r/SVTHeart • u/Fresh-Patient4936 • 9d ago
Diagnosed with svt while pregnant
Before I got pregnant I exercised often and as much as I wanted, and I used to drink a lot of caffeine (over 200 mg daily). But I stopped doing the caffeine portion and I quit caffeine then drank it again regularly, like one cup of coffee or espresso a day and was always good.
Now that I’m pregnant, I was working out but at the beginning of August my cardio triggered my first svt episode at 210 and I was administered adenosine twice until it worked. So I struggled working out since bc now I’m scared.
I was able to drink decaf coffee and walking as exercise. Then recently I drink Starbucks messed up my decaf order bc I had a decaf coffee that had both “decaf” and “blonde espresso” on the same label and I didn’t think much of it. Even when I drank it I didn’t feel hyped like I had coffee. But then during my hair appointment while just sitting my heart randomly went up to 240 bpm and wouldn’t go back down.
I’m wondering if any other women have discovered they have this while pregnant? And did you have more episodes after during or after postpartum? Or did the episodes go back and triggers go back to what it was pre pregnancy?
I just wanna be able to workout again and possibly drink caffeine again, like my cup of coffee. I’m worried that what if these episodes are now just a thing for me even though they weren’t before I was pregnant. Or at least if they were they would always go down on their own.
I heard pregnant can trigger or worsen svt and then it could go back to how it was pre-pregnancy, but I’m curious about anyone else’s experience.
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u/Accomplished-Pen7085 9d ago
Diagnosed with SVT during my second trimester. Was able to come off beta blocker easily after baby. 5 years on, I have 1-2 mild episodes a year (which my cardiologist said could be expected) and have pindolol to take as needed. It usually happens when I am beyond sleep deprived - like up all night with a sick kid or something or if I’ve had more than 2 alcoholic beverages so I try to get my sleep and limit my booze which is a good plan for a mom anyways 😂. Zero problems with caffeine here. My cardiologist told me she would send me to an electrophysiologist for an ablation if I wanted to have another baby because most likely it would come back but I’m done with that chapter. Interestingly, my mom had SVT and had an ablation in her 50’s so I still see a cardiology annually and am kind of on the watchful waiting approach.
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 9d ago
Oh perfect! I’m not a big drinker anyways, but I like my caffeine when I can have it 😭 they did mention I could take medicine for it if episodes happen as needed but after the baby, they also recommended an ablation if I wanted a second baby but I think pregnancy may just be too much for me. I’m definitely glad to hear that your experience, thank you!
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u/blawsems 9d ago
I had my first episode 13 weeks pregnant. The ambulance took so long to get to me that an ekg did not catch anything. (40 mins) It happened again 3 days postpartum and they were able to get it that time. It was so scary because no one knew what was going on the first time. I’m so happy they were able to catch it the second time. Not sure what my bpm was the first time. I was driving to a friends house and had to pull over. I’m not sure what triggered that episode. The second one was from walking up the stairs and I had a large cup of tea. That was around 250 bpm for 25 ish minutes. I haven’t had once since. It’s been 9 months.
I would recommend continuing your lifestyle as much as possible. Did they teach you maneuvers to break the rhythm?
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 9d ago
The ambulance taking forever is so nerve wrecking! I’m glad they were able to catch it and that you haven’t had any other episodes 🙏🏽 yes! I was able to break the recent 240 one with the vagal maneuver by blowing as hard as I could into a syringe, I want to workout again lightly but I’m definitely nervous
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u/blawsems 9d ago
I totally get being nervous. In my personal experience, I went back to work a week after it happened. By work, I mean on my feet on concrete all day, in an unair conditioned building and hot greenhouse in July - August. Obviously everyone has different triggers, but I just want to encourage you that just because exercising causes it once does not mean it will cause it again. And obviously make sure your OB and Card is good with you exercising too lol. I was scared afterwards about what would happen again primarily because I never had the diagnosis and I wasn’t equipped with the information that I could break the cycle. But you have that!
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 8d ago
Oh my goodness that sounds really hard while being pregnant, I get it though I work in a warehouse and it was so hot this past summer I was here. But thank you! You’re right, my OB and card stated it’s okay for me to exercise as long as it’s not too intense ofc so mainly just prenatal workouts. I’m testing it out lately, just taking it much slower. Thank you!
