I am 48 .I have had SVT for about 4 years now, but only just been Diagnosed about a month ago. The first few times were only for a few mins.I knew it was something wrong so saw my GP.She told me to cut down on coffee.It got much worse last sep.I was taken poorly with it at work.I was whisked away by ambulance. I was up to 240bpm It eventually went back to normal on its own but they kept me in hospital for 6 days with constant monitoring.They saw me have a run of 6 irregular beats.which worried them. I had lots of ECGs And was sent home to wait for an Ecco and anAngiogramme.I was off work for 4 months as they wernt sure what was wrong.I had a second big episode just before christmas. (after eating chilli co carne and a glass of red wine )I was given the horrible injection. It felt as tough someone had scooped up my heart gave it a good squeeze and then released it, The last time about a month ago.I had just drunk an energy drink (similar to Locozade) at work again. They tried for 2 hrs to regulate me. Then the dreaded injection!!! I told them I hated this. They had no record of me having it done !!! My notes hadnt been put together from A & E But now they Knew it was SVT. I have been taking Beta Blockers for just over a week (I feel like ive been on the red wine , slightly tiddly all the time )I take it befroe I go to bed.I tried after breakfast on the first day but felt sick all day ! Im seeing the consultant in aug to talk about the opperation. I want it gone.We were on Holy Island For our holiday I was aware I would have to be airlifted off if it happened there. i WILL KEEP YOU POSTED

hii i am amelia and i have just found out i have svt and i am 15 i started off just having chest pain and then the fast heart rate started to faint and feel light headed do u all have medication and if so wat is it and does it help i would also like 2 know if anybody has had an operation and if so has it helped or if u r thinking about it xx i would like to know if u were 2 have an svt episode wat 2 do if u were out and if you were out alone and someone found you how they would no wat was wrong or wat to do xx thank you xx

Just seen the comments about chest pain for a week after an episode. I've been really aching today and having twinges. I seem to remember it happened a few years ago and I went back and got it checked. They said it was muscular. Akin to your legs aching after dancing the night away I suppose!

Hi Linda and fellow SVT-ers I've had it for 13 years but it was only diagnosed on Monday of this week. I've just read a very interesting article on it (copy this address into address bar http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069180/ ). i didn't want to go on medication and have managed it well over this period of time. Some people can live a long and happy life without the need for intervention. The episodes for me have got progressively worse and as we finally got a trace whilst I was having an episode, the doctors have advised me to have the ablation as there is a possiblity it could "flip into something more sinister the next time it happens". Most of the time it makes no difference to my life. I can run around like an idiotic, be a full time mum and my heartrate doesn't pick up a pace. Then I can be sitting watching TV and it will just start. I've avoided the pill as it could increase the chance of episodes and have to watch how much alcohol and coffeee I drink but I still smoke which is ridiculous. If your daughter has definiately been diagnosed with SVT and not VT or any other type of heart condition then she should be fine. I used to worry that the episodes were wearing my heart out - a little like too many miles on a car - but it doesn't. If anyone has had the ablation I'd love to hear from you and I'll let you know how I can on after having it. Take care

Hi all, I am a 31 year old female and on Monday i had the surgery for SVT. I have had SVT since i was a 10 yr old but was missed diagnosed, my heart speciaslt back then said it was a heart mumer and i woul grow out of it....i had seen many speciaslt in that time and they all siad that....i went and seen a new speciaslt in nov of last year becuase i couldnt suffer with it any longer as my heart was jumping out of my chest....he didnt even have to do any tests, he new from my symptons what it was...THANKGOD....i tried 2 differnt types of medication but as i am allergic to most medicatios they didnt agree with me so my only option was to have the sugery....i did not look forward to this but however i would recomend any body who i thinking of it DO IT!!!!.....i was scared but it was the best thing....i had no pain at all during sugery, it was a wierd experince during as they strated and stoped my heart for a hour untill thy found the spot...apperntly it can take up to 7hrs to find spot so i guess i was luckly,,,,after that they done the ablaton and i felt nothing....i had no sedation at all...only local anansetic in the groin.....they had got my heart up to 260 beats at one stage...that was scary...but they were in toatl control......today being nearly a week after surgery i feel wonderful.....please feel free to contact me if anyboy wants to talk about it.....Marsha xx

