PVC's - PAC's - Palpitations

Posted By Will on March 07, 1999 at 17:49:21:







I am 45 years old and have suffered with PVCs for 25 years.  Over the past few years and especially the past seven months,  they have increased in number, including strings.  Over the years,  I have taken Atenolol - 25 to 50 mg per day.  My Electro recently put me on 180mg Verapamil per day, 1/2 in A.M. 1/2 in P.M.  This stuff really makes me feel tired and has done little to help. I've had every test in the book, some several times.  I do not use any caffiene and I don't smoke.  I too have panic or anxiety attacks when I suffer from sustained strings of skips which makes the skips worse.   My Electro at one time suggested he might be able to do an ablation to "fix" this problem but he said I would have to experience this skipping while laying on the table and,  of course, the likelihood of that happening is about as likely as every politician in this country being honest for a day.  I've already been told that these won't hurt me but that hasn't prevented them from having a profound effect on my quality of life.  My questions are:
1.  Do you know of anyone doing any studies on PVCs?
2.  Can I quit taking Verapamil and go back on Atenolol?
3.  Do you know of or anticipate the development of a procedure to "fix" this problem?  (Considering the number of questions on this site about this problem, it seems that something should be done to study this possibility).  I would like to volunteer for such a study.
Thank you