A lot of PVC sufferers find it difficult to be taken seriously by their doctors (or even family members) because once they're told that their arrythmia is benign, they can assume that we can simply forget about it.
It's not that easy, is it?
When you feel the jolt of a PVC, or the heart-stopping sensation, or a couplet... you know what I mean! Some days they may be mild, but some days can be VERY intense as we have them all day, every day, hundreds, even thousands of them, for sometimes long stretches at a time.
To just "forget" about them is like trying to sneeze with your eyes open, or not touching your eye when a mosquito flies into it. It's a natural reflex. Even though you know logically in your mind that you're in no danger, you physically FEEL like you're going to die and so you have the natural "reflex" reaction: fear, panic, worry, stress, etc.
But in a way, the doctors and loved one who tell us to not worry are right. OK, so we can't just "forget" about them. But we do need to live, function, and enjoy our lives. And that's what groups like this are for. Even though we can't "cure" each other we help each other learn to live with the natural reflex of fear.
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39 comments:
Wow! So many people know what I go through which is great because trying to describe this to someone who hasn't experienced it is tough. I am 42 and have had PVC PAC's for years. It really wears me down! I think, "How can my heart be misfiring over and over and over and I shouldn't worry about it!?" That just seems crazy! I think if my heart can beat regularly most of the time then there must be a way for it be beat properly ALL of the time. Huh? Sigh...
Wow! So many people know what I go through which is great because trying to describe this to someone who hasn't experienced it is tough. I am 42 and have had PVC PAC's for years. It really wears me down! I think, "How can my heart be misfiring over and over and over and I shouldn't worry about it!?" That just seems crazy! I think if my heart can beat regularly most of the time then there must be a way for it be beat properly ALL of the time. Huh? Sigh...
What a great site!
I started noticing a "skipped beat" sensation about a year ago. But when fatigue and breathlessness kicked in, the DRs discovered that I had a PFO (Patent Foreman Ovale). I had a PFO Closure on Sept 2nd. They were able to use cardiac catheters and inserted an Amplatzer Occluder device. Amazing. I instantly felt better.
Then, last week, the nasty skipping a beat sensation hit. I realized that I forgot to ask my Cardiologist if they ever found a true PVC or PAC. He had looked over my Holter Monitor from June but I was so distracted by questions about my PFO.
Naturally, the weekend is here, and what feels like PVCs are out of control. I went to the Urgent Care and they ran an EKG and checked me over. They think I am fine and that it is probably PVCs.
I gotta call the Cardiologist tomorrow morning. I am hoping that they already caught the PVC but forgot to tell me about since we were all so focused on my monster sized PFO.
My PFO was discovered in June when they performed a Contrast Echo (with bubbles). They have you do the valsalva maneuver while they inject the bubbles during the Echo. The bearing down like you are using the bathroom will cause the PFO to open and the bubbles to pass through.
The two are actually totally unrelated. PFO and PVC.
I have had so many today and this evening that I it was a real nice experience finding this site.
I have had three today that last a solid 10 minutes. I get that funny extra beat or a skipped beat sensation then a pause followed by a thud or jolt.
If I boost my heart rate, then I can get it to relax. But I can't keep running up and down my halls!
Thanks for the great site. If my DR tells me that I definitely have PVC then I will definitely be back.
I find this sensation more terrifying than have PFO closure surgery with Cardiac Catheters.
Keep it up!
Elizabeth, what is a PFO? Is it like a hole in the heart?
Please let us know what your doctor said. I'm curious as PFO is something completely new to me.
Hello!
A PFO is a type of hole in the heart. There are 4 types of Atrial Septal Defects (ASD). Three of ASDs are true holes in the septum that separate the atria. The location determines which type. The 4th type of ASD is a Patent Foramen Ovale. The PFO is the most common type of ASD. One in five people have some type of PFO. It is not a true clean hole. Instead, it may have a trapdoor of tissue clogging the hole or be tunnel shaped between the atria or a variety of other shapes.
