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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Another PVC question.
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Another PVC question.
by Eric-Scarlet, May 04, 1998 12:00AM
I have been recently diagnosed with PVC's. My cardiologist finally captured one on a stress test. After monitoring with a Holter, he prescribed me Aetonol(25mg to start, now up to 50mg) because of how hypersensitive I was to the PVC's. I could sit around all day and tell you every single one I had. Two years ago I got hooked on "Mini Thins". The drug I think is Esudophedrine 25mg. It provided me with quite a kick for about 4-6 hours. I had gotten to the point I was taking around 75-100 mg a day. This continued for a year, then on the advise of a friend, started taking 1 200mg caffine pill, one 25mg "mini thin", and one aspirin in the morning. This provided a very large kick until lunch when I would then take another 75mg of the "mini thins". I did this for about a year. Last October I noticed I was having skipped beats. I immediatly ceased all intake of these drugs. I am very sensitive to changes in my body and know I have never had these PVC's before. Could they have been brought on by these drugs. Could I have damaged the electrical system of my heart in some way? Will it ever go away? I will never again do those drugs nonetheless. It scared me enough, but I know I never had them before I took the drugs.
Dear Eric:
PVCs can be quite a nuisance, though they are generally harmless. Rarely, they can be a manifestation of serious underlying heart disease. Caffeine and stimulant drugs of all sorts can contribute to PVCs and must be entirely avoided. This includes caffeine in coffee, chocolate, and soda. Stress can also precipitate PVCs, so relaxation techniques can be useful. In some people alcohol or tobacco can precipitate PVCs.
I doubt that the caffeine did any lasting damage to your heart's electrical conduction system. As far as the other stimulant drugs you used, it is theoretically possible that they affected your heart's muscle strength, and indirectly, resulted in development of the PVCs. This should be reversible with abstinence. A cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) would be able to determine if your heart muscle is normal or not. You should inform your doctor of these different substances you ingested, so that he/she can determine if any further testing is needed.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and treatments. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment at Desk F15 with a cardiologist who specializes in abnormal heart rhythms.
