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I was diagnosed a few years ago with a-fib after waking out of a sound sleep & feeling just terrible, not knowing what was wrong, & ended up in the ER & an overnight in the hospital.

Consulting with an electrophysiologist (EP) specialist & medication controlled my rate and rhythm. He said it was a progressive disorder & talked about future options.

A few more incidences happened that "pill in pocket" meds couldn't control, so I landed in the ER about once a month for the past 3 months, & was also dx with Supra Ventricular Tachycardia so another Rx was added. Some people have triggers, like caffeine or alcohol use, and some people like me, don't seem to have triggers.

Tweaking my medication continues but eventually, I think ablation (burning areas of the heart with heat, cold, or electricity!) may be the next VERY SCARY step (or learning how to live with it, which is AWFUL), but for many, ablation is certainly not a cure & will need to be done again & again, "burning" different areas of the heart, as the heart will rewire itself, until the specialist says they can't do any more for you.

Add co-morbidities like my age & obesity, and it's likely that "one & done" won't be happening. I'm working on the obesity component, but can't do anything about my age.

Does anyone have any experiences, either personally or with a family member or friend, with A-Fib or SVTs?

Thanks!

Hope

[This message edited by Hope2B at 1:46 PM, February 1st (Monday)]

I have a friend who had the ablation done, probably 20 years ago, when she was in her 50s. She's morbidly obese, and hasn't had any problems since. Hasn't had to go back and have it done again.

So, anecdotal evidence.

First and foremost understand that A-fib and SVT can be life altering and have a whole list of possible issues that go with them.

Second - Get another EP Dr to review your options. For you this is a giant ordeal, however for them, these electricians of the heart are amazingly smart, and talented people, and often an ablation, or an abalation plus a pacemaker can put an end to all of it, and then you don't have to worry about taking a daily blood thinner and all the risks that go with it as well.

When I was a baby nurse nearly 30 years ago this was a field that was really just getting going, but I have to tell you with all the Dr's I have worked with in my career these EP's are truly the brightest and the best, and use technology to their advantage in every possible way.

Please please please get a second opinion (which may be exactly like the first one) and then consider whatever they are recommending.

Keep working on the weight loss, it ain't easy, but your heart will thank you.

I had an SVT ablation done in 2008. To quote my cardiologist at the time, my rhythm was "a booger" to fix and he had to burn it 3 times before it quit firing off like crazy. I have not had any significant problems since then.

The procedure itself was not bad. It was done under sedation. I am apparently quite a comedian when I'm sedated as my cardiologist told me I was the most entertaining patient he'd ever had. I felt like I'd been kicked in the chest and that lasted several days. Didn't need anything stronger than ibuprofen for that. I was exhausted for about 2 weeks.

I hope that you have a good result and easy recovery if this ends up being what you need.

I have had two ablations. I am on no medication and feel good.

My cardiologist did tell me that after the first ablation it is not uncommon to need a second ablation. I would not hesitate to do it again if necessary.

My first ablation was in September 2014 and the second was in May 2019.

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I just have this foreboding that once I get an ablation, it'll be a slippery slope to a number of other future ablations and other issues and pacemaker etc. Of course I don't have a crystal ball but I've researched this A LOT and certainly have read a number of active forums on the internet where people share their personal experiences and suggestions for trying to deal with this in different ways.

A second opinion was a good idea and the second opinion doc agreed with the 1st specialist-- Since I want to try the medication route, do that and try to find the elusive mix that will keep my heart in rhythm and when that fails, options are an ablation or live with it. The objective is to manage, not to cure because eventually it'll show up again, sooner or later. Thank you all again!

I am in my 60's and have had SVT since I was 12 or 13. I believe it was brought on by a family loss/trauma. Mine seems to be stress triggered. When in my 20's and pregnant, I had more sessions of SVT. Once at eight months pregnant and overtired from a long trip, it started up and went on and on, so ended up in emerg where the tachicardia was brought down with IV meds. I also started on digoxin and took it for over 30 years.

