How many pvc's are normal?

[finetilthree]

I have heard that EVERYONE has pvc's and pac's.  Is this true?  I have at least 10 every day.  Is it dangerous to have that many?  Do I have more risk of it turning into an arrhythmia that my heart won't get out of?  How can I tell if I am having a pvc or a pac?  My holter showed 13 pac's and 2 pvc's but I always feel the pause and then a hard thump.  Why do they happen more when I run up the stairs or bend over too quickly or am carrying a heavy load?
Worried sick.

[anacyde]

My cardiologist said about 50 are "normal", but this DOES NOT mean that 51 is "abnormal" and it certainly doesn't mean they're dangerous.  I know someone who was having 5,000 PVCs a day and not being treated because they were just simple PVCs.  "Normal" just implies common in this case.

[Carrie41]

Hi there.  That is what I experience.  I am 45 years old and have at least 10 a day.  I have been for every test imaginable and they have caught non-sustained v-tach on my montior and that is what scared the absolute *(&(*& out of me.  I have been totally obsessed with my heart.  They have caught PVC's and PAC's and nobody seems concerned about them.  I get between two and ten a day and freak out at every one of them.  I know exactly how you feel.

[Momto3]

Prior to my ablations (for a different reason), I was having thousands a day, still "normal."  I'm not sure how many I have now, but they make themselves known now and again.

My sister had 400 pvcs records, normal....

The important thing is that in the setting of a structually normal heart, pvcs are considered harmless.

Happy Holidays!

[halpme]

well, did a holter on an average day for me.  750.

They drive me nuts, I get other odd pains.  That said, my heart is structurally normal, and I've had every test short of a cath (including a 64 slice ct).  34 years old.  They say they are normal, so I try every day to deal with them.  I went two weeks recently with very limited pvc's.. then they come back.

[pbanders]

The majority of people have PVC's and never notice them. People who have frequent PVC's get used to what they feel like, and as a result of learning how they feel, notice every single PVC they have, even when their PVC rate drops to "normal" levels.

[LadyNRA]

Mine are probably averaging around 3,000 a day, if I go by 3-4 per minute, for about 16 hours a day, plus the few I have when I sleep.  And yeah, they are annoying.  I feel them when I get frustrated also, and that's a pain because my job is production oriented (they count everything you do all day long).  Plus my BP had been very high.  I had originally blamed it on an increase in my lisopril (from 20 mg to 40 mg).  I was already taking 200 mg of Toprol and had not had any PVCs until just recently.  But my cardiologist didn't like the high BP so agreed to lower my lisinopril back to 20 mg. and added Norvasc.  I had hoped (FERVENTLY) that the PVCs would get much less or disappear but no such luck. So far my BP has gone way down to near normal (at least for now) and I have to see if the trend continues, so the norvasc, in combination with the other stuff, is working.  But still get the durned PVCs.  If it's stress related, it's not due to something obvious, or I wouldn't have them over the weekend, but I do.  

But one of the things the cardiologist did tell me is that my tests show a normal heart (I had the heart attack blood work and echo + x-ray in the ER).  So did my regular doc and the ER docs/cardiologists.  No one is worried, even now that they known how often I get them.  They were so much more concerned about my blood pressure issues.  As far as the PVCs are concerned, no one has mentioned drugs for it, or concern for it. What they did tell me was to do the prudent thing for a 51 year old, overweight woman, and that is to go the ER if I should ever get any symptoms of a heart attack in the future, which, as we know, can happen to anyone at any age, without connection to the benign PVC/PAC issues.

However, like you, I feel concern about one issue...is is possible to have the heart retrain itself so that I'll never have a 'normal' beat again.

[Gabby46]

My EP told me that if you are having less than 20,000 a day and have a structually normal heart the doctors don't worry about it.  He said if you are having over 20,000 per day the PVC's could lead to heart weakness.  I am currently having over 25,000 per day.  I had an ablation, since I cannot take the medications for this, and it did not work.  I am scheduled with a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic next week to see if there is anything else they can do.  Because I am having so many I experience shortness of breath and dizzyness almost constantly.

[finetilthree]

I wonder since I only have around 10 or less everyday, why do I feel like I am going to die very young?

