SVT

Has anyone had any luck with a natural treatment for SVT? Herbal supplements, dietary changes, anything like that? I've been getting episodes more frequently the last few months. My doc mentioned meds but it's not dangerous and doesn't bother me enough to go down that road yet, he didn't push it. Aside from the annoying feeling, the biggest problem is it keeps me from getting a good workout. I can still work out, but I can't push hard and work up a good sweat anymore because my hr gets too high too quickly, so I'm getting a heck of a cardiac workout with minimal exertion- not a good way to tone or burn calories!

I'm going to cut out coffee and see if that helps. I haven't had regular coffee in twenty years because it sends my hr into the stratosphere so I want to see if the trace amount of caffeine in my decaf is the culprit. And chocolate. (big, unhappy sigh) gonna cut that out for a while too. I got salmon oil supplements. Any other ideas?

9 Comments

Workouts

by ElectricFrank - 2008-12-11 01:12:58

Can you just lower the level of the workout, but extend the length? That might give you the exercise you want and avoid the SVT.

Does your HR suddenly jump to the high rate or is it just a smooth increase only faster than you are used to?

Sounds like you are going at it the right way. It sure pays to avoid the meds unless you really need them.

frank

p.s.

by Tracey_E - 2008-12-11 05:12:04

the svt episodes are between 180 and 200 bpm, so they're not off the charts but they're over my upper limit. He didn't say how many there were since my last check, but it's more than a few a day, all short.

sudden

by Tracey_E - 2008-12-11 05:12:17

It's really sudden. I can go from 80's (my resting rate) to 160+ in under a minute. I'll be up there before I'm even done my warm up. It's always increased very quickly, part of being born with CHB and not having the pm for so many years, I guess, but it's never gone this high. My upper limit was 140 until last spring and I rarely bumped it. They've got me at 170 now, the most the pm will do is 180 so we really don't want to go any higher.

I've already lowered the level of my workout considerably, I can't do a fraction of what I could do six months ago. I used to do the elliptical between levels 4 and 7 (1 minute going all out on 6 or 7, two minutes at about 75% exertion on 4, keep it up for 35-40 min). Now I stay on 2 or 3, anything higher than that gets my hr over 170 and makes me dizzy, and by 20-25 minutes I'm pretty tired rather than energized.

that darn SVT will get you every time

by Angelie - 2008-12-11 09:12:13

Tracey,
I'm sorry that you're having a rough time with this. I've battled it for years, and mine seems like it's coming back as well despite the pacemaker and Toprol XL.
I haven't heard or tried anything herbal or over the counter that's a remedy.
Oh, one thing! Have you tried the valsa manuever? Another thing that works for some people is submersing your head in cold water. Not very convenient, or classy, but hey.....it does get results when you're at your wits end with it.
Many times my heart rate would be easily 180 just simply lying on the couch relaxing.
Of course, my middle name is Murphy's Law and nothing works for me.
I pray that your ticker calms down soon. You know though, that Toprol XL is really not all that bad if it does come down to meds. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
My thoughts are with ya, honey.
Angelie

decaf

by Tracey_E - 2008-12-11 09:12:15

I don't know if we're more susceptible or not but I try to avoid anything that affects my heart. I gave up caffeine when I was in college, before I got my first pm. I stayed up all night cramming for a bio exam and chugging coffee. I passed the exam but had a really bad reaction and felt awful for two days so I haven't had the real stuff (on purpose, at least) since then. I limit myself to two cups of decaf a day, and I like a squirt of hershey's in it instead of sugar. It takes 5 chocolate bars to get the same caffeine as one cup of regular coffee, so chocolate is really very minimal caffeine. Decaf has 4 or 5 mg of caffeine, way less than the 60-70 mg in a regular cup but still a trace amount. I dont' get much, but I'm going to see how I do without any for a few days.

I try really hard to keep in shape! I figure I was born with enough problems with my heart, it would be the height of stupidity to add problems that can be prevented.

valsa maneuver

by Tracey_E - 2008-12-11 10:12:19

What's the valsa maneuver?

I actually spelled it wrong, sorry.

by Angelie - 2008-12-11 10:12:34

You can Google it I'm sure. It would help if I spelled it correctly.
It's called the Valsava Manuever. I've copied and pasted some of the info here, sweetie.

Cardiology
The Valsalva maneuver may be used to arrest episodes of supraventricular tachycardia.[8][9] The maneuver can sometimes be used to diagnose heart abnormalities, especially when used in conjunction with echocardiogram.[10] For example, the Valsalva maneuver classically increases the intensity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy murmurs, viz. those of dynamic subvalvular left ventricular outflow obstruction; whereas it decreases the intensity of all other murmurs, including aortic stenosis and atrial septal defect.

The Valsalva maneuver is performed by forcibly exhaling against a closed airway. Variations of the maneuver can be used either in medicine, as a test of cardiac function and autonomic nervous control of the heart or to ‘clear’ the ears and sinuses (equalize pressure) when ambient pressure changes, as in diving or aviation.

Try it, it might work for you. I hope so. It doesn't work for me though. This manuever does the opposite. It slows my pulse for a few seconds and then it races, and pounds harder afterwards. I'm telling ya....Murphy's Law.



Caffeine

by ElectricFrank - 2008-12-11 11:12:43

The caffeine thing is pretty much genetic. I'm just the opposite from most people. I drink regular coffee all the time. What really drives my friends up the wall is that I can have a cup or two or .. before going to bed and I still am out in a short time. The only problem with too much is having to make bathroom runs during the night, but even then back to bed and asleep.

I once had a doctor who challenged me to stop drinking caffeine for several days and was sure I would have withdrawal symptoms like headaches. So I quit for 3 weeks and never noticed it.

My wife was just the opposite. A can of Dr Pepper even several hours before bed time and she couldn't sleep, which is more common.

Where I have problems is with prescription pain killers like the stuff they inject in the hospital. The shots just leave me with the same amount of pain, and confused.

frank

Have you tried

by DC Pacer - 2009-06-14 12:06:14

magnesium supplements? I take 500mg a day, as well as a diet with foods high in magnesium (sunflower seeds and raw leaf spinach) and it seems to help moderate my episodes.

Good luck, I have been fighting with SVT for several years now. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but it gets old.

Valsalva doesn't seem to work with me. I get my episodes at the end of the day, most commonly.

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

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