What do you know about SVT

[frugal-one]

Supraventricular tachycardia

The doctor insists that a beta blocker be prescribed. The side effects and and being able to get off it without being "weaned" off it are a put off.

Anybody have this and what do you do?

Thanks!

[CathyA]

What dosage does he want you on? Which beta blocker?

[frugal-one]

I want to know other options. I will not take a beta blocker so it is a moot point.

[CathyA]

Well, all I can say is that I fought being on it (Toprol XL) for a long time (for BP and an hyper sympathetic system). I finally agreed to taking it when I found out that my heart was enlarging to deal with the higher BP, and it did great things for me.

Eventually, though, it made me sort of flaky.......I was listless and couldn't think straight, so I went off it (slowly). Then I started feeling bad again and went back on it, but at a very small dose. It has worked great. I think many times, the "normal" dosage for people is too much for some people.
Also....if one beta blocker gives you side-effects, another one might not.

I have accepted that I will probably be on this small dose of it forever. It does sooooo much good for me. Yes, if I ever stopped it, I would have to do it slowly.....but that's the case with lots of meds.
I suppose you could have some sort of ablation.......but I don't know much about that.

Do you feel really awful when you go into SVT?
Speaking as someone who fought going on this for a long time, I have to say give it a try, and start out really low on the dosage. I don't have any side effects at this low dose.
Good luck frugal-one. I know its a real dilemma, trying to deal with physical problems without using meds. Maybe you could research acupuncture??
Its really a conduction pathway problem I think. Probably avoid caffeine is important. keep me posted on what you choose to do.

[CathyA]

P.S. Has the doc checked your thyroid levels and done a chem profile and CBC too?

[frugal-one]

Thanks CathyA... yes thyroid has been checked. However, I just found an article that says if you have taken antibiotics (which I have) they may delete magnesium levels which cause abnormal heart rhythms. I emailed my doc and sent the article. There were too many coincidences to not take the article into account (other things mentioned as well). It is easy to check if magnesium levels are off. I can't imagine not checking it out.

[CathyA]

Magnesium levels are impossible to really check for, since the true level is in the cell. My heart has always been very dependent on good Magnesium levels. One time, I was having so much ectopy that I went to the ER. The ER doc actually was the first doc I ever had that thought outside the box. He ordered me to have magnesium IV while I was there. I didn't have any irregular beats for 2 weeks after that! What really ticks me off is that my regular Internist (who I respect), told me that magnesium doesn't have anything to do with ectopy. I couldn't believe it!

I take about 500mg at least every day. I take magnesium citrate, which I've heard is the form of it that is best absorbed. I also bought this powder called "Calm", which supposedly delivers it to your system quickly in a drink. Magnesium can give you diarrhea, if you take more than your body needs. I would definitely start taking it and see how it goes. But it definitely helped me.

[frugal-one]

Thanks CathyA... my sentiments exactly!