My PFO was a defect about 25mm in total diameter. It was, in my Cardiologist's description, like silly string going back and forth or like a piece of Swiss Cheese. It had many openings.
PFOs are now linked to stroke, TIAs, horrible fatigue, arrhythmias, and now they are being linked to Migraines with Aura. Nearly all patients with PFOs have migraines. So far, closing the PFO stops the migraines. They do not know why yet.
When you have a PFO, you do NOT have murmur. If you have the other types of ASDs then you do normally have a murmur. PFOs are often only caught with a Contrast Echo (inject bubbles while viewing the heart).
The PFO allows oxygenated blood from the lungs to return back to the lungs through the hole rather than the body. De-oxygenated blood in the body gets sent back to the body by accident. They do not trade off normal. So I had very anemic-like symptoms that began a year ago. I was cold, very very tired, fluttering in chest. Then my Migraines with Aura increased dramatically. The fluttering became worse in my chest.
The DRs finally caught the heart problem and within two months, I had a Cardiologist use catheters to implant a device to plug up the hole. The results are immediate for me since I had a huge defect and was losing a lot of blood though that hole.
PFOs can also cause high blood pressure in your pulmonary arteries as you age. This can cause severe complications if you try to fix the hole. PFOs can also lead to right side heart enlargement and failure as you age.
You are at risk of stroke since your body's blood is not circulated properly through your lungs enough times.
When you have a PFO closure, the first couple of months are often filled with PVCs or PACs or other irregular beats as your heart adjusts to the device. You never feel it other than these symptoms.
I did have fluttering and the sensation of skipped beats previous to surgery and they have begun again with a vengeance.
I am back in a Holter Monitor to see if they can catch it and verify that they are PVCs or PACs and not dangerous. Horribly annoying and torturous but not dangerous. Since I had these previous to surgery, they now want to make sure that they are not something else and it was just coincidence that I had both a hole in the heart and a rhythm problem.
I do know that PFOs that go unfixed in childhood can create all those problems listed above for adults. The older you are before it is fixed...the more dangerous the problems.
The catheter procedure was amazing and very comfortable even though I was awake. I had been given locals in both legs as well as a couple of narcotics to relax.
I also find these constant bouts of heart beat skipping to be awful compared to something like the surgery! I cannot imagine having had these my whole life.
They started about 2 years ago but were very mild until this past March 2009.
I return my Holter Monitor tomorrow and should hear results sometime after that, though my Cardiologist is on vacation.
I'll be back once I know the answer!
I couldn't agree more. I only just started having PVC's a couple months ago.. Well I'd periodically had something that felt sorta the same, but only ever lasted for a few minutes previously. The last couple months though have been horrible.
The general reactions I've gotten have been similar. After being told it's probably benign, I've been expected to just sorta live with it and not worry about it. A couple people have mentioned they've had them before and that they're nothing to worry about. While all that may be true, there's a huge difference between having a PVC every now and then and having week-long stretches of 30,000+ PVC's a day. Once every 2 to 3 beats. Not only is it freaky because it's your heart. When the core of your being quivers and pulses irregularly you can't help but feel ungrounded and exhausted. Everything becomes colored through that lens of perception.
Unfortunately I don't have insurance so I just have to hope I'm in the majority and that this is truly benign. But I really do wish someone I knew could empathize with exactly how god-awful this really is.
Happy to have found this blog and I'll be following along since I too have suffered with PVC's for years with little to no relief or much emotional support for this very frightening condition. ;o(
So happy to have found this site!I have suffered from these awful ectopic heartbeats for years(Am now66) and I have never become accustomed to them.I had a heart attack 2 years ago and was assured the two things are completely unrelated.I try very hard to get on with my life but find them utterly demoralizing.Just knowing there are people out there who actually know what they feel like is a great help.Thanks
Hi Claudia and all.This really is a brilliant blog and such a comfort to those of us suffering from this condition.Speaking to my Doctor recently he told me of a man in his 30s whose ectopics are so bad he has had to give up driving his car!I am fortunate in that my Doctor is sympathetic and very caring unlike some that I have spoken with in the past who have no understanding of just how horrible these things can be.Please keep up the good work Claudia, you are a light in the darkness for us.Thankyou.
