Skipped Beats, PVC's etc.

[Keevil]

I started again to have these feelings of skipped heart beats beginning on 7/23.  Sometimes maybe 2 per minute but may go as high as 10 per minute.  The come and go during the day which is very frustrating.  I have been taking 12.5 mg of Paxil CR for anxiety for about two years now.  I haven't had any issues with these skipped beats since 3/03.  Then all of a sudden they return.  In March I went to see a cardiologist I met during my anxiety issues and he assured me that my heart was in great shape and these skipped beats can re-surface and disappear just like that. In 2000 I developed anxiety symptoms and was treated for them.  I had numerous tests at a cardiologist's offce during this time since some of my anxiety symptoms were causing what I thought were heart issues.  I had a stress echo in 9/99 and a cardiolite stress test in 6/01.  All negative.  Twenty-one day event monitor, X-rays and numerous blood tests along with re-visits to a cardiologist since 2000.  
I am an avid cyclist and tennis player three times a week.  I drink coffee in the morning but it is a light caffeine version.  Alcohol on the weekends and sometimes during the week with neighbors.  I am not overweight and watch what I eat.  
Giving you all this backgound, why do these skipped hearts beats keep coming and going.  They create a very uncomfortable, anxious feeling when they happen and I am quite sure they feed my anxiety. Can I do anything about them.  Are they serious?    Do you have any advice or should I expect to live with them.

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Keevil,

Thanks for the post.

First, have your extra beats actually ever been documented as PVC's?  You say that everything was "negative", so I'm not sure if they were or not?

I'll assume that the skipped beats are indeed PVCs for the purpose of my reply.  The natural history of PVCs is that they come and go sporadically, most often without provocation.  A few people are able to identify triggers, but more are not.  You mentioned some of the triggers in some people: anxiety, caffeine, alcohol -- but most people do not include these as their triggers.

The most common therapy for the PVCs is beta-blocker therapy, but this has downsides as well for some people, most notably fatigue.  Other therapies are possible, and need to be tailored to the individual.  In rare, extreme cases, some people undergo ablation therapy.  Forming a relationship with an understanding doctor is a good first step at treatment.  Alternative therapies are sometimes effective as well, and may include Tai Chi, yoga, and biofeedback.

Hope that helps.

[Dr. Erik]

Worry not! These are very common and are totally benign. They come and go at any tme for no reason. They won't alter your life expectancy. They are annoying. A Beta Blocker can diminish them and may even stop them. I've had them for 17 years ( I am 35). I use to be afraid of them and go to the ER and have numerous tests that were all normal. Alcohol can make them worse as can even a little caffeine. Relax and enjoy life. Good luck!

[netrox]

I'd say that if your cardiologist says your heart is all good then stop worrying too much about your heartbeats.

Since you exercise and still get PVC's, there may be four factors (besides anxiety) that may cause PVC's: not enough magnesium, not enough fish oil or fatty fish (omega-3 acids containing DHA/EPA), consumption of transfatty acids (from partially hydrogenated oils), and poor sleeping habits (evidence shows that staying up late in the evening and sleeping late in the morning triggers PVC's). You can easily eat more fish or take fish oil, sleep better, and get more magnesium from supplements or from a better diet. Note that PVC's don't go away quickly. It takes time for your body to adjust and for the nutrition to fully permeate your body.

Fish oil is very effective and reduces the risk of cardic deaths signficantly. It "lubricates" your heart cells and if the pacemaker cells get overexcited (which can be dangerous), the omega-3 fatty acids are released to your blood and they quickly stablize the heartbeats. Magnesium also relaxes the heartbeats as well.

-jeff

[katanos]

I'm agree with what has been said thus far..I've had them for 5 year, I'm 36 now. They come and go, though I've found that if I cut out the alcohol, they are less prevalent (took about a year!). Also, I  take magnesium, folic acid and vitamin C daily. Could be psychological, but it seems to help. If I'm anxious they will kick up. I also note that if I'm stressed out from being at work, when I get home they may flair up, only exercise seems to alleviate them.
I caution you on taking beta blockers. If the PAC's or PVc's are induced through heightened parasympathetic tone, (you notice them more in the evening) beta blockers may make them worse. All of these comments are just my opinion, and speaking with a EP Doc would be the best.

