Psvt

I had that happen a couple weeks ago right before my yearly review at work. I recognized it as an anxiety attack and did some deep breathing exercises and it calmed down. I've never had an anxiety attack before, my heart was pounding out of my chest.

I would definately follow up with cardiology, they will put you through some pretty easy tests to check on you and see if there is something to be concerned about.

Did something trigger this, such as exercise? I've been diagnosed with a tachychardia as well. I generally have short episodes of my heart racing once a month or so and it only lasts a minute or less. It starts with a kind of jumping sensation in my chest, and stops just as suddenly. However, there was one time where my heart was racing at over 200 beats per minute for at least an hour (brought on by intense exercise) - I went to the ER. (That's what got the diagnosis for me in the first place.) Anyway, long story short, I've never been put on meds or needed any treatment. So, maybe you'll get the same verdict. Hopefully, this will be a one-time thing for you and you won't need any "serious" treatment! Good luck!

Hi B.,
That sounds really fast (230) so good to get checked out, but I am just wondering if you have ever had panick attacks before? I went through a phase of having them years ago, before I had ever heard of them and didn't know what was wrong with me. My heart would race really fast (but not sure exactly how fast) and I would get light headed, sometimes my arms would tingle, it felt very scary. I noticed that alcohol and coffee could trigger them so if I was having a stressful day I would avoid those two things. Then one day I read about anxiety and panick attacks in a magazine and when to my doctor again and got some xanax, which I think I only eneded up needing to take once. Just knowing what was happening to me (anxiety) and having those backup pills in my purse for a couple of years helped me be able to controll them on my own. Good luck! ~Celena

B.,
I have PSVT, or shoudl I say had. I've had it since I was a preteen and after I turned 21, it had only happened when I was pregnant (you are at a greater risk then). It's really hard to diagnose unless it happens when you are at the doctor or go immediately to the ER. Did your doc get it on an EKG? It finally happened to me again in October and my husband called 911. I was referred to an electrophysiologist and ended up having a catheter ablation done to eliminate the extra pathway causing the tachycardia. No epsiodes since! It's not a life threatening condition but when you have small children it can be dangerous. You should never drive when it's happening, you could pass out. In the past, I've gotten sick to my stomach, extremely dizzy, and blacked out (I still knew what was happening, but I couldn't see). It is very scary! When it comes on, they say you can try to stop it my bearing down really hard, sometimes that is enough to slow it down. Most of the time for me, it did not work. I was told as you get older it can be more frequent. Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the procedure or anything and good luck!

I would definitely get that checked out further. Not trying to scare, but my son's aunt...who is only 20 yr old, recently had this happen. They had to do the same exact thing. At first she thought she was having some kind of panic/anxiety induced attack...it wasn't. It was her heart. She recently underwent surgery (which I heard isn't really necessary, but she would have to take should she choose not to opt for daily pills her whole life) where they would go in and cauterize something to help with her heart beating the right way. It was quite the experience. That surgery didn't go as planned, so she is planning on having another one. I would look into this further just to be on the safe side. Hope this helps!

I think you mean PSVT. I had SVT and it reoccurred frequently (almost daily). It doesn't always though, but the fact that your HR was so high is probably an indicator that either it will happen again, or that it is serious enough that dr won't want to take any chances. The two treatment options are medication or catheter ablation. Meds did nothing for me, so I had the catheter ablation. That was 15 years ago and I have not had another since.
In the meantime, avoid all caffeine, and alcohol. If an attack comes on, their are things you can do to get your heart back to normal. For me, it was a loud noise that made me jump a bit. You could learn vegal maneuvers.

After reading some of the other responses, I want to help clear something up. First of all, SVT and panic attacks are not related at all. Your heart has a specific plan in the electrical system about which part will be in charge and what instructions it will give to the rest of the heart. There is a detailed plan that if the main pacemaker isn't working properly, the next will pick up the job, and so on. Your heart has a terrorist piece. It takes over the whole job, stealing it from the normal pacemakers and does whatever it wants. It is like a short circuit in the electrical system. Maneuvers or meds can make that part give up control, or you may need to destroy it. A catheter ablation is the "surgery" mentioned, but is not really a surgery at all. They call it a procedure. The put a tube into the arteries in your groin and neck and they zap the place causing problems destroying the part that keeps taking over. It is not a big deal and only requires an overnight stay. They don't always find the part causing the problems because it looks the same as the rest of your heart. They have to test spots and spend time looking for it. If someone continues to have issues after the ablation, then they would go in and look for the spot again. The only issue I had with mine was that it is hard to walk for a few days while the arteries heal shut again. You have to lay in bed with sandbags on the spots for a while without moving a muscle for a few hours afterward. It was such a small deal that I would opt for the surgery again in a heartbeat (no pun intended) before I'd take a pill every day for the rest of my life! It was about the equivalent of getting my wisdom teeth pulled, but less pain. The cost of the ablation after insurance is probably less than the med copay for the rest of your life.

I have a friend with Celiac Disease/Gluten intolerance, and this is one of her symptoms. I think she is self-diagnosed, but she is very wise and careful. It may be worth looking into.
Hope you get answers and get well!

T.
www.thislittlemommystayedhome.com

There could be many causes, one of which is stress. It sounds as though you've had a few major life events recently. Take a deep breath and breathe. Seeing the cardiologist is the most important thing you can do for yourself right now. Do not postpone any tests or treatments that are recommended. After the test results come back, ask lots of questions, get a second opinion, ask more questions. Then follow thru with the treatments indicated. It's a very scary time right now, but you want and need to be around for about another 60 years for your kids, so take good care of yourself so you can care for them.

Get well soon!!!

Hey B.,
Well I have had this happen to me a couple of times. I am also currently on Metoperal but now I only take it when my heart starts acting out. But I did go and see a cardiologist and they said that I have a PVC (an extra heart beat) that there is nothing that they can do for that and that there are millions of people living with the same condition. It is VERY annoying but the thing is that it is not any type of warning sign it is usually caused by STRESS and with 3 kiddos and a hubby. I did have stress that I did not even know about and it does sound like you have a lot on your plate right now. So much easier said than done but take it easy get in the slow lane and let things ride themselves out you can not control everything sometimes us as MOMs think we have everything under control but we can not control everything!!! Wish you luck I think everything will be fine you just have to relax!
Good luck,
Mother of 3