Premature beats primary or secondary?

[ddv]

I am a 35yr old female, 150lbs, and 5' 9" diagnosed with PVC's and PAC's. Good shape overall and USED to exercise regularly. For several months saw several doctors looking for answers.  Found this forum and read a sinking feeling, shock, thump in chest, pressure, cramping, adrenaline rush. THAT'S ME! All neck, throat, chest. Sometimes radiates to stomach. I feel a pause in my pulse, sometimes a few in a row.Get them bending,changing body positions,exertion,excitement,talking or resting.Feel SOB at times and hard to take a deep breath other times.After 4 ekg's, chest xray and ct scan,echocardiogram,ENT exam,barrium swallow (prevacid for two months),pulmonary function test, thryoid checked,Lupus,Lyme,HIV tested, a stress test (treadmill 7-8 minutes and told my heart was fine), a monitor for a few weeks (didnt get ALL feelings or a few in a row on it) was told I have these beats and anxiety (secondary in my opinion. Was FINE before) but nothing else is wrong with me. Suggested beta blockers and/or SSRI's or try to learn to live with them.

1. History of esophagael polyps 10yrs ago. Doc wants endoscopy to see if they came back. If they did, could they casue these beats and feelings?
2. Exercise ok? They sometimes come after.
3. Since this started my left side always feels tight/soar. Heart or beats related?
4. Could a different arrhythmia been missed? Doc says unlikely.
5. Is more than one pause in a row dangerous? They scare me.
6. Ringing in ears, on/off numbness in arm related? Bloodflow off?
7. Could these be primary or secondary? Like a virus or disease cause?

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hello,

1. History of esophagael polyps 10yrs ago. Doc wants endoscopy to see if they came back. If they did, could they casue these beats and feelings?

If the symptoms you have correlated with PVCs/PACs found on monitor, it is no likely.

2. Exercise ok? They sometimes come after.

With all the above test normal, just about anything should be fine.  PVCs/PACs cause symptoms but are not threatening.  I understand PACs/PVCs cause more symptoms in some people than others, but once you have your work up and the tests are negative, you have to do your best to move on and accept that your prognosis is very good.

3. Since this started my left side always feels tight/soar. Heart or beats related?

Not sure about that one.  PVCs/PACs should do not cause chest wall soreness.

4. Could a different arrhythmia been missed? Doc says unlikely.

The proof is in the pudding.  You need to catch it on an arrhythmia monitor.  If you are having your typical symptoms while on monitor, your rhythm at the time of the symptoms should correlate.

5. Is more than one pause in a row dangerous? They scare me.

They are not dangerous, but they can cause significant symptoms as you well know.

6. Ringing in ears, on/off numbness in arm related? Bloodflow off?

Ringing ears and numbness is usually related to anxiety symptoms (from hyperventilation).

7. Could these be primary or secondary? Like a virus or disease cause?

Not usually, especially if all your tests are normal.

I hope this helps and you can move on without fear soon.  Thanks for posting.

[Kilomana]

Hmm interesting. I wish I could post on here but I always get the "sorry spots are taken" all the time.I know how you feel. When I do any physical activity I feel sick almost like throwing up.My stomach starts to freak out etc. been going through it for 4 years, can't work, 8 doctors and a slew of tests later and still in the smae boat.Good luck with it.

[manorly]

I am so glad I found this site. I have been trying to post a question for quite some time but that has been impossible. I figured my best bet is just to post comments to other questions.

I have PVC's and PAC's. My doctor said they came up a holter. The thing is, he didn't really go into much more detail than that. He just said my heart was okay, and these beats will come and up and that is that. I get different feelings though. Like some feel like thumps on my left chest side, and I feel thumps or what feels like a quick lump in my throat that lasts for a second and I also get bad feelings in my chest, like a cramp. How am I to know what is a PAC and what is a PVC. Does it really matter? Is one worse than the other? I have noticed a pause in pulse at times. The doctor said he had no real answers as to why they happen, since I am female they could be hormonal, caffeine and alcohol can do it (but I don't drink either one or even eat that much chocolate). Also, I read alot about the caffeine and alcohol causing them but how soon after? If I had a beer or chocolate cake, are we talking right away, hours later, next day? Any response would be appreciated.