[Anjakarena]

Hi,

I just read this new post and it sounds like my heart. I have PAC/PVC's and they drive me crazy.
Sometimes I get so depressed over it, that I just want to die. Funny how you worry about your heart not working right, but get so frustrated about living with it.
Usually my skipped beats flare up when I am stressed out. We recently moved (hubby is military) and once again I am dealing with it. Before we moved it got pretty bad ( like 1 extra beat every minute or so) that the doctor suggested a betablocker (Lopressor). I tried it and it worked great for the skipped beats, but then after about 5 weeks of taking it I was feeling really week and nauseated that I stopped taking it.
Now I am once again faced with sitting here my heart jumping around like crazy and I am scared, anxious and just don't know what to do anymore.
I started taking more magnesium since Wednesday, how long should it take until Magnesium can have an effect?
I would appreciate anybodys insight and help and am very open to any suggestions.
On Monday I am going to have another holter done, I guess just to reassure myself once again.
Thanks,
Anja

[PAT65]

Hello everyone and fellow PVCers. I have been suffering with PVCs since a sudden onset about a year ago. I have several PVCs a minute. It seems like I have kind of gotton used to them but they do seem to dominate everything I do. How do I know one or two PVCs together will not become one big long dangerous run of them? I have a normal healthy heart as do most other pVC sufferers so does that mean my healthy heart will not let a run of PVCs occur? PVCs are considered a benign phenomenom but they sure can make you feel bad! I've tried many types of relief and am currently on cardizem. It is not helping much but my Dr insists its the best drug for me. If my PVCs are so benign why do I need to be on cardizem (The side efects are rough for me).If anyone has any more tips or has tried cardizem I would love to hear from you.

[mathesar]

I started getting PVC's about 6 months ago and they seem to be getting worse,Does anyone know what might cause PVCs to be much more frequent lying down versus sitting up? I only notice maybe 10 PVC's during the day but when I lay down to goto sleep I can get up to 6-10+ PVC's per minute and its very difficult to fall asleep,If I just lay there and try to relax rather than freak out they usualy reduce in frequency enough for me to fall asleep.. and If I sit up in bed they stop happening completly,anyone else experiance this? I've had a Echocardiogram / 24hr holter / Treadmill stress test done wich all came back normal except for PVC's .Doc says not to worry but should I go back considering they're increasing in frequency? ...This is becoming a very bad experiance =( I'm 30 years old,Male ..Thanks in advance.

[heartbeat]

I get skipped beats daily.  Sometimes they are really bad, about one every five minutes for a few hours.  Other times I go for weeks with maybe just about 5 per day.  I got them already when I was very, very young.  Now I'm a 74 year old senior and still get them.  So you see, you not going to die from them  :-) If you have been checked out by a cardiologist and your heart is okay, don't worry about them.

[Steve-UK]

Just my opinion but I think I found out why the seem more prominent when lying down (particularly face down) or lying on your left hand side...this is because the heart beats are felt more closely and sensed more in those positions...lie on your left with your right hand under your side and you can clearly feel every beat, more so on breathing out

I started with PVCs only 3 weeks ago, after a party where I had a few too many beers, the first week was terrible with dizzy fainting feelings and a tingling going up into my head/scalp, and the extra beats seemed almost every beat for a half hour 2 or 3 times a day...now I am having just 2 or 3 flutters a day and no fainting or dizzy feelings, ECG was normal and the Doc said my heart was good

[Mel22]

I really recommend taking magnesium supplements. My PVC's have all but vanished. Ask your doctor if it's OK for you.

[CLM]

Lots of good information from everyone here -- I hope that sufferers reading this will be encouraged to know that others are out there dealing with this also and that there are things that can be done to cope.  I am not sure, however, that anything short of an ablation can be done to get rid of pvcs/pacs.  Believe me, I have tried it all!  I am 37 and my last holter showed 10,197 pvcs in a 24 hour period (although they let up quite a bit at night and during exercise, so really I was feeling almost all 10K during waking hours!  Imagine that!!!)  so I do know what I am talking about.  I agree with Hankstar about betablockers.  A low dose on an "as needed" basis and/or an anti-anxiety medication is going to be your best bet if you have no underlying heart disease.  I have found that it doesn't do much to reduce mine (obviously, LOL!) and in fact, when I doubled up on it to try to get relief, my pvcs worsened quite a bit and began to turn into short runs of vtach.  Awful.  What does work is the support of friends, family and fellow sufferers.  Magnesium does help but it takes surprisingly high amounts to do so and should be done under the supervision of your cardiologist or internist.  I also think that omega3s are highly promising and when I am consistent my levels go way down.  In women, hormones do play a role (but what we are supposed to do about that is a good question).  Emotional or social stress is the WORST trigger of pvcs, so dealing with your "issues" is a great idea.

