How to cure super ventricular tachycardia?

Question

My mom has gone into the hospital a few times with a racing heart and now been told that it's probably super ventricular tachycardia. She was sent home today from the hospital and told to take these blood pressure pills but she hates taking meds and belives that this condition is stress induced but I'm pretty sure it's not. She is suppose to make an appointment tomorrow morning with a cardiologist and have it set up for next week. I think she took her pill tonight but I'm not sure. How can I convinve her to keep doing so and what other precautions can I take to make sure she is ok. I told her that I went online and looked up svt and told her it can be fatal...I don't know if that was the right thing to do or not. What can I do to help right now? I just wanna make sure she's ok.

I'm so worried that something could happen over the weekend. She said she feels just fine right now but earlier today on her way to the hospital I am told her heart rate was 230. I can't even calm myself down now.

Answer 1

Calm down, SVT is one of the most common cardiac abnormalities that occurs in the electrical fibers of the heart. Although the condition can be fatal, this is very rare; with SVT the heart rate can even exceed 300 beats per minute. Since she doesn't like to take meds, a wise decision would be for her to undergo a cardiac catheter ablation to permanently destroy the area of tissue causing the electrical problem. SVT can be caused by many things, not only stress, sometimes nothing can bring it on. The best thing for her to do is lay down if she feels it start, try vagal maneuvers, (strain down as if you were having a bowel movement, dip face in ice water) and if they fail, call an ambulance for quick cardioversion to take her out of the rhythm. Usually the longer you are in a rhythm, the harder it is for it to be stopped.

Answer 2

My daughter also has SVT, hers is caused by scar tissue from her open heart surgeries. However, I have researched pediatric SVT and I doubt that your daughter's SVT would just go away. Do you know the cause of the arrhythmia? In some cases of Wolff-Parkinson-White, a genetic disorder that causes SVT, the abnormal electrical pathway corrects itself as the child gets older. My daughter was on Dig for a while, and is now on Propranolol and Flecainide to control her heart rate. I would be very scared if the doctor just stopped her meds. Has she had a 24-hour Holter since stopping the Dig? If not I would request one to make sure she's not still having episodes of SVT. I agree with what the above answerer said to watch for, just make sure she is perfusing fine and that she's not short of breath. Good luck!

Answer 3

I agree w/ Toni, the MD. I had SVT for a long time and was treated with beta blockers (bisoprolol) and over a period of years, the SVT episodes started becoming more frequent, so I finally had to have an ablation.
The cause of my SVT was called AV node re entry. I had to see an electrophysiologist to have a catheter ablation in 2005 which cured me.
Before I finally went to Springfield, Illinois to have the ablation,
I had at least 10 trips to the ER over a period of 2 yrs which were expensive and they whipped out a drug called Adenocard to slam my heart into stop for a few seconds before it re started back into a normal rythm.
I was scared of the Adenocard because it makes you feel terrible when they give it and I always worried when they stopped my heart for that few second period if it wouldnt start back up.
The electrophysiolgist who did my ablation assured me SVT is not a fatal rythm. It just makes you feel lite headed and you wonder what next.
Your mom will have to keep going to the ER if she does not take her beta blockers and eventually, they will probably stop controlling her SVT and she may have to have an ablation.
I am an RN and we see a lot of SVT, and I personally have experienced it. Just keep the appointment with the cardiologist and convince her she is not going to die. She is probably scared out of her wits right now. I know I was.
Peace and happy new year.
When she sees the cardiologist, take a copy of the 12 lead EKG with you to the appointment.

Answer 4

OK if her heart rate was 230 she has a serious condition and needs to follow her doctors orders. He is not lying to her. A heart rate that high is dangerous. When her heart beats that fast it looses its ability to effectively pump blood. Also she could go into cardiac arrest. Please talk to her and try to get her to take her meds. Exactly like the Dr. says. Can you talk to your dad or grandmother about your concerns?

Answer 5

exercise strengthens the heart muscle to more effectively pump blood throughout the body and lowers blood pressure. thus, minimizing tachycardia. simple, short walks followed by rest can help with this.