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PVC's are now constant
I have had PVCs, PATs,and Vtach leading to SVT since I was 20. I have been to several cardiologist with the same results. Benign. Lately, I had an attack of a few PVC's in a row followed by a tachy rate that I could not count. It lasted for about 5 minutes. It happened again right before a trip to DisneyWorld. It ruined my trip). Again, EKG showed nothing. I do try to eat pretty well, and take supplements. Now I started a new job that I love, but I am TOTALLY exhausted all the time. Plus my PVCs have started coming constantly, probably thousands a day, with couplets, FELT:(kick in chest, sharp pain, tightness for seconds, breathlessness at time of palp). No ignoring these. I had a holtor and an event monitor before the symptoms got too bad and of course only light PVCs showed on the test. My doctor told me everything is benign with a normal heart and that I don't have heart disease. How does he know? My chol. is 240, my LDLs are 138 and my HDL's are low. I have had no stress test or any other. My mother has extensive cardiac disease.
I take 50 mg of atenelol, and .25 of Xanax daily. It is like telling me to ignore a sharp pain. I have high anxiety. Who wouldn't? But I am really tired of being told that it is causing it. I had PVC's first. I wonder why money is spent fixing men who have problems with their sex lives, but I see no one trying to come up with any help for those of us who suffer with this. Any help would be appreciated.
I take 50 mg of atenelol, and .25 of Xanax daily. It is like telling me to ignore a sharp pain. I have high anxiety. Who wouldn't? But I am really tired of being told that it is causing it. I had PVC's first. I wonder why money is spent fixing men who have problems with their sex lives, but I see no one trying to come up with any help for those of us who suffer with this. Any help would be appreciated.
I am extremely grateful to have found this site. Although I do not get them all the time when I do I am on a ride to the emergency room as quickly as I can get there. My insurance company hates me I am sure, but my trips there have slowed down because I am learning more and more about what may be the causes of them. But you see, I have never known what caused them so now I understand why I might be having them. I dip snuff (tobacco) , I have stress (pvc's , loss of breath), I drink diet coke (caffeine), and I am tired quite a bit from staying up and worrying about this all of the time. Plus I should sleep with my cpap every night but I cheat myself and do not. Honestly I think I am trying to end it myself without doing it outright. But I do not want too. I want to live a happy healthy life but I just cannot seem to get started. I know I need to exercize but I am afraid because I do not want to start these things up for nothing. So I am stuck there. It is truly sad that I put myself through it but I do not know how not too. It is like telling someone take a pencil and put it in their hand and then tell them to "try and drop it ". Well a person cannot try to drop a pencil. A person either drops it or holds on to it. The same for telling someone to try to stop thinking about it. The more I try the more I think about it and the more it gets me uptight until I end up having a full anxiety attack. I have to watch a movie to go to bed to keep my mind on something else. That is very sad to me. Sympathy is not what I seek. Freedom of fear and anxiety is my ultimate goal. I truly sympathize with each and every one of you who have these and are worried as I am. I currently take a 5 milligram dose diazepam when I feel the anxiety coming on. Believe it or not that does help me from going into a full panic attack.
I totally believe that stress and fatigue can cause increased frequency of PVC's. I noticed I get them when I am fatigued or stressed out. Caffiene doesn't seem to increase my PVC's BUT my PVC's happen more often when caffeine wears off likely due to the "crash effect" (I feel tired once it wears off).
Thought you'd be interested in another study, this time on effect of fatigue and stress.
I'm not sure whether they looked at the same interns under different conditions or two different sets of interns, which would be less convincing. I noticed that the maximum pvc's is 23 per hour. This is quite high and one intern with frequent pvcs like this could have skewed the results quite a bit if he/she happened to be in the 'stressed and fatigued' group. Would need to see the whole paper though (You'd be amazed at the poor quality of statistics that sometimes get published in the biological sciences).