[sherma]

Since my last posting about being very scared about having 50 or so pvc's they are now averaging 3 or 4 per min so that is running into the thousands too - same as "lady".  Having just 10 a day would be such a relief for me.  Please try not to worry even though it is so hard - at the moment I am at my wits end, cant sleep at night with them either.

[finetilthree]

How long did it take for yours to increase that much?  What is your age?  Is there any link between hormones and your sudden increase maybe?

[Carrie41]

I live every day of my life thinking it is the last as well.  I am 45 years old and had a holter when I was 30 and it showed short non-sustained runs of v-tach which sent me over the edge.  I really only get 10 to 20 a day but I feel every single one of them and freak out at every one.  I have been to numerous cardiolgists and EP doctors and they all say don't worry - it is normal!  Yeah right.  I just can't get my head wrapped around the fact that everyone gets these things.  I live my life in constant anxiety about my heart.  I am actually going to see a phycologist next week to ask if they can get me over this heart anxiety and be able to live like a normal person.

[finetilthree]

I should see a counselor too.  I have three kids, ages 3, 5 and 7 months old and I cry all the time b/c I am afraid I won't see them grow up.  I went one time to a therapist and she told me to get a specific book on anxiety and panic which I felt like was a waste of an hour plus $125.00 b/c it didn't help at all.  I wish I could get over the fear of dying.  My life is so limited now compared to what it used to be.  I am embarrassed to admit this, but I am afraid to go shopping, afraid to go to the grocery, afraid to go to the mall because I am afraid I will die while my children are out with me and there will be no one there for them.  I took so much for granted before in my life, stupid stuff like running to WalMart or Old Navy or Michaels and I was never afraid that I would drop dead, but now every time I go somewhere I am afraid.  I wish I didn't feel them happen.  Ignorance is bliss.

[Carrie41]

That is me exactly!  I have been a horrible mess since my kids were babies when I found out I had these things.  I used to cry at the doctors office saying I was scared to give them a bath because I thought I would drop them into the water while having a palpitation.  You are certainly not alone.  My kids are 16 and 11 now and I still live in constant fear.  I am also afraid to go out shopping or whereever because I may have a panic attack when I start getting these skips.  I will have to email you when I see the shrink and see what they they about me.  You would never know in a million years I have anxiety.  I act totally normal but inside I am a complete mess.  I hope to be able to get help as well and believe me if I can do then anyone can!  You must be crazy busy with three little kids like that.  That would be enough to give anyone PVC's!

[finetilthree]

Glad to know that I am not alone.  I feel so irrational.  Funny you mentioned the bath thing b/c I am afraid when I am giving the baby his bath b/c I am afraid of drowning him if my heart gives out then.  I know I sound like such an idiot.  I am afraid when I am showering also b/c I am afraid something will happen when I am in the shower NAKED! I get in and get out as quickly as possible! Sometimes I go a week without shaving my legs just so I can get in and get out.  I AM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST IDIOT! But hey, at least I can laugh at myself.

[Carrie41]

I had to snicker at your post cause that is my life to a T.  That is exactly what I worry about as well.  I am scared when there is nobody home and I am in the shower because I fear the same thing.  That is exactly what I thought when I would bath the kids.  I told the doctor I thought for sure my heart would go into v-tach and I would drop the baby.  You are not an idiot (or maybe we both are!)  I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Where do you live?  We should definately talk!  I just cannot believe that someone else lives the same way I do.  I always told my doctor I thought I was nuts and was losing my mind because of my obsessing about my heart.  She was at wits end with me and didn't know what to do because I was showing up every week crying in her office with kids in tow saying I couldn't take the anxiety about these things anymore.  I also have to sit close to doorways just in case they start to happen when I am in public and have to get out of the spot I am in right away.  I know it sound nuts as well.  My doctor says I may have ancipitory anxiety because I have a PVC and I just wait for the next one.  It is totally a vicious cycle.  I am also going to get another holter next Wednesday because of my instance that there is something not right in my heart.  I have had all the tests done but they did see a short run of non-sustained v-tach and that is what totally set me off.  Even the EP doctors say "even I get them" "don't worry".  Yeah right, I just cannot believe that others get them as hard and as strange as I do.  I honestly don't get that many I guess when I read other posts on the internet.  I get around 10 a day I would say.  From the minute I wake up in the morning I worry, till the time I go to bed at night I worry.  I also take 20mg of Celexa and thought that would stop my worrying (and it did for a while).  They did still happen but I didn't care as much then I had a bunch of them when I was at my son's soccer game and starting freaking out again and I am back to square one.  I honestly don't know how you are doing it with three little kids like that.  That is when I started having really bad palps when I had my first kid and I was strung out all the time.  I work full time and take care of the house (well at least 90% of it).  My husband doesn't help out a #*&& of a lot and I chalk that up to my anxiety issues as well.  I hope it makes you feel a little better when you read my posts because I sure feel better when I read yours......