Perhaps most important is to change your attitude about them altogether.  Accept them instead of fighting them.  Invite them in (they'll show up anyway) and in doing so, you won't be as bothered by them.  That is not to say you should not take this "condition" seriously and do all the necessary tests.  Given the high numbers I endure, I am finding that I want to get second and third opinions about how to treat these from reputable electrophysiologists in my area.  I may even decide to do an ablation.  But in the meantime, I am learning to live with them and in doing so... I am getting far fewer pvcs!  Once upon a time, getting rid of the pvcs was my goal.  But when I began to shift my goal away from total elimination (impossible anyway) to LIVING with them successfully, things changed.  I still get scared when I get a run of them because that does feel very nasty and the body can't help but react.  But my reaction is much shorter and less intensely fearful than ever before and, you guessed it, they aren't at 10,000 plus anymore...

p.s.  YES, they always get worse when I lie down!  I can be ok sitting up, but when I am enduring a pvc "storm" time, as soon as I lie down at night they come every third beat or so.  It makes getting to sleep impossible.  I just ride it out and wait until I am so exhausted that I can't help but fall asleep.  Not much of a solution, sorry about that, but I have not found anything very helpful when they are so bad.  I have begun to resign myself to having some nights like that.  And so far, the storm has always let up... eventually.  I am very interested in the suggestion to try to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier... very simple but perhaps effective.  I'll try it!

[PAT65]

I just have to agree with you about living with the PVCs. I had my last holter in June on what I thought was a good day. Imagine my surprise when I still had 8,000+ PVCs in 24hrs. I had 9,000+   PVCs when I was not on any medication. The cardizem just doesn't work as well as the Dr. thinks it does. I think I've come to the conclusion that PVCs are "Normal" for me. Everybody is different and what might be normal for one may not be normal for another. I have started taking a low dose of xanax (.125mg) each evening to help with the sleep thing. A lack of enough quality sleep seems to be a big trigger for me. I used to take the Xanax only occasionally until a friend told me I needed to keep a certain level in my body. I just started so I hope it will help with the anxiety part of the PVCs because sometimes the "out of control" feeling can  be as bad as the actual problem. Keep me posted how you are doing with your thousands of PVCs. (

[sheryl1945]

I only get skipped beats when I bend over.  Anyone else suffer from this?  I've had it now for 8 and a half years.  All heart tests have been okay.

[Mel22]

Just wanted to say that I take the standard 250mg Magnesium supplements as sold in grocery stores. It does the trick. Hope it helps some of you.

[Steve-UK]

Hi Sheryl,

I noticed a post on another forum by someone saying bending over triggered their PVCs...so I passed your comments on to them

The forum was at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeoplewithPVCs/

[squeala7]

Hankster!!!

I am SOOOO Glad I read your post!!!! PLEASE I hope you read this.  I have been trying to find the causes of my bigeminy for 7 months now.  I have been on toprol for over a year. It helped for awhile - then all of a sudden I got bigeminy and it was a wierd kind - it only happens after I mildly exert myself and then sit down - then here they come - runs of them.  My husband has told me "its the beta blocker - get off it" - I told him no way.  I want to try to cut down and get off it.  Now that I have been on it so long Im afriad. Can you give me pointers on how to lower it without experiencing too many side effects. I really want to see if its the beta blocker causing it. I have suspected it at times, because I never had this before - but eveyr dr will swear that Im insane.  Beta blockers are supposed to STOP this they say.  LOL - anyway I only take 25 ml as it is - (I halve the 50 mls) there is a 25 ml pill that I think I can halve...how did you cut down?? When I just went down from 25 to 12...I got some real hard pvcs - I didnt like that - is there a way to say spread it out time-wise instead of lowering the dosage so fast??? I take them at bedtime...thanks for any help you can give me Hank - you the first person Ive seen that said it could be beta blocker related after longterm use!  THANK YOU! You may have saved my miserable pvc living life !LLOLOL -
sheila (Oh my email is ***@****) if you wish to answer me directly.
thanks!

