How dangerous are PVCS

@concern , Not a doctor so I cannot tell you what might happen. If you are concerned, call the office and ask for his nurse/medical asst. I have had experience with PVCs and PACs, and at one time they were quite high, and it does feel like a beat or so is skipped, I was told it’s a premature beat, not skipped, but again, talk to your Med. staff. I think you are right about one thing for sure, some types of arrhythmia are more dangerous than others, that’s why the doc did the holter. Mine were heavy for almost a year, and now they are infrequent. I was also told sometimes a virus can even get them going. It’s a bit of a mystery if you have no heart problems. Be well, and share what your Med Staff tells you. PS I was also told if below 10% they won’t typically do any procedures to stop them, there are drugs that can minimize them, but they have side effect like all drugs…..so what to do?

Thank you for responding it helps to know there are other people dealing with these type issues. I guess it's the unknown that's very stressful and worrisome. Hopefully l can get some more details if l speak to the nurse. I'm glad to hear your doing better. If you don't mind me asking are you on medication. Once again thank you and God bless.

@concern
Coming to you with decades of having PVCs and PACs.
First if you don't feel your cardiologist addressed your concerns try to get an appointment with a Electrophysiologist (EP).

Per my EP and heart failure doctor almost all human beings have PVCs. In most cases they are just extra electrical pulses. In other cases there are a sign of cardiovascular disease and or electrical issues in your heart.

One thing you really need to understand is stress can (again per my EP) cause you to have PVCs. So when you start monitoring your pulse and or super sensitive to monitoring your heart you are going to have a lot of stress. Stress affects adrenline and if not expelled (it is the fight or flight hormone) it builds up.

If you had a holter monitor test that is a good test. What it will reveal is where your PVCs are coming from, how often, etc. and the cardiologist can determine if affecting function of the heart enough to prescribe medications or ablation.

If you trust your cardiologist and he/she is expererienced he/she is telling you the holter monitor did not indicate you needed any further treatment. Reducing your stress is going to be very helpful to lowering your PVCs. Ask you doctor about taking magnesium supplements as many studies show can reduce PVCs, and PACs (again per my EP). I am on magnesium. But please just because I am on it does not mean you should so like with any supplements check with your doctors first.

I have had so many PVCs that I take another medication to reduce them and it works. I really don't mind the single ones as I know nothing to worry about and are common. It is those that come in 2s or 3s that bother me. But again until they get to a level where heart function is affected they are very common. Just know if they continue and your cardiologist determines treatment needed there are some great medications out there for this.

For you reducing your stress is just as important to help with PVCs and the stress build up. Just know PVCs are very common and your cardiologist has advised you not to worry. If they persist and you feel they are affecting your ability to do normal functions asked for additional testing or asked to see a EP. An EP is a specialist who deals with electrical issues of your heart.

Most everyone has the occasional PVC and PAC. They sometimes run in couplets, triplets, quadruplets....and that is when you tend to feel them because they've 'doubled up.'
I, too, an not an expert in this (no training whatsoever), but I believe that jc76 has done a very good job of imparting both his/her own experience and in covering your concerns, along with some possible improvements to your lifestyle that only you would know are worth pursuing.
A cardiologist or an EP would mostly want to treat you for two reasons: you hate the sensations, it drives you crazy, it's interfering with sleep and well-being, and you would like some help with that (meaning, you're quite symptomatic and it's really affecting the quality of life), or if the 'burden' (number in a 24 hr period totaled) reaches something like 3-5% (depending on the EP's experience and his/her chosen references in the literature) of all beats during those 24 hrs. The higher the burden, the worse the prognosis in the long run, and really your heart should be assessed as to whether it needs intervention, maybe a pacemaker, maybe only a catheter ablation, maybe only a change of meds....?
Bottom line, your squawking about how it affects you is the most likely to get a sympathetic expert wanting to treat you instead of patting your hand and saying, 'There, there...it'll be okay.'

I am also no expert; I'm a nurse but a psychiatric one! 🙂 As others have noted, occasional arrhythmias of the atria and the ventricals are not unusual, especially as we age (according to my cardiologist) and are only concerning if they become frequent or if you have an underlying heart or medical condition that is contributing to them. As a fairly new A-fib patient, I agree with you these sensations are very uncomfortable, annoying, and anxiety producing. I'd just suggest keeping a record of when and how often these episodes are occurring and then you can present your experience to the cardiologist to see if he feels they are troubling enough to take further action. It is, of course, a personal thing for everyone. Some can just ignore them, others--like me--are not as easily appeased. Good luck; I think you will be fine.

@concern. I am not taking anything for the pvcs and pacs. They just improved on their own. My B/P jumps around and I am taking b/p meds (lisinopril). Try very hard not to worry, they used to drive me nuts when trying to go to sleep. Which I’m told makes them even worse. I worried to the point of too much. God Bless you. 🙏

jc76: Can you tell me which kind of magnesium supplement you take? I get confused about the many different forms of it available on the drug store shelves.

As always, I find the advice you offer on this forum invaluable.

Thank you for responding to me l really appreciate it.
Take Care

HI from.Cape Town.
I am.71 and have had irregular heart rthyms for decades. I have found that if I eat cake.or pudding or sweet stuff, it spikes my blood glucose level.and causes the PVC's.
I have had an angiogram.and halter.monitor.and numerous ECG.and Echo Cardiograms.and they all say.....No.problem and nothing to worry about and millions of people live with them.....but it definitely doesnt help when you are experiencing the skipped beats !!
So.its.encouraging to.hear that others also have
similar problems.
Thank you for all your support. Kathy

Hi Kathy, thank you for the encouraging words. I know there are so many people everywhere that are dealing with heart issues and I'm just one of many. But it's nice to be able to talk to someone who understands how it makes you feel. There's something l read and I'm paraphrasing but it says "A rich man wants everything and a sick man wants one thing".
Take care and God bless