Subject: Re: PVC questions
Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic Area: Palpitation
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on April 04, 1998 at 16:08:18:
In Reply to: PVC questions posted by Brian on April 03, 1998 at 16:00:08:

I am 29 years old and am in very good shape (I bike and
lift weights regularly). I recently went to the emergency room
after feeling palpitations while on a bike ride. The palpitations lasted
for approximately 2-3 hours and were occurring about every 4-6 beats.
There was never any pain involved, just an eerie fluttering sensation in
my chest.

The doctor did an EKG and diagnosed PVC's. He did a chest xray and some
lab work on me and found everything to be perfectly normal.
I was told that it is a common occurrence and not to worry. He is going
to put me on a 24 hour monitor for further data.
This is really getting me worried that I won't be able to continue
biking normally. Is there a danger that if they hapen again while I'm on
a ride that something serious could happen given that my heart is in
normal physical condition (i.e. no deformaties or disease)?

Can caffeine cause PVC's that last as long as mine did? I drank a Coke
at about 1:00pm on a full stomach and went riding at about 4:30pm.

Thanks in advance for your help,

-Brian

Brian, thank you for your question. PVC's are a common occurrence and almost everyone has a few PVC's here and there. Most of the time, we don't notice PVC's but it sounds like you may have had many PVC's to cause your symptoms of palpitations. You sound like you are in excellent physical condition and therefore, I suspect you have a normal heart. Caffeine could certainly cause PVC's but exercise, itself, is an uncommon cause. A 24 hour Holter monitor is a good idea to get a handle on how many PVC's you're having and you should do your normal activities while wearing that to try to reproduce the palpitations that you've had. I would caution you not to exercise at peak levels until that test can be done but moderate exercsie should be fine. PVC's are known as premature ventricular contractions and happen for many reasons such as from stress, stimulants like caffeine, during periods of a slow heart rhythym, and from many structural disorders of the heart. Most often, PVC's are benign even if they cause symptoms such as palpitations. However, if PVC's become frequent (> 10/min), further investigation is warranted to determine if another problem is present. In your case, I doubt the PVC's will cause you any harm but you need to get the results of the 24 hr. monitor and speak with your physician again to fully address that issue. I would suggest that you avoid caffeine though. I hope you find this information useful.

Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.

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