[PaladinX]

what is the difference between the ones you can feel profoundly and the ones you dont even know exist.  If you feel them strongly does that mean they are more dangerous or a different type then the ones you dont feel?>

i have gotten a holter monitor test done and i guess i didnt have any cause my doctor didnt say anything

[kitcurious]

PVCs and PACs are not palpitations. PVCs and PACs are arrhythmias that the person may or may not notice depending upon how much concentration a person has on such things. Palpitations are the SENSATION that something is fluttering in your chest and they may be an ectopic beat or they may be nerves from when the person is ultra sensitive to the sensation of their heart pounding in general, often because of anxiety.
Benign PVC/PACs are not dangerous so they cannot be more, or less, something they are not.

[finetilthree]

O.K. Here's what I want along with all of your reassurances that these are benign.  I want all of you to GUARANTEE me that I will live to be an old lady and get to do all the stuff with my kids that I want to do (see them go to their first day of Kindergarten, see them sing in the choir or play in the band, see their little Christmas pagents, play sports, etc.).  I WANT IT WRITTEN IN STONE THAT I WILL LIVE TO BE AN OLD LADY!!!!!!! I know, I know, nobody gets that guarantee, but I can dream can't I?  I'm all they've got.

[finetilthree]

I feel infinitely better when I read your posts and the smile on my face is an added bonus.  Email me anytime if you need a friend.  ***@****

[Carrie41]

Glad you feel better reading my posts because the same thing goes for me.  I have emailed you at your hotmail address.

[sherma]

I had my appoint with the cardio on Monday who gave me the results of 50 or so pvc's, then in the night they started with a vengenence and have not stopped since.  So I would say that from 50 to over 3,000 per day developed within hours.  I have been nearly at the end of my tether, I am taking so much valium to calm me down which is not working, my husband is being horrible to me with them, because I can't look after my 4 yr old properly.  I have just turned 42, my period ended last week so I don't think it's hormones at the moment.  But for it to have reached this stage so rapidly is so frightening.  I must admit that I have thought that if this continues then what is the point of living?  I'm feeling that depressed about it all.  Just out of the blue from 50 to 3,000.  I took myself off to see the cardio again on Thursay pm because I just couldn't cope anymore and she caught them on an EKG and said not to worry just ectopics - no meds.  I quit drinking wine in the evenings a while ago, I drink only 1 cup of tea a day, but I have started smoking again this week - simply out of pure fear - only 4 or 5.  2 echos came back normal - that was approx 4 weeks ago.  Sorry to be such a downer, but I am so alone and with my MS and 4 yr old - and a monster of a husband I just need your support.

[finetilthree]

Hi honey.  I don't know if you like Oprah or not (I do), but here is a link from her website that talks about how she went through the same thing we are going through:

http://www.oprah.com/health/omag/health_omag_200208_menopause.jhtml.

Maybe your sudden increase is due to the valium or the smoking.  I won't take hardly ANY medicine (valium included) b/c it all lists palpitations as a side effect.  Please try to calm down.  I know exactly how you feel.  My ex sounds just like your husband in that he is HORRIBLE to me about this stuff.  You are taking good care of your child and it is so hard to do living with the fear of dying.  I bet if you can get rid of some of the anxiety, you will notice a huge decrease in the palps.  When I first got them I had panic attacks really bad.  I would wake up in the morning and already be shaking.  I had no one to lean on or talk to about all this, so I just had to convince myself to stay calm and relax.  Sometimes you have to just put on a movie for the kids and lay down and try to get some rest.  Try to take care of YOU.  I have had some really horrible episodes where I have had one right after another for a few minutes and I was sure I was a gonner, but here I still am.  There will be bad days with scary runs of them, but mostly there are good days with just a few scattered here and there.  Hang in there.  I will pray for you.  Maybe if we all pray for each other, it will get so noisy up there that God will rid us all of these things just to shut us all up!

