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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
PVC
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests
PVC
by skippintime, May 21, 2003 12:00AM
I have a question concerning the significance of PVC, mainly multifocal and couplets. I am a 32 y old white female significantly overweigt, pretty sedintary, Stress test a year ago okay, excercised to 5.4 mets on a Modified Bruce. Echo 2 years ago pretty normal except for some septal enlargement but on the larger size of normal, and mitral and tricupsid minimal leaking, and aortic calcification small amount. Cardiac Cath done in 1999 was essentially normal except for small PFO no treatment on that. I am terrified of excercise after the study showing PVC's after excercise put the person at a higher risk of death within 5 years. I suffer from occassional pvcs, but yet documented on event recorder multifocal pvc's and couplets, these were on two seperate recordings. When this happens it scares the **** out of me and I worry about it. I have PVC's daily but not this type daily is that of any more significant? I may NOTICE a couplet every month, but not daily. I have cronic hypotension as well, and I normally have a fast heartrate, 90-120 range. I also get episodes of bradycardia which are very uncomfortable. I am tired of just living with this as it is almost impossible. I am worried about the PVC's, expecially the couplets. I take Toprol XL 50 mg in am and 12.5 in the evening, this just a okay job keeping heartrate lower than it used to be 110+ all the time, but has caused more Bradycardia and I think more PVC's. I have been on that for 3 years. How significant is all this?
Thanks for your time in answering my question!
Thanks for your time in answering my question!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-RCJ, May 21, 2003 12:00AM
Skipintime,
Thanks for the post.
I appreciate that you are scared and troubled by your PVCs, but your major risk for death is your poor exercise tolerance of 5.4 METS. Any risk from the PVCs pales in comparison to the risk posed by the deconditioning.
However, the septal enlargement needs investigation. Specifically, did the cardiologist that interpreted the echo evaluate for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition can lead to increased PVC frequency, as well as a lower exercise tolerance.
Good luck.
Thanks for the post.
I appreciate that you are scared and troubled by your PVCs, but your major risk for death is your poor exercise tolerance of 5.4 METS. Any risk from the PVCs pales in comparison to the risk posed by the deconditioning.
However, the septal enlargement needs investigation. Specifically, did the cardiologist that interpreted the echo evaluate for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition can lead to increased PVC frequency, as well as a lower exercise tolerance.
Good luck.
isn't it true that in order to tell if pvcs are multifocal or not, they have to be recorded on the exact same holter monitor or event recording with the electrodes in the same exact spot. the lady who posted the question mentioned her pvcs being multifocal b/c they were recorded on separate occasions. this could very well mean that her pvcs are actually unifocal and only appear multifocal b/c the electrodes were not in the EXACT same spot since they were on separate occasions. is this accurate?
best,
alex
"Over an average follow-up of 5.3 years, 1,862 of the 29,244 patients died. The study included deaths from all causes."
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/02/27/heart.stress.tests.ap/
Exactly how many of them ACTUALLY died from heart disease - specifically that is believed to be caused by PVC's - not by other causes? Couldn't it be that their constant fear and worry actually increased the risk of death of all kinds?
Another question: is it possible to feel PVC's while exercising? I get PVC's a few times a day and I hardly feel it while I exercise.
-jeff
"I suffer from occassional pvcs, but yet documented on event recorder multifocal pvc's and couplets, these were on two seperate recordings."
Multifocal on one, couplet on the other.
just for your fyi
Waht do you think of Inderal as a drip in the hospital for a patient who had a increase in pvc's from 3 per minute ?
What about Rithmol does this only work on a racing heart ?
Ablation was mentione is that is laymen terms when then jump start the heart as the nurse said to calm in down or put back on track.
So scary We are talking about the engine to our body.
With an increase in pvc's ond over all health it is hard to handle.
best,
alex
Cardios mentioned not long ago, unusual things may occur
when the threads of our nervous systems go at odds with
one another (sympathetic versus parasympathetic). Consider
our internal organs are networked with the threads and
when you bunch them up when bending over, well, things may
happen (confused signaling )to further disturb an already irritable heart muscle.
That's my take from dealing with arrhythmia for 30 years
now. SVTs (Toprol XL) Afib (Digoxin) BP (Lisinopril)
PVCs, PACs, Couplets, Suspected nonsustained VTACH.
It's no fun. I sympathize.
-
Yes, I too am sure that the nervous system is the culprit.
Like VikingC. said:-'confused signalling, and thus disturb an already irritable heart'- That's just it.....
-
I cannot eat a large meal cause then the party begins!
Or bowel-problems can set them off...
Bending over is a well-known booster for PVC's too.
-
If your Dr. says your heart is ok then THIS will not kill you, but it is VERY ANNOYING I know!
Good luck! ;-)
-*Ianna*-
I've had these things forever so you would think by now they'd just be like getting up and getting dressed in the morning. Not! Some days are better than others though and it's not all gloom and doom. I don't fear them anymore -- they just annoy me mostly.
What has worked for me is taking everything very slowly. That gets my heart out of it's sensitivity. Slow, deliberate walks. Breathing deeply. Being peaceful. Telling myself that I'm okay and I've been through this a million times before. Eventually, my nervous system calms down which also calms my PVCs down.
Yoga, dancing, meditation, eating healthy, plenty of water and RELAXING and not over racting to things all help me. Plus knowing I can come to this website and listen/talk to other people who are just like me or very similar.
Try sitting still and relaxing for awhile. Or take a slow walk and notice the trees, the birds, etc. Maybe that will help you too.
Beth
I just wanted to share something. I am 33 yr old female and have PAC's and PVC's since I was 18 yrs old. And like everyone else these really bother me and some days are better than others.
We are getting ready to move and about 3 weeks ago my heart starting skipping like crazy. Of course I freaked out once again and made an appointment with my doc.
Finally after always refusing to take anything for the irregular heartbeat I caved and the doctor prescribed me Metoprolol (Lopressor)25mg a day, its a Betablocker. Now I am so amazed how well this works and I feel like 100% better. I can deal with the moving stress and am so relieved not to feel the skipped beats every few minutes.
I will probably take the medication until our move is over and then see if it will be fine without it.
I was just so happy that there is actually something out there that helps me and I don't feel any side effects.
Somehow I always felt like a failure considering medication, I thought that I should be strong enough to just deal with it. But now I am so relieved.
So for all of you out there, if you can't take it anymore and this drives you nuts like it does me, don't be silly and wait 16 years to even try to see if medication works. :)
Anja