SVT and Flecainide

[Kaysmay]

Hi, I'm new here. I was diagnosed with svt about 4 years ago and it just recently got worse. I'm constantly tired from the palpitations. Going up the stairs is like climbing a mountain. I went in for an ablation 3 weeks ago but the Dr said he couldn't do it and that my blood pressure kept dropping, so he had to stop. My cardiologist had me wear a holter for 24hrs and then put me on Flecainide. Now I have trouble sleeping, nausea, headaches, sob every so often. I had tremors in my arm one day and then my leg on another. My eye twitches and my chest hurts. When my heart beats fast, I start yawning non-stop for hours, I get teary eyed and exhausted. I have had to leave work early. My school nurse, I'm a teacher...got frustrated and called my cardiologist directly. Now I'm on the holter again and have a told table test in 2 days. I'm sick and tired of this and just want my life back. Please any one here with an experience like this or advice? I am frustrated.

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I sympathise, I feel the same as yourself. Sick of all the symptoms and feeling tired. Today I was put on the list for an ablation. We have to fight this horrible thing every day of our life, I try to reassure myself there are many worse off than me.

[Ninetyninepercent]

Hello, I have paroxysmal svt:AVNRT. My heart rate goes to 230 out of no where. I had an ablation that was unsuccessful because of the proxity to the sinus node. I am taking nadalol and flecainide acetate 100 mg. I feel scared most of the time. The flecainide is new for me in the past 2 weeks. I don't like taking it as it is very clear on the paperwork that it can create a new arrhythmia. I am tired all the time and I have no confidence as I worry about an episode. I feel like a phony anytime I go somewhere because I could have an episode at any moment and they are intense and frightening. I have a tradmill stress test next week to see how the flecainide is affecting me. I'm 48 but had my first episodes in my thirties, which were ignored by medical professionals because they weren't captured until 10 years later. I think that's often the case.

I haven't found an answer yet either but I plan to see someone for a second opinion because I want to know if there is anything else to get relief, besides medicine with bad side effects. I fear this is boring to the medical professionals so they don't make much of an effort to personalize a solution.

I hope you can get well, Elizabeth

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It might be hard to believe early in one's encounters with a dodgy rhythm but I think you can get on an even keel with SVT and AVNRT, though we are all different. Yes, there are some who are worse off than others, but there are some who are doing better because they've had time to adjust medication and explore and benefit from treatment.

Also when you have a condition, over the years you gain confidence when you have been able to do things without anything going wrong. You can go through a phase of thinking you may as well throw your passport away because you will never be brave enough to travel abroad and then - later - find yourself with considerably more courage.