u/MrMugwin

Newly diagnosed, only had a few episodes. This is probably asked often here but I couldn’t find any other threads. I just wanted to ask longtime sufferers: What do you do in situations where you have an SVT attack but you’re trapped and can’t get away.

Like, today, I was on a boat trip and about halfway through I thought “Wouldn’t it be bad to get an SVT episode here? There’d be nothing anyone could do and I’d just have to sit with it for the next two hours until the boat tour’s over.” I couldn’t even imagine doing something like that. The last two attacks I’ve had I’ve taken myself to hospital immediately. Just sitting around for two hours with a heart rate of 250 is just unthinkable for me.

Another example is, what if you have an episode on a nine hour flight and the valsalva manoeuvres don’t work? What the hell do you do then? Has anyone ever been in that situation? If so, how did you handle it?

Thanks so much in advance!

I’m (43M) getting married in a couple of weeks. I’m very anxious about the wedding. I’m not anxious about actually being married. I definitely want to get married and I very much love my wife-to-be. I’m anxious about having a panic attack at the altar.

I have a history of panic attacks, and my number one trigger is the fear of having an attack. If I’m in a situation where I absolutely, positively cannot afford to have a panic attack then I’m much more likely to have one. Standing at the altar is pretty much the ultimate “can’t afford a panic attack” situation…which is why I’m anxious that I’ll have one.

I know all the tricks (deep breathing, sour sweets, cold water etc…) but when my anxiety is particularly bad none of them work.

My attacks always take the same format: First my heart rate will start rising, then I’ll start feeling very hot, then I’ll start thinking “Is there something wrong with my heart?” and then boom! Full-blown panic attack. I’ve had more heart work-ups than I can count over the years and they’ve all been fine but in the moment they cease to matter.

My situation is complicated by the fact that I do occasionally have SVT (supra-ventricular tachycardia). In SVT your heart rate goes up to 200bpm and stays there for as long as it wants. It’s not actually dangerous, but it feels incredibly dangerous. So I have two fears: ‘Will I have a panic attack?’ and ‘Will I have an SVT attack?’ Panic also makes SVT more likely because adrenaline is a trigger. I already take a beta blocker, but while beta blockers prevent about 90% of SVT attacks, it isn’t perfect. My Doctor has said In not a candidate for ablation (the gold standard treatment for SVT) because I get attacks so infrequently - but that ignores the fact that heightened anxiety increases the odds.

I’m not sure what I want from this post. Mainly I just wanted to get this off my chest. If anyone else has been in a similar situation, I’d love to know how you dealt with it. If you have any tips you think I might not know feel free to share them! Thanks.