My SVT Story
Hi! I’m Laura Madrigano. I am a mother of two young boys, a former New York City fashion designer, a Board Certified Life Coach, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, a fellow SVT thriver, and the creator of Heal SVT Naturally.
My first SVT happened when I was 26 years old. I was working as a Fashion Designer in NYC when I had my first SVT episode. I was stressed out to say the least, but was used to pushing myself, working long hours, and putting my personal needs second to the demands of work and my new business venture.
Since I had suffered from panic attacks in my early 20’s, I was familiar with the sensation of a racing heart and palpitations. But this time it was much different. I couldn’t control my heartbeat with the usual attempts such as slow, deep breathing, drinking water or calming techniques. My breathe and heart felt completely disconnected. A trip to the Emergency Room, and a shot of adenosine confirmed that I had Supra Ventricular Tachycardia. Say what? What on earth is SVT? Needless to say, I felt alone, confused, and scared. Wasn’t I too young for a heart issue?
My Healing process required a look back. The truth was, that as a child, I had chronic stomach aches and digestive issues. At age 12, my doctors speculated that I had symptoms for either juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or Lupus, (later re-diagnosed as Lyme). In my late teens and early 20’s I suffered with severe panic attacks that lasted for years. I also had constipation, occasional hives, and headaches. In my 30’s add in monthly migraines around my menstrual cycle, adrenal fatigue, gas pain and bloating after eating, low blood sugar, heat intolerance, waking in the middle of the night with a pounding heart, exhaustion, always feeling “off” and POTS. Later I would understand that all of these health issues were directly or indirectly related…
The start of my Heal SVT Naturally journey…
All of my symptoms seemed to culminate in my 30’s and after my first pregnancy. The physical exhaustion of giving birth coupled with ongoing adrenal fatigue and the demands of being a new mom wreaked havoc on my body and I just couldn’t bounce back. I woke up every day feeling exhausted and afraid. I never felt rested no matter how much I slept or like I had the energy to take care of my son. I felt depressed, unhappy, sick and constantly as though I was going to have an SVT. They no longer seemed “once in a while” or out of the blue, but I felt symptoms of one “coming on” nearly every day. I longed to be able to figure out what was wrong with me and began searching for answers at various doctor appointments.
I made appointments with leading cardiologists and electro physiologists in premier New York hospitals to try to get help. I wore holter monitors and took every kind of blood test, all of which came back “normal”.
I became more than frustrated to say the least as I lived with constant palpitations, electrical misfires of the heart, SVT “attempts”, actual SVT or the crippling fear of one occurring.
One morning after eating a cheesesteak sandwich the night before, I woke up not feeling well. As usual I didnt have a bowel movement, I felt foggy, as though I was either hung over or just not “right” as per usual. That day, I experienced a long and difficult SVT that made me question everything. How could I be this sick at age 35? How could I be a mother to my young son when I was scared to be alone or go anywhere. I needed help, but not the kind that I was being offered by traditional western medicine. I intuitively knew that if I didn’t figure out and control my health problems, that I was in serious trouble.
I became an SVT Detective…
And thus, the most important journey of my life would begin. Like a detective, I began to study and track my symptoms. I had to cover all of my bases including food, water intake, bowel movements, feelings, and activities and consider everything a potential clue as to why I was so sick in general, and what was causing my SVT specifically.
There must be a reason why I had random SVT episodes, and more that I could be doing to help myself. I began to draw connections, such as links between FOOD + SVT, Lack of Sleep and an increased likelihood of SVT and lack of a daily bowel movement and increased SVT! I seemed much more likely to get an SVT when I was hot, or had sugar for breakfast or got run down. While I understood that I had an accessory pathway allowing the SVT to occur, I wondered why they appeared to happen on certain days, such as when I was sleep-deprived, stressed or constipated?
I clearly started to question…Were SVT’s really random or were they linked to food, digestion, and self-care?
Frustrated with Traditional Cardiology
The only advice I consistently received from my cardiologist was to avoid caffeine. I knew that my doctors were well-intentioned and provided me with their best advice. Yet, I really questioned the lack of practical and nutritional information available that I could use to help myself. If caffeine was to be avoided, then wouldn’t there be a long list of other foods that could help or hurt my SVT symptoms? Why weren’t my doctors as fascinated as I was about my links between a lack of a bowel movement and the increased chance of an SVT or lack of sleep and SVT that were evident?
