10 Steps dealing with skipped beats.

[Rag123]

I've heard people requesting to see this. I searched and found it, so I figured I would post it because I found it helpful.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/cardio/messages/35898.html

I saw these other links to, although they are more of medical definitions/terms that can both comfort you and scare you at the same time. The second one is pretty detailed.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4695

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=565

I love coming to this site for reassurance and knowing a lot of others are experiencing similar issues - if not the exact same thing. But when I do stumble upon something that poses a what if in my head, like fatal arrythmia's and sudden death mentioned in one of the links above, I try to reassure myself that the simple/unifocal PVC's that I get will not cause those situations, because my heart structure is normal and the type of PVC's I get are harmless. I'm no expert, but if I understood the medical links above - the harmful PVC's would be the multi-focal ones that have a different or multiple timing that might cause a fatal arythmia or sudden death and may occur without a normal beat or beats in between the PVC's.

Let me know what you get out of the links...

[Rag123]

Continued:

I'm trying to list the 99% positive things that I've heard and read from both professionals and people who experience the same thing and make myself a condensed support list/que card to sink it in my head. I, like many will probably never be 100% assured, because that's the way I am...  But, at least if I can get the 99% to sink in, I may be able to ignore or rationalize better when the negative thought's/what if's pop in my head or read something that ignites a new series of questions...

I hope this was helpful to many...

[anacyde]

See my post below about worrying about a-fib.  It applies.

[mariop]

That link to americanheart.org is terrific!  It clearly spells out the danger of PVCs.  So much for those who keep saying that they are harmless, just forget them,  they are based on anxiety, etc.  That site clearly states that PVCs can lead to VTach, which can lead to VFib, which can result in sudden death.

Keep in mind Rag123 that those who are dead are not on this board telling us to forget them because they are harmless.

My PVCs go on for 24 hours a day for weeks at a time.  They irritate and aggravate the whole system.  Common sense dictates that if the heart beat is unnatural something wrong is bound to happen.  Notice none of the replies specify how long the heart system can truly sustain a barrage of PVCs before it is damaged.

As for those anti-anxiety meds, they only mask the problem, they do not let you know how much damage is being done to your vascular system.  What's so great about that?

[Rag123]

Thanks, I was just starting to feel better...

Actually, I posted all of that info. in an effort to help put people at ease. Yes, there were some concerns, but I think they are likely in reference to multi-focal PVC's and PVC's with heart disease. I think the point of the one link was that you should get checked for heart disease and if none is present, that's not whats causing your problem and thus highly unlikely to harm you...

Typically if you have individuals in your family who may have died from sudden death at a young age - you would have more cause for concern. In one of my other posts, I referred to long QT times - if someone had long QT syndrome - then PVC's could cause sudden death...

1. Long QT syndrome - (if your ekg is normal, you don't have it)
2. Some type of ventrical disease/disorder - (this could cause dangerous PVC's)
3. Multi-focal PVC's (these could cause harmful arythmia's)

None of us are experts and while I love this forum - the experts say that reading through medical documents with an untrained eye can do more harm than good - because we will likely focus on one negative thought - no matter has slim the odds, rather than focus on the obvious...

And we also have to be careful in decifering everyone's opinion - including mine...

But from what I've gathered, if you don't have any of the above three problems with your heart, then your PVC's are the benign one's that you shouldn't worry about - even though that's very difficult to do.

[Rag123]

Could you post a link to it.  I didn't see it.

Thanks.

[anacyde]

I responded to someone's fear of atrial fibrillation:

"There's no one walking the earth that has that guarantee. You could develop a-fib. You could develop a million things. Thing is, worrying about it isn't going to prevent it. I was terrified I would develop PPCM while pregnant. I worried about it. It happened anyhow. But a million other things I have worried about never came to fruition. What that all has taught me is that worrying does absolutely nothing but make my life suck.

After my son was born, I started having major PACs. Then I began having SVT, frequently. And since PPCM puts you into a higher risk for a-fib, imagine how worried I was! But I decided, you know, I'm going to live my life. I've got what I've got, and there's no way I'm letting this trap me in a chair racked with fear. No way.

And interestingly enough, in spite of the PACs and SVT, I healed fast. I still have the irregular heart rhythms, but it's not related to the PPCM. I just have it. I totally know that one day it may mean a-fib, I'm in a higher risk category with the SVT, but I also know that this may all just up and vanish too. We don't know.

But the worrying, it won't save you."

My point was, the realization that worrying won't save me...was freeing.

[pudgee0926]

i been having pvc since i was 29 and now 45 i been two days ago for a nuclear stress test doctor said i have good news no blockages but i said i having skipped heart beats he said they will not hurt me .im very scared my hearts going to stop.....