PVC's

[John Mc]

Hi, I'm 44 years old and had double bypass sugery a year ago October.  Since that time everything seams to be progressing well with the exception of a few medication adjustments and continuos PVC's. I take Metopropolol 3 times a day and it has slowed my heart rate to 70 BPM but I still get PVC's on every 2nd or 3rd beat. This sometimes lasts for a couple of hours and generally happens at least once a day. At times its more pronounced and can be quite noticeable.  My questions are:
1/ can this be harmful?
2/ is this unusual?
3/ should I see my cardiologist to try control it?

I review your site regularly and think you do an excellent job! Thank you, and keep up the great work.

[BEWARE]

this person is impersonating a doctor and is fictitious! His aliases are P2K,Parmi, Dr Singh, Singh45, and Singh2000.These are all one in the same person who has NO credentials and is playing games with peoples' lives and minds!!!

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

In certain specific circumstances, such as in someone with a previous large heart attack and heart failure, runs of PVCs put them at a higher risk of having a lethal arrhythmia. This does not apply to the vast majority of people with PVCs.

[marie]

What did you mean by the PVC's can serve as a marker of the potential for your heart heart to have a life threatening arrythmia??

[Kat Gonzalez]

I am 35 years old and have recently been diagnosed with PVCs. Among other tests, my family doctor has ordered a 48 hour Holter Monitor, which I will get on Tuesday Dec. 21 due to a backlog of appointments.  

Yesterday I also started on a beta blocker, Apo Metoprolol 50 mg twice a day, as the PVCs occur all day long and are causing serious sleep deprivation as they wake me up at night due to their intensity and frequency (one on top of the other).

My question is this:   Does Apo Metoprolol prevent PVC's from happening, and if so, will it render the readings from the Holter Monitor inaccurate?  

Thank you in advance for your answer.
  

[Kat Gonzalez]

Sorry John,

I am new to this and inadvertantly posted my question in your comments section.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

The metoprolol will not render the Holter monitor readings inaccurate. It will decrease the number of PVCs but should not eliminate them altogether, assuming that PVCs is the correct diagnosis.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

1. Not directly. The PVCs themselves do not harm the heart. However, they can serve as a marker of the potential for your heart to have serious, potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. This is not usually the case, but if you have had a prior heart attack and the heart muscle is weak, continuous PVCs could be a problem. Potentially, implantation of a certain device can be life-saving in this situation.
2. PVCs are very common. However, their significance depends on the health of the heart.
3. You should see your cardiologist for the reasons mentioned above. If you do not fall into that high-risk category, there is no medical reason to treat PVCs.