Long Term PAC and PVC Suffer. Need your support and guidance

Posted by rr1967 @rr1967, May 23, 2023

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

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Ms. Mac | @donnamac | Mar 24 8:56am

In reply to @harveywj "I recently went through a 10 week period where my PACs and PVCs burden was 21%...." + (show)

I also have a Kardia but I pay yearly for the Advanced readings" which tells me if I am having PACs, SVEs, PVCs, Sinus Rhythm or Afib. I believe there is a monthly fee as well if you want short term subscription. I had a heart monitor for 7 days and every item that I felt showed up on that monitor AND on Kardia. Best of luck to you and good well wishes your way. I have had this issue since a bad case of COVID several months ago in November, 2023.

harveywj | @harveywj | Mar 23 2:39pm

I recently went through a 10 week period where my PACs and PVCs burden was 21%. I wore a monitor for a month. Then suddenly they stopped 99%. I changed some supplements but I cannot say for sure if that was the reason why these stopped. During that 10 week period I also had 2 brief 8 hour Afib events. (I have had an ablation for Afib). Then 5 days after the PACs and PVCs stopped I had a miserable Afib event that only lasted 2 hours. In total I have had 10 Afib events since May 2023. So we have plenty of documentation for the PACs/PVCs but I need more documentation for Afib. So EP recommended I used the KARDIA portable monitor to see if we can catch the Afib. I find the KARDIA often says unclassified much of the time. It has yet to give me a sinus status. I haven't sent any of these into the doc yet as I just got the monitor. BTW sinus means normal. You do not have to call it a NSR or normal sinus rhythm. If you are in sinus that means you have a normal sinus heart reading. Also note that even when I was having a constant barrage of PACs and PVCs they said I was in sinus and stable. But I sure didn't like the way I felt. It is uncomfortable.

healthyhealing | @healthyhealing | Mar 22 3:29pm

Dear RR, we all feel what you have been goingn through- it is so so hard.

I have had them as bad for the last year that started after a stressful event. I have since found great benefit and comfort-- and some days I would even say I am perfectly well. Here is what helped bring me relief and peace back to my life.

1) simply- start with diet- they are almost always triggered with indigestion. I started eating smaller meals of healthy foods (light protein, whole food starches and lightly cooked veggies) and not too much raw food or salad at one time. A digestive enzyme can be of great benefit taken with the meal. Also- I saw a chiropractor which found a "hiatal hernia" - a part of the stomach that slips above the diaphragm and put stress on the heart. I also used a massager/vibrator on the epigastric area of the stomach and that helped very much. Seeing a chiropractor / naturopath for a dietary adjustment and physical adjustment of the spine and hiatal hernia and starting a stretching plan will do absolutely wonders- I mean miracle wonders. I highly recommend the dietary book: Nature's Diet by Iverson

2) There is another book- Mind Body Prescription by Sarno-- I tell you this is really the heart and soul of the whole thing (pun intended). Every person I ever met with PVCs like us is a chronically nervous and stressed person. If you get command of this in your life-- everything will change... I mean everything. Dr. Sarno outlines how to do this step by step--- literally by telling your body to "stop it" and "I know you are trying to take my mind off the stress in my life, but you don't need to give me palpitations to do it." Also- meditate daily- 5 minutes minimum-- pray if you pray daily... and yoga several times a week... also- a quick jog - 1/4 mile daily will do wonders for both the digestion and the mental stress.

That is really the secret of it all- good nutrition and good calm lifestyle and outlook. Talking to people about your stressors in life will also greatly help, just reading the chat groups helps to know others are in it with you and they are getting through it. You will get better, you absolutely will- just focus on Peace and Love and KNOW that all will be okay.. . and it will. - Andrew

shoshin | @shoshin | Sep 19, 2023

In reply to @willt "I have a lot of PVCs and some PACs and also feel every single one. I..." + (show)

Well, there is something known as Gastrocardiac Syndrome a.k.a. Roemheld Syndrome (Google both terms--or better yet, read about them in peer-reviewed literature via PubMed). In both vagus nerve tone (stimulation) mediate cardiac rhythym (drive cardiac rhythm up or down).

In addition, some individuals suffering from gastrocardiac syndrome also suffer from a sliding (Type 1) hiatal hernia...in which the over-expressed hiatus hernia presses against the vagus nerve & increases vagus tone...leading (somewhat paradoxically) to elevated heart rate (including arrhythmia).

Frankly, I am not very surprised to hear that an American cardiologist would be ill-informed about the role of the vagus nerve (vagus tone) in the function/performance of the cardiac antonomic nervous system--or about Gastrocardiac/Roemheld Syndrome for that matter (par for the course...in my experience).