[Yuen]

HI All,

I am also suffering from PAC, I would say it happens more at night after dinner.  I feel every single of them. It is very annoying.  My EP doctor said not to worry.  He said thet exercise can help to decrease the PAC.  

Does anyone of you know if PAC is related to Ablation.  I had 2 Ablations to correct the SVT.  After the second ablation, I start to have PAC, I never have PAC before the second ablation.  Sometimes, I regret to have done the ablation as I feel PAC is more annoying than SVT.

[raquel 66]

hi....i've been reading the posts from you guys and i too am going through the same thing, i just now was woken up with an episode of svt and also been having palps all day prior to this, i am in tears reading from you, carrie and sherma, i have 5 kids, am 44 and am in a constant state of anxiety, i worry every night before i go to bed as that is most often when i get an svt attack...always arround 3 am....i am awakened to the irregular and very rapid hb...i now avoid driving on the freeway,i,m scared to travel, i,m afraid of being at home alone, on and on and on.I,ve been living with this for almost 7 years now and have learned to " live" with it, but i'm always worried that i'll drop over and leave behind my kids, especially my 8 and 9 year old. I've been told about ablation but there seems to be drawbacks to that as well....sometimes i hope and pray that it will just go away and never come back but i guess that is just wishful thinking, but is such a comfort that this forum exists and to know that there are others out there with the same thing and that they can give advice and support...god bless

[LadyNRA]

My greatest fear (connected with the arrhythmias) would have to be that I'll have heart problems or blacking out while I'm driving, where no one can help me.  Worse still, is that I'll crash into someone else and hurt/kill them, and at the top of the list, that my kids would be in the car. Now for the good news--aside from the annoyance of the thumping and the mild anxiety that no one knows the cause or how to make it better, it's nothing more than that.  Just the thump.  And I'm grateful for just that one symptom.  Better that than something worse.  

I did get a chuckle out of the visual images some of you conjured up (racing out the shower as fast as possible for instance).  And it seems that everyone of us, male and female alike, worry at one level or another no matter how many assurances we get.  It's human nature too.  And nothing to berate ourselves over unless it gets excessive.  One thing that has helped me is that I have a strong faith in God.  I believe it has kept me from royally panicing.  I don't see my future as just a hole in the ground.  True, I don't want to die early because I just love learning and exploring new things now, even at 51.  So many things to see and do until I'm too old to do much of anything.  But at the same time, I believe I'll end up in a better place.  And I know I'll be reunited with my family eventually.  

So while I'm not advocating one faith over another, faith seems to play a part in being healthier, recovering faster, and with better perspectives on their overall health.  It's been studied. So if any of you have spiritual inclinations, whatever they might be, perhaps you could benefit from exploring them better.

[finetilthree]

Hey Lady.  I couldn't agree with you more about faith being important when dealing with these things.  That is the only way I have been able to get some peace in dealing with this.  My feeling is when God is ready for me, there is nothing I can do to stop it so I might as well not worry about it so much. Although at times, I can't help but worry.  I'm sure you've gathered from my posts, that I just cannot bear the thought of leaving my babies even though I have one that has gone ahead of me and is waiting for me.  Usually I just have run of the mill PVC's or PAC's, but this time (with my period) I had some PVC's followed by a few quick beats of PSVT (I'm guessing).  Do you ever get anything other than the run of the mill PVC?

[LadyNRA]

I don't get much more than the thumping either in my chest or my throat, and if I am in a total relaxed state, from just before dozing off, through sleep, and just after waking up, they are either gone (which I doubt) or so mild that I don't feel them.  Of course, once I start thinking about the PVCs, they come back hard enough to notice.  That's the symptom I get.  I do occasionally get them in brief strings of bigemony (2 or 3 in a row) , and that is a bit fear inducing, and sometimes trigemony, but I hang in there, and figure that if I'm not getting any of the other symptoms, I'll be "okay".  And you'll be okay too if the docs are telling you that you have nothing to worry about.  You'll manage.  Enjoy your kids, family, friends, church members, etc.  Love on 'em all day every day, and when you think of them, you'll be thinking of your problems less, and hopefully, that will also make things better.  It works fairly good for me most of the time.  I can't take my mind off it completely, but I enjoy the times when i can.

