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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: PVC's and hormones
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Re: PVC's and hormones
by Cleveland Clinic, MD, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on November 24, 1998 at 14:09:04:
In Reply to: PVC's and hormones posted by Kendra Sartor on November 22, 1998 at 22:20:49:
Hello, I am a 30 yr. old female with no prior cardiac history
or family history. When I was pregnant with my first child I suffered
bouts of tachycardia and PVC's.I had never felt or been consciously
aware of a PVC prior to that.
I went through an extensive cardiac workup
(even a angiogram) and was told everything was fine. The PVC's continued a
nd were present in my second pregnancy as well, but no tachycardia that
time. Since the last delivery (2 yrs. ago) I continue to have PVC's
especially around menstruation or ovulation. I also notice them when I am
startled or my adrenaline begins to surge. I HATE them, they are
extremely unsettling, but as long as they are benign I can learn
to live with them. I have also had a few 5-10 second tachy episodes
with odd beat pattern, but have never blacked out or lost consciousness.
I guess I am looking for reassurance that this is common or maybe
linked to my hormones. i prefer not to take anything unless necessary.
I would appreciate your response and if there are any dietary things that will
as well. I was told that they were "good" PVC's, but don't know how to determine
if they are still "good" or can lead to other rhythm problems etc....help!!
By the way I don't have mitro valve prolapse either!
Thank you !
Kendra
___
Dear Kendra,
Thank you for your question. As you can see just from the questions today PVC's are extremely common and very bothersome to many people. They can be related to hormones and you may notice they cease after you go through menopause. Until then avoid the big three (caffeine, alcohol and smoking) and hang in there.
I have also enclosed some additional information on PVC's below. Hope this helps. Good luck.
******************
Thank you for your question. PVC's can cause chest pain as you can see from the many other questions on this site. You can also draw comfort from the fact that so many others have the same concerns that you do. As far as specific advice about what you should do we always recommend following your local doctor's suggestions.
Below is a brief summary of what a PVC is, what causes them and the treatment (if any) for PVC's. You can find additional information in an article in New England Journal of Medicine, May 7, 1998, Vol. 338, pages 1369-1374. Your local medical library will have a copy of this. Hope this helps.
PVC's (premature ventricular contractions) are "extra" heartbeats occurring out of sync with the normal regular rhythm of the heart. PVC's may cause no symptoms at all or may be felt as a "irregular" heartbeat or as the sensation of a "hard heartbeat". PVC's are common findings in persons with otherwise normal hearts, in which case the prognosis is excellent and there is no decrease at all in life expectancy. On the other hand, they may indicate that there is an underlying abnormality of the heart muscle (from any number of reasons). If there is an abnormality, then the prognosis and treatment depends upon the specific problem of the heart. The usual evaluation of PVC's is a history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram (ECG). Also your doctor may wish to check an ultrasound of the heart. If all those tests are normal, then you would fall into the category of people who have PVC's but otherwise no underlying heart problem. In that case, treatment depends on how much the PVC's bother you. If they are essentially asymptomatic, then no treatment is required. If they bother you, then a medication called a "beta-blocker" may reduce the frequency of the PVC's. PVC's can't be "cured", but the medication can decrease their frequency. The potential side effects of beta-blockers are tiredness, impotence in men and breathing difficulties in individuals with underlying lung disease. Be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor and under no circumstance should you take medications for the heart without the supervision of a doctor.
Below are some web sites with additional information about PVCs.
http://www.amhrt.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/prevent.html
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/cardio/other/gp/arrhyth.htm
http://www.MedicineNet.com/Forum.asp?li=USA&ag=Y&ArticleKey=1946
Information provided here is for general educational purposes only. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and treatments. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please Call 1 - 800 - CCF - CARE for an appointment at Desk F15 with a cardiologist
PVC's
In Reply to: PVC's and hormones posted by Kendra Sartor on November 22, 1998 at 22:20:49:
Hello, I am a 30 yr. old female with no prior cardiac history
or family history. When I was pregnant with my first child I suffered
bouts of tachycardia and PVC's.I had never felt or been consciously
aware of a PVC prior to that.
I went through an extensive cardiac workup
(even a angiogram) and was told everything was fine. The PVC's continued a
nd were present in my second pregnancy as well, but no tachycardia that
time. Since the last delivery (2 yrs. ago) I continue to have PVC's
especially around menstruation or ovulation. I also notice them when I am
startled or my adrenaline begins to surge. I HATE them, they are
extremely unsettling, but as long as they are benign I can learn
to live with them. I have also had a few 5-10 second tachy episodes
with odd beat pattern, but have never blacked out or lost consciousness.
I guess I am looking for reassurance that this is common or maybe
linked to my hormones. i prefer not to take anything unless necessary.
I would appreciate your response and if there are any dietary things that will
as well. I was told that they were "good" PVC's, but don't know how to determine
if they are still "good" or can lead to other rhythm problems etc....help!!
By the way I don't have mitro valve prolapse either!
Thank you !
Kendra
___
Dear Kendra,
Thank you for your question. As you can see just from the questions today PVC's are extremely common and very bothersome to many people. They can be related to hormones and you may notice they cease after you go through menopause. Until then avoid the big three (caffeine, alcohol and smoking) and hang in there.
I have also enclosed some additional information on PVC's below. Hope this helps. Good luck.
******************
Thank you for your question. PVC's can cause chest pain as you can see from the many other questions on this site. You can also draw comfort from the fact that so many others have the same concerns that you do. As far as specific advice about what you should do we always recommend following your local doctor's suggestions.
Below is a brief summary of what a PVC is, what causes them and the treatment (if any) for PVC's. You can find additional information in an article in New England Journal of Medicine, May 7, 1998, Vol. 338, pages 1369-1374. Your local medical library will have a copy of this. Hope this helps.
PVC's (premature ventricular contractions) are "extra" heartbeats occurring out of sync with the normal regular rhythm of the heart. PVC's may cause no symptoms at all or may be felt as a "irregular" heartbeat or as the sensation of a "hard heartbeat". PVC's are common findings in persons with otherwise normal hearts, in which case the prognosis is excellent and there is no decrease at all in life expectancy. On the other hand, they may indicate that there is an underlying abnormality of the heart muscle (from any number of reasons). If there is an abnormality, then the prognosis and treatment depends upon the specific problem of the heart. The usual evaluation of PVC's is a history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram (ECG). Also your doctor may wish to check an ultrasound of the heart. If all those tests are normal, then you would fall into the category of people who have PVC's but otherwise no underlying heart problem. In that case, treatment depends on how much the PVC's bother you. If they are essentially asymptomatic, then no treatment is required. If they bother you, then a medication called a "beta-blocker" may reduce the frequency of the PVC's. PVC's can't be "cured", but the medication can decrease their frequency. The potential side effects of beta-blockers are tiredness, impotence in men and breathing difficulties in individuals with underlying lung disease. Be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor and under no circumstance should you take medications for the heart without the supervision of a doctor.
Below are some web sites with additional information about PVCs.
http://www.amhrt.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/prevent.html
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/cardio/other/gp/arrhyth.htm
http://www.MedicineNet.com/Forum.asp?li=USA&ag=Y&ArticleKey=1946
Information provided here is for general educational purposes only. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and treatments. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please Call 1 - 800 - CCF - CARE for an appointment at Desk F15 with a cardiologist
PVC's
Member Comments
by KEK56, Oct 29, 2009 08:26PM
A related discussion, Arrhythmia during running was started.