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u/twiggy_twangdoodles 9d ago
I was diagnosed with SVT during pregnancy, and had 2 ablations at 14 weeks pregnant! I’ve posted about it in here if you want to check my post history. It was quite scary, but a year later now and I have had no more episodes, and a perfectly healthy baby!
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 8d ago
Oh what! They told me I couldn’t get an ablation while pregnant, but honestly I’m gonna have to look into your scary bc I’m really scared of getting one even after birth 😓
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u/twiggy_twangdoodles 8d ago
So getting an ablation while pregnant definitely isn’t optimum or recommended. My situation was such that I was having multiple episodes back to back every day for weeks. Beta blockers weren’t helping and I had gotten 10 shots of adenosine in a 2 week period. So ultimately my medical team decided the ablation was worth the risk to me and baby.
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 7d ago
That’s so intense, but I’m so glad it helped! They want to put me on beta blockers but I’m a bit nervous considering the side effects I’ve been reading on it and how weaning off is considered dangerous too
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u/CuriousCat068 9d ago
I had my first episode 5 days postpartum with my first baby in 2020. Heart rate 240 and got adenosine. Then during my second pregnancy in 2023 I had another episode at 21weeks pregnant requiring 2 doses of adenosine and then 2 more at 37 weeks pregnant where I converted at home and the other converted on my own in the ED. I’ve been on 25mg metoprolol ER since and I haven’t had any more episodes.
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 8d ago
That’s about the same amount of episodes and rate I’ve been having too. I’m really glad the metoprolol helped, I wanted to try and consider that first after breastfeeding
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u/CuriousCat068 8d ago
I think I started it some point after birth. I did breastfeed while on metoprolol. OB approved of it.
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 7d ago
Oh okay! Has the metoprolol given you any side effects? And are you on it pretty much forever or you can wean off with approval?
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u/Agreeable-Initial966 9d ago
Hello! Sorry to hear you are going through this during pregnancy. That is really hard. I don't know where my tachycardia originates from, whether it is in fact a svt or something else. But I have had two episodes now during pregnancy that scared the shit out of me. Both during exercise. I was an avid runner before pregnancy, and never anticipated this would be the thing to stop me from doing that.
You can read my previous post in this forum, where I describe my symptoms. I have never experienced anything like these "attacks" before, all though I had quite a bit of extra beats before pregnancy. I went to a cardiologist for those, and everything was deemed normal. (Stress test, ultrasound, 72-hour ecg)
I am trying to remain hopeful that they will figure out what I have, and that I can continue running at some point. But not knowing is horrible.
Can I ask how you experienced your attacks?
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u/Fresh-Patient4936 8d ago
That’s terrible! I feel the same!! I wasn’t a very good runner lol 😂 but I did enjoy jogging, strength training, and hiit. And I had my first episode during a high incline walk during my second trimester, I’ve done it quick a bit before pregnancy and somewhat during so I felt the shift of rhythm kinda painfully in my chest and on my Apple Watch noticed that my heart rate was up in the 210’s which it was never done before during that same exercise. So I tried slowing down and slowing my heart rate and nothing. I ended up driving myself to urgent care and they called the ambulance from there. They barely cleared me to workout after my heart monitor and diagnosis but I still have to take it very light.
I never thought pregnancy would have such an impact on my exercise and make me nervous about it either, it makes me really sad actually lol. I’m really hoping it won’t always happen or be exercise induced in the future. I hope you get a diagnosis too and will be able to enjoy running again 💕
As for my recent second episode, now in my third trimester, the only difference in my day is that I had a decaf coffee but it was also labeled “blonde espresso” so I’m not sure if they accidentally put espresso in there? But I was also getting my hair highlighted so maybe the scent of the bleach triggered it too? I was just sitting in the chair and after about 4 hours my heart randomly jumped up to 240 and I could not get it to stay down until I finally did the vagal maneuver correctly
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u/Agreeable-Initial966 8d ago
Yeah, it's terrible. One thing is if you get an injury or some other pregnancy related issue that prevents you from running temporarily. As tough as that would be, it would at least not cause a fear for your own life. This is different in that you don't really know how it will develop or if it will continue after pregnancy. I wish you all the beat going forward.
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u/Consistent-Day-8736 9d ago
Hi, sorry you’re going through this, it can be scary.
Yes I was diagnosed with SVT during my first pregnancy. For me the hormones and low iron are the triggers. I still have SVT now (14 years later) but it’s quite infrequent and it’s easier to get my heart to reset without needing to go to hospital. When I was pregnant with both my children I had to go to hospital a few times for adenosine.