Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
Recently diagnosed with PVCs and I’m getting really frustrated and scared at the same time. Taking 10mg propranolol twice per day which does help cut down the intensity. But I’ve also noticed with most PVCs I’m also feeling the flutters in my upper abdomen as well as my throat. I’m going to see my doctor in a couple of weeks but was wondering if anyone else has had the same expression of symptoms. Thanks a bunch!!
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I seem to have PVC’s all the time. When I’m well rested maybe every 8 to 15 beats. If I’m tired it’s about every 3 beats. I feel good though and they’re not really bothersome. With the exception of running in hot weather the completely go away when I run.
pantherfancm77,
The biggest problem with the 30 day monitoring is the longterm exposure to the adhesive patches. Those can cause skin reactions.
My experience with PVCs did not really include fluttering sensations. I would feel an enormous boom like when one of those large drums they carry in parades. This is the ventricle pushing a large amount of blood out due to the previous contraction coming far too soon and only pushing out a very small amount. I never seemed to feel the small early beats, only the huge boom on the return to a more normal rhythm. I still feel them, just very small and they occur sometimes about 3/minute more usually 1/minute, but not the 20/minute prior to the ablation I went through.
My cardiologist told me the bradycardia I experience allows the occasional PVC and that was his motivation for wanting to place a pacemaker. My recovery from the quad bypass on 7/24/15 has been so good he finally wants to wait longer before approaching the subject. He is in a wait and see time. He continues to tell me I am one of his healthiest patients and still expresses amazement the tI am still doing much better than most of his other patients.
Mayo Clinic has finally stated PVCs are very damaging to the heart muscle due to the large load of blood the ventricle is forced to push out on the beat that follows a PVC.
See if you can have your doctor hook you up on a 30 day monitor. Then you can see what is going on when you feel the fluttering. You could also do a 24 or 48 hour holiter monitor if it happens every day.
Hi, @donsmith1959 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I apologize for the delayed response. Thanks for the information on your diagnosis with PVCs three years back, how they go away while running, and how you woke up a few nights ago with fluttering similar to what you've experienced when hot-weather running. Sounds like though your doctor has indicated you are fine and not recommended a cardiologist, you have some questions about this occurrence.
Here is some Mayo Clinic information on PVCs you may be interested to read https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ventricular-contractions/symptoms-causes/syc-20376757.
I'd like to tag @pantherfancm77 @tigertoo @jameck @eileena @balubeje for their insights on your situation.
Have you experienced PVCs in any other specific conditions, @donsmith1959? Is awakening with fluttering something you've experienced before?
Hi
I’ve been using Propanolol sane dose as you, for 7 years after having high load PVCs, I had an ablation which eliminated most of them, the BBs take care of the rest.
BBs are receptor inhibitors, that’s a switch on your cells, (type 1 in your heart, type 2 in lungs) they can cause a bit of chest tightness as you have receptors in your lungs, blocking the lung receptors can cause a bit of narrowing of the airways, I occasionally feel this but it passes.
Shouldn’t take them if you have asthma or COPD
I've had the exact same symptom with the stomach flitter, you can actually see it jumping around if you catch it. Made me worry about an aortal aneurism, which I do NOT have. I read that it's possibly never damage secondary to my myocardial infarction.
everyday-mainly in early morning-wore heart monitor many times -told normal -not to worry but i feel everyone-had them since 2009-sometimes they will seem to go away then they always come back-wondering if my i.b.s is some of the cause-thank-you
I started having PAC’s, and PVC’s one evening for no obvious reason. They would usually begin at around 8:30pm to 10:30pm, and would last until 2:00am. This condition went on for four days. I started eating our home grown tomatoes everyday because I like tomatoes, not considering I would get some therapeutic benefit. However, after eating two tomatoes everyday for four days I am no longer am experiencing PAC’s or PVC’s. A Google search reveals tomatoes may lower blood pressure, and improve heart health. I could find no evidence that tomatoes actually provide relief from this annoying problem, but so far it’s working for me. I would say, make sure you’re properly hydrated, get all your electrolytes, and try eating a couple of tomatoes a day for a week, and see what happens. If it works; great. If you still have PAC’s/PVC’s, after eating all those tomatoes, think about all those extra veggies you ingested. What do you have to lose.
Very interesting. Please do a little trial for us. Stop eating tomatoes for 2 weeks and see if the problem returns and report back. But…..better wait until the best August tomatoes are no longer producing!