The effect of stress and fatigue on cardiac rhythm in medical interns
Stamler et al. Jelectrocardiol 1992 Oct;25(4):333-8.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was used to determine the incidence of arrhythmia while on-call and its relationship to stress and fatigue in 20 healthy medical interns. Mitral valve prolapse was present in 8 of 19 interns (42%). Heart rates ranged from a maximum of 103-167 beats/min (135 +/- 16) to a minimum of 38-61 beats/min (47 +/- 5). Interns had at least one episode of sinus tachycardia/h during 57% +/- 21% (range, 8-88%) of their hours on-call. Atrial premature beats (APB) were present in 19 of 20 (95%) and ventricular premature beats (VPB) in 12 of 20 (60%) subjects. APB/h ranged from 0 to 1.2 (0.4 +/- 0.3) and VPB/h from 0 to 23 (2 +/- 6). Three interns had multiform VPB and two had ventricular couplets. More APB/h occurred in interns under greater stress (0.5 +/- 0.4/h vs 0.3 +/- 0.1/h, p < 0.05) and combined stress and fatigue (0.6 +/- 0.4/h vs 0.2 +/- 0.2/h, p < 0.01). More VPB/h (5 +/- 9/h vs 0.5 +/- 0.6/h, p < 0.05) and higher (Lown) grade ventricular ectopy (2.3 +/- 1.6 vs 0.8 +/- 1.1; p < 0.05) occurred in interns under greater combined stress and fatigue. Mitral valve prolapse, sleep deprivation and caffeine intake were not associated with increased arrhythmia. The authors conclude that (1) rapid sinus tachycardia is frequent in interns while on-call and (2) interns experiencing greater stress and fatigue have more APB/h, VPB/h, and higher grade ventricular ectopy. These data support the notion that stress and fatigue may contribute to arrhythmia in healthy normal subjects.
I'm not sure whether they looked at the same interns under different conditions or two different sets of interns, which would be less convincing. I noticed that the maximum pvc's is 23 per hour. This is quite high and one intern with frequent pvcs like this could have skewed the results quite a bit if he/she happened to be in the 'stressed and fatigued' group. Would need to see the whole paper though (You'd be amazed at the poor quality of statistics that sometimes get published in the biological sciences).
The effect of stress and fatigue on cardiac rhythm in medical interns
Stamler et al. Jelectrocardiol 1992 Oct;25(4):333-8.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was used to determine the incidence of arrhythmia while on-call and its relationship to stress and fatigue in 20 healthy medical interns. Mitral valve prolapse was present in 8 of 19 interns (42%). Heart rates ranged from a maximum of 103-167 beats/min (135 +/- 16) to a minimum of 38-61 beats/min (47 +/- 5). Interns had at least one episode of sinus tachycardia/h during 57% +/- 21% (range, 8-88%) of their hours on-call. Atrial premature beats (APB) were present in 19 of 20 (95%) and ventricular premature beats (VPB) in 12 of 20 (60%) subjects. APB/h ranged from 0 to 1.2 (0.4 +/- 0.3) and VPB/h from 0 to 23 (2 +/- 6). Three interns had multiform VPB and two had ventricular couplets. More APB/h occurred in interns under greater stress (0.5 +/- 0.4/h vs 0.3 +/- 0.1/h, p < 0.05) and combined stress and fatigue (0.6 +/- 0.4/h vs 0.2 +/- 0.2/h, p < 0.01). More VPB/h (5 +/- 9/h vs 0.5 +/- 0.6/h, p < 0.05) and higher (Lown) grade ventricular ectopy (2.3 +/- 1.6 vs 0.8 +/- 1.1; p < 0.05) occurred in interns under greater combined stress and fatigue. Mitral valve prolapse, sleep deprivation and caffeine intake were not associated with increased arrhythmia. The authors conclude that (1) rapid sinus tachycardia is frequent in interns while on-call and (2) interns experiencing greater stress and fatigue have more APB/h, VPB/h, and higher grade ventricular ectopy. These data support the notion that stress and fatigue may contribute to arrhythmia in healthy normal subjects.
Thank you for your comment. I started Klonopin 12 years ago at a dose of 0.5. I still take 0.5 at bedtime. I have weaned myself off Klonopin many times during these years. I have not needed to increase my dosage in all this time. I only know that after I have been off the benzo for awhile.......my heart goes back to having it's own life again. I don't have answers for others.....I only know what works for me. My doc told me I was not addicted because I have not had to increase the dosage for Klonopin to continue to work for me. I have read everything I can find on this disorder, but I do not have the proper education to understand what I am reading most of the time. Laughing......I just "get the drift." (Texas saying.) Usually I find people with a greater understanding....such as yourself...and learn from them. numberc
AnthonEE, you are right on. I'm glad you and Awake agree. It can't hurt.
