Dear Dr.
I have read your various posts and I know I speak for the whole community of like sufferers when I say thanks for your kind and prompt responses.
I have been having pvcs since about a week after taking azithromycin (also known as Zithromax)...I have trouble swallowing pills and chewed them up...do you know if these could cause permanent heart damage?...I had 2 rounds of laryngitis and the second time I got the prescription...did not see doctor the first time like I should have. This was 2 yrs. ago..my pvcs have gone from staying with me a week, then disappearing,..to now what has escalated into an every single day occurrence and yesterday it seems to be every other beat at times...
the pattern is skip....reg. beat...reg. beat...skip...rb...skip..sometimes several in a row when it is acting up...often it seems a bit slow, and is hard to count due to all the long pauses and it scares me to death.
I drink caffeine but am trying to get off of it gradually...
seems my heart acts up more when I don't have stimulants. My bp has never been high and seems to run a bit on the low side:
generally, 125/78, but has been 105/78 at times.
I am a few pounds overweight with no other health problems.
Some of the early/extra beats seem to come from the solar plexus area? But I have no stomach upset, except anxiety when I get these. Yesterday it lasted all day with freq. beats ....btw I skipped lunch and if I don't eat it's always worse.
I really need some advice and I respect your opinion as a cardiologist. On days when I am getting frequent, early, beats and pauses....should I be going to the ER? When does this stop being pvcs and start being a dangerous arrythmia???
When should I be scared?
P.S. The only thing I have found that seems to help is brisk cardiac workouts...I can walk 1 mile and not even be tired, so I don't think it's heart disease. Sometimes a high-sodium food helps. Please help.
I will be checking for your answer today later on. Thank you from the bottom of my skipping heart.
Deborah