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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
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I agree deep breathing helps calm the strong beats. Found out my potassium levels are low; they increased the dosage to two 20 mecg twice a day a month ago… waiting to see if it’s still low. Laying on my right side to sleep also seems to help.
A nurse tech suggested this may be caused by the position of the lead in the ventrical and it’s proximity to the phrenic nerve.
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2 Reactions@jwooders3 I use low sodium V-8 for potassium. It has a lot. V-8 uses it instead of salt in the low sodium version.
I started to have an arrythmia today and took a Gas X and sat up straight. I burped and my heart went back to normal!
Hi RR- at this point I can only sympathize with you. This is my 1st time on this forum but my situation almost mirrors yours: 60 years old, super fit all my life (worked out just about every day), good BP (110/70), good resting HR (65BPM sitting, 55BPM sleeping), no medications, no alcohol, low fat/low sugar diet. I had the stress echo and 48 hr holter monitor, but came back OK (only observed 4% PVCs but no other issues; PVCs went to zero at max HR and during recovery period, but were frequent prior to the treadmill while at rest). I feel lot of PVCs most often with any physical activity (like you), even walking up the stairs or watering the garden. Some days are terrible where I am not moving much at all. Other days I can at least walk 20 min. I have unfortunately cut out all exercise, which is against my entire upbringing. I did cardio, weights and yoga 40+ years. I am now concerned I have some form of exercise intolerance. I have a CT Angiogram next week as a final check for blockage (have heart disease in family history). Of course all of this is compounded by anxiety too, so hard to separate that out. I will take 1/2 Xanax once in a while if PVCs and shortness of breath are bad. I also have chest pressure, restricted airway, lightheadedness and weakness when I feel bad. For now, I can't provide anything useful to you except know that there are others out there experiencing something similar, same struggle to figure it out and find a solution. Best of luck to you and will check back in later. SM63
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2 ReactionsI 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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1 ReactionHello 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.
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.
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4 ReactionsI’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.
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.
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.
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) .
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