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Long Term PAC and PVC Suffer. Need your support and guidance
Hello everyone. Thank you for reading this below is my story:
I have been dealing with PVCs and PACs for almost 20 years. They flare up once per year usually. I have had Zio Patch monitors, tons of EKGs, a stress echo four years ago, two heart CT scans two decades ago, many ER visits, etc, etc. All results were normal with the exception of showing PACs and PVC. My burden has always been below 2% when they flare up.
25-e some stats:
1. I am 55 and in good health
2. Borderline blood pressure: usually around 120-130/75-85 most normal days.
3. Borderline type 2 diabetic.
4. I do suffer from chronic anxiety and depression. Twenty years ago I suffered many panic attacks for the course of a year. But they have gone away. Mostly I deal with almost daily anxiety and worry.
5. Non smoker, no drugs
6. I do drink alcohol ( wine or beer) on weekends with my wife, only at night.
7. I am at a healthy weight. Cholesterol and Triglycerides all normal.
8. Resting heart rate: 50-60. Cardio doc states that this heart rate is normal for me.
Well my most recent flare up started two weeks ago and they seem worse. I feel the extra beat the moment I wake up they go on all day until I go to bed. I went to the ER and they did another EKG and ran a bunch of blood work. Of course...all normal. Diagnosis: PACs. Electrolytes also all normal.
In the last week, I have noticed my skipped beats increasing when I move around, go grab groceries, go for a walk, even exercise. This has me more scared than ever. My regular doctor told me not to worry, but I am seeing an electrophysiologist (EP) tomorrow. I did see an EP two years ago and he told me I was fine and prescribed Flecianide to take as needed. I saw the side effects and they scared me off so I never tried them. Eventually, the extra beats went away.
I have also tried Metropolol and they did not work. They also made my heart rate slower so my cardio doc told me to stop taking them.
But as stated, they extra beats are back and I am more scared then ever, especially with them increasing with movement or exercise. I have never fainted or felt dizzy from these. I only catch my breath and feel extra alerted.
Finally, my palpitations also seem to increase considerably after I eat a meal. Is this normal?
Any advice, recommendations, encouragement, support please.
Thank you and my apologies for any typos or writing errors.
RR
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Yes Enalapril Ace Inhibitor but no High blood pressure medicine. Have naturally low BP..
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1 Reaction@rr1967
Have you had a echocardiogram? It can check the EF of your heart. That would be good to know as a good EF should reduce your stress.
I have tons of PVCs. They cause me a lot of stress which causes more PVCs. Was this relayed to you? Stress as well as eating can trigger PVCs. I find if I exercise my PVCs go down.
I have a ICD/Pacemaker since 2006. I have many shocks but now I like having the ICD/Pacemaker in my chest as without it I would not be typing this. I do not have exercise restrictions the opposite to keep the heart as strong as can be. I take Entresto and Carvididol. Two great heart medications that can really helped those with HF.
Too long I went not treating my HP and I think over the decades caused the HF. My BP now is the opposite as is usally around 100-60. So a little dizzy if stand up to soon. But deal with it to reduct pressure on heart if you have high BP.
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1 ReactionWhat is EF? Do you take supplements?what foods trigger your PVCs?
Thanks
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2 Reactions@712
Sorry just been dealing with heart failure for 24 years and abbreviations are something I overlook.
EF stands for Ejection Fraction. This is the perecentage (%) amount of blood that is pumped out of heart once it is filled with blood. Normal is around 60-70 and I think when it goes below 50 they considered it heart failure.
The term heart failure is not a good term and almost every cardiologist will say so. It only means that the heart is not pumping out the normal % of blood from LV. The LV (Left Ventricle) is the ventricle that sends blood throughout body. In my opinion the name should be changed to reduced heart function (RHF) as the term heart failure implies the heart has failed and it has not until it actually fails to pump enough blood to live.
You can have heart failure in the RV (right ventricle and/or LV (left ventricle). I only have it on the LV. It is why I can exercise without restriction and have little to no side affects from the LV heart failure. Cardiovascular disease nor a heart attack caused my heart failure. It was cardiomyopathy that they determined was caused by a virus than left scar tissue in my heart. I screwed up my electrical system and I have a AICD/Pacemaker.
I was advised to take the following supplements. Co-Q-10 and Fish Oil by my heart failue doctor. And my EP (electrophysiologist) wants me to take 400 mg of Magnesium Citrate.
I don't think I have any foods that trigger my PVCs but there may be and just don't know it. I know I try to avoid caffine as it speeds up your heart.
Hope this information helped.
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2 ReactionsThank you.
I also wanted to ask do you take any coq10 if so what dosage?
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1 Reaction@713j Yes take Co-Q-10. Back in 2016 the cardiologist (Mayo Jacksonville) who prescribed a statin to me recommended I take co-q-10 as you can get muscle aches from taking the statin.
Then my heart failure docotor (Mayo Jacksonville) a couple of years ago recommended I take Co-!-10 for my heart failure. He suggested 200 mg.
What I take is a combination of Ubiquinol and Co-q-10. Ubiquinol is a much easier absorbed version of Co-Q-10 but much more expensive. I take 1 soft gel of Ubiquionol 100 mg. in morning. Then I take 2 more of pills of the regular Co-Q-10 (one at lunch/dinner) at 100 mg each. So I am taking 300 mg a day.
You can find the Ubiquionol at some good prices at Qunol, and Life Extension. VitaCost is also a huge supplier of vitamins and supplements and carries almost all brands as well as their own. It can be expensive so you can see why I do a combination. I was using Puritan Pride but unless they were have special sale found their prices for Ubiquionol expensive. Their prices for Co-Q-10 though are pretty good.
I never had the muscle aches as was already taking Co-Q-10 when told to take it by first cardiologist. I am kind of a supplement/vitamin fanatic who reads and researches a lot. So by the time my doctors recommend something to me like fish oil, magnesium, etc., I am already taking it.
My wife when she got prescription for statin did get muscle aches. I suggested to her try co-q-10 and she did. She told me it did help reduce the muscle soreness and eventually soreness went away. The heart is a muscle so what ever the Co-Q-10 does for muscles probably does same for heart and why my heart failure doctor wanted me to use it.
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2 ReactionsGood info. How much magnesium do you take? Did you ever hear of heart calm with the three magnesium? Your thoughts?
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1 Reaction@713j
I was advised by my Electrophysiologist to take 400 mg a day. He suggested the citrate version as was the easiest for body to metabolize.
I have not heard of the heart calm. But as you wrote there are three (3) different types of Magnesium. I would be open to using it but would want to research it. Do you know any informatino on it?
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2 ReactionsIt’s made by(vital biologics). You can go on there website for review. Looking forward to your analysis.
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3 Reactions