Thanks for your kind words, Anonymous. That's unfortunate about that man who had to give up driving. Hopefully it won't be a permanent thing and his PVC's will subside with time.
It's important to have a good and understanding doctor, so I'm glad to hear that you've got that. I remember my cardiologist telling me about one of his own patients, who was a cardiologist himself, who suffered from a lot of PVC's and had a high awareness of them like we do. Not to wish this condition on anyone, but it would be nice if every doctor could experience what we do just for a day so that they could relate better. My doctors have been really good about it, but I know that some people really feel brushed off by theirs.
I am so grateful to have found this blog! I had a pfo closure in June using the Amplatzer device and almost 2 months to the day began to suffer constant palpitations. After wearing a monitor for 2 weeks, the doc determined that they were benign, and put me on Toprol XL 25mg twice a day. It does nothing to control the palpitations, only makes me tired and weak.
It's so hard to accept that such strong and unsettling sensations aren't deadly! Has anyone successfully treated their palpitations? Is it possible they will lessen with time? I'm not sure I can live with this indefinetly. Thank you all for sharing!!
Hi Emmie! How would you describe your "palpitations?" Are they a rapid heartbeat? Irregular beats? Skips? Do you remember what diagnosis your doctor gave you? Was it PVC's, ectopic, or something else?
Hello. Great website. I'm 44. What is frustrating is there seems to be no set trigger. Right now they start right after I eat but that changes too. Most of the time I can ignore it but sometimes the sensation is so strong you can feel your body shake. The comments, stories and helpful links are a blessing. If this helps here is my history:
Mine started about 5 years. I had felt them as one time flip flops very infrequently since my 20's but they were blips on my radar. Then about 5 years ago I had a day drinking alot of coffee and was also on cold medicine with decongestant and the PVC's went wild. Scared me to death. I had the tests, it was benign and after quitting caffeine and cold meds it went away - gone for years! Then for some reason a year ago they came back with a vengeance - I thought maybe because I had not been taking my thyroid meds regularly. So I quite the caffiene again, started taking my meds religously and they went away after about 2 months - and I was blessedly free of them for the last 7 months. And this past week the bastards are back. So I'm resigned to a couple of months of a stupid spazzy heart. The worst part is feeling like I'm a wuss. This condition is benign and I have a friend that is dealing with a return of cancer that will probably end her life. What right do I have to complain? Rationally I know I'm fine, but it doesn't prevent the niggling bit of fear and anxiety that takes place when it starts. But I'm getting better at letting that go. Hope you will to.
Anonymous, don't be too hard on yourself. Although it's true that we're very fortunate to not be going through what your friend is going through with cancer, not getting freaked out by intense PVC's is extremely difficult. We face a two-way battle with the body and the mind because it's not all in our heads, and yet much of the battle is mental. I find that it helps to be open about it, to accept that they're there, and know that the bout of PVC's will pass. I'm open about it with my family or co-workers if I'm having a bad day with them, and just do my best and take a breather if I need to.
Even though it's apparently not your only trigger, it appears that caffeine is a trigger for you. So it's probably wise to avoid it, as you've been doing. I've never been able to pinpoint a trigger myself, except that I know stress, fatigue, or getting upset can sometimes brings them on. And yet not always. So it's a mystery.
Do you exercise? Regular exercise can help you manage them better.
hi how is everyone doing with there PVC i hope good me i have been doing great the pvc have calmed down alot since I've been taking estrogen vitamins i feel such a difference i really believe my pvc where brought on by my pregnancy and my horomones where going crazy but God Bless you all
PS I DONT KNOW IF ANYONE HAS TRIED DRINKING WELCHES GRAPE JUICE EVERYDAY BUT IT REALLY HELPS ME TOO ALOT SO MAYBE TRY THAT OK THANKS ALESHIA
I have been looking for support groups like this for several days, thanks for doing this for us. It seems like every word you write it was my thouhgt.
so glad someone understands. I'm female under 40 average weight and was refered to a syc , I was told i was to young to have any heart issues (did'nt fit the usual) Well I've had a tia and mild heart attack and now have pvc's. I've always been in good health.I was terrified to learn that I have pvc's . Thanks to you all I have a better understanding of what to expect.Thought I was gonna end up in the hospital again. I guess I just have to get used to them. I really don't know how long they last or exactly how many I have , just that they are every other beat and sometimes last for hours.I'm getting better at ignoring them except when they give me an event monitor to wear.any suggestions on what is the nest step? Can they lead to something worse? Or am I worring about nothing? Still not sure I guess. Love this blog I know I'm not alone.
I can not believe that it was so simple to find so many people that suffer from this condition. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes having found people who finally know what it's like and I know I'm not going crazy! I've had PVC's for years, but as a young person, had no idea what they were. I have gone to the hospital for them a total of three times, and told each time that they are benign. Unfortunately, like everyone says on here, it doesn't make you feel less crazy when you are suffering from them. Like others, exercise will stop mine, and resting does often make them worse, especially when I lay down at night. I did have one doctor tell me to try Benadryl to help me sleep if they get too bad, but I have never done that. A word to the wise: when you go to the dentist and need "freezing" beware that epiniphrine is mixed with the lidocaine and can exacerbate your PVC's when used on your bottom teeth. Believe me, I know. If you are having just short time work, you can request your dentist not use it, plus they have other long lasting medication they can use as well. Thanks for being here! I plan to check in often!
The doctor who diagnosed me with PVC's was actually a sufferer himself. He even hooked himself up to the electrocardiogram to prove it. It made me feel a lot better. He told me it took him 4 years to come to terms with it.
I am so thankful I stumbled upon this blog. I suffer from PVCs for about 5 years now. Recently I had a differant kind of "Episode" (as I call them) It was like m heart was quivering or shaking onlu lasted about 3-5 seconds and was over with (normally I get a flutter feeling in mychest not this quivering) I called the cardiologist and they sent me to the er and of course they did a ekg (i had no pvc or quivering at the time) the ekg was fine and my ymptoms had stopped. They said they were a bit concerened it could be a more serious arrythmia, tach, etc... so I am currently on a holter for 14 days, so far it has been a week and I have not had any problems with my heart. Normally, I have what I call "episodes" PVC's that last for a week or three and then I am fine for a few months. I never have pain with them just fear, anxiety and people thinking I am a nut. This post really hit home. I have seen 3 cardiologists and they all said I had benign PVCs nothing to worry about no big deal live life noraml people have them everyday and dont feel them it cant hurt you WELL let me tell you something MR.MRS. DOCTOR with your degree! Maybe you should go through what I go through and then you would try a little harder to understand what I feel like when it happens. My family for the most part was supportive when I first started to get them. But now after all the doctors and the way they make it sound so harmless and easyto deal with my family tends to get annoyed when i am going through the episodes and am having a bad day of PVCs...I cant go on with a normal life when I have PVC episodes and even when I am not having episode I am thinking baout having episodes, where i will be, who i will be with, if it will not just be a pvc this time, will i die, what if the doctor is wrong, what if i die at age 23. My life has been overcome by pvc-anxiety. I have never been a anxious person, i was always outgoing, funloving, up for a challange loved to travel...now I hate to travel because I dont know where the nearest hospital is if i were to have a uncontrollable or differant episode....my life has been ruined by this and doctors dont seem tocare, but i bet if they could feel ONE PVC just ONE they would look into it differantly and try harder to find a solution.
I have to confess that finding this site has both comforted and distressed me. It's comforting to know that others actually know how I feel, but at the same time, reading all the posts and coming to the realization that this will likely be a life long battle is a little deflating. I don't worry about the PVCs being dangerous anymore because I've educated myself about them. What I struggle with is how I physically feel - weak, short of breath, dizzy, lightheaded, etc - when I'm having them. They are physically debilitating and interfere with my life in a huge way. I take Atenolol to treat them and it definitely helps. Unfortunately, it also pushes my blood pressure too low (73/57) which makes me super weak and tired every day. I'm on the lowest dose and other medications we've tried either make the PVCs worse or just don't work at all. The cardiologist and I are sort of at the point where he is saying, "This will be a long haul. Don't expect it to get better any time soon." That's really difficult to hear. For now I just do the best I can and try to live my life despite the PVCs. I'm happy to have found this site. I'll be checking in periodically.
This is awesome im glad everyone can share there tales. Im 21 and was a triathlete as well as a life long uss swimmer. Last summer i went into afib for a half hour and went to the hospital. My ticker converted back to normal on its own but that event changed my life. After that i didn't get off the couch for 3 months and lost 25 pounds. I stopped working out and quit work. My anxiety also kept me from returning to school for the fall semester. Ive had 2 cardios and they said my heart is perfectly normal. I was on a cardionet and they caught multiple pvcs and one 8 beat episode of vtach. But they said it was all normal... Imm terrified and hate it. I had been training to walk the Appalachian trail but now im scared to go anywhere if i dont know where the nearest hospital is. I feel every beat of my heart now and i honestly feel like im going crazy... I dont think ill ever get use to the pvs and i hope the afib never comes back... This shit sucksssss. Imm back at school now but dont go out much because i have crazy anxiety. I was also diagnosed with ptsd because of everything and tried to get treated.... But im honestly a shell of who i use to be... I just hope i learn to cope. I hate seeing ambulances driving by because i know one day ill be in the back of one... The hardest part was being so self reliant. I love camping and just going out into the woods. But now i dont do that. Exercise was the only thing that kept me happy and now im to scared to do it. Ughhh i just want to be who i was before all this but every skipped/missed and irregular beat sends me right back. I wish everyone good luck because i know ow hard it is...
Hi Chris,
Wow, my heart just went to you as I read your comment (no pun intended)! Your story is a perfect example of how debilitating PVCs can be for many sufferers -- IF we let them debilitate us! I know it's A LOT easier said than done, but I know how you feel because I've been there. You CANNOT let these impact your life to the extent that you are allowing them. The PVC-anxiety cycle is a vicious one and it can be difficult to break. But it CAN be broken through serious mental legwork. First of all, you need to tackle your anxiety issues. For this, I can't say enough positive things about The Linden Method (see links on the sidebar). Please seriously consider it. For me, it was probably the best personal investment I've ever made in my life. When I discovered it and decided to give it a try (despite my skepticism), I was at a crossroads. I felt my anxiety getting out of hand and it was starting to take over my life. I was ready to go to the doctor to medicate myself. But I'm so glad I didn't! I still have my off days, but it's nothing like it was. And I credit that to the techniques and new, healthy thinking habits I learned from the Linden Method.
My PVCs started 2 years ago at age 42. My cardiologist (also a sufferer)prescribed a Beta Blocker called Bisoprolol. It seemed to work for a year or so and I was willing to put up with the side effects. When it stopped working, the Doc discontinued it. I'm glad the medication side effects are gone, but I still feel lousy with these unrelenting PVCs. It's like listening to a crying baby all day. Can't sleep through them. I get depressed and have suicidal thoughts due to lack of sleep. I try to work out every day. I quit drinking. Nothing changes. I will try the "Welches grape juice" and see if that helps. One thing I am grateful for is having so many diagnostic tests preformed to prove there is nothing else physically wrong with me. Thanks for listening.
Once again its so great to be reminded that no Im not going to die from this!but hard to believe sometimes.I have had these for over 5 years and have learned a few things that help.Having reflux Ive noticed when it is bad so are the skipped beats..my cardiologist explained that was because the vagus nerve near the stomach gets irriated when you have relux and then that same nerve goes to your heart ..so it ,your heart gets irritated too!and shows it by skipping beats.So if the relux is under control so are my heartbeats.Also until I discovered that taking magnesium in amounts advised by a naturopath worked to reduce the amount I had of them.
hope this is of interest/help to someone.I feel for you all,they really are just the worst thing to have ,and so hard to feel normal.
Hi people, I dont know what the real answer is for curing this problem. I read stuff like caffiene drinking can cause them BLA BLA BLA its all the same answers. I've red welches grape juice is the cure LOL, or yoga,,, stimulate the vegas nerv, try calcium taurate and vitamin D, it goes on. I read the same stuff on other web sites too. I think you have to go with whatever makes YOU feel better ie- meds or supliments and excersize or all the above. Im on acebutolol because I red that this drug is the answer! well me for its not, it worked at first but I had to keep increasing the dose to get any effect. Now at at the max dose 1200 mgs a day so the cardio dr will try me on a calcium channel blocker and see if it helps. Ive tryed about 5 different beta blockers with no real success. If meds, supliments dont work Im going to ask about ablation. I think it should only be considered between you and your cardiologist when meds, supliments, and life style changes have not worked and if you meet the criteria. Oh ya Im 37 and I live in vancouver B.C. and was diagnosed with frequent pvc's benign..
peace/
I had pvc's for almost 5 years. I realize now with 20/20 hind sight, there were factors that initiated them. I have studied all the blogs and have come up with the answer--for myself and probably others. Close to ten years ago I started on proton pump inhibitors for gerd and hiatus hernia- all was fine for 5 years, then i started to get the palpitations and PVC'S. This lasted up until 6 weeks ago when I got diverticulitus and I went on some antibiotics had to go on liquid diet and I stopped my previcid pills kind of out of the blue... I lost ten pounds in about ten days and continued to lose after changing my diet. I lost about 20 pounds and am still off the previcid, dont suffer from acid reflux after losing the weight but I know after the first 10 days of being off the previcid and losing only a bit of weight, the PVC'S disappeared. A day ago I was watching TV and a well renowned doctor was saying that these propton pump pills have shown to be bad for the heart, as they block the body from absorbing magnesium--even if you take a Mag supplement you'll not get enough...Take heed and>>
#1 lose weight
#2 lose the anti-acid pills for ten day test
#3 more fruit and veggies, plus take cal-mag sup.
#4 exercise to get heart rate up everyday
Best, Ben.
Hi Guys ,
I am a new sufferer of Pvcs . I originally became aware of them about a year ago . i have always been a sufferer on and off with anxiety . And very sensitive to my body functions . I am a very fit person so have become very worried . I was taking conceta a stimulant medication for ADD when i noticed funny sensations in my chest . One day i actually placed my hand on my chest and i noticed that my heart felt like it hads stopped them followed by a harder beat . I was so frightened . I stopped taking the medication imdiately which sucks because it is the only one that has worked successfully . I went to the doctor who did not take me seriously at all . He said your a young fit guy , he listened to my heart which he said sounded very strong . I just did not get a pvc at that moment . They are very scarey and when i go to the gym i say my prayers and hope i dont die . my partner thinks i am crazy and says the doctor says if you have pvc its not dangerous . And i am just to forget about it!!!!!!!!!!God damm how can you forget about something that naturally makes you respond by fear we are talking about our heart not an ear ache . Any way i have been living with it for over 6 months now i have stopped coffee , meds, alcohol , sugar but still get them . I think i dont get them as much now i have stopped all this but i still get them most days . Sometimes when i am training i am just waiting to get one it is very off putting . I never seem to get them when doing hard cardio and i did read some where that cardio is good for them for some reason. Sometimes when i am warming up i get one while my heart is adjusting . I think the biggest releif i have had is taking magnesium extra strength . I am not sure whether it is because i cant feel my heart or it just stops them . I tale my pulse now and can go sixty seconds with out one . It upsets me my partner does not take me seriously . Once after sex it felt like my heart beated 4 times in about 10 seconds it was really scarey . It put me off sex . I am now realising after doing heaps of research that i will just have to live with it and learn to ignore it . hopefully if i stay on the magnesium it will go away .
I'm a 44 year old female. I've had PVC's for 2 years. I tried Bisoprolol for 18 months. It worked for a while, but became ineffective. There was also a lot of side effects I did not like.
I insisted that my cardiologist send me to an electrophysiologist. I had another Holter monitor test and I'm awaiting the results. I'm to be sent tor "mapping" and the doctor thinks I am a candidate for ablation whereas my cardiologist told me I was not. We'll see who is right. I also tried adding juice to my diet as per a blogger's tip. I may agree there is some benefit. If none of this pans out, my acupuncturist told me he cured his own PVC's with Chinese herbs. Stay busy. Stay optimistic.
Hello everyone. It seems like the last post here was May of last year, so I'm hoping that I can still get a response. Did anyone find a solution to PVC's? Do you all still have them? Have they gotten worse? I hate these things!!!! I am 31.... I had my first one at age 23.
Hi,
I've had PVC's and 2 other arrhythmias for 3 years, but it's getting better. A LOT better. I no longer have a plan to kill myself. The beta blockers made it better for a little while, but then stopped working. I tried Chinese herbs and acupuncture. I figured it couldn't hurt. I dropped 30 lbs. That helped. I reduced my beer consumption. I continue to workout one hour per day. I am on a wait list for ablation, but I might refuse it. Not sure. I'll see what I feel like when they call me. Best regards. ~S (45yrs)
I have been suffering from PVCs for just over a year, They can be so intense that I feel really awful, dizzy, breathless and lightheaded. I have fainted twice, with a really fast heart beat. After multiple holter monitors that picked up multiple PVCs but not the tachycardias, I had an implantable monitor inserted (the first go infected and had to be removed) in February. I have been taking bisoprolol 2.5mg since January, which helped take the intensity out of the ectopics (but still suffering with them, although was alot less frequent), lowered my heart rate and subsequently blood pressure. However have noticed a substantial increase again and I fear that I am heading back to the awful times again. My cardiologist is only interested in the tachycardia, but not the ectopics, however it is the ectopics that are the most troublesome. He just always says, it is "normal" but it feels so abnormal!! I know my trigger which is stress but I am a nurse in a stressful job. Any ideas on what to do next??
Hi, I am another person who is so very glad to have found this site. I have been diagnosed with ectopic heartbeats following 2 seperate weeks of holter monitors. Apparentley they sometimes come in couplets. my physical experience
of these is that I will suddenly feel unwell and feel as if I am going to pass out. I don't but I DO feel as if I am going to die. Following this i then get a rapid heartbeat that can go up to 140 beats in a minute and last for a minute or so. (sotalol seems to prevent it from reaching such a fast state but will still go upto 120) This is equally terifying. I have been assured by two different cardiologists that my sinus rythmn does not change at the times my heart beat becomes rapid. Still doesn't help to relieve the daily anxiety that I live with. So many experiences of what peoples are living with resonate with me. I have had to give up my job as a liaison nurse practitioner as when this happens it leaves me feeling very dizzy and struggling to breathe and very tired for anything upto a couple of hours. i litterally have to sit down and cant concentrate on anything. Does anyone else get this? I have tried some manual work but having had an episode at work they decided they did not want me to work with or near machinery. I also know what it's like to find your family and friends not able to fully understand what you are going through. but they are very supportive luckily after two years of this. For those of you that feel as if you are too frightened to do normal things I also understand. For a whole year I would not go anywhere that meant I was on my own. I felt that there was a greater safety in numbers. My whole life has become very different. I was offered three choices from the last cardiologist I saw. He suggested an implantable loop recorder for two years or to investigate hormonal problems or blood pressure investigations. I opted for a blood test for hormones as I am a 53 year old female and the test revealed that I had no eostrogen in my system at all. I started hormone replacment therapy 3 months ago and am having some better days and a noticable decrease in frequency of the episodes. I am ,like many on the site, keeping my fingers crossed. I am so very pleased to have found you all and thank you for this site claudia. I will also join face book. thank you. PS giving up caffiene and alchohol may also help a tiny bit.
Hi everyone,
It's such a relief to hear people describe the symptoms I have as it sometimes feels like I'm going mad! I'm 31 and have always enjoyed exercising and have been going to the gym regularly since I was 18 and have also done a lot of road running including 2 half marathons. Last June I experienced an eptopic heartbeat for the first time when I was just sat watching TV and I was terrified. I felt dizzy, weak and my vision blurred slightly and there was a split second sensation that the world has 'slowed down'. Over the next for months I had blood tests for iron and my thyroid , ecgs, an ultra sound on my heart, a holter monitor and an MRI scan on my chest. All the test were fine but the MRI picked up that I had some very slight damage to the left side of my heart as a result of my bent sternum.
I'd had all the tests don't by October and by then I hardly had any more eptopics. In march this year I was running on the treadmill and had a huge eptopic out of nowhere, but that was it for about six weeks until last week when I was on the bike in the gym going at a moderate pace when I had about 5 eptopics in quick succession along with dizziness, shortness of breath, weakness and a pounding heart. I was absolutely terrified. Since then I've been back to the gym twice but am barely pushing myself as I seem to get eptopics as soon as I enter the door. I'm making myself walk and do weights everyday as not exercising makes me feel really down but the fear of the sensation I get with the eptopics is so frightening I'm forcing myself to exercise through them although often I just feel too weak. There's definitely a connection with reflux as when I'm having eptopics I have excessive burping too. There doesn't seem to be a specific trigger so I just hope they go away on thier own again like last time.
Hi, I have had ectopicsfor38 years. A long time I know,but still they scare me. Like everyone docs have told me not to worry. I hold myself back from sport worried that I will overdo it. It is a very scarey thing and I get one or two a day. I think going back to doc annoys them then they hand out anti depressants. I just wish they suffered and then the understanding would b different.
Hi my name is Scott and you have described exactly how I feel. In fact, today at work I felt like I was going to pass out while having them, and I lost all concentration for several hours.
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How have you been keeping them under control for the last year?
Has anyone with major anxiety battled these successfully? I'm a 30 year old male, exercise moderately, and healthy weight.
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I have suffered debilitating anxiety since I was 19. I have to keep fairly secret about my anxiety and PVCs because nobody understands. I have tried cessation of caffeine and gluten free diet. This helped for a while but they are back.
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I've been battling these for 4 years. I'd love to hear from someone who is older and had suffered from anxiety and been successful in controlling PVCs.
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My 3 year old daughter just went in for her 3 year well visit now we have been to a doctors office 9 out of the past 14 days! Her pvcs are in large clusters and the doctors have been going crazy trying to help slow them down so they do not damage her heart! It was interesting for me to read at how your age it's like they just shrug a shoulder but at her age it seems very crucial to fix! Our daughter is healthy and so far her heart has not been damaged but her heart is still having these extra rapid beats! We fell like a science experiment and yet there is no answer as to what has caused it or if it will ever go away! I think I will do as you have and start a blog about my daughters journey because I have yet to find many parents talking about their children have the same situation as us! It's hard to see your child go through when she acts and appears so healthly! I wish I was the with pvcs and not her!
I am new to PVCs but a appreciate your commments and this blog. I have had sleepless nights because of them. Mines seems worse at night I'm actually taking a break from decaf coffee to see if that helps. I think I'll go have a cup :) cause there just as bad tonight has any other. I have experienced fear and anxiety over this. I appreciate knowing I'm not the only one and that like many others all my test have come back negative. It reassuring that I probably am fine and this is something I need to learn to live with. I will try exercise and maybe Magnesium vitamins. I heard someone had success with fish oil supplements. May try that too.
Thanks!!!
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