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PVCs - any home remedy successes?

Had ablation in 2002 & no AFIB since but plagued with PVCs ever since.  Just had another 24 hr. holter, echo, etc., and all normal except showed 4,000+ PVCs - benign.  So heart in good shape.  I exercise daily, am 6'4" - 180 lbs., 52 yrs. old and am on Flecinade and a beta blocker.  PVCs just seem to keep gradually getting worse(they're bad for a few weeks, not so bad for a few weeks, etc.) and now they're affecting my sleep and exercising (which really tees me off!).  Have been reading/investigating non medicinal ways to reduce the damn PVCs though I realize eliminating them is probably unrealistic.  Heck, I'd be VERY happy to reduce them to just a 'one a minute' frequency.  Have come across many posts supporting changes in diets as well as many variations/combinations of supplements.  I have, for a long time, avoided my triggers (alcohol, sugar, adrenaline, caffeine, etc.).  Have tried many different combinations of supplements and changed my diet but am feeling I'm wandering...trying this one week, and this another.  Much is trial and error and I'm getting frustrated and impatient. I want to hear from anyone who's had significant numbers of PVCs who, in turn, has had real success (assuming there is anyone) reducing them.  I don't care what they did...no possible remedy is too crazy or silly.  I realize what works for one may not work for another but surely there are those who have, perhaps through trial and error, persistence, research and a higher intelligent level than myself (not too hard to find) found success in reducing their frequency. If there is someone 'out there' who would like to share their successes, I'm all ears!!!!
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I had my first PVC at 18; nearly 50 years later, I have them more frequently, and went on a beta blocker (Sotalol) to help control them. I've never smoked, never used caffeine, and drink very, very little. Your post was in 2007. Any changes in your nonmedicinal trials since then? I'm wondering if there's a connection between diet and the pvcs. I'm not overweight, but my diet is not the best.
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I am flummoxed by the spate of these discommoding bstards; they do have a penchant for arriving at certain times of notable activities / positioning of the body (after meals, when i labor breathing from anxiety, exercise, lying on left side,  bending over, ) but has anybody gotten them from being entranced in a deep thought?  For ex., i would often find myself daydreaming with its associated deep focus, and somehow a powerful pvc would zap me right out of the aforesaid thought.  It needn't be a panicky thought,  just intently focused. Finally,  some are ruing over which precedes the other : is it the pvcs then the anxiety, or the other way around.  Or both: once the cat is out, there's no method. They scare me so, so much, even despite having tests performed to rule out something more sinister.  
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Avatar universal
I am flummoxed by the spate of these discommoding bstards; they do have a penchant for arriving at certain times of notable activities / positioning of the body (after meals, when i labor breathing from anxiety, exercise, lying on left side,  bending over, ) but has anybody gotten them from being entranced in a deep thought?  For ex., i would often find myself daydreaming with its associated deep focus, and somehow a powerful pvc would zap me right out of the aforesaid thought.  It needn't be a panicky thought,  just intently focused. Finally,  some are ruing over which precedes the other : is it the pvcs then the anxiety, or the other way around.  Or both: once the cat is out, there's no method. They scare me so, so much, even despite having tests performed to rule out something more sinister.  
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Avatar universal
I feel your frustration and have been there! I put myself on a supplement called GABA about a month ago and my PVCs are almost completely gone. I started taking the 500mg capsules twice a day and am now on 750mg just every morning (once a day). I also take 100mg of L-Theanine every morning as well as vit B6 100mg and a Taurine supplement. It's the GABA that's made all the difference and I have done enough research to understand why. I'm a critical care nurse and the other day I told one of our best cardiologist what I had been trying and how well it worked. She was impressed that I had deduced that the GABA could help me and she agreed that the logic and science was sound in my coming to using it. It has to do with your own body's production of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) and your parasympathetic nervous system and how these 2 impact your Vagus nerve which affects your heart and can cause it to fire extra ventricular contractions. Anyway, the science is sound and it surely has worked for me.... That and I no longer take ANY caffeine nor do I drink anything warmer than lukewarm as this can affect the Vagus nerve as well. Good luck. Hope this helps!
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hypnotherapy has done wonders
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Avatar universal
I've been having PVC's for over 25 years. I used to play football (soccer), very active at work as a firefighter, and now I work as a football coach. The PVC's can get very active after a meal, and definitely the day after a good drink (beer)

I've been taking Magnesium for over 5 years now and even though they calm the PVC's down, they don't get rid of them entirely. Magnesium is also good for anxiety, with some Doctors claiming Magnesium deficiency is the main cause of both anxiety and depression.

