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]

Like Michelle said, SVT starts and stops abruptly, within one beat. There's no ramping up and down, no gradual increas or decrease.  When you drop out of SVT, your pulse may be elevated, but that's usually due to anxiety from the event.  Most prople feel the initiation as well as the termination of SVT, it's unmistakable.  DO NOT CONFUSE SVT WITH ANXIETY!  Be careful mentioning the two at the same time to your physician.You don't want to be misdiagnosed and/or mismedicated.  Measure your pulse rather than guess.  SVT will almost alwatys be 180 and higher, much higher.  I seriously doubt whether anxiety alone is capable of pulse rates exceeding 200.  AN EKG will almost always show a "normal heart", so quite often, a physician will assume you were having a panic attack or severe anxiety.  You will need to capture an event so the physician can see the SVT.  To do this you will either need a 30 day monitor, or get to an ER as soon as one starts so they can hook you up to an EKG.  If you think you're having SVT and not anxiety, you must be proactive in order to get treatment.  Write the events down, dates, time, length, what you were doing, rate, etc.  This will be of great help to the physician, and will put you on the right treatment course.  Anxiety medication dials you wayyyy back.  My wife was on it for years.  You don't want to be on something like Alprazolam (Xanax) if you don't need it.  Good luck.

[MichelleP_3811]

Don't be scared.  You will live through this just fine.  It feels more like a bigger deal than it is so release the fear.  We are here if you need to talk.

[crazycam]

Thanks you. I called my cardiologist office and told them whats going on. The Cardiologist wants me to come back in for longer monitoring. I can tell you I do get it about once a month. Sometimes more than once a month. Thank you for your response, as I am freaked out and feel like I'm dying because of this. When my heart rate goes that fast, and it wont slow down, it just scares me so much. Thank you.

[MichelleP_3811]

It sounds like svt possibly triggered by some pacs or pvcs.  In general organic svt will start and stop suddenly for what seems to be no apparent reason.  The fact that you calm your breathing down may exclude the organic (accessory pathway) kind but only a doctor can determine that for sure.  Until you are able to get this caught and recorded though you may not know for sure.  Obviously you would need to have the episodes at least once a month.  If it isn't organic svt then it could be stress tachycarcia triggered by your body reacting to the knocking sound you felt in your chest.  Essentially anxiety triggered by your palpitations.  This is common as well.  You, however, do not need to panic.  I grew up with svt and maybe because I have had episodes since I was young I never got worked up over them.  As you have experienced, they do stop.  If you can't get it to stop within a half hour or so then call an ambulance and maybe they or the ER can catch it for you but again, if it stops on its own and is normal when you get to the ER you will just be told it is anxiety.  But rest assured, your heart is an amazingly resilient muscle that can handle a lot.  Like I said, I have had episodes my whole life (in my 40s now) even some long ones until I recently had my svt ablated last Sept and my heart is still healthy as a horse so you will live a long and healthy life but keep on top of whatever is going on.  At some point if it is an accessory pathway svt it will mature enough for you to get it corrected permanantly through ablation.  But please, try to not panic, sit down when it happens and take some deep breaths or try holding your breath and bearing down as if going to the bathroom and you may be able to get it to stop that way.  Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing.