I've suffered from SVT's (SupraVentricularTachycardia) all my life. It wasn't until I was 18 that the hospital actally confirmed it; until then everyone thought it was all in my head! It does annoy me when people say it's brought on by stress or caffeine - it isn't at all. Stress and stimulants can cause palpitations (ectopic beats) and a racing heart, but SVT's are totally different. I suspect the OP is suffering from SVT by the way he described the whooshing feeling he sometimes gets preceded by a thumping beat - that is how my SVT's start. They will come on for no reason whatsoever, and are very alarming. The heart will beat at 180 bpm and you can even see it thumping in your chest. There are various techniques you can do to stop them; holding your nose and mouth closed and blowing as hard as possible; pressing your eyelids gently; massaging ONE side of your neck along the artery (the pulse) but you have to be shown how to do this as it can be dangerous - and NEVER massage both sides as that can cause cardiac arrest.
Ectopic beats (flutters) are particularly horrible too. Some people swear by brisk walking to stop them, but if they do persist for hours you should go to A&E where they will re-set your heart rhythm. When my SVT's used to suddenly come on I couldn't do much as I felt giddy and faint. Usually, they would stop as suddenly as they started, but if they went on for too long, or I began getting a dull pain in my neck I would call an ambulance, and A&E would connect me to a heart moniter and put a butterfly in my hand, then slowly inject a drug to slow my heart down. They usually try to use other methods before doing that (I'm not sure why they only do that as a last resort) but it will slow the heart down eventually. They have to slow it down otherwise your heart would pack up - or you'd develop a bloodclot.
They eventually prescribed me Betablockers, though with me being young they weren't keen at first. But I insisted as the attacks were ruining my life. I've been lucky in that I've had no adverse effects through taking them, and they have stopped the attacks. I have been on them now for over 25 years.
I am still monitored every few years at the cardiac clinic, and a few years back was offered ablation therapy (same as what Tony Blair had) but felt a tad nervous having an op - and as the BB's have been so good in treating it I declined. However, we have left it open to review, in case my condition worsens, say, or the BB's started to cause issues. I'd also want the op whilst relatively young, not just to reap the benefits, but because I'd probably be in better health.
I found a link to the ablation therapy:
Cardiac Ablation
I'm actually not sure which SVT I have after reading that little lot, I only know it's Supra Ventricular Tachycardia - so when I read that Ventricular Tachycardia was the most dangerous I've decided to see my GP and ask him to look on my notes. If I do have that one I think I'll get the op down yesterday!
