Sigh. PVC’s have me desperate. How to cope?

Posted by mattb4295 @mattb4295, Oct 16, 2022

First off, thank you for reading. I know from reading posts that people have it worse than I do and I offer my utmost respect for those of you who do.

Briefly-

39 yo/m
Reasonably healthy. Non smoker. Stressful job.

So, a few years ago I started to have an occasional (painful) pvc that always got my attention. Once it hit 3-4 a day, I did like everyone else, and sound of the alarm and got the full gamut of testing.

Benign. Low dose Metoprolol.

Ok great.

Fast forward to these last two months, and the amount of PVCs I am having has increased 100 fold. They are all day. I went from a few a month to one a minute.

Panic. Doctor. Here we go again.

Once again, they are telling me that they are unifocal and harmless. These. Don’t. Feel. Harmless.

They absolutely stop me mid sentence every time. Each one is like a jump scare. My stomach drops like a roller coaster and I have a brief adrenaline shot. Like you’re scaring the heck out of me over and over. Just a Deep painful fear each time.

The doctors don’t seem very concerned. They recommended a magnesium supplement, which I am taking religiously.

No caffeine. No smoking. No alcohols.

Nothing.

This has destroyed my quality of live almost overnight. I wake up in anticipation. I go to sleep in fear.

Does it get better? Is this my life now? Even as I type this, I’m having one about every 30 seconds. I don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t want to do anything. I’m just petrified.

Wonder if switching from a beta to a calcium channel would work? Is this my life now?

The sad thing is… I “know” it’s supposed to be fine but why doesn’t it feel fine? Every shot of adrenaline warns me that I won’t be around much longer.

Just terrible.

Any input is appreciated.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jun 6, 2023

Welcome @hadoy. I'm tagging @mattb4295 as I believe your question was directed to them.

Matt, how are you doing?

Hadoy, tell us a bit more about your PVC story.

Dana, Volunteer Mentor | @danab | Jun 6, 2023

In reply to @hadoy "Hello Iam going through the same thing ? How are your pvc now ?" + (show)

Hi Hadoy , Like I mentioned to Matt I suggested some things to try in my post above. here is the link.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/762034/
I used them for arrythmias but may help with PVCs. Yes I had them also but not more than a few minutes at a time . And it wasnt that often. My EP Cardiologist did say he would treat them if they got more often or many at one time. Mine never did so I'm not sure what the treatment is, but the other question I have is are you under the care of an EP Cardioligest. They specialize in the electrical parts of the heart.

rozy288 | @rozy288 | Jun 7, 2023

See an Electro physiologist Which is a specialist in Cardiology 🫀 that deals with the electrical part of heart.
I’ve had PVC’s , PAC’s on and off since my 20’s . Worn Halter monitors 14 days , ran all the tests . I feel every single one and yes it’s so scary when they come so close together. I’m 61 now , tried a couple type beta blockers years ago but drops BP way to low . I also have horrendous Gastro disorders that are very chronic 10 years .
I just had something new the other night , a run of A- Fib that woke me from sleep 💤 and was erratic and so different. Caught the episode that lasted 1.5 hrs on my Apple Watch ECG . Going to see a EP next . Sent over the ECG reading via email to my reg cardiologist.
I don’t know what’s scarier . That was my first experience with that . Sounds like you may need heart ablation if yours keep up so bad as they are . My X had that and it helped tremendously.
They’ve come a long way in doing these procedures.
I take Heart Calm By Vital Biologics ( google it ), 3 diff magnesium with some potassium and Q-10 . It def saved me many trips to ER . I take 2-3 at once if I’m having them .
You def should seek out a new EP Cardiologist.
Im praying my A fib was just a crazy incident and won’t return . It’s enough with my chronic digestive daily and the PVC’s that come and go . I’ll pray 🙏. Keep us posted ok ✅.
Maybe a low dose Xanax or similar for the anxiety of it all too .

mattb4295 | @mattb4295 | Jun 20, 2023

In reply to @hadoy "Hello Iam going through the same thing ? How are your pvc now ?" + (show)

Honestly no better. It subsided for a few months and is back with a vengeance. Every stab to the chest makes me so upset. Feels like I can’t go anywhere or live my life.

jackone | @jackone | Jun 26, 2023

I have found the recommendations in Dr. Stephen Sinatra's book, The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology (3rd Ed) to be helpful for all kinds of cardiac care (I am in my mid-eighties). I take magnesium faithfully and recently boosted my potassium (check w/ your health care provider re; this) during an extended series of PVCs recently. They ended. Cannot prove the potassium helped (things sometimes end without an obvious cause), but I am pleased.

sillygirl67 | @sillygirl67 | Jul 15, 2023

hi,
you are so young to be getting these. Sounds like you have a stressfull job. I am 67, female and I have been having these, since I am in my 40's. They just have seemed to be getting worse. My cardio. sent me to a cardio electro. doc. and he was ready to do an oblation. I went to another doc. who said, lets try switching BP meds first. So I went on Metoprolol 50 mg. which is the drug of choice for pvc's. I just started the new meds today. So, He said to give it 3 weeks on the meds and then the holter moniter for 3 days, to see if there is any improvement. Also sending me for a MRI of the heart with contrast and without to make sure theres nothing else wrong. Allready had echo, which was good, nuclear stress test to check for any blockages, that was good. Anxiety, also makes it worse. I know its easy to tell a person to calm down, but it is very hard to do. You should however, be under the care of a cardio. electronogist. doctor. He can help you. Good Luck

tenclawz | @tenclawz | Jul 28, 2023

I do read a lot of the comments concerning palpitations and feel sorry for those who have it. My wife is also have the palpitations. To cut it short, what is the best magnesium for palpitations. I know that the electrical makeup depends on magnesium to a certain extent. There are so many different
make ups of the magnesium, but it seems there should be a particular
combination of the oxide, citrate, and succinate, plus others that would be best.
Anyone know the answer? Thanks in advance for help.