So for those that are worried about PVC's, then don't be. After 25 years the active life I've had, if PVC's where a heart problem, then I wouldn't be writing this now. Plus with the evidence that Magnesium prevents and treats anxiety, then you're killing two birds with one stone!
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Avatar universal
I was just curious to all the people on here with PVC's are any of you on Thyroid medication? Recently myself and two others that are on thyroid med's have been diagnosed with PVC's and we are now wondering if there is a connection to this. My friend stopped doing his thyroid medication for about two weeks and had no PVC's but then of course his thyroid suffered so had to restart his med's again. So I am just wondering if any of you have had a similar experience. I also have just started trying magnesium to see if they decrease will you posted on that.

Thank you for any comments or suggestions! Diana
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Avatar universal
Thank you for the advice, I have been having PVC for about 3 months.  I have been going to the ER and being sent home and wondering don't they care?  I am going to try the diet change and Magnesium today.

Sarrilea
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Avatar universal
i had some issues with PVC male 58, overweight, no cholesterol, no High Blood Pressure, no diabetes, was an athlete when younger, that helped I guess
Went to the doctor in the hospital who proposed some meds with helped moderately over a 2 week period and I am not a fan of chemical aids like drugs
I found this site, took 2 * CoQ10, 3 * omega fish oil and 2 Mag 64 magnesium choride
Problems are gone now after 4 weeks
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Avatar universal
My husband has undergone echocardiogram, stress test, holter monitor x 24 hrs.   It revealed 10,000+ PVC's in a 24 hour period.  We are going back tomorrow for his 1st appt with his new cardiologist.  This blog has been very helpful.  Hubby does not "feel" the pvc's but is almost always very tired.  I am going to talk to him about the liquid mag.
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Avatar universal
Yes!  My sister and I have arrhythmia (she gets pvc and I get pac's) when we need lecithin and glucose.  Lecithin is a natural source of choline, and rice is a natural source of glucose.  It often takes a few doses of lecithin (I take quite a bit...it is a food) like 3 or 4 of the large softgels (or 6 or 7 of the small ones) at several consecutive meals along with getting enough glucose in my meals and then they go away.  This has worked for my sister too.

Another thing to watch out for is bromide (in bread and some mineral supplements), which can exacerbate the arrhythmia for me.
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Avatar universal
I have had cardiomyopathy for 11+ years now. I have a defibrillator and never been shocked until just recently. Out of the blue my heart stopped and I passed out. My docs think it was a random event and tell me not to worry because my device did it's job...... easier said than done. PVC's have always bothered me, but were pretty much under control until this episode. Now I get terrible bouts of them. It's really weird though, they mostly come after a meal. I take 250mg of magnesium and I think I will up my dose after reading everyone's input, but I am curious if anyone else has had a correlation of PVC"s and food.
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Avatar universal
I had PVCs for at least a year. After many trips to the doctor and even one to the ER, I figured it out. I was taking Xanax because of a anxiety caused by a motorcycle accident and I accidentally got hooked on it. All benzodiazapines are addictive and a patient can get addicted and start experiencing horrible PVCs as a between dose symptom. In effect, the drug was causing anxiety as it would wane from your system. Then you need to take more Xanax to get the PVCs calmed down and the cycle gets worse. I stopped the Xanax and the PVC and anxiety got much worse as my dependence had gotten out of hand. I am benzo free for two months and have PVCs but are getting better. Most signs indicate that within a year I should be normal and PVC free.
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Avatar universal
This was a super helpful blog to read. My PVC's (that skipped beat feeling in my chest that really feels SIGNIFICANT -- that's what we're talking about, right?) have been more associated with stress and anxiety too. Though sometimes they start in the middle of my most calm moments. Like others - docs say benign.. But when mine strike - the blood flow to the head interrupts ever so slightly and I feel the slightest bit dizzy.. It's just a mess.

