PVC's...scared!

[sandro]

hi, I'm a 23 year old male in perfect health. i have seen 8 electrophysiologists one being second opinion from cleveland clinic since Nov. 05 and have had, 2 echos, 1 cardiac MRI, 2 stress tests, 3 holter monitors, and blood work, all tests came back normal. the holter monitor was the only tests that picked up PVC's and PAC's. the holters have picked up at the most 300 PVC's 900 PAC's and the least 3 PVC's and 98 PAC's. all this started after dieting and (ephedra free) diet pills. My questions are 1. my fear is that my PVC's will get worse as i get older and i will develop CM, it fears me more because of my age and that i have these now. do you see this happening in my case? 2. my PVC's seem to scare me more when i am aware of my heart especially during exercise or sex (seems to be when they occur more) so i've avoided these activities and that makes me fell bad that i have to avoid those things especially because of my age. besides the discomfort these cause, while i'm doing these activities does it matter if the PVC's come in groups or singles? 3. i'm on sectral (acebutolol) and all my doctors want to see me get off this medication within the next 3 months. is it true that sectral is the only beta blocker with the ability to surpress PVC's, it fears me to get off of them if they are acually supressing them and yet at my age i don't want to rely on a pill? thank you for your time!

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

HI Sandro,



1. my fear is that my PVC's will get worse as i get older and i will develop CM, it fears me more because of my age and that i have these now. do you see this happening in my case?

There are studies that show that people can develop a cardiomyopathy from PVCs, however these are very rare cases.  It is very unlikely for you to develop a cardiomyopathy from this.



2. my PVC's seem to scare me more when i am aware of my heart especially during exercise or sex (seems to be when they occur more) so i've avoided these activities and that makes me fell bad that i have to avoid those things especially because of my age. besides the discomfort these cause, while i'm doing these activities does it matter if the PVC's come in groups or singles?

No, it doesn't matter.  I would try your best to ignore the symptoms.

3. i'm on sectral (acebutolol) and all my doctors want to see me get off this medication within the next 3 months. is it true that sectral is the only beta blocker with the ability to surpress PVC's, it fears me to get off of them if they are acually supressing them and yet at my age i don't want to rely on a pill?

As far as I have read, there is no beta blocker that decreases PVCs; they only decrease the sensation of the beats so people notice them less.

I assume that all 8 electrophysiologists had the same opinion (that you were in no danger?).  That is a lot of second opinions (8). The problem is that if you keep seeing doctors, eventually someone is going to agree with you and lead to an unnecessary procedure.

Thanks for posting.



thank you for your time!

[tickertock]

Relax , I'm 41(male) , had much more PVCs than you documented by holter when I was 22, I felt everyone. I still get an occasional one but nothing to mention. I never let them interfere with my activities though sometimes I admit it was tough during a flare up. I'm lucky that mine seem to get less with age, though I do take atenolol, cozaar and HCTZ mainly for mild hypertension.

I'm not a doctor but from all the info I have gathered , cardiomyopathy is a very rare complication of frequent PVCs,Chances are you'll be just fine, especially after all that testing with a negative workup. Good luck and take care.

[sandro]

thanks for the post. its been difficult because nobody i know personally has PVC's so ive become very isolated even from my family because nobody understands how they feel. the positives are ive been told by my doctors that i have a very healthy heart and its in it for the long haul and + there is nothing in both my mother and my fathers side who have or had any heart problems. thanks again!

[ihatepvc's]

i am 41 also and have had pvc's for over twenty years. they will probably come and go throughout your life and then maybe go away after menopause. i've had three kids with them and have led a perfectly normal life. however, i have at times let them get the best of me and as a result have gotten scared, anxious and depressed. after much worrying and hundreds of thousands of pvc's later, i am still here alive and healthy. believe your doctors when they say they won't hurt you and please don't let them affect your life in any way. you should still go about all of your normal activities. if you let them affect your quality of life, then one day you will be my age looking back and seeing what a waste of time it all was. i take propranolol which is a beta blocker and it has been around for a long time and is well tolerated by most people. i think it is a less heavy duty drug than the sectral from what i have read - could be wrong. if i take 20 mg's which is very little, it takes them away almost completely, most of the time. makes you slightly tired but well worth it to get rid of the pvc's.

[Momto3]

Relax.  The chances of developing are very, very rare.  Yes, it happened to me, BUT it is very important to understand that it is truly a very rare occurence.  Over a course of nearly 30 years, I have had millions of pvcs.  In my case, the change in cardio function was a bit more prevelant b/c of a significantly leaky valve.  Don't worry about the pvcs causing any harm. Instead, concentrate on getting past the anxiety.  It'll do you a world of good : )

Connie

[Momto3]

Ooops...typing too fast ; )

I meant to say the chances of developing CM because of pvcs is very, very rare.  I had so many ectopics that in the 6 years I had been with my current doctor, she NEVER heard my heart beating normally until about 2 years ago.  This past visit (May 2006), I had a few pvcs during the exam, and we both chuckled.  I felt them, and she heard them.  She even said, "It's only bigeminy."  There are lots of folks around here that have had tons of pvcs, for many years, and yet they are very healthy -- me included : )

