Palpitations

[codeblue1018]

Hello Doctor.  I am a 33 yo male who been suffering from pvs/pac's for about three years.  After several doctor/specialists visits including all tests under the sun, it was determined that nothing was wrong with my heart.  The tests included the event monitors/stress test/x-ray/blood work etc. and all was good.  Cardiologist initially prescribed digitek for the palps.  My pcp thought this was an odd choice of medication as it is a "major" heart drug according to my pcp, although it seemed to work, it made me nervous and i stopped.  I am now on metoprolol 25mg once a day.  This medication however, doesn't seem to do too much.  My father passed from heart disease/diabetes at the young age of 67.  Although we are opposites in that I exercise, try to eat well and dont smoke.  In conjuntion with the palps, I was getting slight pain on my heart area when I jogged then after a few minutes in, it stop.  Since ive been on metoprolol, while running i dont get pain anymore.  Not sure if this is related.  Questions are, is digitek bad for me to take FOR JUST PALPS; Is the metoprolol working and i dont know it; Should I get more tests, i am not 100% certain that I am ok.  My dr thinks anxiety is taking a TOLL. Help.

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hello,

is digitek bad for me to take FOR JUST PALPS?

It probably isn't bad, but I agree it is a strange choice for a structurally normal heart.  Metoprolol (beta blockers) are the standard of care for decreasing symptoms associated with PVCs.  Beta blockers usually do not decrease PVCs through.

Is the metoprolol working and i dont know it;

It is hard to say.  I have patients have decreased, increased and no change in symptoms from beta blockers. It depends on the person.

Should I get more tests, i am not 100% certain that I am ok. My dr thinks anxiety is taking a TOLL.

Anxiety is probably not causing the PVCs but certainly may be affecting how you view them.  PVCs in a normal heart do not cause sudden cardiac death and this is the most common concern I hear in people very worried about PVCs.  I know it is hard to change that mind set, but that is probably what is affecting your quality of life the most.

good luck and thanks for posting.

[I'mallheart]

first of all, interesting name, hope you dont mean you want to be in code blue..

i am in the same situation pretty much as you are, i am 30 m..been dealing with mine for 3 years also, all the test. labled palps, pvcs, and ANXIETY! i think that is for most of us in here!

i am on 25 mg atenolol, it does pretty good, make me tired and slow rate and Bp. I am always aware of every heart beat, never used to be until that day three years ago when went to ER for tachycardia. since then HELL..try to live with it now, i am like well it hasnt killed me and beedn trough alot of syomptoms so must have a strong heart that is just sensitive.

i think you are in the same boat, ANXIETY. i would like to get of the atenolol and hope to but i take a pill with me just in case of a bad episode then within 10-15 mins heart goes back to normal. Anxiety yeah I know.

hang in there, you had all the tests, yes i know they can miss things etc, its good your questioning your tests etc,

just remember they went to school for things like this, see patients like us all the time. so relax, enjoy life and let the heart beat what ever way it wants to..

hope you never go into Colde Blue

take care

[dquenzer]

I had PAC's for years.  Beta blockers really didn't help much.  I certainly wouldn't be on an anti-arrythmic unless very symptomatic.

If you had echo, stress test, etc. and things are normal I wouldn't worry about the slight pain in chest; especially if it goes away in just a few mintues. Sometimes "pains" are muscular or related to tension.  The fact it goes away after a few minutes probably is just a warm-up reaction; especially at age 33.

If the beta blocker doesn't work, I would go off of it.

How often do you get PAC's?  I found they tend to ebb and flow when I had them.  Sometimes they would come in waves and then settle down quite a bit.  Read previous post below on how I got rid of them altogether.

The biggest problem is the psychological stress.  We are obviously heart sensitive.  I know it took me about 2 years to deal with them, and not freak out when I had them.  But they can be uncomfortable and cause panic.

Most of the time there are triggers.  I would find out what those triggers are for you and then try to eliminate them.  Not a cure however.  This will just make them more bearable.  Do you have an anxiety issue?  Anxiety (Stress) is probably the biggest cause.

