1. < Heart & Blood Health

Premature atrial contractions: Anyone have any helpful info on this?

Posted by lolly906 @lolly906, Aug 17, 2018

I was now just recently told I have Premature Atrial Contractions, or P.A.C, after being on a holter monitor for 48 hrs. I was told this after my higher then normal calcium score, and was told p.a.c. is benign., but im still worried. I was put on monitor after I felt my heart pounding hard in my left neck area. Im wondering if anyone has any helpful info on this? Im really worried acutally, even cancelled my colonoscopy due to the laxative saying it could cause irregular heartbeat. it seems I can feel my heart skip beats at times or speed up! very scary to me. Im wondering if anyone else has this? I am 58 yrs old and am on lovastatin for high cholesterol thanks

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

healthytoday | @healthytoday | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@healthytoday The fat in milk or dairy products does affe t your heart Most is cassein..." + (show)
@lioness

@healthytoday The fat in milk or dairy products does affe t your heart Most is cassein or whey After my bypass I went to fat free smell m milk now I do almond milk as its called.

Jump to this post

No more dairy for me, maybe an occasional frozen yogurt or cheese cracker.

REPLY
healthytoday | @healthytoday | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @jddart "Fear can be so debilitating. When I was having episodes of A-fib, I lived in fear..." + (show)
@jddart

Fear can be so debilitating. When I was having episodes of A-fib, I lived in fear for 5 years. Didn't let my wife out of my sight. A catheter ablation cured my A-fib, but the old fear comes back when I have too many PACs/PVCs, because it feels too much like A-fib. I think it's a fearful thing because it is, after all, your heart. I think you can ask your doctor about a catheter ablation if 20% of your heartbeats are PACs. It helps to know that PACs are largely benign. I get relief from fear largely through spiritual means.

Jump to this post

Yes, a spiritual practice is one of the legs of the table of life.

REPLY
healthytoday | @healthytoday | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @kenny48 "Not replying to anyone here now. Simply checking in, it's bee awhile. I've been doing pretty..." + (show)
@kenny48

Not replying to anyone here now. Simply checking in, it's bee awhile. I've been doing pretty good myself and hope everyone else is. The fact that I have been symptom free since the holidays, actually has me nervous. Too much of a good thing? I hope Scarlett got the help she needed, and is doing ok. I see she never checked back. I myself have thrown caution to the wind, and at 70 have decided to do something I have wanted to do for years. I'm making a move across the pond, to Germany. Finally had my Health Insurance approved over there. So figured there are no more obstacles, other than being an old fart. Don't know how much longer I have left, so might as well do something I have always wanted to do. Oh yes, I do have something to reply. I have also read about too much screen time bringing on attacks, but I was given a reason. Spending too much time looking up all this stuff, just adds to our anxiety about it. I know for certain, that anxiety brings this on for me. I'm surprised I'm not having problems now, and don't wish to bring it on myself thinking about it. Perhaps it's because I am happy about making a big decision.

Jump to this post

Here's to your new adventure. And yes, too much time and thought devoted to ailments of the heart. Focus on something else.

REPLY
Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator | @kanaazpereira | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @jddart "I read recently that too much screen time can induce PACs. Anyone want to comment?" + (show)
@jddart

I read recently that too much screen time can induce PACs. Anyone want to comment?

Jump to this post

Hi @jddart,

You’re right in that too much screen time could contribute to future heart disease...in kids. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently studied every issue that can lead to heart disease in adults – AHA experts reviewed 20 years of science on the relationship between cardiovascular disease, stroke and excessive screen time (children and teenagers), and found that although TV time has gone down, the use of mobile screens is up. Results showed that screen time is associated with being overweight and obese – "because children 'tune out' and don't notice when they are full when eating in front of a screen” – which is associated with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to heart disease.
An interesting point to note: "the research doesn't show a connection between obesity and social media or gaming, perhaps because it is harder to snack while gaming!” https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/08/06/limit-screen-time-among-kids-experts-caution

REPLY
kenny48 | @kenny48 | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @jddart "Fear can be so debilitating. When I was having episodes of A-fib, I lived in fear..." + (show)
@jddart

Fear can be so debilitating. When I was having episodes of A-fib, I lived in fear for 5 years. Didn't let my wife out of my sight. A catheter ablation cured my A-fib, but the old fear comes back when I have too many PACs/PVCs, because it feels too much like A-fib. I think it's a fearful thing because it is, after all, your heart. I think you can ask your doctor about a catheter ablation if 20% of your heartbeats are PACs. It helps to know that PACs are largely benign. I get relief from fear largely through spiritual means.

