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Increase in PVC's???

I am 32 female with PVCs, PACs, SVT, and Sino-Atrial Reentry tachycardia, and orthostatic intolerance.  I have just been ill with pneumonia.  Since getting sick I have noticed a increase in my PVCs, I have not noticed any couplets, which I do get rarely, just sporadic PVCs sometimes several in a minute, but none the next minute, etc.  Is this normal when you are ill?  I also had to increase my Toprol XL from 50 mg in morning to 50 mg in morning and 25 mg around dinner time, because of increasing heart rate.  (had to increase every year since starting the drug 3 years ago)  I know Toprol is used for treating PVCs, but I have noticed it makes mine worse.  Doctor says because my heart rate is slower I am giving the PVCs a chance to slip in.  Also during this bout of illness I would get chest pain and sweat like crazy if I had to do anything, example pick up the kitchen.  dizziness, and sob, also couldn't breath because sinus' were clogged to the max.  That has gone away as I have gotten better.  Is the sweating and chest pain from my heart or was that from my illness?  I was only given antibiotics for the illness, can't take any of the other medications, or they won't give them to me because of my heart rate. The PVCs scare me, although I deal with them a lot better than I did when I first noticed them.  Is that to be expected from being sick?

Could you answer this other ? for me. What is the normal body temperature for a person sleeping?  Can you drop down into the 95-96 degree range?  My child also had pneumonia and now that is what his temp is doing with night sweats.
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Avatar universal
November 23, 2002

About two years ago I posted details of my personal experience of excessive palpitations (PVC's - ectopic beats) - up to 20,000/day at worst - and how I got rid of them.

Since then, my wife began to suffer from 'acid idigestion' and herself developed dreadful palpitations - sufficient to cause her shortness of breath on occasions - they would go on all day and all night. At first she refused to believe she was repeating my history (see below) and consulted a cardiologist who gave her all the usual tests and prescribed a beta blocker which did nothing. At my suggestion (and some nagging!) she started on REGULAR Maalox and later switched to Gaviscon (Gaviscon Advanced in the UK). No surprise to me, the PVC's gradually disappeared over a three week period. She was later diagnosed with acid reflux from a hiatus hernia and put on 20mg Prilosec.

I'm prompted to re-post my history because I've just started to take Vioxx which in commom with Ibuprofen (for example) can leave the stomach and esophagus unprotected from stomach acid and bile. Even my low dose of Vioxx (12.5mg) has certainly reminded me of what acid reflux feels like although I still use 20mg Prilosec myself.

My strongly held belief is that provided no other cause is found by your doctors for PVCs then you've got little to lose by trying the effect of over-the-counter antacids and maybe something like Prilosec from your doctor.

Here, then, is my history which prompted many, many replies of thanks from PVC sufferers who found relief from my suggestions. In many cases, they had often suspected acid reflux and indigestion was linked to their problem but rarely, if ever, did their doctor agree.

Please pardon any irrelevancies in the following.

Good luck.


---------------------------------------

From: Mike Brewer ***@**** (thats thirteen after the K)

03 March 2001

Since posting the stuff below on 19 January 2001, I
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
November 23, 2002

About two years ago I posted details of my personal experience of excessive palpitations (PVC's - ectopic beats) - up to 20,000/day at worst - and how I got rid of them.

Since then, my wife began to suffer from 'acid idigestion' and herself developed dreadful palpitations - sufficient to cause her shortness of breath on occasions - they would go on all day and all night. At first she refused to believe she was repeating my history (see below) and consulted a cardiologist who gave her all the usual tests and prescribed a beta blocker which did nothing. At my suggestion (and some nagging!) she started on REGULAR Maalox and later switched to Gaviscon (Gaviscon Advanced in the UK). No surprise to me, the PVC's gradually disappeared over a three week period. She was later diagnosed with acid reflux from a hiatus hernia and put on 20mg Prilosec.

