Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Subject: Re: PVCs and ventricular fibrillation Topic Area: PalpitationPosted by Eric McKeown on April 22, 1999 at 00:17:56I've been having a few PVC's lately (although not nearly as many as some on this forum seem to have), and sometimes they're quite bothersome. My experience of a PVC usually involves a fluttering sensation in the chest (feeling like a skipped beat), followed by a great big forceful beat. I've had two cardiologists explain this to me as a premature ventricular contraction (PVC), and I understand what they're saying. However, I still have some concerns: (a) I think my heart is ultra-sensitive to alcohol. Often after having just a couple of drinks, it seems my heart pounds or races. For instance, last week, I had 2 and 1/2 beers one night, and a few hours later, my heart rate was about 95 at rest. Normally I'm around 50-55 at rest. Further, whenever I drink, I notice an immediate rise in my heart rate. I don't know if that's normal. (b) I seem to get a little more out of breath than I used to when I run up a flight of stairs quickly, and I notice my heart pounding more. I don't know if that's due to increased awareness or what, but it bothers me. (c) Having read just a little about ventricular fibrillation, it scares the hell out of me, and I want to make sure there's no connection between PVCs and ventricular fibrillation. Like I said before, I've been to two cardiologists, both of whom performed echocardiograms on me. One diagnosed me with very mild mitral valve prolapse, and the other said I had a very mild mitral valve leak, but no prolapse. I've also had numerous EKGs done, and I wore a holter for 24 hours once. I had one stress test done by a non-cardiologist, and he said everything looked normal. I run about 3 and 1/2 miles a day 5 days per week, I don't smoke (but I used to), and I drink no caffeine and very little alcohol. I'm a 24-year-old male. Both the cardiologists said I have nothing to worry about. However, my concerns about ventricular fib persist. Should I be concerned? Are there special tests that I can have done for that to put my mind at ease? Thanks.... Eric
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on April 23, 1999 at 07:38:28 Dear Eric, thank you for your question. Your concerns are common for someone who has PVC's. Most likely, you're more aware of your PVC's than the average person (everyone has PVC's now and then) and that's why you feel PVC's when you run up stairs. If your echo, Holter, and stress test were normal (other that showing PVC's), you have benign PVC's. Benign PVC's may be a nuisance, but should not harm you. You would have to have an old heart attack or have cardiomyopathy for you to be at any risk for developing ventricular fibrillation associated with PVC's. Thus, you should not worry about ventricular fibrillation. Finally, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine can precipitate PVC's (as you have found), so you should avoid all these substances. Otherwise, there should be no problem with exercising. Also, I suggest that you focus your attention elsewhere so that you can better cope with PVC's when they do occur. I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
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