[manley]

I have been reading many of the posts related to PVCs and I find them to be helpfull in dealing with my occasional PVCs. I am a 46 year old male. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. I have always been in good health and up untill about six months ago I never had a consistent problem with PVC's. I remember an occasional one here or there but at the time I did not know what it was.I too have had all the test done short of the heart caths and the doc sent me home and told me not to worry. PVC's, few or many, will change your life.

One of the observations I made while reading the numerous posts is that it helps each of us who experience or suffer with these frightning events to talk to others who experience the same. People who do not have PVCs have NO idea how life changing it is to have them. For instance. My wife went to the doc with me and heard him say "not to worry", therefore, she never worries about it. She does not even seem concerned when it happens to me. It would be extremely helpful to all of us if our spouses would realize the fear these events bring to our minds, and then just show some good old-fashioned love and concern for our situation.

I know what causes my PVCs. Two things. STRESS and REFLUX. I have a business with numerous employees. That is stressful. I usually deal with the business stress very well. However, home related stress, is the stress that causes my PVCs to come with a vengence. The stress shows up, then the PVCs follow. the along comes that sinking, alone in world feeling, that last a few days.
I tell you, whether you realize it or not, STRESS is the reason for many of us having PVCs.

The reflux will cause them just as quick for me. I take Zantac 75 . One in the morning and one just before bedtime. I eat smaller meals and I NEVER...NEVER allow any caffine in my body.I strictly limit my sugar intake and rarely ever eat fried food. The healthier we are the better our bodies can handle the stresses and demands we put on it. I am convinced that stress is the main cause of PVCs in many young and middle aged people.

I strongly suggest that we all communicate to those around us the importance of eliminating as much stress as possible. Some people care and will listen. Others won't. My best regards to all of you and certianly my prayers go out for you.

[tlcs]

hey everyone....like most of you i have been plagued by pvcs, since at least 18 and here we are 6 years later and out of nowhere (the last 4 days) they have become unbearably worse....when i was 18 i saw two cardiologists and went through the normal gauntlet of tests and was diagnosed with benign pvcs that i should not worry about....and for the past 6 years i have dealt with them because i did not get them that often....i mean mostly everyday but only 1 or 2....somedays were worse and some i did not get any and then some i might have an anxiety attack and have a quick run of bigemny or sustained pvcs....but more or less manageable....always worried about exerting myself too much physically because it would aggravate the pvcs but still manageable....for the past 4 days though out of nowhere i have been getting multiple runs of pvcs almost constantly....i ended up in the ER the other night because i was so afraid and they did a 12 lead EKG and bloodwork and everything came back normal and they attributed it to anxiety/stress....they gave me some atovent in the hospital to calm me down and then some xanax for when i am home....though i have been home i am still getting the constant pvcs mostly when i stand up or am walking around and it is driving me crazy....i would say at least 5 or more per minute....i can not handle this it is driving me crazy and has completely paralyzed me i am afraid to get off the couch....

[BionicBabe]

Hello to all,
I just discovered this site, after googling insanely about ventricular tachycardia and PVCs. I just found out I have some kind of v-tac and don't know yet how serious it is. I've had PVCs since late adolescence and haven't really worried about it too much until now. I have two daughters less than two years old and my biggest fear is that I will not see them grow up. I am terrified the arrhythmia will kill me. My doc wants to do cardiac catheter and EP study (also with cath). I am terrified of that too. Has anyone had any of these catheter tests?

