HI - I found this forum and it has been comforting to find you are not alone. My crazy heart gave me a horrible scare about 3 weeks ago and a nice trip by ambulance to the ER. I had been sick for a few days prior and up all that evening with no sleep trying to humidify a horrible cough in my bathroom. Of course the sudafed at 3am for my sinus added to the situation. AT about 7am I finally left the bathroom to go sit in my living room. I sat down started to cough alittle and WHAM my heart started to race. Well I have had this happen many times over the years and gave it no second thought. I bent over heald my breath like I always would and tried to get it back into rythm. Well it was not working - tried again - nothing. OK so nerves kick in now - I go upstairs woke my husband (who got hardly any sleep checking on me all night) and told him the deal. He sat with me and said maybe I was just too anxious and to relax. I am known for anxiety too. I said hmmmm maybe he is right - well tried to relax - nothing. Now about 10 minutes went by and my heart just wanted to jump from my chest and run on its own. We went back down stairs and I sat in the chair bent over holding my heart in my chest afraid it was gonna break loose. I said honey call 911 this is not right - NOW!!! So he did and it seemed like forever for them to get there - 7 minutes to be exact. So now my heart was running a marathon for 20 minutes. Oh and let me add that my husbands company had sold a few weeks prior and we have no insurance. SOooo my heart is racing and that call to 911 is like a register cha chinging in my head. I let that go though - this is my heart and I am scared. The ambulance got there and now I am getting very dizzy at this point. They put me on the heart monitor as my heart races at 285 beats per minute and they cannot get any BP on me at all. I was just about to pass out as the EMT was coaching me to breath in my oxygen mask. AS the other EMT guy was getting the IV to give me drugs - I hate needles!!! - he took the IV put it in my hand as I tensed up from the thought of that needle - I threw my heart back to normal. Ahhhhhh. Instantly I felt better - besides from being so wiped and coughing like a seal. I stood up to get on the gurney and almost went down from my heart running a marathon on its own. So they took me to the hospital. MY poor 7 year old son was actually sleeping on the couch that night and had woken up as they were wheeling me out looking like darth vader. HE was Ok though - we have had many trips to the hospital between all of us. MY 4 year old daughter slept through it. So hubby stayed behind to get them off to school and then meet me there. Wow was that scary!!!! So with that experience I thought back a bit - I had this happen when I was 17ish - now 34. I passed out at a job once - they said it was anxiety - could have been. Another time this happened I was still living at home also 17ish - and I woke up to this rapid heart rate and my dad rushed my to the ER and my heart returned to normal when we got there. I remember seeing a doctor back then - but I was young and never followed through and do not remember it being what I am told today. Over the years I have had lots of episodes of my heart racing, but have always been able to correct that. I just assumed it was somewhat normal and never gave it a second thought. Well I guess I just lined up the stars the night I had to visit the ER. So now I was diagnosed with PSVT. I am on a beta blocker but a very low dose. Boy does that take some time getting use to - I have my ups and downs on it. I had my Cardio visit finally on Friday - took that long to get in with him. Suggested the ablation - I cried. Can you believe I am more worried about the needles than them going in my heart - what is wrong with me? I have to wait till we have insurance though - BUMMER. I think I will opt to do it - cause the stress of the unknown haunts me. The doctor says it will happen again - when is anyones guess. But as you get older your heart can only with stand so much. I felt better knowing I would not have a heart attack from this, which is the jist I got at the hospital. So I am trying to tell myself this is so common and you know what it is. It is just nice to read about other people who think their heart is gonna explode of jump through hoops - just like I do at times - and it is very scary. I feel like I always have my hand on my neck taking my pulse checking for normal beats. I think this is the first electrical problem my husband cannot fix. Well that is my story - hope it was not too long. Nice to meet you all.
Hi and Welcome to HealingWell, ilashes!! 
First let me say, that I'm sorry that you've had to go through all of this and starting off at such a young age like that! However, I am glad that you've gotten to the bottom of it and that you've found us! 
I, myself, have never walked in your shoes, but many here have! I think that you'll hear from most of them with time, as we have some pretty wonderful people here!
I, myself, have never walked in your shoes, but many here have! I think that you'll hear from most of them with time, as we have some pretty wonderful people here! Please check out the thread here on Ablation and that might just give you a start on what some of the others here have had to go through with this~you are most definitely not alone!!
