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

I've had PVC'S for many years also. Cardiologist said years ago that everyone has them, even him. It's just that I'm very aware of mine whereas most people do not feel them. I also take losartan for high blood pressure. I take 25mg metoprolol twice daily. I take magnesium citrate supplement per my cardiologists request. My PVC'S are almost nonexistent now. Every now and then I'll feel them. My doctor said unless you are having other symptoms, profuse sweating, chest pain, difficulty breathing, arm pain etc, then there is usually nothing to worry about.

@brheartbeat
Yes mine are all day also. Some are minor and I ignore some are stronger and pause to see if more coming.

My EP at Mayo Jacksonville recommended I take 400 mg of magnesium to help with PVCs. He recommended the Citrate form. Why? It is highly absorbable. Some though it can cause some digestive issue. I researched on line and found that the Glycimate (spell) was also highly absorable.

Check with you doctors first before starting a supplement to make sure right fo you. Example. Posters were promoting potassium as helping. I checked with my EP and said did not recommend taking any additional potassium as my blood test revealed I was at the high level of posttasium in my blood test.

Anxiety and panic attacks. We per my doctors need to try and reduce anxiety and stress. Per my doctors they do add and aggravate PVCs and PAC (atrium) rympthm.

What I do is participate in exercise I like doing 6 days a week. It really helps reduce my anxiety as always thinking about PVCs and possibly getting a AICD shock. Check again with your doctors about exercising as we do not know about your medical history.

Some don't like to exercise. Then find a hobby you really like. I have posted in past reading several history books on FDR. He was under tremendous stress in WW2. What he did almost every day was to work on hisstamp collection as it allowed him to relax and enjoy something.

It goes a long way with mental health which has dramatic affect on physical health.

After years of heart palpitations doc finally said it is basically an extra heartbeat with symptoms which most people don't have symptoms and there is nothing they can do about it. I'm very frustrated and tired. They increased my metoprolol and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. I'm trying to learn to live with it because apparently that's all you can do.

@squizzer
Are you seeing a Electrophysiologist? That is a specialized cardiologist who specializes in electrical systems of heart. If you are not I would suggest finding one at a major medical facility and get a second opinion.

I have PVC and PACS with an occasional side order of SVTs. I'm able to catch the runs of SVTs on my apple watch which look very scary to me, but my cardiologist told me not to worry; as long as my heartbeat returns to normal within a short amount of time. They are however, very bothersome as it feels like something is wrong. I've been exercising on an elliptical daily, fairly intensive for 30 minutes, and not letting my heart rate go above 130. Don't want anything to happen at the gym. My cardiologist said there's no need to run any more tests or see an electrophysiologist. So we shall see.

Mine started in my 20's. Each year, the frequency increased. Now I am 76. Have them every single day now, about every five minutes or so. So its constant now. I walk on my treadmill every other day for 30-40 mins at 3 to 3.5 Mph and dont have them while walking. The heart seems fine. Yes, it has made me depressed. Despite being told, they are harmless. I dont believe every one has them. Would not the whole world be walking around depressed? They are pretty awful. I live but gosh, I feel every single one and just hate them. And my load is only like 1% or so. I have cholestrol issues and blood pressure. So on top of all that, this. I have tried breathing exercies, 4 in, 6 out, but I am not sure it works. My doctor also gave me Flecnide. But after reading about it, I too have decided not to take it. I was on 25 mg of Metaprolol and had no effect. I blip right through it. They have now upped it to 25 mg, twice a day, still no effect. I drink water, take Vit D, Mag etc. But nothing works. Not even Ativan. I would like to take Lexapro but apprently it is not friendly with blood pressure medications. I read the Sertraline is better. I am productive and do what I have to, but it has taken the joy out of live. I feel for you.

@lamgc
You are not alone in the PVCs, PACs, affecting your living. I have them constantly and have gone through 2 ablations with another coming up.

I too do not feel the PVCs during exercise. But was told probably still having them but you are not heart focused, moving, and your mind on something else. In my opinion and not a medical opinion is that the increase in BPM when exercising has something to do with it. But just what I feel when I exercise versus at rest.

I would suggest some things but you have already tried them. Then did work for me. Can I asked what type of magnesium you were told to take and how much. My EP recommended for me 400 mg. of magnesium. I researched which was best type for PVCs and found the Magnesium Glycinate was listed as best for calming heart. The citrate is a popular formula as it dissolves really well but some have digestive issue with they formula as routinely recommend by doctors (my wife and I's doctors) to help with bowel movements.

@linnie52
Could I mentioned seeing a electrophysiologist. They are the experts in electrical function of your heart. I have been seeing one since 2006 in addition to my HF cardiologist. The both work together (Mayo Jacksonville) to provide what is best for me.

The EPs are treating electrical issues alone and up to the latest medications and treatments. Just a thought from me. If this was me and having this ongoing I would see a electrophysiologist. Never hurts to get a second opinion and that opinion coming from a medical expert in electrophysiology.

Hello. There’s alot of literature online on the link between your stomach and heart (via the vagus nerve). When you do your search you’ll see there is a condition called Roemheld syndrome which is interesting. I’ve had many pac and pvc attacks close to 40 years. I sort of got used to them about 15 years ago, and while they didn’t go away completely for the most part I could disregard them when they hit. However they have flared up again recently and it feels like someone is walking behind me zapping me with a cattle prod or something. I am sure mine are caused by my vagus nerve, i do have a hiatal hernia which may be part of the problem.

My experince is simialr to what others write above. Ablation in 2017 followed by 3-4 years of mostly SR then staring experienecing some heart rhythm issues while biking and even walking. I watch trace said AF but it wasnt the same as my classic experience with AF with bpm in the 80s instead of the classic 135 BPm of real AF, My EP says these were PACs veryone has them. But mine were too freequent as much as 30% of the beats and the symptoms of Af were there especillyy during exercise - I began to call my condition 'Afib Lite'. I also noticed that my infrequent spells of true AF correlated to periods when my PACs were heaviest - I believed there was some connection and even read one refrence which supported this theory. In 2025 upon the advice of my Ep started experimenting with my thyroid hormone doseage - there isa striong corerelation between AF an hyperthyroidism. I noticd an improvement; I'm engineer so suspcious of one time results so i repeated the expeirmnet with sam e results. Thought I had licked this afib lite problem until april this year when I found myself in ER after hours long spells of true Afib (the PACs were there a lot after I was converted to SR) AFter teh third ER visit My EP scheduled me for convergent procedure which basically ablates both inside and outside of the heart and addresses the vagal nerve in some way. I'm 3 weeks post procedure heart rhythm is still unstable as expected socalled blanking period but future looks bright once the ablations heal typically 3 mos. Doc showed me the hot spot images of my heart pre and post procedures - the outside was full of hot spots whereas the interior not so much so probably due to prior cathheter ablation. images of the Bottom Line: I now believe that these heart arrthmias are structural problems which can only be addressed long term by ablation to both interior and exterior of heart