Supraventricular Tachycardia
Treatment Overview
Supraventricular tachycardia is usually treated if:
- You have symptoms such as dizziness, chest pain, or fainting (syncope) that are caused by your fast heart rate.
- Your episodes of fast heart rate are occurring more frequently or do not revert to normal on their own.
Treatment for sudden-onset (acute) episodes
When episodes of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) start suddenly and cause symptoms, you can try Reference vagal maneuvers—such as gagging, holding your breath and bearing down (Valsalva maneuver), immersing your face in ice-cold water (diving reflex), or coughing. These simple maneuvers stimulate the vagus nerve, which can slow conduction of electrical impulses that control your heart rate. Your doctor will teach you how to do vagal maneuvers safely.
Your doctor may also prescribe a short-acting medicine that you can take by mouth if vagal maneuvers don't work. This allows some people to manage their SVT without having to visit the emergency room repeatedly.
If your heart rate cannot be slowed using vagal maneuvers, you may have to go to your doctor's office or the emergency room, where a fast-acting medicine such as adenosine can be given. If the arrhythmia does not stop and symptoms are severe, Reference electrical cardioversion, which uses an electrical current to reset the heart rhythm, may be needed.
Ongoing treatment of recurring supraventricular tachycardia
If you have recurring episodes of supraventricular tachycardia, you may need to take medicines, either on an as-needed basis or daily. Medicine treatment typically includes Reference beta-blockers, Reference calcium channel blockers, other Reference antiarrhythmic medicines, or Reference digoxin. In people who have frequent episodes, treatment with medicines can decrease recurrences. But these medicines may have side effects.
Many people with supraventricular tachycardia have a procedure called Reference catheter ablation. This procedure can stop the rhythm problem in most people. Ablation is considered safe, but it has some rare, serious risks.
Treatment for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
In the case of Reference atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), medicines can be taken—either daily or only when the fast heartbeat arises—or catheter ablation may be done.
If you have infrequent episodes of AVNRT that last hours but do not cause severe symptoms, your doctor may recommend that you take medicines only when you have an episode. These medicines include Reference antiarrhythmic medicines, Reference calcium channel blockers, and Reference beta-blockers.
Your doctors may recommend daily doses of calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and/or digoxin if you have frequent episodes of AVNRT. If these medicines are not effective in stopping supraventricular tachycardia from recurring, your doctor may recommend that you take an antiarrhythmic medicine.
If you take daily medicine for AVNRT or you have significant symptoms, you may want to consider having Reference catheter ablation.
Treatment for atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT)
In the case of Reference atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT), including Reference Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, you can take medicines for recurrent episodes either on an as-needed or daily basis, depending on how frequently they occur. These medicines—which include Reference beta-blockers and Reference calcium channel blockers—are often effective in stopping or preventing episodes of AVRT. Treatment of WPW frequently requires Reference antiarrhythmic medicines that slow electrical conduction over the extra connection.
Reference Catheter ablation is often recommended for people who have WPW, especially those who have severe symptoms or also have Reference atrial fibrillation or flutter Opens New Window.
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