My Story

Just wanted to give a quick background about my experience with PVC's so that perhaps some of you will recognize your own experiences.

When I was about 15 or 16, I started experiencing weird sensations, which I think were the beginning of the skipped beats, but I wasn't quite sure what it was or how to describe it accurately. I do remember having some sleepless nights where I would feel myself being "jolted" awake just as I was dozing off to sleep, which I now experience more frequently and more forcefully. Unfortunately, those were the days before we all had the internet and I had never heard about PVC's. However, my doctor at the time sent me for an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) and the result came back as "mild change." The cardiologist I was referred to diagnosed me with a mild and benign heart murmur (which is still detectable today, at age 30), but nothing more. I suppose he couldn't diagnose PVC's at the time because I wasn't having them all the time like I am now and I never went with the Holter monitor.

Throughout the years, I would experience skipped beats. On a bad day, I would maybe get 5-10, but I don't recall having multiple ones until much later. I always attributed it to the heart murmur, still not realizing exactly what it was. As they got worse, I began to worry that perhaps I had a valve problem related to the murmur. They were sometimes a bit scary, but didn't seem to cause any major problems and so I ignored them pretty well.

At age 26, I suddenly noticed a big change. I was having multiple skipped beats, perhaps 5-10 after another, occasionally at night as well. As well, they were generally much more frequent than before. At that time, I was noticing probably 50-100 per day. I went to my GP, who referred me to a cardiologist and so I went with the Holter monitor for the first time. The monitor picked up many of the PVC's, including at night. The cardiologist performed an EKG and echocardiogram and both came back normal. I had no structural problem with my heart. She assured me that PVC's are very common and although they feel dangerous, they aren't. At least not in my case. She said there were medications to control them, but didn't recommend them for me. I agreed and so I went away feeling relieved to have a clean bill of health. I continued to have frequent PVC's, but just accepted that I had to live with them.

Now I'm 30 and this past spring, I experienced another spike in the frequency of my PVC's. It was to the point where it was out of control. I was getting probably 300-400+ per day, plus they were keeping me up literally all night. I was getting multiples at night of 20+ and was often getting the sensation of my heart stopping, which would jolt me awake. I was exhausted, stressed, and went back to the doctor contemplating medication to supress the PVC's.

So after another round of the Holter monitor, EKG, echocardiogram, spirometer test, everything is status quo. I have a clean bill of health, even though the PVC's are at times extreme. I decided against taking beta blockers because the doctor said I would probably notice decreased performance while running (which I like to do). Again, I was explicitly told to NOT stop exercising. I find that running can actually help to get my heart back into its normal rhythm, even though I occasionally notice an increase in PVC's hours after a run.

The cardiologist said that many notice that their PVC's get worse after drinking coffee or anything with caffeine (I don't) and alcohol (I don't). I even gave up chocolate (which I love) for a few weeks to see whether it would help, but I didn't notice any difference. I do notice that stress is a big factor for me, as well as fatigue or not eating properly. However, the PVC's are often at their worst when I'm happy, relaxed, and rested. So they often occur without explanation.

So that's my story. My PVC's have certainly gotten worse the older I've gotten (some days probably 500+), but I continue to manage without medication. Still, though, it can be very scary and stressful to have PVC's and I find that I never quite get used to them.