Hello
Thank you for the advice. I am currently seeing an electrophysiologist who specializes in arrhythmia and he keeps telling me I am fine. I do not drink caffeine and I do not smoke or use any drug. It looks like at the current time, I do not qualify for an ablation and they are not 100% effective.
RR

Ask him what your PAC burden is as measured by a 24 hour Holter Monitor where you go out and exercise like you'd like to at least once during the 24 hour period. If the burden is higher than about 10%, and he feels it's okay, hie yourself to a second opinion...but not his.

Hi all,
I have a question about the definition of PACs. I have a few isolated incidents of high heart rate, very brief, a few times a day. For instance, as I start my daily walk, my heart rate might go from 70's to 115 in an instant and then return to 70 bpm. So my heart rate seems to only stays high for a brief time and then resumes rythym. Is this what would be considered a PAC or a PVC?

No. PACs and PVCs are often felt through the chest wall as thumps because they are extra beats. Their timing can be irregular, but it is often just an inserted extra beat. Runs of faster beats are tachycardia. Tachycardia includes atrial and ventricular tachycardia, but it also includes supraventricular tachycardia, of which flutter and fibrillation are examples. Supraventricular means 'above, or higher, than the ventricles'. So those would involve only the two atria, and NOT the ventricles. Ventricular tachycardia means fast heart rate driven by a disordered ventricle...only.

You would need a 12 lead ECG, usually in a cardiologist's offices, or at an ER if you end up there, to determine why your heart has runs of high rate after which it settles down to something more representative of your needed cardiac output. At the very least, you would want a prescription to wear a Holter Monitor for at least 20 hours, but three or more days would be ideal. During that time, you would want to stress your heart in a way that you know is likely to bring on the rapid rate. Nothing crazy, just your normal high rate of demand on your heart, such as when running, playing sports, gardening, arguing.....

@gloaming,
Thank you for the reply. I did a holter a few times over the past few years and these heart beats were present. Cardiologist didn't seemed too concerned but did start me on Metoprolol in addition to long standing BP meds. I was just never clear on what type of arrhythmia I have. Thanks.

Sorry I can offer no help except to commiserate. I have pvcs. Had an ablation about 2 months ago for svt. No frequent episodes of svt now but the pvcs are so frequent. Back on diltiazem er 120/day today. Not helping yet. It is such a drag feeling your heart constantly.

It is small comfort, but there are so many of us in an ever-aging, ever-growing, segment of the population who are developing heart conditions, including after MRNA boosters (it seems increasingly so). We comprise a burgeoning proportion of the population globally that there is money pouring into research on this subject. We'll eventually get a solid grip on arrhythmias of different kinds. We're not in the dark ages, exactly, but we're only at the beginning of the 'renaissance'.

Hello, I have posted in this forum several times and I am thankful for your help.

I am still suffering and dealing with daily PACs and PVCs, all day and most nights.
Just to refresh: 56 years old, non smoker, vegetarian, proper weight, male, and have been dealing with PACs and PVCs for over 20 years. Blood pressure is good but I take 100mg of Losartan every morning. Borderline type 2 diabetic. Suffer from chronic anxiety and mild depression.
Since this past May, the PACs and PVCs have become much worse. Numerous ER trips since then: all blood work normal, chest Xray normal, EKG normal with the exception of PACs and PVCS.

I wore a Zio patch in June and it showed normal sinus rhythm with PACs. 1.5% burden. I do see an electrophysiologist and he says I just have a lot of PACs and that everything is fine. In the past six weeks they have become even worse so I was given another Zio patch and I am waiting for the results. I did get a second opinion from a cardiologist at a heart clinic and they said I have to learn to live with these ectopic beats and that they are just a part of who I am and they increase with anxiety. Right now, I feel like my burden is at 10%. I can easily feel them when I check my pulse: anywhere from 6-9 times a minute to maybe 2-3 a minute.

They are worse in the morning and after I eat a meal. Sometimes in the evening the quiet down a bit; sometimes they do not. Exercise does not make them go away and I have become very scared to work out as I can feel them. Cardio and EP says not to worry!

Medications:
1. Tried two different beta blockers. No effect but they lowered my resting heart rate from 50s to the 40s. Had to discontinue.
2. Tried Flecanide 25mg twice a day. No effect, but I was really lethargic and had to discontinue. I felt like sleeping all day.
3. Tried 120 mg of Diltiazem..no effect at all. Now I am on 240 mg of Diltiazem, started almost three weeks ago, and no effect at all.

I can feel literally every skipped or extra beat and they are driving me crazy. I feel like I am losing hope. Not sure what to do. They PACS and PVCs are preventing good sleep even if I take Klonopin or Hydroxizine before I go to bed. I have been told that magnesium supplements are not affective, but I also eat a lot of veggies, soy, and fruit every day. No allergies and I have reduced my consumption of alcohol to once a week during the weekends. None this past weekend.
I do see a therapist and we have tried CBT, etc. No help at all.

Ablation might be my next step if they get to 20%. Or even a different type of anti arrhythmic.

How do you folks with chronic ectopic beats cope with all this? What have tried that works even a bit to reduce them. I know they will never go away, but I need just a bit of relief.
Thank you!

Hello I received my Zio patch results yesterday. Predominant normal sinus rhythm with PACs and PVCs. Nothing remarkable per the cardiologist. PVCs very rare and PACs were occasional.
My PAC burden has increased from 1.5% in June to 3.4% in October per the Zio patch. I did have three very short runs of SVTs ( 8 days total) and I have been told these are benign.

I am worried why my PAC burden has more than doubled since June. Though my cardiologist and EP keep telling me that PACs, even at 10% burden, cannot hurt your heart at all. I see my EP in a couple of days and hopefully he will have plan on what we can do to at reduced the PAC burden.

One doctor told that regular exercise will reduce PACs and PVCs.

Thank you,
RR

My cardiologist also said magnesium was good for the heart. Be careful of potassium supplements.