I'm prompted to re-post my history because I've just started to take Vioxx which in commom with Ibuprofen (for example) can leave the stomach and esophagus unprotected from stomach acid and bile. Even my low dose of Vioxx (12.5mg) has certainly reminded me of what acid reflux feels like although I still use 20mg Prilosec myself.

My strongly held belief is that provided no other cause is found by your doctors for PVCs then you've got little to lose by trying the effect of over-the-counter antacids and maybe something like Prilosec from your doctor.

Here, then, is my history which prompted many, many replies of thanks from PVC sufferers who found relief from my suggestions. In many cases, they had often suspected acid reflux and indigestion was linked to their problem but rarely, if ever, did their doctor agree.

Please pardon any irrelevancies in the following.

Good luck.


---------------------------------------

From: Mike Brewer ***@**** (thats thirteen after the K)

03 March 2001

Since posting the stuff below on 19 January 2001, I
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
There are numerous people including myself who have posted on here in the past re: the PVC and stomach connection. If I overeat or get a stomach bug ,my PVC's act up like crazy. I also seem to expel loads of gas following Pvc's and this seems to relieve them. Unfortunately, because of the benign nature of most PVC's, there seems to be little or no research done into the causes,Unless anyone knows differently.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
There's tons of information on causes.  Especially for atrial premature depolarizations (PACs).  Just remember two things: (1) there are foci of cardiac tissue scattered about the normal tissue which generate an electrical (ion pulse) signal and (2) when these pulsations reach the SA node they will precipitate a premature contraction.  The factors governing the appearance, location and strength of these foci are a subject of current study, however, it is known that the state of the nervous system (eg, sympthetic tone) can act as a gate to allow or inhibit the focal ion pulses to travel, thus altering how frequent a PAC will occur.  Numerous other factors influence how well those pulsations reach the SA node, and these include your level of dehydration, mineral content, hormones, etc etc...even posture, belching, and passing gas can affect the nervous system tone...and believe it or not, the process of inhaling/exhaling is reflected in a localized nervous system tone cycle that may cause more PACs to show up on the inhale than the exhale.  Wonders of wonders, but we are a convoluted being.
-Arthur
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, pvc was started.
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Avatar universal
GREAT information, Mikeb! Thank you very much!
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Avatar universal
Why would taking a potassium Klor-Con sometimes stop all pvc's,pac's for 2.5 hours and then return to the hundreds. Fear.
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Avatar universal
I have had an increase in pvc's lately and put a call in to cardiologist and more blood work to check potassium levels. Which are up since taking Klor-Con/ef for over 3 weeks. So why after doing the treadmill have I have hundreds for days and some are so strong. I was suggested 5 mg. of Inderal as needed last time they acted up. I had a positive reading on a tilt table for O. I. when I was 32 now 34 But was able to control without meds. Why does the electrical beats get triggered when eating too ?
Is there a correlation with the hearts function and the stomach. I started having stomach problems a year ago, I juice daily and never eat out or use any stimlants. I love days that are pvc free. Concerned with b/p too. Noticed I always run low and thought because of heart murmurs, mvp But when palps are abundant my b/p and heart rate are up and I am just sitting.
Thoughts to share..........
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Avatar universal
Dear Skipintime,

Sorry to hear about your recent illness. The palpitations you  experienced during your recent upper respiratory infection (URI) are likely related to that illness. When people develop a URI they can become dehydrated, have increased sympathetic tone and sometimes take medications containing stimulants. These are all factors which will increase the frequency of palpitations and PVCs. The sweating you experienced may be related to  fever. Your  chest pain may be myalgias (muscle ache) related to your illness. I would recommend a follow up visit with your doctor if theses symptoms are persistent.

Your child's  temperature of 95 to 96 is within normal limits. However, I would discuss the symptoms further with a pediatrician.

Thanks for your question,


CCF-MD-KE
Helpful - 0

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