Connect
Long Term PAC and PVC Suffer. Need your support and guidance
Hello everyone. Thank you for reading this below is my story:
I have been dealing with PVCs and PACs for almost 20 years. They flare up once per year usually. I have had Zio Patch monitors, tons of EKGs, a stress echo four years ago, two heart CT scans two decades ago, many ER visits, etc, etc. All results were normal with the exception of showing PACs and PVC. My burden has always been below 2% when they flare up.
25-e some stats:
1. I am 55 and in good health
2. Borderline blood pressure: usually around 120-130/75-85 most normal days.
3. Borderline type 2 diabetic.
4. I do suffer from chronic anxiety and depression. Twenty years ago I suffered many panic attacks for the course of a year. But they have gone away. Mostly I deal with almost daily anxiety and worry.
5. Non smoker, no drugs
6. I do drink alcohol ( wine or beer) on weekends with my wife, only at night.
7. I am at a healthy weight. Cholesterol and Triglycerides all normal.
8. Resting heart rate: 50-60. Cardio doc states that this heart rate is normal for me.
Well my most recent flare up started two weeks ago and they seem worse. I feel the extra beat the moment I wake up they go on all day until I go to bed. I went to the ER and they did another EKG and ran a bunch of blood work. Of course...all normal. Diagnosis: PACs. Electrolytes also all normal.
In the last week, I have noticed my skipped beats increasing when I move around, go grab groceries, go for a walk, even exercise. This has me more scared than ever. My regular doctor told me not to worry, but I am seeing an electrophysiologist (EP) tomorrow. I did see an EP two years ago and he told me I was fine and prescribed Flecianide to take as needed. I saw the side effects and they scared me off so I never tried them. Eventually, the extra beats went away.
I have also tried Metropolol and they did not work. They also made my heart rate slower so my cardio doc told me to stop taking them.
But as stated, they extra beats are back and I am more scared then ever, especially with them increasing with movement or exercise. I have never fainted or felt dizzy from these. I only catch my breath and feel extra alerted.
Finally, my palpitations also seem to increase considerably after I eat a meal. Is this normal?
Any advice, recommendations, encouragement, support please.
Thank you and my apologies for any typos or writing errors.
RR
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.
Connect
Good morning, it's 4:14am, I was awoken at about 3:00am with Bigeminy (PVC every heartbeat).
You sound just like what I am going through, yesterday all day I felt very good, very few PVC's all day 0%-20%. I also thought I was going to have my wife drive me to the hospital an hour ago. I will take a EKG right now on Kardia Mobile at 4:22am. I am at 50%, I have 33 PVC's @ 66BPM.
Now at 4:25am, I am at Normal Sinus Rhythm 0 PVC's @ 62BPM. I don't get it, I didn't even move in my chair.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI want to follow heart rhythm conditions
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsJeffjaguar4
To start I hope you are feeling better. I have been dealing with PVCs PACs since my early 20s. I’m in my late 40s now. For years I seem to have a few hundred a day now I seem to have thousands. Earlier today for about 30 minutes it was about one every other beat. I drove myself to the emergency room, but they started to subside on my way there, so I sat in the parking lot And then drove back home. Do yours tend to flare up at times meeting some days they almost seemed tolerable, but never gone away completely and other days just seem very out of control. This is scaring the crap out of me definitely bringing on more anxiety and with it potentially a vicious cycle of The skipped beats reading a lot of posts I do see there’s a lot of assault there that fight with this daily really wish there is some cure. Let us know how you’re doing thoughts and prayers.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI am newly diagnosed with A-fib, and although I am significantly older than you, I also feel exactly as you do about the discomfort, distress and anxiety that these arrhythmias or "extra beats" create! I can also feel them immediately and they often happen at random times. Every time it happens, I need to stop and check my pulse to see if I am out of sync again! I am also in good health otherwise and exercise daily, have normal weight and blood pressure and bloodwork! I find it very unhelpful to be told not to "worry about it." I had cardioversion 3 weeks ago and I live in fear that the A-fib will reoccur full force; I had to live with the condition for 6 weeks before I could get the conversion due to needing to take a blood thinner! I don't know what to tell you except to give you my deepest empathy! I know exactly how you feel about this. I keep reading and researching all the information that I can and I have a good cardiologist so when I see him next month, I will be asking for a Plan B: what to do immediately if the arrhythmia returns. Good luck! I wish you good luck and a solution that works!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI agree 100%. What was your treatment? Medication? Ablation?
I had bigeminy first when I was 40, for an entire year. I thought I would lose my mind. I have had PVCs all my life and worse the older I am. They can precipitate panic attacks in me. I have also nearly passed out when there is a long interval before the next beat. It is terrifying to live with, even if mostly benign. What it does to your life is anything but benign.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThanks Jc. Knowing that it is possible to take an anti depressant with PVC's is good info. I have been on them in the past. I think this new flare up for the last two weeks has me anxious. I will talk to my Cardio and see what he says. Thanks for being there!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI have had PVCs for several decades now. I have gone through ablations. What helped me was my EP suggested magnesium and a heart rhythm drug. Both worked to drastically reduce my PVCs. Supplements and and prescriptions though need to come from your doctors not what mine found were best for me.
With that my mind settled down and yes still felt PVCs but were reduced to an annoyance level not mind crushing.
If you can reduce your anxiety and stress it will help (at least for me and many others) you with PVCs. My EP and HP all say stress and anxiety will cause PVCs to be worse. So yes the PVCs cause stress and anxiety and the stress and anxiety can cause more PVCs.
Talk to your doctors about doing counseling, medciations for depression and anxiety, exploring hoppies and or exercise classes. Just keep trying to find something that helps you. Be proactive and speak out. I do take a depression medication along with rympthm medications.
You are not a cry baby don't belittle yourself. Know that you are not alone just keep working, asking and even seeking new medical doctors like EPs if you don't have one.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsYes, Buy the Kardia mobile than you can see for yourself. 18% is where you have to be for an ablation. Very easy to figure the %. The card gives you a 30 second EKG, count the total waves, ( the PVC's and normal). than divide the amount of PVC's by the total. That will give you your % at that time. A heart moniter than averages your time over 24 hours. A 1% average is normal.
Dear lord...what am I griping about. I can imagine how scary that all is. I do not want these to progress but they have gotten worse over the years. I get them more often and in a row. I had a Zio heart monitor on in June and the doctor told me I'm at less than 1%. It doesn't feel like that to me. Then I start imagining if the heart monitor was accurate. I'm my own worse enemy. Because I have these thoughts/doubts I'm wondering if an anti depressant will help. I'm rooting for you Jeff!! You responding to me as you go through what you're going through shows me that I'm actually pretty lucky and need to stop being a cry baby.