Hi all, I'm 32 years old and I have just been diagnosed with svt yeasterday 10/07/08, I don't know how long my episodes last because I blackout when I have them. They began 5 years ago and I was told by the doctors that it was my weight causing it, or that I had to except the fact that I had thick and sticky blood, high blood pressure and unusual heart rhythm. I was left for 5 years at my own defenses, I was told by the doctor that it would come back with a vengence and it did. I used to work for the NHS and I have lost my job due to svt, I was told by an occupational health doctor that I was making it up and it was all in my head. My episodes can happen anytime, having a bath, doing the garden, in bed, I could even be relaxing, they are very frightening, my heart beats really fast with an abnormal heart rhythm and on a really bad episode I blackout. I can not see or think straight, I can not even get my words out. I was told yesterday by my gp that if I have a really bad episode and I blackout, there is a good chance that I would not recover. Which is a very frightening thought. I'm extremely glad my mum found this website, it's comforting to know that there are other people that suffer from svt and that there is a site like this so we all can get together and share our experiences. take care all Kelli xx

hi im 21 and have had svt since i was 13, its a horrible condition and its ruined my teen years as i have been on medicine since i was diagnosed that has prevented me from being able 2 have a drink with my friends, it can be very worrying and frightening for someone experiencing symptoms for the first time and even now i get scared evey now and then, but im having the ablation on monday to correct this anoying condition and i hope it all goes well as i hate hospitals lol im abit ov a whimp but im going to force myself in on monday morning ang have it done so i can hopefully lead a better quality of life. i shall let you all no how i get on. hope this helps

My daughter was complaining her chest hurt after cross country running at school. I didn't take much notice because I thought perhaps she had a touch of asthma and school would contact me if there was a problem but lately she got a bit more insistant and when she described it as her 'heart feels like its coming out of my chest' I was more alarmed. She went through normal channels, i.e G.P, paediatrician etc and I still thought it was just part of growing up etc. She wore a heart moniter for a week and said she didn't have any episodes so I went back to the hospital thinking they'd give her the all clear. I was shocked to hear that 'not having any episodes' hadn't precluded her heart from beating at up to 187 beats per minute...what must it be like when she has episodes? She doesn't get them very often but she said it sometimes happens in bed at night but not really bad ones then. It's scary because it's the heart and she also has a two second delay in her heartbeat at times, paediatrician doesn't have a clue what that means. What I'd like to know is, are any other SVT sufferers managing without medication? I don't like the thought of her having long term medication and wonder if it would be better to use our private health insurance to get this condition sorted out with the cathatyr and laser treatment. Anyone know if that is done under a general anaestetic? Might sound a stupid question but I know someone who had his arteries widened and he wasn't knocked out and said it was deeply unpleasant as you feel the cathatyr being shoved every inch of the way. One would hope you'd be knocked out to have part of your heart burned away...but it would be nice to know if you were. I don't like the sound of that medication given by IV at all...nasty. I can't bear to think my daughter would be lying there thinking her heart was stopping but at least I can warn her that if she has to have it it makes you feel that your heart is stopping but it isn't and not to be scared. So far her episodes have only lasted briefly and they can't be that often because she'd come to us to take her pulse. Maybe she's just got used to being arythmic. Thanks to the person talking about her pregnancy because I wondered about that too. Anyone know if this is hereditory and she would be likely to pass it on to her children? Thanks.

i was diagnosed with svt about 2 years ago. iam 22 years old and have had the ablation , THE WORST PAIN i have ever experienced . that was in november last year ,more recently i have been haveing servere chest pain ie stabbing feeling in my heart , which has\landed me in a and e twice this month . the doctors think it might have come back, which is a rsk im afraid .

I too have svt, some attacks last about 10mins others can go on for over an hour, does anyone else have really bad chest pain for a week or so after a long attack, my doctor says its normal but reading everyones comments, nobody else mentions it. Lisa