Eating to fullness, bloating (from foods resulting in high levels of gas production), or even drinking (any liquid) to fullness, can actitvate hiatal sliding (as the stomach expands up against the diaphragm) & the vagus nerve...resulting in elevated heart rate (including arrhythmias) .

carol1024 | @carol1024 | Sep 18, 2023

In reply to @rr1967 "Hello Pbatch. Thank you for replying. My Zio patch monitor results showed normal sinus rhythm with..." + (show)

Perhaps your beta blocker was too strong. I am on BP meds and a beta blocker, Metoprolol. My heart rate is slow most of the time too, in the 60's, but every now and then races to close to 100. I just finished wearing a monitor for 1 month so my insurance would pay for a loop monitor, it goes under skin and is worn for 3 years. I had worn monitors before but this one was different. I put patches on back of sensor and placed on chest in 2 areas. It's 1 piece but patches on each piece. The sensor piece goes more on right and other end goes over heart on left. Had to play around to get it in place to stay during night. It comes with a thing that resembles a phone and when you feel the PVC's, you hit record. I sent an EKG reading to them when I was having an episode couple days before being done. Someone is monitoring them constantly from the main office. Have an appt on 21st to discuss readings.

rr1967 | @rr1967 | Sep 15, 2023

Hello Pbatch.
Thank you for replying. My Zio patch monitor results showed normal sinus rhythm with PACs. The PAC burden was 1.5% and my electrophysiologist is saying that all is normal. I have been really struggling with an increase of PACs this past month and my EP keeps telling me that I am fine. We have tried beta blockers ( made my heart rate too low), Diltiazem ( no improvement) and Verapamil ( no help either). Now, he wants me to try Flecanide which is absolutely terrifying to me. I don't want to start it but I am at my wits end as I feel the PACs fire off all day and night. Not sure what to even do anymore. I am trying to get a second opinion, but I am not getting enough help from my current EP.

pbatch | @pbatch | Sep 14, 2023

In reply to @rr1967 "Hello I am following up from my original post on being a long term PVC and..." + (show)

I’m 57 years old, seemingly healthy, but I had an aortic valve replacement open-heart surgery two years ago and developed afib. Overall , my afib has been in control, and I would only have random PVCs. However, the last two months they have increased tremendously. I have the kardia mobile six lead device which shows that I am having in some cases every heartbeat be a premature ventricular contractions, sometimes every beat . I’m currently wearing a zio patch and will be very curious about the results. I am wondering what your results were. And what recommendations they gave you. I’m also wondering if anyone has had an ablation to combat the PVCs.

I have been taking magnesium, taurate, COQ10, and a half of lorazepam .5 at night on occasion, which I think helps.

willt | @willt | Jul 14, 2023

In reply to @rr1967 "Hello everyone! Thank you for much for the support and posts! A few more events and..." + (show)

@rr1967

Hello everyone!
Thank you for much for the support and posts!
A few more events and questions.

I had a really episode of palpitations last Thursday and of course, I panicked and went to my local ER. When I got there they did a quick EKG and of course, everything was normal...no palpitations at all! But while I am sitting in a chair at home or in the ER, the palps are firing off like crazy! The moment I lie down to do an EKG, they go away. Well I then had another full set of labs done and a chest Xray. All normal of course! They then did another EKG and I asked the nurse if I could maybe sit up a bit when the EKG is being done. Then she caught one PAC and another. The ER doctor told me that I am fine and my cardiologist then put me on Dilitiazem, calcium channel blocker, to take at night. I already take Amlodipine and Losartan in the morning for blood pressure and my numbers are good. I started taking the Dilitiazem on Thursday night and on Friday, I felt some relief. I am still on the medication, but I struggled all day yesterday and again this morning I am having many PACs. My cardio also ordered another chest holter monitor (A Zio Patch recorder) and I started that on Friday and I will wear it for a week. Cardio doc also wants to me restart exercising as I have been scared to do so with the PACs and PVCs.

My cardio (great person) keeps reassuring me that the PACs and PVCs are not harmful even if they hit 10,000 to 20,000 per day. I am curious to see what my new monitor says but I am sure I am having at least 5000 to 8000 per day. He also told me that his father gets up to 30,000 per day and that he is in perfect health.

I know that these will never go away, but I want them to reduce in quantity and severity. I can FEEL each one and when they hit, my anxiety just soars!

Questions:
1. Do you great folks feel more palpitations when sitting? I feel much more when sitting and they really reduce when standing up or walking around.

2. I notice a huge increase in them when I wake up in the morning? Sometimes they slow down in the afternoon and evening.

3. What have you heard about ways to reduce how many we can actually feel? I have tried Xanax, Hydroxizine, meditation, breathing exercises, distraction, etc.

4. Finally, I keep reading about how the VAGUS nerve could be responsible for causing these. However, I have three cardiologists tell me that vagus nerve is not a cause.

Thank you,

Jump to this post

I have a lot of PVCs and some PACs and also feel every single one. I believe it is related to the Vagus nerve being stimulated somehow. That is why for me they are worse after eating a meal, or if I have indigestion. Sometimes if I have gas, I will feel several PVCs as the digestive tract makes noise. When the gas is gone, the PVCs stop. I have a cardiologist tell me there is no proof the Vagus nerve has anything to do with it. I then had a gastroenterologist tell me that some studies have shown a connection. Who knows? And everyone is different. Some people apparently never feel these. That must be nice. Although I have no other symptoms along with them so am grateful for that. Also mine will stop if I am exercising, or even just working hard in the yard.

rr1967 | @rr1967 | Jul 4, 2023

In reply to @sm63 "Hi RR- at this point I can only sympathize with you. This is my 1st time..." + (show)

Hello SM63
Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you the best in your angiogram and I look forward to reading your results and successes.

jwooders3 | @jwooders3 | Jul 3, 2023

In reply to @sm63 "Hi RR- at this point I can only sympathize with you. This is my 1st time..." + (show)

I try to do light aerobic pool exercising at least three days a week. That helps my muscles tone and calms me

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