PVC's and/or VENTRICULAR BIGEMINY

[rdlove]

I am a 42 year old male, very active.  Recently lost a great deal of weight.  After a very nerve racking 2 weeks, I have been diagnosed with Ventricular Bigeminy or also PVC's.  I have had every test, given what seems to be gallons of blood and am being told that my heart is chemically and physically healthy, but this is just something that I will need to live with.  In this day of medical miracles, etc., I have a hard time thinking that I just have to live with this, but if that is the way it is, so be it.  My question is this, I am wondering if there are any vitamins, etc., that I can take that may help these to not be so bad.  I know I can take Atenolol, but that is a stronger BP med and if would only control, if there is some vitamin or something less harmfull, I would like to try that.  Also, if there is anyone who is reading this that suffers from the same thing, I would love to hear from you as to how you are dealing with these.  I have been given the OK to return to my regular 6 day a week work out schedule and so I do plan on doing that.  I would just appreciate any advice that anyone can give me.
Thank You...RDLOVE

[alees]

Hi all. In 1987 I was hospitalized with bijeminy, rec'd lidocaine IV to stop it. I haven't had any problems since then except the occassional palpitation. A few weeks ago I started having irreg., skipped beats all the time. I just had an DKG and Holter, am having an echo stress on Tuesday, and the cardiologist said I may need some meds...my question is-besides the annoying irregular beats, I am exhausted with mild exertion, having some shortness of breath when the missed/extra beats are bad, and some chest tightness (the cardiologist knows). I didn't notice anyone else talking about these symptoms-does anyone have them? I am off work for another week, but very nervous about returning because of the fatigue/SOB/discomfort more than the ectopic beats. Oh, I'm 46, normal weight, non-smoker, rare drinker. I do have stress in my life, but practice meditation and Yoga which is a great help (just not for the ectopy!)

[gweenert]

thanks for your info, i have a question for you and anyone else who may come across this. i have a cardio appointment on may 6th with a new cardiologist i have not seen yet, i want to know more about what these are and if i have any need for worry, does anyone know what i can say to bring to his attention what i think may be wrong without telling him how to do his job lol i know that sounds funny but i had a previous doctor who told me i was telling him his job and he dismissed me quickly.
i want to know more about the pvc's if thats what it is why they are here with me and if there are any other problems, but in the past when i say i feel skipped beats i dont get too much of a reaction, i dont know what to ask for does anyone have any suggestions?

[Barbarella]

To "Gweenert".  I know what you are going through believe me.  I had them so bad in the past like almost every other beat was "sipped", that went on for 2 weeks.  Doctor and Cardilogist told me "not to worry" (had EKG done while the heart skipped).  Got beta blockers, but my heart beat dropped down to 30 beats per minute (and that after I cut the pills in half) I had no energy, and the heart still skipped, not as much, but still skipped.  Cardilogist took me off the beta blockers and told me "not to worry" and they would go away.  But I still do worry every time I get them.  Two doctors assured me that I would not drop dead from them no matter how bad I have them, but then I read an article on the Internet that if the skipped beats are to close together for a long time you can develop a fafal arrhythmia.  That scared the hell out of me and I was back on sqare one again.  I then started taking Magnesium pills and they got a lot better.  I found out that when I am under a lot of stress, or extremely tired and fatigue they will come out at full force, and if I worry about each skipped beat it will go down hill. The more I worry about them, the more I will feel the skipping.  I HATE them.  

The best thing would be "not to worry" about them but that is easier  said than done.

[gweenert]

I am sitting here at this screen and i am crying damned near, for all these years i have been trying to make people believe me that i was skipping heart beats, trying to understand why doctors dont seem so concerned with me when i complain about this, and i see now...i am not the only one, and i am not as bad as most of you, i am sorry that we all feel these things and we live with them everyday, it doesnt seem fair does it? when we tried so hard for years to stay healthy, i heard someone say.
I agree. i dont know most of these big words like begine and bigeminy, and what all these numbers mean, i assure you i will print off these pages and ask my doctor!! but i do feel somewhat relieved. i hate these pvc's i promise you that, and for years i have half wanted to believe i was slightly "crazy" i was thinking it would be better then a heart disease, i almost prayed for it ( lol ) i am refering to the panic attacks and anxiety they tried to tell me i have!! i believe i do have panic and anxiety but with all you sufferers let me ask who doesnt have strong consistent pvc's and not panic every so often?
i have been preaching to my husband, to doctors to my family and my friends who dont understand that what i feel is real, and even though i am not glad othr people have them i am relieved to know that there are some people that do and i am not alone or "crazy" but i need help i need to know more about what is happening to me i have been having them for 6 years, not as often as most of you, but enough to make me miss out on alot of the things i used to enjoy in fear that i will have them, heck i wont even take pain medicine or antibiotics in fear they will triggure them, i dont not drink i never did drugs i do smoke though. i quit caffine completely and thought that would help but it did not sometimes i am afrid i will stop doing everthing i love to try to stop them and realize one day when i am dying that non of it helped anyway. so what i am asking is for some help, understanding more about pvc's why they happen and how to get a doctor to really look into it, ive seen 2 diffrent cardiologists i take lopressor, does anyone have any answers?

[ohm1]

I am a 42 year old female who developed these PVC's last August. I went to a Cardiologist who tested me from a Holter Moniter, an Echo Cardiogram and a Thallium Stress Test. The diagnosis was PVC's. I had to think; what has caused this? And I believe it was from drinking too much at one sitting or "binge drinking". I smoked a pack a week. I quit smoking completely but I still drink on occassion and yes, probably too much at one sitting. I took Coreg, corvedilol because this Dr. said I had a bit of a "weak heart". I have always been athletic but he believed the alcohol could have damaged the heart muscle. He said alcohol in large quantities is "toxic" to the heart. These PVC's continued not too frequently but enough for me to seek an arrithymia specialist. He said, "75% of the population gets these things, you should not take anything and NO ABLATION is necessary-you are not a candidate! You can take atenolol, it may help but has side effects". The PVC's went away for a few months around Jan/Feb. but are now back with full force keeping me up a night! I also do special events which can be tiresome and stressful. I feel if I don't get enough sleep or drink too much, these things come roaring back. They are so uncomfortable. I bet this will do damage eventually to my heart. I just started taking atenolol last week and feel I need to see my cardiologist again. I was thinking of starting the Magnesium/Potassium therapy lady zzz said or a multi-vitamin. Any comments?

[Momto3]

"I feel if I don't get enough sleep or drink too much, these things come roaring back. They are so uncomfortable."

Seems as though you already know the answer. Are you able to quit drinking? get a bit more rest?  Generally, pvcs are benign, but because your doctor stated that you have a "bit of a weak heart" it might be helpful to ask him/her what you can do to help strengthen the muscle.

You are lucky because you know what triggers your pvcs. Good Luck!