Good luck.

[bighead25]

i think im having what all of you guys are explaining (PVC).  Im 27 and been having this problem for about 2 years.  I have been to the doctor and like most have had every test done and everything is coming back normal. i usually have them (PVC) at night time when im tired laying in a certain position.  They typicaly go away after about 3-5 minutes.  but at that point i get extremely nervous to the point of a panic attact.  
    The feeling i get is a normal heart beat and then all of a sudden i get an extra beat that pounds realy hard.  it usually does this for a few minutes then goes away.  It also occurrs sometimes when i get up fast.  

   Does this sound like everyone elses symptoms and should i have any worries?  Anyone know if this condition has any long term effects?

[madgeOwens]

I would like to know how many of you get symptoms, such as chest pressure, light headed or sob?

[Gary-Fisher]

ive been having them real bad as of late.

the symptoms i get are..it feels like my heart stops for a sec (sometimes it feels like 5 sec) then when the next beat finally comes, its sometimes a hard one that makes me take a deep breath like i got punched or something.

it freaks me out when it happens. but when i get them in "sperts" ( a bunch at once, or in  a row) i realy start to panic.

[loucipher7]

You'll want to read all the posts in here they'll help u understand what you've got. i've read several posts in here that are an exact duplicate of what i get, skipped beats then a big thump, sometimes i freak out panic, anxiety. they come and go and seem to be completely random to me. I have had several ekg's been to er a few times always comes up negative for anything besides anxiety/panic attacks,pvc's. Wish i had answers for you but i'm still working on dealing with mine, the best i've found is when they start getting to me i try to occupy myself anyway i can, if i'm sitting around i jump up and start doing something, get on the phone, the net and chat (tv doesnt help much lol)
  When trying to sleep its easy to listen to your heartbeat when lying down so i get in a position where i cant feel it like on my back, try to occupy my mind looking outside to relax. it's an ongoing battle.
  this forum has been key tho because i didnt even know what pvcs were till i came here cuz hearing other peoples stories it finally made sense as doctors usually dont lol!
  oh one question tho, is there any way to know if your pvc's ARE serious??  Well if anyone wants to drop me a line email ***@**** we'll share horror stories.

[madgeOwens]

Well with me it is a problem when I get constant pvc's and it makes me very light headed and I get chest pain....its not a joke when I am driving on a highway and it hits suddenly and I am so light headed I have to pull off the road for fear Im about to black out.
I want to know if anyone else is having these symptoms.......the actual palpitations doo not freal me out, its the light headedness.

[Lecah]

I am thankful for this forum and the help that is offers us regarding the pesky PVC's but are there other forums that any of you go to to share heart and anxiety issues?

[I'mallheart]

hi i get that also..had a really bad one last night driving home from downtoen minneapolis at 2 am..actually it was all night and still today, some i think is because i have a sore throat, cold body aches so that doesnt help..

i can totally relate to you..its frustrating...fells like at times know one understands, why me, feel like i am alone in this, then we have this and make me feel abit better to share our stories.

have a good day

[Lecah]

Are you on any medications for your PVC's? I mean, what has your cardiologist said about the severe lightheadnedness you get sometimes and I am surprised they allow you to drive if they get that bad. I cannot imagine how that feels. I have seen you post before but what is your diagnosis? is it just beningn PVC's or is there a structural problem. Your post just made me worry about you. If you don't want to post here e-mail me at ***@****

[madgeOwens]

Ii am on Inderol 80 mg..and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. I quit going to cardiology when they said all I have to worry about is when I pass out where I hit my head.
I am sick of them. They say I have benign pvc's and pac's.....but I have tried to tell them (and it was documented) from monitor that my symptoms correspond to the palps....only its not that it freaks me out, its the symptoms I get from the run ons....Ii feel like Im gonna pass right out and then it recovers.....not easy when you are traveling the highway.oh yeah once they said you better not drive when they are bad.only thing is you never know.........so I am really disgusted.