[ruscular]

I am 46 year old personal trainer, with 75% of one kidneys, and I have PVC's and was told they are benign. I can drop my heart rate from 80 to 60 when I get PVC's. around 15-20 skips per minute. I had it check out and they say I am fine. I feel sluggish then a jolt of energy with the pooling of blood then that push of fresh blood. Kind of a similar feeling I get when I fall in love with a hot girl that I am afraid to ask out. I know it sound kind of juvenile, but it the closest feeling I can think of that makes me feel like I do when the PVC's come on strong. Exercise can improve health. I notice that when I am running or biking vigorously that I don't get skip beats at all, and even after recovering from the workout the heart beat steady until I have fully recover. As for the panic attack, and the rapid heart beat, I would inhale deeply and hold for a count of 3 second and then exhale and repeat cycle 3 time. The force breathing will reset your pattern and the body will ignore the adrenaline rush.  I also teach Tai Chi, and I find that most of the time if I do one cycle of the 24 short form during the panic attack, that I can reset my body back to normal. I follow the guideline for optimum health for the heart. 3X per week 45 minute of cardio, or 4X per week 30 minute cardio. Doing them kind of give me the assurance that my heart is healthy, and that the skip beat is not dued to a bad heart. I drink plenty of juices to make sure my electrolytes are good. Eat a balance diet low in animal fats.
I do worry about them, but this is how I cope with them. I hope I help someone.

[nikkatsmom]

Thanks so much for your previous post. I am a 48 year old female. I just found this site and spent a long time reading previous posts from other people suffering with pvc's.  I could "ditto" most of those comments, I have been very scared at times. Things got better and  I had been free of them for a couple of years, but as of a month ago they are back!  I appreciate everything you wrote because I will start using some of your suggestions. I just saw my cardio last week and waiting for Holter results and to get some assurance that I'm ok.

[katy_m]

I'm a 28 year old female and I've been having alarmingly noticeable PVC's for about 8 years now. I'm crying as I read this because I experience the physical symptoms (the pause, the thud, the rush of adrenaline) and the mental symptoms (the waiting to see if my heart has stopped, the pure terror of such thoughts) on almost a daily basis. I'm a bartender and I lead an active and admittedly stressful lifestyle, but I also run about 20 miles a week and I genuinely love my job. I just got dumped by Tonic health insurance because they've determined I have a 'pre-existing condition', although i've always been given a clean bill of health from the cardiologist! But this has added to my stress, so of course the PVC's are back to 'frequent' status. (40 or 50 pronounced ones per day.)  
Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories-- I can't tell you how it makes me feel to hear others who are going through truly identical situations as mine-- I, too, am at times paralyzed with fear in social or personal situations where I'm imagining myself suddenly keeling over with no warning. But your stories are largely inspirational and reassuring, and they give me hope.
Can anyone elaborate on methods that might lessen the frequency of such episodes? I saw one person mention 'reflux' as a culprit and I'm curious to learn more-- but ANY suggestions would be welcome. PS- my brother experiences the same thing, and we're on the phone to each other at least weekly to discuss it; so few people can understand this kind of debilitating fear derived from such a tangible origin.

[ajwwr82]

i am surprised that so many people feel the way i do. i am only 13 and i get these. i am afraid that i will die in my sleep or perhaps at the stores just like you guys said. i know i shouldnt worry about this at all considering im still just a kid but i just do....one night i actually cried myself to sleep because i was afraid. but i guess you just have to get your mind off of them...good luck everyone and remember so many people are the same way.

[Scot420]

I have read everyones posts and I think I am experiencing similar symptoms but I have other symptoms that I did not see on anyones post.
I am a 49 yr old male, never smoked but drink lite beer on the weekends. Eat pretty healthy, no fast food, minimal red meat and fried foods. Blood pressure 118/76. When I was younger I had experienced several episodes of Atrial Fib. Had echos, stress test, CT scan, blood work, Radioactive imaging after stress test, all came back normal. Have not had Atrial Fib for some time time but know the symptoms. It is more of a fluttering. What I have experienced recently is what I can only describe as my heart stopping for a second and it hurts. It also scares the **** out of me. I also feel ones less intense that do not hurt but are noticeable. I did not experience these everyday, sometimes 1 or 2 every 3 or 4 days or even a week. On Monday of this week I bent over to pick something off the floor and as I came up I experienced one of them that hurt. It caused me to grab my chest. I felt tingling in my left arm, and then several less severe ones followed with sped up heart rate that lasted a minute or two. I jumped in my car and sped off to the ER. When I arrived in the parking lot I felt better so I returned home thinking what my cardiologist said about my heart being normal. But now the remainder of this week I have experienced them each day, not many but definitely more than in the past. I am now afraid to bend over and pick anything up off the floor. These are defintely scary and different than the AF I had years ago. I cannot get into a cardologist for another week and have to get on a plane Monday and I am freaking out! I fly all the time but experiencing one of these on a flight will definitely freak me out! I seem to experience them more when I exert myself not when I am sitting or lying down. So I am worried about travel, going through the airports, staying at hotels by myself.