Enjoy being 23, and trust your doctors (or the 2nd opinions) :)

connie

[KevieLover]

I kind of know how you feel about being young and thinking about this stuff. I have bicuspid Av+AI in my heart aka  valve diease. I don't have any real help for you really all I have is knowing how you are feeling. You just want to be 23 and have fun. The best thing to do is to try to have fun. I'm 23 too and I feel as if like why me I'm to young you know. Well I hope you find some more stuff out so they can help you. take care. Elizabeth:)

[sandro]

im glad 2 have found this site and hear...i mean read :) about everyone elses experiences on the subject and the time spent with them...i just don't want them taking over my life. thank you everyone, for your support and time...God bless.

[Erik36]

Last I knew men don't go through menopause. Sandro is a male if you read the first sentence of his posting.

[sandro]

does it matter if i take beta blockers or not? does it change my prognosis? do beta blockers effect the body in a negative way if i decided to take it long term? if anybody knows the answer. thanks.

[Abeybaby]

U must either have too much money to burn or excellent coverage! After 8 electrophysiologists I think the problem is not your heart but anxiety and obsession with it. I am not trying be sarcastic but its overkill to your own detriment. Walk away and enjoy your life. As my cardio told me its something u will have to live with regardless how uncomfortable it may feel at times. U are very young so move beyond it. Its not always easy but too many tests only serve to obsess more and more.

Good luck and u will be fine now just try to believe it.

[sandro]

i agree with you all the way, its just been hard for me to except this discomfort i never had before and to know i have to live with it. thanks.

[sniggs]

Hello,

Don't be scared.  I've been getting these for about 7 years.  Sometimes I get them so bad I get dizzy.  When I get them, I'm hit with overwhelming fear each and everytime, too.  That never changes unfortunately.  

Everytime I get them, I'm like, "Oh man, this is it, my heart isn't gonns start back up this time."  But it always does.  It feels like my heart is gonna stop pumping sometimes.  It's not even a skipped beat anymore, it's like my heart comepletely slows down, flops around and then *THUD* it starts back up.  Then I see little stars everywhere.  

Fun times, huh?  

I'm only 30 years old too.  Scary stuff, I know.  You may want to have an echocardiogram done and a treadmill test just to be safe.  Always write down everything to ask your doc, as you will definitely forget when you get there.  

A lot of these are caused by stress or caffiene, so reduce that as well.  Don't panic, that only makes it worse.

[sniggs]

Also, I've been taking Toprol XL 50mg a day (Beta Blocker) and I only get like two PVC's a day now as opposed to hundreds a day.  I have no side effects from it either.

[Fran71]

Hi! I've been having PVCs and sinus tachy for years, on and off. I always refused to take betablockers unless I was doing extremely bad, because I couldn't live with the fact that I was on a heart med at my age - I'm now 35 but I was 29 when it all started. Last Feb it got so bad I went to the ER. I then decided to see a cardio specialized in arrhythmias and to be followed by him regularly. He put me on propanolole daily. I was reluctant to go on a med long-term at my age. He said that this drug is not a heart medication; it just makes the heart relax and helps with symptoms, that's all. If I want to stop it, I can. I followed his advice, and immediately got relief. I'm now taking Inderal 40 mg daily, with absolutely no side effects - there was some tiredness but it went away after the first few weeks of treatment. I know BBs are not a miracle cure, and when we have bad PVC periods they do show up despite the BB, but Inderal is helping me a whole lot. They have decreased drastically in frequency and when I get them, they don't bother me half as much. Also my sinus tachy episodes are less frequent and shorter. I hope this good period lasts long for me. With these bloody things, no-one can tell! LOL

I've now accepted that this med makes me feel better. There are no negative effects on your body; the only problem is some side effects for some. If you don't have side effects, I think there's no harm in staying on the BB, it all depends on your choice, and of course on your Dr's opinion.

Good luck

Fran

[yoshi74]

Sandro, I soooo know how you feel! Nobody else I know has these things so I too feel isolated and the odd man out type of thing.  Or even that I am crazy..which is the worst feeling. That is why I am so happy that I found this forum! It is so great to know that there are people out there who understand. I am 32 and have had PAC/PVC's since I was 18. I have been to the ER many times..I have worn a holter monitor I think 3 times...countless EKG's and 3 echocardiograms with blood workups....It's like, ok, when do I start believing the Dr.s?? I guess what I am trying to say, is that your mind is a very powerful tool and you can not let it get the best of you. I had a bad run of them last night and that is why I am on here this morning. This forum has been extremely comforting to me over the past several months. Anytime you start to panic, logon and read other's stories or post something if you have too. You are even welcome to contact me through e-mail if you need to. ***@**** crazies please...ha ha J/K  Seriously everyone, thank you for sharing your stories..they have been a tremendous help and I hope they will continue to subside my anxiety!!  GOD BLESS US ALL....!!

