Long Term PAC and PVC Suffer. Need your support and guidance

@rr1967
Has your PCP or EP referred you to psyhcology division? I see a PA at Mayo Jacksonville Physchology Division. She is excellent and works with my EP, PCP, and heart failure doctors.

She prescribed escitalopram which is for anxiety. It has really helped. Years ago I was getting ICD shocks. I developed severe PTSD. I was put on Xanac, and Trazodone to be able to sleep at night and the excitalopram. I have come off the Xanac and Trazodone over a year now but she wants me to stay on the escitalopram for my anxiety over the PVCs and PACs.

My heart failure, EP, PCP, and PA at phsychiatric division have all worked together with medications, life style, etc. and my (knock on wood) ICD shocks have not happened. The pace clinic has adjusted my pacemaker and is working fine along with some new medications.

There is nothing wrong with asking about mental health and other medications to help cope with PACs, and PVCs and can medication help.

I will say again that all physicians should be addressing mental health along with physical health as they interact together. Mental health and coping with high stress medical issues affects quality of life and should be just as much priority as physical health.

Hello JC76. Yes my EP did discuss the mental health part of it. I met with a therapist and now I take a low dose of Remeron and Hydroxyzine at night. Along with CBT, my mood has improved and my anxiety has reduced. However these all day PVCs simply shatter my existence and I become terrified and sad all day long.

Hello jc76.
My EP recommended that I simply start taking a basic magnesium supplement at 400mg daily instead of the Heart Calm. So I started yesterday and I take it with dinner. The brand is Natural Factors which was recommended by on LPs and it is called Magenesium Bisglycinate which is supposed to absorb well and be easier on the digestive system. I am hoping that this and the low dose of Metropolol will help reduce the frequency of my PVCs and PACs. I know that they will never go away, but a reduction would really help my mood and fear level.
Thank you,
RR1967

Can I take Heart Calm if I am already taking a beta blocker for PVCs

@jc76 what are ICD shocks?

@windyshores
ICD refers to Inplanted Cardiac Defibrillator.

Mine will speed up my heart when ventricles goes into tacacardia and if that does not work it will give me an electrical shock to heart. That, at least for me, has worked about a dozen times.

With changes to my pacemaker programming and new medication I have not had any shocks or even elevated pacing for over 6 months. I am knocking on wood when I write this.

@chantalf
These are questions you should asked your cardiologist, EP, or PCP. They can determine if a supplement is adversary or helpful with all your medical conditions, especially your heart and what you are taking for your heart.

I know a pain but it is what I do. Most of time they say no problem but several times advised I not take that particular supplement and/or a specific form of it would be better.

@rr1967 You did the right thing asking your EP about what to take. What will work and what is good for one individual may not be for another individual. I think that is important on MCC.

Mine wanted me to take Magnesium Citrate. I was taking another form of Magnesium and was not helping. So I switched to the citrate and wow they did not go completey away but drastically reduced. There are so many addititives to magnesium it can be confusing of what you should take and that is great you went to your EP. It is the same thing I did as the magnesium supplement I was taking was not citrate. Citrate is absorb very quickly in digestive system and is sometimes used to help with BM and constipation.

And you are right on about if it can reduse the PVCs and PACs it really affectgs your mental outlook and moods. Good luck. Sounds like you have a good EP and well up on supplements and what is best form of magnesium for you.

rr1967
Can you talk to your EP and see if they can refer you to psychiatric medication specialist. I go to Mayo Psychiatric department and see a PA who speicalizes in psychology medications. She works with my EP and heart failure doctor before prescribing any medications.

She prescribed Escitalopram 10 mg many years ago to help with my anxiety. This medication was cleared by my heart failure and my EP okay for me. It has really helped reduced my anxiety over the PVCs and PACs.

I am not familiar with the medications you were prescribed but I take my Escitalopram in morning as it meant to be an all day medication. You can always asked your EP about it. What is good for one patient may not be appropriate for another.
Good luck. Also when you get anxiety at night time have you explore doing the deep breathing technique to help reduce anxiety?

I had a follow up with my EP today. I recently went through a 3 + month period of 22% PAC heart burden. He said ablations for PACs are all but impossible because unless they are firing very rapidly like every 2 or 3 second that cannot be found and ablated. Luckily they have really calmed down. I have considerably fewer of them and a low more normal sinus and bradycardia sinus and far far fewer possible Afib (according to the Kadia which cannot tell a PAC from Afib.
I have changed some supplements including some probiotics that affect the heart and very high doses of ubiquinol. I'll see if this keeps up. For those of you with 2% burden you have no idea what 22%. burden is like. Its freaking awful. I also had a 2% PVC burden which adds up to 1/4 of my heart beats are dysfunctional.