[fpd3hm]

i get skips (pacs, pvcs) most often when i bend over, especially at the waist.  so now i try to bend at the knees, which looks a bit strange, but seems to do the trick.  the dreaded double beats also seem to occur when i take deep breaths from the chest, during the first minute or three of exercise, and, to a lesser degree, when i recline on my couch in the evening.  and then there are times when, seemingly unprovoked, the beats come out and terrorize me for a few days without end.

i agree that mag, fish oil are helpful.  as is proper hydration, regular exercise, and a positive mindset.  mostly though, they still arise despite my best efforts at preventative measures.  put mildly, they suck.  thanks for the interesting comments.

[sheryl1945]

Thanks so much for your comments.  pfd -- my heart skips a LOT of beats when I bend over, but only on the inhale...once I exhale, the beat returns to normal.  It scares me half to death, although in the 8 and a half years I've had this nothing has happened to me and all my heart tests have been fine.  I get days, like today, when I'm more scared than usual.  Just took a xanax; not that it will help my heart, but it will calm me down.  I panic so easily.  Sometimes I don't even want to leave my house I'm so scared.  Steve & pfd (or anyone else) who would like to email me on this:  ***@****.  Thanks for sharing; it helps to know I'm not alone!

[Mikep63]

Hi Everyone, Ive been having many pvc's for the last month ( around 5 to 10 per minute on average) and sometimes get a relief from the time to time. for the most part its been 24/7. Im sure if most of you are like me, you try to find ways to relieve the irregular beats, without the use of meds ( which really dont seem to work anyway). Well tonight 8/4/2003 Im excited because I found something that works!! Im gonna have to look into the legal stuff first, so someone doesnt steal my idea ( thats the world we live in) but i will keep you all informed about it. Hang in there people, dont let your heart bring you down.

[Mikep63]

Hi Everyone, Ive been having many pvc's for the last month ( around 5 to 10 per minute on average) and sometimes get a relief from the time to time. for the most part its been 24/7. Im sure if most of you are like me, you try to find ways to relieve the irregular beats, without the use of meds ( which really dont seem to work anyway). Well tonight 8/4/2003 Im excited because I found something that works!! Im gonna have to look into the legal stuff first, so someone doesnt steal my idea ( thats the world we live in) but i will keep you all informed about it. Hang in there people, dont let your heart bring you down.

                           MikeP

[sheryl1945]

Hi everyone -- I need help.  As I've stated in my earlier post, I only get pvc's when I bend over.  Well, I can't seem to stop "testing" myself by bending over...and then of course I get the pvc's and get terribly frightened.  I'm trying to overcome my fear of them but to no avail. I woke up very depressed this morning, knowing that I have to face these dang pvc's again.  They're ruining my life!  Does anyone else get them when they bend over?  Please email me:  ***@****.  Thank you!

[Tommygun]

hey everyone. I am brand new to this forum and found it by accident. I cannot TELL you people how great I feel right now. I am the only one in my circle of friends/contacts that has PVCs. I , too, have gone through the battery of heart tests, and worry constantly about these. I am 29 years old and I have had them since I was around 12 years old I believe. They literally terrify me at times, depending on the frequency. Reading some of the posts on this board however amazes me, it seems I am lucky in that I get (depending on the day) 5-20 PVCs per day. They range from barely noticeable to extremely violent and sometimes bi or trigemy (though very rarely). I used to smoke and drink on occasion and I have cut out all stimulants including caffiene. I know that I am a very high-strung person and in times of high stress (like now) they really, really bother me. Much like many of you, I have had my PVCs documented and diagnosed with the advice that I am fine and i simply need to find ways of relieving my stress. Unfortunately when i have bad PVC episodes it does nothing but severely increase my stress. Vicious cycle.
:( In any case, I am so glad i found this forum and just know, all of you, that there's one more scared guy in the world that has what all of you have.