[Kilomana]

hmm sounds strangely familiar to my symptoms. does your heart feel like it pauses then "bangs" as though to catch up for the beat it  it didn't pump any blood for ( sort of like your heart pumped empty feeling for a fast flatenned or fizzled beat, then bounced back right after) ? sometimes doing it several times in a row ? almost like your heart is "stalling" feeling ?

[Kilomana]

top comment was to you. Here is another question. Do you find you get them more when you are at rest or relaxing ? I have stomach problems also and I understand the addrenaline rush usually heart does it, stomach freaks out, feel really hot and sweat,sometimes a little nausia or light headedness which is the addrenaline spike, then heart rate jumps to about 120 to 130 for about 20 to 30 minutes until it all calms down again. This approx what happens to you ?

[kja03c]

Hi everyone. I am getting so frustrated with the way that my heart feels...or the way that I feel-everyday! Sometimes I wish that my heart would stop so that I don't worry about it anymore. I have so many symptoms, that change all of the time. The most recent feelings I have had have been skipped beats that hurt. They feel like my heart is getting a tiny electrical shock. They are definitely more frequent when I exercise. I have had all of the tests done. But, I have never had an episode while tested. I recently started a running program, but had to stop because the skipped beats were so bad, all throughout the day, that it scared me to death. My heart almost feels better when I'm not trying to become physically fit. And this may sound weird, but sometimes I can stop the skipped beat, or the electrical impulse, by moving my eyes a certain way. Does this happen to anyone else....are there any doctors on this forum? could the eye thing and heart palpitations be something in my brain....like with the pituitary gland? or a nerve disorder and not necessarily a heart problem? I feel like I am having to diagnose myself because the doctors I have seen give me no direction. They give me one test, and send me on my way...still searching for answers. But it is my life, and my health, and I wish I could find just one doctor that cared about it as much as me. Thanks

[hulitoons]

I think I fall in with the symptoms being discussed here and spent the past couple months being tested via two kinds of heart monitors, an echo cardiogram, MRI (for spine), CT scan, x-rays and today I am scheduled to see a pulmonary doctor.  

All this began about 3 months ago when my husband took me to the emergency room because I felt like I was going to seize or pass out, rapid heart beat (this after having skipped heart beats periodically for a couple years-hesitation then a solid pound that can be felt in my throat and almost hurts), I got very cold and my teeth chattered, breath seemed hard to catch so I was heaving.  The truth is, I felt like I was dying. I felt the need to pace or run.  

The first tests there, even before admitting for the doctor to see, showed that everything was normal, breathing and heart beat and so did the EKG.  The doctor felt I was having a panic attack, gave me a pill that did stop it and sent me along to my own doctor.  

During this time I continue to have symptoms from mild to very difficult.  I am usually dizzy and it often feels like I'm in an elevator going down.  

[RHYTHMRN]

HI,
I BELIEVE IN ERRING ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.  I WOULD ASK MY FAMILY DOCTOR TO ORDER A 30 DAY EVENT MONITOR TO CATCH AN ARRYTHMIA OR PREMATURE BEATS OR FOR HIM TO REFER YOU TO A CARDIOLOGIST.  I SUFFERED FOR YEARS WITH IRREG. HEARTBEAT, INCREASED HEART RATE, SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND WAS CONTINUOUSLY TOLD IT WAS MY NERVES.  AT AGE 13 I WAS PUT ON VALIUM AND PHENOBARBITAL TO "CALM MY NERVES DOWN" ( THIS WAS IN THE 70'S) FINALLY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE AND AN ARRYTHMIA - SVT- AND PUT ON INDERAL. PLEASE INSIST ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION - IT MAY BE NOTHING BUT BETTER TO BE SURE.  GOOD LUCK AND TAKE CARE........