PVC

[Carrie41]

I suffer with palpitations and svt and short non-sustained runs of v-tach.  I am a 45 year old female with no other health problems except these darn things.  I take celexa (10 mg) because of my great anxiety about my heart.  I can go 2 or 3 days without any palpitations and then wammo they come on full force for weeks on end.  I have been for two failed ablations (they couldn't get my heart to go into v-tach).  With the failed ablations would that mean that my cannot go into v-tach?  I live every hour of the day thinking about these darn things and go into panic mode everytime I feel anything not normal.  I have been to too many cardiologists to think about and can't stand living like this anymore.  I know there are people on this website that have somehow overcome their anxiety about these but I just can't.  I think I have type A personality.  A few questions:

1. Sometimes when I lay down it started skipping - is that normal?
2. Is it normal to have every third beat skip for an hour or so and then go back to normal?  This happens maybe once a month.
3. Let's say if I have 10 - 20 HARD skipped beats during the day - is that normal?
4. It sometimes feels like it sort of drops (like when you are on a elevator and it drops).  Is that PVC's?
5. If everyone has these skipped beat why is it that when I ask other people they say they never feel anything?

I have been told by all cardiolgists that I have seen, that I have a structurally normal heart and don't worry but I am constantly in a state of anxiety.  If it is normal why would they have caught a run of v-tach?

[micheller]

Hi there, it sounds like your heart is perfectly fine with the skips.  You've had all the tests done, and you have a structurally healthy heart.  My skips do just what yours does, among other things as well.  Different times, different feelings, different amounts, etc.  Have you tried a beta blocker for them?  Also, as for the v-tach, your DR.'s aren't concerned about it coming back?  You mentioned you had both the svt and v-tach, were they successful in ablating the svt?  Your only sounding concerned about the v-tach.  Take Care, Michelle

[Carrie41]

Hi Michele.  No they weren't concerned about the v-tach becuase it was a really short run of non-sustained so they didn't really have too much concern.  I wore a king of hearts for a month as well and all they caught on it was PVC's, SVT and couplets of PVC's.  They couldn't make my heart do anything strange when I was having the EP testing so they sent me on my merry way.  I have been on Atenolol (years ago) but I hated the way I felt on it.  I really didn't like how it slowed down my heart either.  I just hate these things so much and I just wish they would go away.  I have found great comfort in this website but still worry like crazy about my heart.  It is like it is controlling my whole life.  Everything single thing I do I think about my heart.  I can go for a walk and feel PVC's and start having panic attacks and have to get away from people.  It is the strangest thing, I have to sit near door ways just in case I have to get out of the situation quickly if my heart goes awry.  I do take Celexa and thought that is would help my anxiety and it did for a while but now I am back to being scared all the time.  It is just crazy!

[micheller]

So why did they do the EP testing if they weren't concerned about the short run of v-tach?  I was under the impression that they just don't go into an EP study unless they can't find the problem, or are concerned.  Do you still have your svt then, or just pvc's?  Trust me, I know what your talking about your panic over them, I too have them and live in fear of them, and also avoid places.  Of course, now that they said I have sinus tach and svt, I am living in fear of doing anything that raises my heart rate, and constantly check it.  And, of course, when I get a pac or pvc, I freak out and that raises my heart rate.  I have been trying for 6 years to just come to terms with my pac's and pvc's, and now that I have the sinus tach and svt, I seem to be out of my mind with fear.  The Dr. has me on Inderal, and I'm even scared of that.  I still get my heart skips, so that bugs me too.  And I don't like the way it makes me feel tired and sluggish.  I'm not even taking that much so I can't cut back.  I am giving it two weeks though before trying to switch.  Then once I'm on a bb that I like, I will be going to a SSRI myself to try to deal with this.  I am sick of being worried about my heart.  I know other people have way bad svt and v-tach and a-fib and live with it, I have "episodes" and supposebly nothing is wrong with me, but in the back of my head is the "what if" thing?  I won't even get on a treadmill test because I don't want them to make my heart rate fast and go into that svt rythm. I have a panic attack over that.  Anyways, I know what your going through, completely.  At least you were brave enough to do the ep study, I'm a big chicken over that.  I was told that I wouldn't need to do that yet, unless the meds don't control it, but that is down the road a ways.  But my mind won't let it go, that I may NEVER have to have it done, my mind thinks of WHEN I have to have it done.  (I have a phobia of hospitals and procedures, worse than my phobia of my heart)
Email me if you want, I hope you feel better.  Michelle
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