[sheryl1945]

Hi Tommy...welcome to the forum.  I, too, live in constant fear of my pvc's.  I am downright obsessed with them.  I've had tests, all of which came back fine, but I still get scared when my heart beats irregularly.  So, you're not alone!  Good luck.

[Mikep63]

I am very familiar with experiencing pvc's when bending over. that started for me when i was a young teen, now im 40. I rememeber as a teen bending over to pick up my bike, and my heart would go into a steady pvc heart rate, one after another, sometimes for a minute. I would take a deep breath, and the force down holding my breath to try to stop it, so i know the feeling of getting pvc's when bending over.

[sheryl1945]

Hi Mike...thanks for your comments!  At least I know I'm not alone in this.  Had a long talk with my doctor today and she advised me to ignore the pvc's; that they are benign and I should stop testing myself by bending over deliberately to see if they're there (they always are).  I'm obsessive-compulsive with this thing and I've been driving myself nuts.  I've forced myself to do a lot of cleaning today to keep my mind occupied and it does help.  Best of luck to you, and thanks again for your note.

[ElIng]

I just wanted to say I too am glad I found this forum, between here and the mitral valve prolapse forum I get reassured all the time. I started getting the daily skipped beats in May. I had an echo which reconfirmed my "slight mitral valve prolapse" (10 yrs. ago when I had an incident of tachycardia 180+bpm I had one done) and the specialist here said that this "slight" mvp can not possibly be causing all the symptoms. I had a 24 hour holter done where they found simple sinus tachycardia around 110bpm both atrial and ventricular ectopic beats. (Can anyone here explain the difference in the beats?)
And 3 episodes of small visible P waves consistent with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia around 150 bpm. (Not even sure what that means!, the specialist here was not very helpful to me)
I am on propranolol 40mg 3x a day, and take magnesium, Vitamin B, Omega 3 and will be adding Hawthorn to that list in a few weeks. I am doing much better now, but still get the skipped beats daily just not as often and some tiny episodes of a very fast heart beat but if I cough it seems to stop that.
I am scheduled to go to a cardiologist in Perth (I am in Western Australia) on the 21st for more tests. I am still looking for answers!

[tony olliver]

I have experienced very occasional eptopic beats over the last 8 years. The last Month has seen a dramatic increase ( 2 or 3 per minute over several hours ). Night time is better, excercise seems to worsen it. In addition i get a tightness in the chest but am unsure if this is the anxiety that is caused by the 'extra' beats.

My Doctor is to hook me up with a 24hr monitor but i may have to wait weeks!.

In the mean-while i feel as though i am about to collapse with a heart attack. I just hope it is benign. No other symptoms about from the tightness and 'thumps'

Any advise please or similar expereinces much appreciated

Tony ( United Kingdom )

[angelapple]

Hi everyone,  I take 50mg. Toprol XL.  I was on 25mg for about a year for PAC/PVC and hypertension.  BP was elevated last week and dr increased to 50mg.  I swear by this drug.  Last year I had bouts for hours of pac's and finally was put on toprol.  I have only had one or two skips here or there for the past year.  I still get real scared thinking "Oh no here we go again" but thank goodness it seems to be a normal isolated beat and doesn't turn into a series.  My heart rate has dropped between 60-70 from 88-100.  It is definitly the toprol.  Ask your doctors about this pill.  I, too am very sensitive to meds and yes I was a little tired when I first started them and again last week when I increased the dosage, but so what you get used to it and it passes eventually.  I would rather feel a little sleepy than those damn palps!  Good Luck. Angela

[Steve-UK]

Hi Tony

I am in the UK

Mine started with a severe run for about a week then improved to 1 or 2 a day.....accelerated again over the last 3 days to constant every 3rd or so beat..but none so far this morning

email me if you like Steve.***@****

[tony olliver]

Thanks Steve

Do you gewt any other related symptoms. Re you getting support fron the NHS ?

Tony

[SargeRN]

Just happened upon this website today.  I am an RN who has experienced PVC's for approx 2 years.  I am 44 and post menopausal.  I include this info because it is important to know that women who are experiencing hormone fluctuations that are tied to menopause (pre or post) can and do experience PVC's.  I have found it helpful to increase my soy consumption (either drink soy milk or take a soy supplement such as Promensil).  I also have reflux and this can cause some PVC's, which may help to explain why some feel PVC's when they bend over (pressure on the stomach, reflux --> PVC) or when lying down.  Try not to eat big meals (smaller more frequent meals) and do not eat past 7-8 p.m. if you go to bed around 10.