Best Wishes, Teri
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"I Hope You Dance".............LeeAnn Womack
Please allow HealingWell to continue helping others by donating:
hi ilashes,
ditto message to teri's! welcome to the forum. i'm pretty new to it too, only been on a few weeks, but i have found it so far to be invaluable. it is SO nice to have a place to talk about these things where you know you're not just wearing those around you out about it. you sound like you have a nice, supportive husband and of course that's great too. but i love to turn to this forum and ask questions, vent, give suggestions, be supportive. i've had a really hard couple of weeks of late with various problems, and i told my partner darren that my new forum was one of the only reasons i was finding myself able to stay on top of my attitude and positive feelings and HOPE. i don't have the ablation situation either, but i know there's a "thread" on just that topic.
libby
Hi ilashes,
Welcome to this site. Have you talked to an Electrophysiologist or EP for short. They are specialist that deal with the electrical side of heart function. I also suffer from svt and A-fib. I also have an ICD which is a defibrillator that shocks my heart back into proper beating. I also take an anti-arrythmic drug called Amiodarone. You stated that you are taking a lose dose beta-blocker and that is fine, but you don't say if they prescribed an anti-arrythmic. They drugs are very powerful but they work. They also take up to 3 months to "load" in your system. This means that they build up in your body.
Ablation is somewhat invasive and I guess that your cardio would suggest it without first trying the drug route.
If any of this makes sense you may want to talk to your cardio doc about being referred to an EP doc. A cardio doctor is a 'Plumber" while an EP doctor is an "Electrician". Your problem would seem to be electrical.
Good luck to you.
Steve
Welcome to this site. Have you talked to an Electrophysiologist or EP for short. They are specialist that deal with the electrical side of heart function. I also suffer from svt and A-fib. I also have an ICD which is a defibrillator that shocks my heart back into proper beating. I also take an anti-arrythmic drug called Amiodarone. You stated that you are taking a lose dose beta-blocker and that is fine, but you don't say if they prescribed an anti-arrythmic. They drugs are very powerful but they work. They also take up to 3 months to "load" in your system. This means that they build up in your body.
Ablation is somewhat invasive and I guess that your cardio would suggest it without first trying the drug route.
If any of this makes sense you may want to talk to your cardio doc about being referred to an EP doc. A cardio doctor is a 'Plumber" while an EP doctor is an "Electrician". Your problem would seem to be electrical.
Good luck to you.
Steve
I had a massive heart attack on May 4, 2003. Thru the course of diagnosis while in ER and catheterization it was determined that I had 3 arteries 100% blocked, 1 artery at 98% blocked and 1 artery at about 85% blocked. I have EJ fraction around 20 and have had numerous echo-cardiograms to monitor heart function. I lost 60% of my heart that night. I cannot do what I used to but feel great. In September of 04 I had an AICD implanted more or less to act as a saftey net for when my heart stops and have developed alot of arrythmia problems. I also have two aneurysms. One is on my ascending aorta and is distorting the aortic valve. The other is an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Both of which need to be repaired.
wow - thanks for all the advice - it is very comforting. The doctor I did see was an EP specialist - I think that is why it took forever to get in with him. I am on toprol and only 50mg. I think I would really opt to do the ablation vs. being on meds forever - I hate meds. The doctor said they do not always work. So I will see from this point - so far so good.
My best wishes to you ilashes! I hope that the Toprol works for you, it's always best to see if the least invasive way helps you first!! I see you found the other thread her re Ablation which is excellent being able to talk to others who've been there already.
Stick around with us and jump in anytime!
Hugs, Teri :)
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
Stick around with us and jump in anytime!
Hugs, Teri :)
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"I Hope You Dance".............LeeAnn Womack
Please allow HealingWell to continue helping others by donating:
I hope this goes through to ilashes. I have had the breathing problem for about a month. Got ekg, ct skan, perscribed advair, prednesone - nothing works. All blood and tests normal and clean. But can't seem to shake it. I have no idea what it is and am getting very frustrated. what medication are you on and for what? Also doctors thought it was anxiety. I also had neck and shoulder pain and when I rubbed back of shoulder it also helped a bit. Everyone thinks it's phsychological but now i'm not so sure. what do you think?
please reply
goat (stupid screen name)
please reply
goat (stupid screen name)
Teri16 said...
I, myself, have never walked in your shoes, but many here have! I think that you'll hear from most of them with time, as we have some pretty wonderful people here!
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[color=purple>
<FONT]Best Wishes, Teri [img]/community/emoticons/tongue.gif[/img]
I, myself, have never walked in your shoes, but many here have! I think that you'll hear from most of them with time, as we have some pretty wonderful people here!
