SVT or just a Panic Attack?

[crazycam]

Hello,

I am needing some help. I recently have been having these episodes where my heart will will sky rocket, it feels like its up to 200, chest feels like it will explode. These episodes last between 10-15 mintures. Now I can tell you when I feel my pulse shoot up, yes I am panicing, who wouldn't?? But I have been seen by 2 Cardiologists, one of them during my stress test, I had this happen and my pulse was 180 before I got on the treadmill. This led him to think I might have SVT. So he sent me to an electrophysiologists, he ran tests, monitored me for 30 days. However I never had one of these episodes during the monitoring period. I just had this last night. I was standing in my bathroom about to do my business, when I heard a knocking sound in my chest, from heart was tapping on my chest wall which I have not heard before, then I felt this sensitivity in my chest area and my heat began to sky rocket. It felt much like it did that time it was registered at 180, almost faster, and I was sitting down! My question, sorry for the rant. Could I have PSVT, or this is this common for panic attacks? Should my pulse go to nearly 200 during a panic attack? I find that hard to believe. Is it safe for my rate to be this high? Again it stays that high for about 10-15 minutes until my breathing finally calms it down. Thanks.

[tom_h]

SVT will start instantly from within one beat.  Sotimes it will begin as a fluttery feeling.  Once it starts it goes as the same speed.  It doesn't gradually get faster or slower.  When one begins, stop for a moment and take note of what it's doing, how it starts up.  Try not to panic.

[crazycam]

Ya, it wouldn't stop instantly. It took a few mins to slow it back down, also my rhythm was normal. Is SVT and Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome the same?? I never had any of these isses 6 months ago. It wasn't until I had this happen after trying weed for the first time. Ever since I get repeat ones every month or so. I am anxious daily though.

[MichelleP_3811]

WPW is a type of SVT but it is one you are born with so you likely would have experienced symptoms prior.  It also has a pretty distinct look on the ekg so I think one of the cardiologists would have spotted it during your treadmill test since you stated you had it then.  SVT generally presents as a normal rhythm but just really fast.  That said, it usually doesn't ramp up or down so I am not sure what your issue is.  There may be some other issue with the heart that is causing it to speed up that I am not familiar with.  Well keep an eye on it and take Toms advice and keep a diary and then go back to the doctor again to see if you can catch it at a future date.  But in the absence of shortness or breath or passing out whatever is going on is likely nothing to be too concerned about.  Our hearts are pretty resilient.  Take care.

[crazycam]

Maybe they are just panic attacks. I have spoken to others with panic disorder and they stated their pulses can go above 200 during a bad one.

[tom_h]

Anything is possible I guess.  My wife had really bad panic attacks.  When she told me her heart was racing, I'd measure it and it was always below 150.  Her definition of "racing" was a lot different than mine!  I've gotten my sinus heart rate over 200 on occasions, but it was all out, pedal to the metal, full smoke physical activity.  It is extremely difficult to reach those rates. My "resting" SVT rate in later years was around 200.  To feel that rate at normal respiration is both interesting and frightning at the same time.  It's amazingly fast, and seemingly impossible for a muscle to cycle that fast in rhythm.  So, I'm only suggesting that perhaps folks who report heart rates of 200 during a panic attack are blurring the line between anxiety and SVT.  Believe me, I had it for 54 years, and each episode of SVT was wrought with anxiety!  None of them were fun, and all I wanted was for them to end.

[crazycam]

Well I had a panic attack during a stress test. Right before I got in the treadmill, I was only standing, and my pulse had already reached 180. They nurse was shocked, but she looked at the EKG and was like "Look's good though". So I don't know. I wasn't able to check it at the time of the attack, alll I know is it felt insanely fast. I guess that's the panic though. Could be decieving how fast it really is.