I also tried beta blockers when these PVC's first started and they made me CRAZY!!  Thought I was having a nervous breakdown.  Plus the PVC's were worse (more frequent and harder).  I reasoned that if the blockers made it worse, it must not be a cardiac origin.  Went to electrophysiologist, who told me there are a 1000 hormones in the body and any one of them can affect the rhythm of the heart.

Ladies of menopausal age (yes, 40's) - get the book "The Wisdom of Menopause" by Dr. Christine Northrup.  This book helped me a lot and gave me validation that I was not alone.  It also mentions heart arrhythmias and menopause.  Just a word - she falls off the deep end every so often with her "taro cards" but her medical advice is sound - I have researched it.

Good luck to all.  Oh, by the way, my PVC's cycle and are improved with increased doses of Promensil and good rest.

[LeeB]

Perhaps helpful for positional PVC. Mine are caused by stress that locks up my spine (subluxation) and pinches some nerves. Nerves (spinal nerves) are running through the spine to steer and feed a.o. the chest, heart and lungs.(in the T1-T6 area)
Chiropractic treatment might help (it helps me).

Check out:
http://www.drhargis.com/PINCHED_NERVES/pinched_nerves.html

http://jhhs.client.web-health.com/web-health/topics/GeneralHealth/generalhealthsub/generalhealth/neurological/WhatIsCentralNervousSystem.html

http://www.drgaryeversoledc.com/chiropractic.html

[Steve-UK]

Tony,

Had the initial tests on the NHS ECG ect but they all show the heart as healthy, they more or less say its a benign condition and live with it!

I hardly notice them some days and have plenty of noticeable ones other days

[Ianna]

Hi S,
-
Nothing wrong with tarot-cards Sarge; why should that be a problem -('she falls off the deep end' etc etc.)- you mean she's a bit crazy every now and then?
Do not judge so quickly.
You should try them (the cards) sometime and then comment again....-you may be amazed-....
-
Hi leeb, thanks for the links, I suffer from the same: the locking up of the spine and ooops there are the PVC's!!
This and other culprits of course... ;-)
-
Good luck - bye - *Ianna* -

[LynnSB]

YOu wrote:
>> also tried beta blockers when these PVC's first started and they made me CRAZY!! Thought I was having a nervous breakdown. Plus the PVC's were worse (more frequent and harder). >>

GOSH! really?   I feel crazy -- been on metoprolol, low dose, for about a month and my palpitations are worse than they ever were before in my LIFE!!!!  can beta blockers worsen palps?  I figured that was impossible???!  Mine are way more frequent hours and days at a time.. this is horrible.

[bella-life]

This is for Mel22...what does Magnesium do and who recommended it to you?  I just started a bad run of PVC for about 4 days now. I know it's part psychological for me..I think about it and concentrate on it and then it happens (then I freak out and feel anxious- and the whole cycles repeats).  I am willing to try anything to get rid of this retarded heart problem.

Thanks

[LynnSB]

why on earth would eating cause me to have runs of pacs and pvcs? I understand that heart race normally goes up a bit after you eat or you could have blood sugar fluxes, etc, but I'm not talking about AFTER you eat, i'm talking about biting on a piece of food swallowing and having them then, or about the time the food is in your stomach.. this is so CRAZY! I'm on an event monitor and had a few almonds and I swear within minutes I had the event monitor filled up with "events"..

[karie]

Hello,
This heart board is sure well informed.
I see a correlation with meals and told my EP and he said due to the blood working to digest food , type of meal and size. I eat many small meals and drink alot of water.
With hormones and changes with my cycle this past year I thought this was the cause for the initial increase in symptoms.
I have not tried a beta-blocker as well. But when they are extreme for days it is so hard not to wish for relief. Hope to learn by sharing heart stories.
When is medication and ablation the only option and Do they always increase with age ?
thanks

[Mel22]

Hi!

I starting taking Nature-Made 250 mg. magnesium tablets that you can find in any grocery store. I take one a day. I decided to give it a try when I repeatedly read on health boards and in written literature that it improved symptoms for individuals with PVC/PAC.