I knew there had to be more I could do to help myself. Food and self-care became my focus. I remained determined to figure out all the contributing factors that provoked my SVT.
Accepting that I had to change and moving forward…
Even though I had a lifelong interest in holistic health, and was fairly educated on the subject, I knew there was a lot of work to be done with my food, nutrition and self-care. I needed the expertise of people with a similar way of viewing health to help me. I employed a health coach, a naturopathic doctor, an acupuncturist and other alternative health practitioners to help look at my symptoms in a whole new, whole body way.
Some of the first steps I took were going to acupuncture, and trying to eat healthier. I took quality supplements, and tried chinese herbs. It wasn’t until my health coach suggested that I had a gluten intolernece that my real healing began. I tested for food sensitivities and changed my diet accordingly to my exact results to avoid what was making me sick. I then worked on gut healing as well as adding in more nutrient-dense foods which finally allowed my body to start absorbing necessary minerals I was lacking all along. I also had to address emotional issues, childhood heart wounds and lifestyle habits that were self-destructive. My lack of self-care, and healing my old emotional wounds from the past, were equally important in my healing journey. I also had to make tough decisions and face personal issues that were causing ongoing stress, and learn how to manage my stress and problems in intentional and productive ways, and assertive ways.
I embraced self-care as if my life depended on it!
I tracked my trials and errors, and progress, as well as my decision to decline medication and ablation, on a blog I started here called Heal SVT Naturally. It was a place for me to vent my frustration and my success, and to share stories with others who had SVT. I wasn’t sure where it would lead me, but I trusted that it was an important step in my journey.
A whole new life…
That little blog has turned into a valuable website and leading resource on the internet for people who are searching for alternative approaches to healing SVT, just like I was! Over the years this website and the community have evolved, and so too has my health and my life dramatically improved.
My POTS is gone, healed, non-existent. I don’t have any SVT-related symptoms anymore, such as debilitating anxiety, chronic palpitations + electrical misfires, or actual episodes. I never wake up with my heart pounding in the middle of the night, and my heat intolerance is gone. I can lift my children without worry of triggering an SVT and never get postural triggered SVT anymore. My general anxiety, panic attacks, exhaustion and blood sugar fluctuations are also gone and I have lost weight as a bonus. In short, I am finally forging the path of living life to the fullest and without the constant fear of an SVT occurrence.
You really can change your health using natural remedies as your tools to do so!
A NEW Career…
A New Career
Because self-care, health, spirituality, emotional healing and food became the things I focused on in order to transform my life and health, I changed career focus to allow the things I valued to be in the forefront of my life everyday. I went back to school and became a Board Certified Life Coach and later an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach so that I had professional credentials to support my anecdotal experience.
Today, I write, coach, and create healing resources for people with SVT from all around the world to use to transform their lives and health just as I have. I love empowering people to heal, grow and change thier lives
Are you ready to heal your SVT naturally?
I help people from all over the world learn and apply the same natural methods that worked for me
Healing SVT naturally is not magic. It takes an open mind to change your perspective about WHY you really have SVT. It takes courage to seek testing for food sensitivities and change your diet. It requires commitment to embrace self-care, to address emotional wounds and to listen to your heart in new ways. To be successful in this healing, it helps to view this diagnosis as an opportunity to take your health and happiness to a whole new level. So prepare to do some work on yourself, but know that you will be completely rewarded!
A wealth of resources
I KNOW that you are being called forward for big things, just like I was, and that you need to feel better to be able to reach your greatest potential and live the life that I know you dream of. You don’t have to suffer or live in constant fear of SVT! You CAN take back control of your health and your destiny. There is a better path and I want to help you discover and embrace it.
With love and healing,
Laura, Your SVT Coach
START here…
the TOP TEN TIPS to HEAL SVT Naturally
is a FREE 14 page e-guide that I wrote to help you learn some of the first steps to reduce and eliminate SVT. This is a FREE e-guide that I send to you when you sign up for my blog. To get it RIGHT NOW click below!
Book your first Appointment
I work with people from anywhere in the world.