[Momto3]

That's awful!!  The more I think about the "hitting your head" comment, I could scream!  I know you are sick of docs, but perhaps a very caring and understanding EP could help.  My EP was ALWAYS asking about dizziness, chest discomfort, SOB, etc. You should not have to feel miserable...

Are you near Cleveland?  

We've just got to get you feeling better!  And, forget about waiting till you hit your head!!

connie

[c697458]

I don't know if you would be able to help me. I will give you a bit of a history;

In 1999 I was admitted to hospital with a heartbeat of 250/ min. It must have beating for hours at that rate. The doctors did everything to try to stop it racing with little success. Eventually they said they will have to stop the heart and re-start it. I guess the heart must have got scared because it went back to normal.

I did an ECG, Angiogram, EPS (twice), MRI, ct-scan   and they found nothing. I am a mystery to them. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I have low blood pressure. They all look good, the only thing is I am a little bit overweight and the cholesterol was 8 at the time.

The Doctor put me on 25mg of betalock per day. In the morning it made me tired and in the afternoon my heart would start racing. Another doctor said that taking it once a day was useless, I can take it twice a day or stop it all together. So I Stopped taking it.

This was fine till this year. I have irregular beats (not racing) so I went back to the hospital and they said that I need to take Beta blockers (Noten). That just made me more tired and it seemed to make my heart even more irregular. So I stopped it for about 1 week and then while sitting down my heart started to race for about 10 to 15 mins. I went to the hospital 3 times this year and finally they told me to stop the medicine again. so I am back where I started, they are non the wiser and the only solution they have at the moment is to put in a defibulator. That worries me. If the made a mistake with the medicine I can stop it or change it but I can't take a defibulator out. Once it's in it's in and I will be under their mercy. I have to see them every 6 month.

I really need some advice because I am feeling tired all the time and I don't have enough energy to get through the day.

[tickertock]

I have come to one conclusion, sometime the heart beats like how it wants to regardless.

The key is having a healthy heart with normal heart function, this way your risk of developing a malignant arrhythmia is on par with the normal population that suffer with no arrhythmia or symptoms at all, just my 2 cents worth ,I'm not a doctor, just my personal observations and being an occasional out of whack heartbeater myself.

[Eddie 14]

Yup,

I'm so frustrated right now with my health and I'm at a total loss.

Lately I'm getting PVC's quite a bit.  I'll have a few days where I'll have a few, then ramp up for no apparent reason.  I've gone to the doc for chest pains a few times and passed a nuclear stress in december, and a 64 slice ct in april.  The frequent palps are a more recent phenomenon.  Not passing out, but they knock the wind out of me sometimes.  Doc said just regular pvcs (caught a few on a strip at the office.)

I had a family member (in-law) die from sudden cardiac death. So while not blood, I"m sensitive to it.

I had a grandfather die of a MI in his early 50's.

I have high cholestorol and high BP.  I don't smoke and I do exercise.  My exercise tolerance is good.  No chest pain.

But, because I'm 34 years old all I get is anxiety... WELL OF COURSE I'M ANXIOUS, I've had two family members die of cardiac related causes.  I have a wife and 2 kids.  I'VE GOTTEN NO ANSWERS from doctors and they seem to just throw me in the anxiety bucket.

Well, I didn't have these problems a year ago, and I do now.  So, yeah, with semi-sudden onset it concerns me.  Add in some chest and arm pain and sure, I'm wound like a top about it.  I've tried their gerd meds, and it screwed my stomach up.  I tried Xanax and it didn't do a damn thing for the chest pain or palps.  However after 3 months of it I had a fun 3 weeks of true anxiety weening off the ****.

So, for those of you frustrated as all hell, I'm right there with you.  I would give just about ANYTHING for this **** to stop, or for some answers.

Good news - my calcium score it 0.  I'm still here after 7 months of this hell.