Of course my PVCs were thoroughly investigated and determined to be benign. I should also mention that they were fairly infrequent, although I do (did) have bouts of increased frequency. Now I get about 1 or 2 (felt) a week, on average.

Please check with your doctor first. And if you do decide to give it a try, please report back to the board.

Good luck!

Mel

[SallyD]

Hello. I read you comment on taking Cardizem. I was prescribed Cardizem last year during a 2 week bout with PVC's. I wound up not taking it because I was scared of taking a heart drug. I am 33 and female. Just recently I started on another string of PVC's, which have now lasted for 10 days and counting! I called my doctor and decided to try the Cardizem this time. It has given me headaches and done very little or nothing for my PVC's. This is very frustrating! I am OK when I am sitting, but when I stand up the PVC's start every 2nd or 3rd beat. I am continuing to take 120mg of Cartia XT (generic brand, I think) in hopes that it will work and soon! I cant take another day of these horrible PVC's! I have also taken Xanaxs in the past for anxiety but they make me tired. I might have to deal with that side effect and start taking them again. Good luck to you :)

[bluesideup]

I am a 29 year old male who has dealt with PVCs since 1995. Have encountered only one instance where I had enough of them to visit the ER (this past March) . . . where they told me that they were benign -- they went away overnight. Mysteriously, however, I have also been hospitalized twice in six years for two isolated episodes of paroxyml atrial fibrillation. Both episodes kept me in the hospital for two days, with my heart spontaneously reverting to normal sinus rhythm after about 15 hours. The most recent of these epidoses was last month, resulting in what I would characterize as a month-long bout of anxiety, frustration, sleepless nights and borderline depression. I am scheduled to see an EP this week, and my doctor has put me on a small regiment of Zoloft to help calm my nerves. I am also taking Ambien at night, which I highly recommend to anyone else having trouble sleeping with these things. My aparent stress overload seems to be causing more-than-usual PVCs, especially at night, and also when exerting myself, taking a deep breath or yawning. Just wanted to know if any of you PVC-suffers out there have ever had any episodes of A-fib as well, and your experiences. I will say that reading your exchanges has been informative and therapeutic.

[tony olliver]

At least you have had reassuring tests. I have just discovered that I have to wait up to 3 Months on the NHS, just to see a cardiologist. My beats come in waves of several hours per day. The GP can never pin point them. Also bouts of tightness in chest as though I,m not getting enougth air. I thought thid could be connected or anxiety over the beats

tony

[bella-life]

I want to let everyone know that I am living proof that you can live with PVC's.  I started with some really, really bad "flare up's" of PVC's over the past few weeks.  My tiggers are stress and anxiety.  For those of you getting a few here and there throughout the day, consider youself LUCKY.  I was getting them continously day and night about 5-10 per MINUTE.  I was so freaked out, I spent the night in the hospital.  I thought for sure I was done.  But today is a good day and I am doing alot better.  Someone once said that you must not focus getting rid of them but reducing them.  That has helped me alot, I haven't rid of them but I have reduced them up to 90%.  It's all so crazy and as much as I tell myself (everytime) that everything is alright, the PVC's get the BEST of me and take over my life. I have heard some really good advice and I am thankful for this website, I consider it one of my little blessings throughout my ordeals with this condition.  One thing I want to mention which I haven't heard from anyone is my doctor put me on a calicum channel blocker, I forgot the name (forgive me) but ask your doctor about it..I am not sure if my PVC's have subsided because of it or because of my mental relaxed state (I swear I think of it sometimes and it does it).  I am also trying the magnesium.... Good luck, GOD Bless!
If anyone wants the name of that drug let me know...

[Steve-M]

There can definitely be a direct connection between what goes into your mouth and the rate and timing of your heart. Your heart rate should not "normally go up a bit after you eat".

However, I can eat certain foods and my heart rate will quickly jump 30 or 40 bpm higher. My wife will eat potatos (which she loves), and her heart rate will increase to 130 bpm or more. After some meals I can also start having 1 to 5 PVC's per minute for the next hour or two. I have friends and relatives who have similar stories to tell.

For much more information on this subject, (and how to test yourself), check out this book - "The Pulse Test" by Arthur F. Coca, MD. He has some very interesting things to say. But don't expect too much interest from "modern" doctors. My cardiologist wasn't interested once he heard that the book had been written fifty years ago. He said they didn't know anything back then.