[madgrad92]

I, too, have PVCs, and I'm 36 (female). I started having them at 22 (did you know that most people with an anxiety disorder usually notice it in their early 20s? Coincidence? Maybe, but I'm not so sure). Mine have increased very, very little since that time (in fact, I think they've actually decreased). I know that if I have a run of PVCs, I can get myself worked up over them and expect to have a few every 5 minutes. If, however, I breathe through them, float through them, and (I'm spiritual, so this may not work for you) say, "God, I'm releasing these to you. Please take them and do what you will with them," they TOTALLY subside to one or two an hour. I have a friend who has a PVC about every 3 minutes every single day (he's 37). In the last two years, he's come to the point where he doesn't even know (or care) that he's having them. I asked him once, "How many do you feel in a day?" He said, "Maybe two. Unless I'm focused on them." I told him, "Okay, focus on them." Within 30 seconds, he had one. Once he turned his mind off of them, he never noticed another one for the rest of the day. He just doesn't care. I suggest you buy some books on anxiety - there are sections on how to deal with "illness." Now, you're NOT ILL, but those sections seem to have great coping strategies for people who are anxious about being (or think they are) sick. You'll be amazed to read these books and how many things relate to yourself. On bad PVC days, when I forget that they're benign (they ARE!!!), I grab an anxiety book. Within 20 minutes, my PVCs are virtually unnoticeable or I don't care about them anymore. Email me at ***@**** if you wish to talk more.
Dyan

[sandro]

anybody know Dr. David Cannom at LACA who specialises in ventruclar arrhythmias?

[Xavier02]

I know how scary it is to have those PVCS and flip flopping. There are days I just want to give up.  Thank God we have this site. I thought I was the only one going through this. It is very lonely. Hang in there!

[ihatepvc's]

sorry i thought you were female! i just wanted to say that cardiologists will say that beta blockers usually don't decrease frequency, only the sensation, but i totally disagree. i think they say that so you won't expect too much. i know for a fact that my pvc's stop when i take my propranolol. it's a well tolerated drug and can't hurt to try it out. of course, it's best not to take anything but then again, why sit there and feel discomfort if you don't have to? you can take propranolol only as needed, so it's not like you are on a daily medication. in my opinion, it's a good thing to have in your pocket just in case.

[sandro]

can beta blockers in general be taken on a as needed bases? i thought they had to build up in your system. i'm afraid that, if i get off these pills the PVC sensations will get worse and than my anxiety will get worse...that would be fun cycle to go through again. i was told that most people have PVC's but don't know it, what i wouldn't do to be one of those people...i guess it really isn't a curse to have PVC's, but a curse to feel them :(

[sandro]

does anyone else feel PVC's as slight pressure in chest with weird feeling in the throat, because i don't feel them as thumps in the chest just weird sensations in the chest and throat area?

[madgrad92]

A few things:

Yes, most beta-blockers can be taken as-needed. However, sometimes it takes a while for certain ones to "kick in," so you should be sure to take it as the doc. recommends.

You've seen EIGHT doctors and you're considering finding another specialist into vent. arrhythmias? I think you're really going to an extreme. I totally don't want to sound like I don't support you in your desire to figure out what's going on, but honestly, it seems like you're just trying to find some doctor who's going to give you some "magic cure." Trust me when I say there isn't one. You may find a doctor who is willing to do a completely unnecessary procedure on you (which could actually make things WORSE). We will ALL know when the medical community has finally figured out how to get rid of these things. Until then, this beat goes on...

As I said before, work on the mental issue, not the heart issue. The heart issue, you've been told, is a benign one. All of us here on the forum are proof positive that these are not goign to kill you. Yes, the sensation is eerie, yes it's unnerving that you think there's something going haywire in your heart (perhaps the only thing that would help you at this point is to have a doctor actually explain the mechanism of a PVC and why it won't make your heart stop), but you need to work on your mental state of things. It's easy to say, "I'll feel better when they go away." They won't go away (most likely), so you need to learn to live with them. And I know that sucks.

I also feel PVCs as weird flutters. I don't feel the compensatory THUMP after the pause. I feel the little 'diddlediddle' that comes from the extra beat. I can only feel the pause and hard beat after it if I have my fingers on my pulse. If I have a few PVCs in a minute, I feel like I have to cough. That's common, since your vagus nerve also stimulates your esophageal and respiratory areas.

Please start reading into anxiety solutions. Dr. Claire Weekes' books are a true GODSEND. Many people on this board have read them. You will be so glad that you did. Peace from Nervous Suffering and Hope and Help for Your Nerves are two that are marvelously helpful.

Good luck.

[sandro]

acually, he was one of the 8 docs, the last time i saw an electro. was 3 months ago. almost all the docs said i should try bio-feedback or a psychologist. i tried bio-feedback with no luck and am now looking for a psychologist who deals with people with PVC's and learning to accept them and live with them, a problem i'm tring to figure out how to overcome. thanks for takeing your time.

[Cibuno]

A related discussion, How to stop PVC Episodes? was started.