I'M SO SICK OF THE ANXIETY EXCUSE. "Find the source".  THE SOURCE IS THAT I'M HAVING HEART RELATED PAINS/PALPS AND I CAN'T GET AN ANSWER.  IF THE PAIN/PALPS WENT AWAY, then the anxiety would!!!!!!!

Anyone feel like me?  I've spent a lot of money, I can buy some anxiety, but then why don't anxiety meds work?  Why do I now have a lot more frequent heart palps?

Sorry to vent.

[momto3girls]

Hi All,

Well, I'm feeling a lot like all of you guys today!  I too am 33 and am having all kinds of weird pac's and pvc's plus tachycardia for over 3 years now.  I get chest pain, arm pain, dizziness and all my cardio doctors say the same thing, it's nothing!  I keep thinking how can it be, and they say it's anxiety.  I love that one, anxiety.  Hey, genuises, would you be anxious if your heart did all manner of weird stuff?  Would you be anxious if you had all the warning signs of a heart attack or angina not to mention family history?  Give me a break.  

Most of the doctors I've come across look at me and the tests I've had, pat me on the head and say go home and enjoy your children, you're just stressed.  Thanks.  That is helpful.  I will say that anxiety, for me, does go hand in hand at times with these heart issues.  How can they not?  If I truly feel like my heart is acting strange (and it has many a time) than yes, I am anxious.  The hard part is talking myself through it and facing it for what it is.  I take several deep breaths, relax and then deal with how I feel.  (I was put on Zoloft at one point, which did nothing for me!)  I actually had an Internal Medicine doctor tell me to ignore my crazy, out of the blue, heart rates of 180 and go home.  That was the last time I went to see her.  

OK, enough of my complaining (:  Yes, I have many a day with not a single blip on the radar.  Then boom, I have pac's and pvc's for days on end.  Why?  Who knows, not my doctor anyway.  I have noticed some chest pain when I get a good thump of a pvc though.  Apparently it's from the chambers forcing out the extra blood that filled in quickly from the pvc so as to get it ready for the next beat.  So I'm told (:  I've read numerous times from other posts here that the heart is NOT going to beat perfectly 24/7.  I'm learning to live with it, just like all of you and life is good.  I try to remember that when weird things happen with my heart.  Tonight I drove 7 hours alone with my girls and had chest pain, and arm pain.  Was it a heart attack?  Obviously not.  Was it annoying and scary as hell?  Of course (:  Good luck and best wishes to you all.  This forum is such a great place to gain knowledge and reassurance.  Good health to you all!!!

[madgeOwens]

I am feeling ok today. No I am not near Cleveland, however I have visited and love it.
I don't know what else to do. They tell you not to worry, and do not seem interested in my symptoms. SO, I am very glad you care, you are very nice. Thanks

[Momto3]

Glad you enjoyed Cleveland...There is so much to see and do in that city!  I recently relocated to North Carolina and I'm missing all the Cleveland attractions, but I'm adjusting.  

I keep hoping you will find a caring and compassionate doctor -- I'm not giving up!

Take care!!

connie

[codeblue1018]

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses.  First and foremost, the nickname codeblue is related to my line of work and yes, I wouldn't want to be in that state.  

As far as the palpitations, I get them constantly like everyone else i'm sure.  Some days they are more noticable than others.  I believe this is due to whether or not I am thinking about it.  The doctors are all sick of me and frankly, I am sick of seeing them.. hahah

As far as stress/anxiety, I believe I deal with the same amount as most others.  I dont believe I am over stressed, which would require some type of medication.  My medication is physical exercise, which seems to work for the most part.

Initially, I was afraid to do my normal running routine due to the slight chest discomfort and palps.  Now, I do not care.  With the cardiologist advising me to continue my physical exercise I will continue to run and hopefully my heart thanks me for it one day.  haha.  

Thank you all.