I ended up with pneumonia a few years ago and that brought on a lengthy period of SVT which finally was stopped in emerg by a "cardiac version"; where the heart is stopped and restarted with drugs.

Definitely caffeine affects me and if I am stressed about something, it can trigger an episode of SVT. I am on different meds now, am retired and less stressed and have very few episodes of SVT. Ablation was suggested to me, but decided to pass on it as my attacks are fewer now.

My non-medical opinion would be to see if you can identify anything ahead of your episodes of SVT that you might identify as a potential trigger and work to reduce that trigger. A long shot maybe and perhaps totally off the mark.

A friend was telling me about her son playing football and blacking out - had the SVT ablation and 7 years later is very healthy and living life normally.

Wow, great timing here. I have been dealing with this for the last few months and it scares the hell out of me. I have started taking blood thinners and medication to slow my heart down. So far, it’s not too bad. At least I don’t have a boxer trying to fight his way out of my chest now. But, it is scary. I have worn a heart monitor 3 times now and I now know I have a sneaky heart. Every time I wear it, my heart behaves itself. I’ve ended up in the hospital but, again, the heart just works perfectly fine. If it wasn’t for my first trip to the hospital where it did happen, I would think I was going insane. It’s hard especially during COVID 19. I’ve never met my cardiologist except conversations by phone.

I will be keeping my eyes on this thread and hope to learn from it.

Thanks for opening up about this.

Thank you all for the additional replies. The literature and research will often indicate more and more ablations have to be done on precious hearts, not for eradicating a-fibs, because that seldom happens, but to try and get someone's quality of life back....that's how debilitating this condition can be, and how unsuccessful for restoring to what is considered normal again.

K8la, I have to admit that it's a whole different kettle of fish when an older person has a-fib or SVTs. We don't bounce back so well.

SorrowfulSoul, I've had that very same thing, where the ER used IV meds to stop my heart. I didn't know it at the time, and was only told the meds would make me feel awful for a few seconds, and then reset my heart. HOWEVER, I was in the "code" room, and I told them "I used to work in a hospital, I know that THAT means!" but was told it wasn't that for me, the other rooms full. I don't know if they just said that to calm me down. Afterwards, I looked up a youtube video and the meds actually STOP the heart and everyone hopes it resets itself! I've tried to determine my triggers but so far, no real luck, only a guess. Are you still on digoxin? I was told it's not so good for women of a certain age.

devastated30, I'm sorry you're dealing with this and I'm glad your medication is working. I'm likely to be on a blood thinner for the rest of my life because of this.

I take one medication for rate control, and another for rhythm control, plus the blood thinner.

I know what you mean about the boxer in your chest...for me, I liken a-fib to squirrels playing. SVTs are a different feeling though, not squirrels.

I've worn the Holter monitor and the Zio, and then the fancy schmancy updated Holter. It's Murphy's Law that your heart behaves when monitored!

You might want to consider adding an electrophysiologist (EP) to your team--even if all the appointments are not in person. EPs are cardiologists who studied further in the specialty area of the electrical and mechanical systems of the heart.

Hope

Hope2B, no longer on digoxin. Was told it was an old-time drug and there are better ones now. It does become more toxic as you get older and did have yearly digoxin levels done. I am now on Bisoprolol, which I think has probably done a better job overall.

One of my triggers was Christmas. I had more episodes of SVT in December. The stress of getting gifts purchased, wrapped, and Christmas dinner organized or if travelling to family, laundry done and packed, etc.

When I had the cardiac version done in ER, the crash cart was right there, wheeled in beside the gurney. I was told it was there "just in case". A bit unnerving, I must say!

Because I don't have A-Fib, I don't take any blood thinners, just the Bisoprolol to maintain a steady heart rate.

