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PACs & PVCs at Night/Early Morning

Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Feb 8 3:09pm | Replies (10)

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Profile picture for sjm46 @sjm46

Just wondering what your cardiologist has said to you about your issue? I want to share that I was diagnosed with A-fib a year ago in October. I had to wait for a cardioversion in Dec, then after some months of "peace" I had an outbreak of A-fib again, tried an anti-arrhthymic and opted for an ablation last November. The A-fib is "gone" but I now have intermittent Premature Supraventricular complex. I thought I had just traded one form of arrhythmia for another BUT my cardiologist just told me that I am super lucky! He explained that this "extra beat" condition is not unusual, is not really harmful (unless excessive) and is so much better than dealing A-fib! Like you, I notice the extra beats more at night or at rest; he said this is also typical since when the heart starts to slow down at rest, that is when the offending electrical site is more likely to "take over" from the AVN. I told him that on the two or three occasions when it really bothered me at night so I couldn't sleep, I took a small dose of Flecainide (had it left over from my trial on this drug) and it went away in a matter of an hour or so. It's called "a pill in a pocket." I am not suggesting this for anyone; it just worked for me. I guess my bottom line is that I left this cardiology appointment feeling very lucky and much more optimistic about the success of my ablation. I can live with these occasional extra beats but A-fib was a real downer, much more dangerous for my overall health/lifestyle and my concern that it would "spread" to a more chronic condition. Just have a real discussion with your doc if you haven't already. Sometimes having something that is slightly annoying is better than something that can't really be controlled, has long term risks and is truly ruining your lifestyle. Good luck.

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Replies to "Just wondering what your cardiologist has said to you about your issue? I want to share..."

@sjm46 Thank you for a very positive response! There's this thought in the back of my mind that, "this can't be good." But acceptance is key to living a healthy life, and as you said, "gratitude" is so important. It could be something more serious. Other people are living with conditions that are far worse. My late father had A-fib and eventually needed a pacemaker.

About five years ago when my symptoms where less frequent, my GP prescribed propranolol on an as needed basis. I found that it would instantly to calm down the arrhythmia and after a few days I didn't need to take the medication. It could be months, years between episodes. Currently my symptoms are stronger and more frequent (daily), however, I am unable to take a beta blocker at this point in my life due to a low heart rate. I plan to focus on healthy living and looking forward to discussing options with my Cardiologist next month.