[bama jane]

I get chest pressue and shortness of breath and weakness with ny palps at times.  Sort of like you stayed in a hot bath too long only multiplied. I think I use to confuse the weakness with being light headed. The chest pressure could be associated with acid reflux, but none of the meds have helped.  The only thing the beta blockers has done is too keep my heart from going to 160 to 180 when it does race. It hasn't helped much with the palps.  I have noticed that lately if I drink lots of water and keep really hydrated I seem to have fewer misbeats in a day. I haven't had a day without any in 7 years. I read somewhere on this forum that digestive problems could aggravate the Vagal nerve and so it is possible that because the vagal nerve is involved in heartbeat if it is aggravataed it could cause palps.

[Linda123]

I have had palpitations for years and beta blockers made mine worse.  I've been taking the anti-depressant "paroxetine" for a year now and feel a million times better in myself and my palpitations are at a minimum.  Life is so much better.  I never stop being grateful.

[ljd]

Hi everyone,
Sorry to post on someone else's thread but,
I am just like all of you and suffering from all the same symptoms.  i just wanted to say that it makes me feel a little better that there are others out there.  Like the rest of you I have a hard time buying the anxiety line.  If my heart didn't act up, then I wouldn't be anxious.  Anxiety meds don't help. Anyway it's nice to know there are people out there who will listen.

[dquenzer]

You sound just like me when I started having PAC's.  It literally immobilized me. I could feel every thump. Sometimes I got them so bad I had an irregular beat every 3 or 4 beats.  It would last for hours.  I was in my 40's.  I had 5 children.  I was a basket case.  Life was miserable.  

I tried all kinds of meds.  Nothing worked.  I then decided I had to deal with my emotional state.  If they are benign, then I had to learn to mentally deal with them.

First of all it isn't that anxiety is the initial cause, but it can become a secondary cause or at least a consequence of them.  It was the anxiety that was getting to me.  I realized this, and I decided to deal with it.  What I did was biofeedback.  I went to a doctor that specialized in teaching me how to relax even while I was having severe PAC's.  It worked.  The result was that I became more relaxed and the incidence went down.  Twice a day for 20 minutes I would go through the routine of relaxation.

I then decided that I would take "baby" steps at doing normal things.  I started running again.  I started playing golf more.  I simply tried to live as normal as possible.

It was difficult.  But in about one year I was pretty much back to myself.  I had energy.  I was having fun again.  I was enjoying life.  The PAC's would come and go.  But I learned to adapt.  If they came more often I just slowed down and tried to relax and rest a bit more.  

Doctors really can't do much.  If they are numerous there is the ablation option, but meds generally don't help much.  If any doctor had a cure they would be very rich.

Trust you will get some relief soon.  I would definitely look into biofeedback however.  If you can control your anxiety reaction to them it can really help.

[cupcake37]

Greetings, I have been reading this forum for over a yr now, just not been able to log on.
I am thrilled to be here.
I will make my story brief, I am 37 yr old feamale. In good health, weight very good, non smoker, low Bp. But I have been having these dammed PAC'S and PVC'S since I have been 26. I used to complain how bad they were, boy what was I complaing about!! They have gotten worse than ever. When I get a PVC my body goes into the flight for fight mode, I feel extreme adrenaline release in my chest and stomach.These things have consumed my life, I don't like to leave the house. Went to my Cardio today, I go about 6 times a yr. The same thing normal echo, treadmill, 11 pvc's on the monitor. No pauses, no couplets or Bigeminy runs. But I will always have these. It is so hard when having them, to just ignore them. I think I am known as the office flake at my doctor's office. I think what scares me the most is when you know runs of them are happening, and you feel the hard pause and the thump in your neck, this feeling drives me out of my mind!!
Any suggestions from anybody on how to deal with them??
Thanks so much for all your postings, it really does help to know I am not alone in all this.
Please feel free to email me at ***@****

[jerrykocher]

I am 29 years old ,i starting having anxiety at 18 really bad,heart would speed up and slow down,the doctors told me its just anxiety,i had really bad acid reflux also and started taking prilosec 20 mg,that stopped the acid reflux,at 22 i started getting palps and it scared me alot but i dealt with it now they are really bad and sometimes happens about 15 times a minute,but could go for hours not having them,does anyone else have palps 15 times or more a minute???