Intense PVCs except when feet are elevated

[sfjw]

50YO male, have been dealing with PVCs for several years now, the cardiologist
says they are benign, they usually aren't very frequent and I've been
feeling pretty good the past few months. Just last week they started
coming on every morning and hammering me all day. Then I realized that
if I elevate my feet and legs, by either putting my feet on my desk at work
or by lying down at home, the PVCs stop immediately.
They also resume immediately at work if I put my feet down, attempting to
get back to work. These contractions are much more frequent and intense
than they have been for months now. I have runs of 5-8 in a row, and this will
go on for one or two hours at a time. I feel flushed at the same time.

They diminish at night, even when I'm sitting/standing/walking.

Should I see a cardiologist about this? Is this a sign of something
more serious than PVCs???

[dixter]

Try seeing a Vascular DR. you might have DVT.
Deep vein thrombosis, commonly referred to as "DVT", occurs when a blood clot, or thrombus, develops in the large veins of the legs or pelvic area. Some DVT’s may cause no pain, whereas others can be quite painful. With prompt diagnosis and treatment, the majority of DVT’s are not life threatening. However, a blood clot that forms in the invisible "deep veins" can be an immediate threat to your life, as compared to a clot that forms in the visible "superficial" veins, the ones beneath your skin. A clot that forms in the large, deep veins is more likely to break free and travel through the vein. It is then called an embolus. When an embolus travels from the legs or pelvic areas and lodges in a lung artery, the condition is known as a "pulmonary embolism," or PE, a potentially fatal condition if not immediately diagnosed and treated.
What are the causes of DVT?

Generally, a DVT is caused by a combination of two or three underlying conditions:

    * slow or sluggish blood flow through a deep vein
    * a tendency for a person’s blood to clot quickly
    * irritation or inflammation of the inner lining of the vein.

There are a variety of settings in which this clotting process can occur. First, individuals on bed rest (such as during or after a surgical procedure or medical illness, such as heart attack or stroke), or confined and unable to walk (such as during prolonged air or car travel) are common settings. It can occur in certain families in whom there is a history of parents or siblings who have suffered from prior blood clots. It can also occur in individuals whom active cancer or its treatment may predispose the blood to clotting.

Having a recent major surgical procedure, especially a hip and knee orthopedic surgeries or those requiring prolonged bed rest, predispose the blood to clotting. Irritation or inflammation occurs when a leg vein is injured by a major accident or medical procedure.

Also, there are specific medical conditions that may increase your risk of developing a DVT via these three mechanisms, such as congestive heart failure, severe obesity, chronic respiratory failure, a history of smoking, varicose veins, pregnancy and estrogen treatment. If you are concerned that you may be at risk due to any of these conditions, please consult with your physician.

[sfjw]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to get some feedback from someone familiar with these particular symptoms, the fact that I feel the contractions when standing or sitting but they disappear *immediately* and *completely* if I raise my legs or lie down. This certainly sounds like a circulation issue, but I can't find any references to these symptoms via search engines. Closest I can come to for linking arrhythmia and leg/feet would be PVD, PAD, or CHF. Should I work on the assumption that it's one of these?

[dixter]

For benign PVCs, anxiety is the most common cause. Increased levels of adrenaline are thought to play a role, often caused by caffeine, exercise or anxiety. Some other possible causes of PVC in adults include the use of cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol. Medicines including digoxin, sympathomimetics, tricyclic antidepressants, and aminophylline have also been known to trigger attacks of PVC. [1]

Heart conditions or a previous history of heart attack, ischemia, myocarditis, dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myocardial contusion, atrial fibrillation and mitral valve prolapse may cause PVC. Patients with hypomagnesemia, hypokalemia, and hypercalcemia may also present with PVC.

PVCs in young children are thought to be associated with developmental factors of the autonomic nervous system. In older children, sympathomimetic drugs, such as cold or asthma medication may cause PVCs, along with mild cases of viral myocarditis.