<b>
[color=purple>
<FONT]Best Wishes, Teri [img]/community/emoticons/tongue.gif[/img]
My son's friend had an ablation for SVT in second grade. He laughes when he remembers it, because he thought the OR people were so silly in their goofy hats. (Maybe they were, but I bet his meds had something to do with it.) He also said "It's not so bad, they'll let you have icecream afterwards... but you have to ask for it after you don't throw up." A lot to go thru as a child, but sometimes they handle things better than we do as adults. He's had no trouble since ~ much to his parent's relief!
I hope you do well too. Enjoy the silly hats and don't forget to ask for ice cream.
Lilacs :)
Hello Lovingwife, My name is Pilar, I just read your post about your son’s friend ablation SVT, I have a son with 2 episodes of Atrial fibrillation the doctors recommend and electrophysiology study to find out what is the problem...I had send his records to 2 specialist….were know waiting for Drs. answers
If I may ask you what was your son’s friend problem? What hospital it was the ablation done?
I'm new member of this forum and been looking for people that has similar experience with kids Pilar
Hello Ilashes 
I had read your experience with your heart, let me tell you that I had very similar story...at 35 I was diagnose with a supraventricular tachycardia...the put me on medication at that time and send me to and electrophysiology’s in the Jackson Memorial Florida for an evaluation...the doctor suggested in that moment an electrophysiology study or mapping it was needed ..he explained to me the procedure and I was scare to death..
I was thinking all the time in my kids…because of them I did it… my quality of life has change …I’m always been very active person …sports and outdoor living with my family and I feel a great sensation of freedom since I had the ablation…I had no problems at all.
What I will recommend to you is to have and insurance(is very expensive procedure) and a great Dr. with vast experience in the field and go for it!!!!
If you need more info and any ???please do not hesitate to ask me
Now I’m going through similar experience with my 13 year old kid…looking for answers for him.
Pilar 
Pilar,
My son's friend went to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Don't know what caused the area of his heart to misfire - but they located it and took care of it.
Good luck to you and your family.
Hello Lovingwife, do you know if they did and electrophsioly evaluation or ablation on him? and at what age?
thanks for your answer
Pilar
Hi -
I'm sorry I don't have details. He was 8 yrs. old. The mom doesn't recall the name of the tests they did, just that the pediatric cardiologist did some tests and then the interventional cardiologist did the ablation.
My own son, now 16, has heart problems (aortic stenosis- requiring a valvoplasty) so I do know how frightening it can be when your child has heart problems. Hang in there. What I liked about the children's hospital is that they met as a team to review the case before making a treatment decision. That way we had 5 or 6 smart brains deciding the best action, rather than one smart brain. I don't know how other hospitals work, but this was a comfort to me. You can always request multiple opinions to feel more confident about your child's care/treatment.
Best wishes - Hang in there.
L.W.
A success story:
When I was 28 years old I was diagnosed with CHD among a host of other things…
I was told I would not live to see 30. Anyway as it would be on January first 1999 I fell to the floor and was rushed to the hospital where they found I had five arteries blocked between 97% and 100%... I had the surgery and went back to work within ten days, how’s that for denial? I did not have a heart attack. They were able to do angioplasty and stint me. I am now 39 years old and thought I would share a brief summary of my disease(s)… Another episode happened when I went to emergency with angina in 2001 I took a nuclear stress test (one of many) I passed with a 92% blockage in my right main, another angioplasty another stint. Yes I did have to practically beg for a cardiac cath. On last Friday I found out I have a year in my left artery and the valve is in need of replacement not the typical heart murmur. If you would like to know more feel free to ask… so there is hope for all … BTW I have not the genes that break down the LDL and a lupus anticoagulant which is complicate by nice tacky platelets in the artery walls and that’s just my heart. So hang in there!!!
When I was 28 years old I was diagnosed with CHD among a host of other things…
I was told I would not live to see 30. Anyway as it would be on January first 1999 I fell to the floor and was rushed to the hospital where they found I had five arteries blocked between 97% and 100%... I had the surgery and went back to work within ten days, how’s that for denial? I did not have a heart attack. They were able to do angioplasty and stint me. I am now 39 years old and thought I would share a brief summary of my disease(s)… Another episode happened when I went to emergency with angina in 2001 I took a nuclear stress test (one of many) I passed with a 92% blockage in my right main, another angioplasty another stint. Yes I did have to practically beg for a cardiac cath. On last Friday I found out I have a year in my left artery and the valve is in need of replacement not the typical heart murmur. If you would like to know more feel free to ask… so there is hope for all … BTW I have not the genes that break down the LDL and a lupus anticoagulant which is complicate by nice tacky platelets in the artery walls and that’s just my heart. So hang in there!!!