Psvt?

[Scared98]

Hi, I am an 18 y/o female.. Over the last few months I have been suffering from some pretty bad palpitations, it started off like my heart was skipping lots of beats and going pretty fast at the same time for a couple of minutes - the end of this episode was caught on an ecg in a&e and I was told it was possible psvt..

However, I have had several extremely scary episodes where I feel my heart skip a beat and then go into an extremely fast rhythm which makes me extremely light headed, lose colour in my lips and have shortness of breath. These episodes also only last a minute or two..

I wanted to know if it is possible to have such scary symptoms from psvt or could it be something more sinister ?

I should say at this point that I have seen countless doctors/cardiologists over the past couple of months and none seem overly concerned, although I can't help but be terrified they have missed something.

[Beancounter]

Hi scared98

I completely understand why you are scared, seems strange that despite seeing so many doctors etc, they have not properly explained what your challenges are, have they offered you a "halter monitor" which is a wearable monitor to measure heart rate and rhythm over a longer period? I mean PSVT is seldom really serious, but it sure won't feel like that at the time. Have you seen an electrophsyiologist? they are the real specialists here not the cardiologists.

Be well

Ian

[pnokio]

Hello Scared98!

I think your doctors and cardiologists haven't overlooked anything. I have had skipped heartbeats (ectopic heartbeats) for 45 years, alongside the usual palpitations that at times goes on for ages - and at times they have been strong enough (the sort of tug you experience in the chest) to waken me at night. Very scary, as you say, but my heart is okay. I have been diagnosed with 1st Degree Vestibular Block, and told that I may need a pacemaker at some point. Other than that, no problems. Like you, throughout my life I've been told that ectopic heartbeats and palpitations are very common indeed. And they are - that's a fact. I would suggest, regarding your light-headedness, lips turning pale and shortness of breath, that they are due to you panicking over your symptoms - and that is very understandable. You might suggest if this could be the case (as a layman, I very much suspect that it is) when you next see your GP. Make an appointment and go and see her/him. And try not to worry - however understandable it may be, panicking isn't helpful, and, as I'm sure you'll come to see as the years go by, it's quite unnecessary really.

I hope this helps,

Best Wishes,

Patrick