blinken | @blinken | Jul 29, 2023

Hello Matt-I had been taking Tenormin (Atenolol) for some 30 years for PVC/PAC's. Late last year I was diagnosed with AFib and my primary doctor put me on blood thinners and changed my Beta Blocker from Atenolol to Metoprolol. He said it was one of the preferred B.Blockers for AFib. I did not tolerate it very well in that my PVC/PAC's returned, I had many sleep disturbances due to strange dreams and feeling the palpitations. When I was finally able to see a cardiologist, I reported those issues and he discontinued Metoprolol back to Atenolol. I then had a Cardioversion which was successful but during this time it had been noticed that my BP was elevated. I purchased a BP monitor and saw an Internist who switched my Beta Blocker from Atenolol to Carvedilol, saying this one was more effective in treating blood pressure. It seems to be effective in controlling my BP and also the blood pressure. However, sometimes now I feel washed out and when I check my BP during those times, I find it's quite low and my heart rate is also low, in the 50's. I will be seeing my primary doc next week and we will discuss what's next. Long story short, you might ask your doctor if you could try a different Beta Blocker since the one he prescribed doesn't seem to be doing the job for you. Everyone is different and medications can work for some people and not others. Or, maybe just a change in strength of that drug will help. Don't give up-keep at it until you get something that helps. Good luck to you!

jacob6543 | @jacob6543 | Aug 15, 2023

In reply to @mattb4295 "Hello there. Thanks for reading again. I previously made a post about four or five months..." + (show)

@mattb4295

Hello there. Thanks for reading again.

I previously made a post about four or five months ago, discussing my sudden onset of PVCs. They were very upsetting and troubling, and honestly felt like they were on the road to ruining my life. I realize that many people here would probably love to be in my shoes because I had a relatively low burden of around 500 a day but they were symptomatic and the ones I was having were quite distressing.

Please understand I mean no disrespect and completely empathize with those of you who have it way worse than me. My heart and thoughts are with you.

Anyhow, I had a gamut of testing, including Holter monitor stress, test bloodwork CT

All of it.

The doctor says I’m perfectly fine have no structural abnormalities and just suggested I continue on a magnesium supplement

Things had seemed to subside, and I feel like for a short time I have gotten my life back, but just the other night, at 8 o’clock at night, I felt “full“ like I needed to belch. It wasn’t an uncommon sensation, but I definitely felt that acid and burp type of feeling. Funny enough, I hadn’t eaten in 8 hours. Well, lo and behold, when I sat down and bent over to grab something off the floor, I started having consistent PVCs

I called my wife in the room and said watch this, using my Apple Watch to show her that bending over and straining would cause a bigeminal rhythm with PVCs every other beat and as soon as I would stop and sit up, they would stop

Of course, it was extremely upsetting, because I have never seen myself in that type of rhythm. I have no other symptoms. I did not get weak for lightheaded or have chest pain although I’m sure some of that might have come along if I had continued for more than about 30 seconds.

I tested this hypothesis three or four times with the same result each time and immediate alleviation upon sitting up. Of course, two hours later, when I no longer felt full, I could not reproduce this.

I sent a message to my electrophysiologist, and he basically just said yeah you are irritating something in there but it’s no big deal. I’m not sure that I want it to be my final answer. If something is being irritated, who’s to say it won’t get worse? If something is being irritated, isn’t there a way to stop irritating it?

I found an article about a surgeon who had positional PVC stimulation when operating in a certain body position, and he eventually had to have an ablation. Has anyone else had experience with this positional stimulation?

I am going to attach two strips that were taken just a minute or two apart

Thanks again.

Jump to this post

Hi there,

I am wondering if you've figured anything out with the positional nature of your pvcs. I seem to have them when sitting and when standing. I can get mine to go away completely by laying down and by sitting with my feet up underneath me. I look like a school kid when doing it at work but it's the only way to get them to stop.

golfwisconsin | @golfwisconsin | Sep 20, 2023

For the past month I have been experience, which I THINK is PVC, since getting in to see a doctor in Florida is a hellish thing. In the past I have experience the skipping heart beat thing but only for limited time and only lasted for a few minutes.
About a month ago I woke and was drinking a cup of coffee looking at my phone standing outside and with out warning my heart felt like it went in to a spasm for about 10 seconds. It was weird, felt like it was jumping around in my chest on off on off skipping feeling then it subsided. Ever since then I experience the skipping around 4 to 5 times a minute everyday. I didnt think anything of it really and just got on with my day but it was starting to be a problem. I continued to exersice but when i did after words i had major pain in throat, to the point where i just decide to stop to see if it was a major thing. the pain went away, now i dont know what do to do. Blood pressure is great, i take it every day, i started taking Magnesium Gly. and 81mg asprin. I stopped taking the asprin and the power of the skippes increased. Really lost here. attached a sample of a ecg

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