Let me tell you my progress. By the way, this is great forum I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. I have learned quite a bit from you guys, and it has helped understand some things. We are not alone, which in itself, is reassuring. I also believe that PVC's are related to other simuli in our bodies, rather than a 'heart condition.' I think our hearts are just fine, they are simply 'victims of circustance' if you will.
Over the past ten days, I have drank a lot of water to stay hydrated, especially in this heat. I'm in Atlanta. I have also been taking vitamins to include; multi's, magnesium, calcium, and potassium (the electrolytes). I have noticed a decent decrease in PVC's, at least ones I could feel. I tend to get PVC's when I'm hungry. I then eat, and they go away. There is a blood sugar thing there, I think. However, if I eat junk or heavy food, I tend to get them for a while after I eat, but they eventually go away. I used to take Klonopin for Restless Legs and Anxiety, but quit about a year ago. Thinking back, since I have quit Klonopin, I have noticed more episodes of PVC's for longer periods of time. Maybe something there. I may go back on Klonopin and see. I drink several beers a day and smoke a half pack of cigarettes a day (bad furry). I have noticed no correlation between drinking and smoking and PVC's. I think with drinking alcohol, though, it is key to stay hydrated. Dehydration, I believe, can cause PVC's. I do notice a stress/anxiety connection as well. I get them when in a stressful/anxious situation. Job interview, crazy drivers/traffic, etc..... I have not noticed that exercise directly eliminates PVC's, but I believe that exercise relieves stress, which can cause PVC's.
I will keep track of my progress and will try some new things and then report back. If others want to participate, great. If not, whoever wants to add their results/comments, wonderful.
Good luck and have a PVC free day.
Furry
Let me tell you my progress. By the way, this is great forum I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. I have learned quite a bit from you guys, and it has helped understand some things. We are not alone, which in itself, is reassuring. I also believe that PVC's are related to other simuli in our bodies, rather than a 'heart condition.' I think our hearts are just fine, they are simply 'victims of circustance' if you will.
Over the past ten days, I have drank a lot of water to stay hydrated, especially in this heat. I'm in Atlanta. I have also been taking vitamins to include; multi's, magnesium, calcium, and potassium (the electrolytes). I have noticed a decent decrease in PVC's, at least ones I could feel. I tend to get PVC's when I'm hungry. I then eat, and they go away. There is a blood sugar thing there, I think. However, if I eat junk or heavy food, I tend to get them for a while after I eat, but they eventually go away. I used to take Klonopin for Restless Legs and Anxiety, but quit about a year ago. Thinking back, since I have quit Klonopin, I have noticed more episodes of PVC's for longer periods of time. Maybe something there. I may go back on Klonopin and see. I drink several beers a day and smoke a half pack of cigarettes a day (bad furry). I have noticed no correlation between drinking and smoking and PVC's. I think with drinking alcohol, though, it is key to stay hydrated. Dehydration, I believe, can cause PVC's. I do notice a stress/anxiety connection as well. I get them when in a stressful/anxious situation. Job interview, crazy drivers/traffic, etc..... I have not noticed that exercise directly eliminates PVC's, but I believe that exercise relieves stress, which can cause PVC's.
I will keep track of my progress and will try some new things and then report back. If others want to participate, great. If not, whoever wants to add their results/comments, wonderful.
Good luck and have a PVC free day.
Furry
I also agree it's a great idea. I propose an experiment with stress. My PVCs have been relatively mild for the past few months. But I injured my leg and I cannot exercise. Walking is difficult. And I'm moving to a new house this weekend. My stress level will be elevated to a very high level over the next few weeks. I propose to report back if the PVCs increase in frequency and/or intensity as a result. I'd be happy to keep all other aspects of my life (like diet, caffeine, etc) as much the same as possible. Is this like the idea proposed by Furry Murray?
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