H2B - Adenosine is the reset drug, and it has to be given in an appropriate setting, however as an OLD ICU Cardiac nurse for over 10 years, I can tell you that every single time I have pushed, it, or seen it pushed, that the heart always keeps on going. It is basically the chemical version of turning it off and turning it back on again.

The other option is to sedate you and shock you.

Also as far as ablations go, success depends on the point of origin of the aberrancy. If it is from one spot it often is a one and done, but more often there are more than point of origin.

I received the Adenosine IV when I had my last SVT episode before my ablation. It was the longest and worst episode I ever had. After an hour and a half of my heart rate being over 150 I called my PCP. At that time I wasn’t on any meds and didn’t have a qr we qqwq w

I was at work and felt the familiar thump in my chest that always preceded the episodes. Trying to work through it. When I told my PCP what was happening she pretty much yelled at me to get off the phone and get to the ER. Here’s how well my brain was working by that point. I was planning to drive myself to the hospital. One of my nurse managers saw me and asked wtf was wrong with me because my skin was gray. She then insisted on driving me to the hospital which I thought was ridiculous but, whatever. Then I grabbed a stack of paperwork to work on while I was waiting to see the doctor.

Yeah... it didn’t work out like that at all. The triage nurse couldn’t get a blood pressure on me. When they hooked me up to the heart monitor my heart rate was in the 220’s. They started putting IVs in both arms and cut my bra off and that’s when I realized it was serious. My coworker was in the room still and I told her she could just put that stuff back on my desk because I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be getting to it.

Then the ER doc starts talking to me about the adenosine. And he says to me, “This medicine will stop your heart momentarily and hopefully it will start back...”. Now, he kept talking but all I heard was “Hopefully it will start back.”

I called “Time out” with my hands like they do in football and said “Wait a minute!” He stopped and said, “Your heart WILL start back. Hopefully it will be in the right rhythm.” I said “Well, you should lead with that and don’t give people a heart attack when you’re trying to stop one.”

HFFSC Typical Nurse. God we are bad.

That ED dr needs some lessons in speaking with patients.

I loved to push Adenosine back in the day. But I have to say more often than not it did NOT work and it rarely created a complete 6 second stop.

I once had a pt transfer into the unit due to an SVT vs VTach and he was unresponsive. The cardiologist was at the bedside and said shock him I said he isn't sedated he said he isn't responsive shock him. So I did. Poor guy converted, grabbed my wrist and said Please don't do that again. YIKES!!!!

Johns Hopkins Medicine notes major types of SVT (note the word "major" which implies there are minor types as well) -- atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supra ventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia. Then there's reentrant tachycardia stuff etc etc.

I've yet to find a local cardiologist or specialist who has this disorder. When I got Adenosine, a lot of ER staff were in my room, & my take-away is that they hadn't seen that procedure before (or frequently) so all were watching.

If I'm remembering correctly, the thing about Adenosine is that if you're having flutter, it does nothing to reset your heart, and usually the ER doc is making their best guess even with a 12-lead ECG, if you have flutter or afib or reentrant tachycardia or whatever. I had to remind them this last time that if the ER doc didn't know whether it was flutter or not, I'd rather try "chemical conversion" i.e. medication in my IV first. Sometimes a calcium channel blocker works, sometimes a beta blocker works. I discussed details of this with my specialist and was told there's NO logic to what might work reliably or consistently all the time!

Thank goodness for the staff in the ER, who often will take one look at me before I even get up to the window to register, and grab a wheelchair for me.

I've seen many, many discussions online about the triggers for afib. What might trigger it one time, won't trigger it under much the same circumstances. One fellow who had decades long history of afib and ablations and cardioversions and a pacemaker said "About trying to figure out your triggers, therein lies madness."

My sister had atrial tachycardia starting in High school. She lived with it for years. She had an ablation when they first started.(at least 25-30 years ago) She's 87 now and has been pretty darn good ever since. She never needed another procedure.