Jump to this post

Yes, both pac's and pvc's scare me when I have them. Often when I have had afib episodes, it was when I felt a few, panicked and went into full afib. I can tell the difference however between the two. The pvc's actually feel stronger than the pac's and I feel them at the bottom of my chest, whereas pac's feel less intense and I feel them more in my upper chest, near my collarbone. I take Flecainide to ward them off. Most of the time, it works. Doc said no need for an ablation, if they can be controlled with medication.

REPLY
scardycat | @scardycat | Jan 18, 2019
In reply to @kenny48 "Not replying to anyone here now. Simply checking in, it's bee awhile. I've been doing pretty..." + (show)
@kenny48

Not replying to anyone here now. Simply checking in, it's bee awhile. I've been doing pretty good myself and hope everyone else is. The fact that I have been symptom free since the holidays, actually has me nervous. Too much of a good thing? I hope Scarlett got the help she needed, and is doing ok. I see she never checked back. I myself have thrown caution to the wind, and at 70 have decided to do something I have wanted to do for years. I'm making a move across the pond, to Germany. Finally had my Health Insurance approved over there. So figured there are no more obstacles, other than being an old fart. Don't know how much longer I have left, so might as well do something I have always wanted to do. Oh yes, I do have something to reply. I have also read about too much screen time bringing on attacks, but I was given a reason. Spending too much time looking up all this stuff, just adds to our anxiety about it. I know for certain, that anxiety brings this on for me. I'm surprised I'm not having problems now, and don't wish to bring it on myself thinking about it. Perhaps it's because I am happy about making a big decision.

Jump to this post

Good luck on your adventure, yes I’m a nervous Nellie and research and look everything up I’m sure NOT a good idea, safe travels

REPLY
jameck | @jameck | Jan 20, 2019
In reply to @healthytoday "Someone told me that as I aged, I needed to cut down the sugar and caffeine..." + (show)
@healthytoday

Someone told me that as I aged, I needed to cut down the sugar and caffeine (a lot). I'd consider your diet. Also salt.

Jump to this post

Makes sense. I am trying to cut down on both.

REPLY
1 reply
jddart | @jddart | Jan 20, 2019
In reply to @jameck "Makes sense. I am trying to cut down on both." + (show)
@jameck

Makes sense. I am trying to cut down on both.

Jump to this post

I've completely cut out caffeine. I used to drink 3 coffees per day, often Starbucks. The ER staff were having a laugh at my expense a few years ago, because my very first episode of A-fib was triggered by drinking about 40 oz of the strongest Starbucks coffee. I found out later that within an hour I had ingested about 1250 mg of caffeine, equivalent to about a pot of normal coffee. They told me, "You're going to be in here overnight, because that caffeine isn't going to wear off for about 10 hours." So I do still drink coffee, but decaf. I'm thankful that there are more better tasting decaf options out there now, including Starbucks. I'm still working on the sugar thing though.

REPLY
1 reply
scardycat | @scardycat | Jan 20, 2019
In reply to @jddart "I've completely cut out caffeine. I used to drink 3 coffees per day, often Starbucks. The..." + (show)
@jddart

I've completely cut out caffeine. I used to drink 3 coffees per day, often Starbucks. The ER staff were having a laugh at my expense a few years ago, because my very first episode of A-fib was triggered by drinking about 40 oz of the strongest Starbucks coffee. I found out later that within an hour I had ingested about 1250 mg of caffeine, equivalent to about a pot of normal coffee. They told me, "You're going to be in here overnight, because that caffeine isn't going to wear off for about 10 hours." So I do still drink coffee, but decaf. I'm thankful that there are more better tasting decaf options out there now, including Starbucks. I'm still working on the sugar thing though.

Jump to this post

Yes I have up my much loved morning coffee and
Wine😞

REPLY
1 reply
jddart | @jddart | Jan 20, 2019
In reply to @scardycat "Yes I have up my much loved morning coffee and Wine😞" + (show)
@scardycat

Yes I have up my much loved morning coffee and
Wine😞

Jump to this post

For me it wasn't about the caffeine but more the taste. So I don't miss the buzz and decaf has come a long way

REPLY
1 reply
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.