Is this what you are experiencing or do I have something different?
Do you experience the brief pain?
Tingling in a arm?
Could I be having a PVC and PAC at the sametime?

I am afraid to exercise because I am afraid my heart will go into some kind of arrhythmia and I will drop dead. I read or see this on the news where a perfectly healthy individual collapses come to find out they had some kind heart abnormalty. My other concern is all of the tests done on me tell me that I have a structurally healthy heart. No valve problems, clogged arteries, etc... What I am concerned about is the electrical pathways of my heart. Did anyone have electrical tests done?

When younger after the Atrial Fib the doctors told me to go on a 81mg asprin per day program that it would work as a blood thinner and helps with AF. I have been on that regime for years. I think that may have stopped those from returning. Do any of you use asprin?

I am hoping you all can educate me with your experience.

Scot

[April2]

Scot, that doesn't sound like PVC's to me. PVC's shouldn't be painful. I think it would be wise to see your doctor again and get it checked out, especially if it's been awhile. Have them retest you. I think it would help put your mind at ease. You may need some medication or something at this point.
I wish you well. Take care.


In responding to some of the other posts, I was wondering if lack of sleep and/or caffeine can bring PVC's on? I was getting them quite a bit a year or so ago, but I was under a lot more stress then. They pretty much went away. Lately I've been feeling them more but I'm wondering if it's because I took on a night job so I'm not getting much sleep. I'm also relying on coffee more. Could this be the reason for them coming back? Thanks!

[Tony37738]

My daughter went for her 2 yr. check up. The doctor was doing a routine checkup--when out of the blue, she says, "your daughter has an abnormal heart beat." They immediately hooked her up to an EKG and it showed the abnormal heart beat. Afterward (the same day ) my husband and I had to take her for a chest ex-ray.Within a few weeks, (a lifetime of waiting for my husband and me), We went to see the Pediatric Cardiologist-after looking at her EKG and Ex-ray he tells us that she a PVC'S and her heart is just slightly bigger than normal (nothing to really worry about--He says!??) Right!! Anyway, he wanted her to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours--the 1st time the monitor stop working after 3 hour, therefore, we had to make her wear it another 24 hours. I was so nervous about her condition that I went to the hospital and requested a copy of the Holter Monitor reading with the hospital doctors reading. My daughter is having 32,148 PVC'S in a 24 hour period-with something called Bigeminal runs. She averages 20 to 48 PVC's per MINUTE!! My question is what should be done--if anything in a 2yr old child? What kind of damage is this doing to her heart at such an early age? Should we be restricting her play (my husband was flipping her upside down--and I was like, "Hey--wait...don't do that", of course my daughter was laughing so hard that she couldn't catch her breath--but those things are scary to me.

[April2]

People might see this better if you post this under a new post. I don't know what to tell you otherwise. I know PVC's can be normal and that most people actually have them but I don't know when it gets to the point that it's concerning.
I wish you well. God bless!

[jenn475]

I have continuous bigeminy which means every other beat is a pvc.  I worry, but not as much as some of the others may about the effects of irregular heart beats.  I go to school full time for RN, work part time on the cardiac floor of a hospital as a Monitor Tech, and I have four children.  I do have a hard time sleeping due to the constant awareness of the irregular beats but I try to focus on relaxation techniques before bed.  At first I was as frightened as some of the others, but I believe as long as there are no other signs or symptoms of illness that they must be harmless.  I do believe that if people are very concerned about having pvc's joining support groups such as this web page helps by expressing feelings and gives one a sence of peace.  

[jenn475]

with any type of left arm pain related to heart issues I would definetly go to the ER immediately!!!!!!!!