I am intrigued to try and start the liquid magnesium talked about early in the thread. I have many of the other symptoms of poor magnesium levels (like soreness of muscles endless fatigue, etc). Thought I was just getting 'old' (at 51). I always wondered why my magneisum blood test always came back normal. Now I know it's not a reliable test.

Thanks all!
Grant
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Avatar universal
I have a lot less PVC's and palpitations when I take a chelated magnesium suppement.  I use Solgar brand Chelated Magnesium, which is magnesium glycinate.  I take 2 pills (100mg each) twice a day.  If I stop taking it for a day or two, I can definitely tell that I need to go back to it.  

I was on metoprolol for several years, and that did take care of the problem for a long time.  Eventually, the side effects of metoprolol became worse than the PVCs, though.  As the side effects of the metoprolol got worse, it also seemed like the effectiveness of it in controlling my PVCs became less.  In the end, there was no good reason to continue taking the metoprolol.

Drinking alcohol makes my PVCs worse afterward.  The next morning when I wake up, my heart feels like it's skipping a lot of beats.
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4223261 tn?1351292573
Believe me, it might work because if you are really stressed, it's better to have the effects of alcohol than to have the stress. But alcohol sometimes makes them worse. I've had PVC's now for 5 years and I've had 5 tachycardia attacks in that time. I had to stop drinking, though I love it. If you've never had a PVC, it's really hard to understand the fear about them. I've passed 4 kidney stones and I prefer to pass another one than to have PVC's or tachycardia attacks.
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Avatar universal
I've had PVC's for around 20 years now. I hate them like the rest of you. Something to note that may not be the case for everyone, but if you observe that your PVCs come after eating, and you are someone who exercises regularly, there is a possibility that you aren't getting enough calories. Might be worth doing a calorie count, and finding out from a trainer or nutritionist what your calorie intake should be given your exercise regimen. My calorie needs are around 2500/day given my exercise routine and build etc, but for about a year, I wasn't paying attention, thinking I was eating healthily, and was only getting around 1800/day. Like clockwork everyday within an hour after exercising, my heart would start with its tricks.
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Avatar universal
I am a 30 year old male and I have had undiagnoced PVC for who knows how long. This last week tho I finally decided to get checked for an irregular heart beat. The second they hooked me up to an EKG they noticed my heart would pause every 40-60 seconds and then restart. Soon as it was diagnosed  I felt terrible so bad a that the PVC's got worse with the stress. I couldn't even sleep at night the PVC's would scare me and send a rush of adrenaline through my body making me very nervous .I started doing some research and heave started taking 400-500 mgs of potassium a day, plus an omega 3-6-9 formula thats supposed to help with heart health As well as baby aspirin 85 mgs in the morning. I have also cut out all aspartame from my diet. I was hooked on no sugar juices mixes eg.Crystal lite and Nestea ice tea. All these things have helped but did not make my symptoms go away completely. One this that has been a life saver was something I stumbled upon on YouTube. A woman was talking about stomach problems and her PVC's. She recommended a Vagus Nerve massage the second i did this by rubbing my stomach deeply into my abdominals under my rib cage they intensity of the PVC's went away. So much so that last night i slept with out even feeling them. This really works!! Please look into Vagus nerve massage.
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1 Comments
Yes, the Vagus massage does help but the effects are temporary. Try taking GABA 750mg every day. The GABA supports your parasympathetic nervous system which impacts your Vagus nerve from within. It has virtually done away with my PVCs. I take L-Theanine 100mg along with the GABA and that may help as well. Also...NO caffeine..not even decaf for me...and no HOT drinks as this irritates the vagus nerve. Any time you eat or drink too much it can set off the PVCs as the Vagus is irritated. Try the GABA. It really works to fix what's wrong with the Vagus from within...you can reduce the dosage gradually and wean yourself off gradually. From what I've read, the GABA is harmless.
Avatar universal
I wore the Holter monitor a few days ago and I pressed the button 140 times.  Doctor said I had some PVC's.  I really do not think that he analyzed all of the episodes on the Holter monitor.  He is referring me to a cardiologist.  I wanted to say that I began taking potassium, magnesium about 1 week ago(the PVc's have been really crazy the last few months and have had them for about 4 years and last night I splurged on another supplement CoQ-10.  I took one at about 7:00 p.m. last night and by about 11:00 p.m. my PVC's stopped .  This morning too I feel great and have had like one PVC in the last 4 hours.  I can not wait to take my next dose of the CoQ-10.  I read about about many people having great success with the Co-Q10.  It is a enzyme that is for your heart and heart function.  It even says that on the label.  I also started Vitamin E last night and it is great for heart helth.  Go check out the CoQ-10 online or go take a look at the Wal-mar or health food store, it is not very cheap but I am thinking that this may just be the supplement that I am looking for.  I think that it has maybe done the trick after just one dose.  My heart would have already skipped about 25 times this morning and would have been trying to flip flop around when I tried to go to bed last night.  It has been skipping pretty constant for about 3 months now.  Pretty much all day.  I am thrilled to find this blog and so happy that the Coq-10 seems to be working so well already. It also may be the fact that is is one week since I started the Magnesium and Potassium.  I hear it takes those two supplements a week or two tom take effect.
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Avatar universal

