND walking can trigger my HR to go from 70 - 150, it goes back to normal and I'm alive!
I used to be fit - I could run 5km every day 4 years ago, I dream of getting back there.
I use a FitBit and it alerts me to anything over 128 (this is my max before I feel weird), if I stop and recover I can then carry on. I've found this very helpful.
Wishing all the best x
What a lovely reply, thank you.
I find the steady state walking (medium pace or power) leaves me feeling so much better. If you have family history of cvd then sensible exercise is good along with better diet and definitely water - 2.5 litres a day!
The biggest thing is anxiety and stress - it can quite literally kill you. Make the time to meditate, the calm app has been great for me and a yearly subscription I think worked out to about a fiver per month. I have also put another post up about how I use a Shakti acupressure mat to aid with the meditation and that is soooooo good!
Best wishes
Jezza
I started with SVT in 1974, when I was pregnant with my 2nd child. I was put on drugs, but still got episodes of it. I found the best way to stop it quickly, was to lie on the floor on my back and put my feet up against a wall and it stopped very quickly, not convenient on the middle of the High Street though.!!! I then developed AFib as well in2014. I had an ablation in September last year and they ablated for both the SVT and the AFib. I could have had an ablation for the SVT when I was in my 30’s and had private insurance through my husbands job, but it was very new then and I was too scared to have it. Apparently, an ablation for SVT is extremely successful. Maybe it’s worth considering.
Thank you for your advice but I don't have any symptoms and didn't have any at the time I will wait and see what happens regarding ablation I work with the consultants at the hospital and they would never make a referral for asymptomatic patients
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