[Ianna]

..ignorant snobs....

[Neeley]

Hey Hankstar -- I'm new to this forum and happened to come upon it by chance.  I am a 37 (almost 38) year old female who just started w/PVCs in April of this year.  Brief history:  I was diagnosed with MVP when I was 12, and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome ("WPW") when I was 19.  Had numerous tach "episodes" throughout the years (caused by the WPW), but didn't have one caught on an EKG until 11/02, which clocked at over 258 bpm.  My cardiologist referred me to an EP, who performed catheter ablation #1 in 01/02.  It failed.  I had another tach "episode" in 03/02, and the EP doc performed ablation #2 in 05/02.  It also failed.  He then put me on Metoprolol, which I took until 12/02.  I asked the EP doc to change my meds because I thought my eyes were being affected (dry).  Anyway, he put me on Atenolol, which I didn't actually start taking until 02/03.  In 04/03, my heart started "skipping" like crazy.  Long story short, we did a 24-hour holter and I was diagnosed with PVCs (over 3,000 per day, not including sleep time).  I thought to myself, "Great, ANOTHER heart problem".  He decided to change my medication to Toprol (100mg/day).  The PVCs got worse, and continued getting worse.  I complained and he was frustrated (which is understandable, I don't blame him).  Then I got myself on the Internet and started reading about PVCs and particularly your postings about beta blockers possibly encouraging and even causing PVCs.  So, last week I weaned myself off the Toprol (took the last pill on Sat. morning), and slowly the PVCs have been dissapating.  I also started on Magnesium & Potassium supplements, so maybe the combination is what's helping me.  I called my EP and he stated that sometimes beta blockers can slow the heart rate such that the PVCs will "present themselves", and agreed to keep me off of them.  Hopefully this will do the trick for the long-term!  BTW, I thought I would mention that I was never worried about the PVCs (just very ticked off at the symptoms, which are the same as most have written here).  I've dealt w/heart issues my whole life, and this one is the only one that has/had affected my daily life, every single waking moment.  Stress/caffeine/other stimulators were never a factor.  I believe the beta blockers are totally to blame for my particular case.  This lengthy post is actually meant to THANK YOU for your observations on this subject.  It helped me "see the light".  But I do stress a word of caution to others:  Only go off your beta blocker if your doc is behind you 100%.  Seems to me that since the PVCs can be caused by a host of things, taking this route should be only under the supervision of your doc.  Sorry for such a long post!  If anyone wants to contact me privately, my name is Robin at "***@****".  Thanks!

[cliodna]

Hello. SO glad to have found this board. I am a 28 yr old female in the middle of a 4 day and counting bad run w/PVCs. I've had MVP since I was 17 and my PVCs come in very bad episodes, no rhyme or reason. They completely interfere with my life and work(I've been out of work the past 4 days since they started up). It is all the more frustrating b/c no one really understands how this feels and how real it is and how incapacitating it can be at times.  I feel like instead of trying to explain to friends or family why I cant make it somewhere on a certain day or why I am home from work, I always say "I'm just not feeling well" which I'm sure they are tired of hearing by now....
The last time I had "the skips"(as I call them) this bad was probably almost 8 monts ago, I was having a pretty good run for a while there, thought maybe I could have gone a full year w/out any bad attacks.  I always get a few here and there, and when lying down I always have a weird "awareness" of my heart beating,  but when they come on strong like this, it is a nightmare!!!   I take Toprol, used to be 100mg, lowered to 75, then 50, now I'm at 25mg. It never helped me before and doesnt now either.  When I get my "episodes" I average around 3-4,000 pvcs in a 24 hr period, along with light headedness and chest discomfort.  I've worn holters so many times i cant even count.  During my last attack 9 mos ago I started to take CoQ10 and the pvcs subsided after around a week. Don't know if it was from the supplement or if they just went away on their own.  Anyway, I dont mean to go on and on, but its late, and I'm tired and extremely frustrated and uncomfortable and wondering how long it will be this time before they go away:(  or if they will at all.  
Hope everyone is doing well, thanks for reading my ramble!  good night

[Wisconsin2007]

A related discussion, A Thank You from a PVC sufferer was started.