Those of us diagnosed with benign PVC's and no evidence of coronary heart disease  should review their medications...  In my case I was taking ambien to get to sleep because the PVC's kept me up ( Holter study in Dec. "11 13,000/24 hrs) ... I also had symptoms of non-acid reflux GERD - abdominal pain.  After an internet search  I discovered a connection between ambien and reflux.  I stopped taking ambien in December, '11 and within a week not only my abdominal pain went away but so did my episodes of PVC's. I still have the occasional skipped beat but the bi- and tri- geminey that went for hours is gone, but not forgotten.  Even though I don't sleep as well I don't have PVC's.
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Avatar universal
Ive just been diagnosed with PVC's - utterly horrible - they started about 3 months ago but have become chronic beyond belief. My heart is flapping around all day, I have several every minute. Ive had an ECG but no holter monitor. My doctor advised me to go away and forget about them. That is rather hard, they feel dreadful and cause a kind of depression too I've found... Im terrified and heart rate is rapid, they go all through the night. I havent tried magnesium yet, im so far just taking Apple Cider Vinegar, but will go and find some magnesium this week..
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1 Comments
Doctors are generally unresponsive when it comes to patients worrying about pvcs -- mine claims they are more of an annoyance than anything else. They obviously don't realize how scary they are. I'm on Sotalol to control mine, but I'm interested in the posts about magnesium. I never knew anything about that.
Avatar universal
HI. I've had tachycardia since the age of 11 - I'm now 56. I coped with them because my heart returned to a normal beat after an episode - coffee, alcohol, etc. would bring them on and they'd last longer. Recently things have changed - now it's an irregular heart beat many,many times a day - had an ECG doc gave me a beta blocker but things are only a little calmer. I'm not sure why things have changed and these are far worse than having tachycardia. I'm going to try magnesium but grateful for any more info.
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Avatar universal
HI. I've had tachycardia since the age of 11 - I'm now 56. I coped with them because my heart returned to a normal beat after an episode - coffee, alcohol, etc. would bring them on and they'd last longer. Recently things have changed - now it's an irregular heart beat many,many times a day - had an ECG doc gave me a beta blocker but things are only a little calmer. I'm not sure why things have changed and these are far worse than having tachycardia. I'm going to try magnesium but grateful for any more info.
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Avatar universal
May I suggest that you PVC Sufferers have a couple of beers during an episode.
I guarntee your PVCs will diminish.

Chris (Ireland)
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