Things to Avoid that can bring on PVCs. Any more from anyone?

[canihelp]

I've found a few things to avoid that bring on PVCs.  If anyone has others, please advise.
Caffeine (of course), Salt (especially in the mornings), Even Magnesium Salts cause some PVCs! Celestial Seasonings teas. (some of their teas have ingredients that are stiumulants)I'm sure some other brands do also. Dry Wines that flush me also give me PVCs almost immediately!  I drink sweeter type - one glass only.  More can set PVCs off.
Sugar!  Excessive sugar can bring on anxiety in the body, which results in PVCs.  I get by with eating a litte.  But NO soft drinks.

Any other foods anyone has found that brings PVCs on?  Oh, and I found taking deep breaths and slowly blowing out works well during an attack, being completely calm.  Bearing down (the vagal maueveur) does not work for me at all.  Coughing helps though which is a form of that.

[missouri505]

Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, aspartame, sucrolose, gluten, dairy trigger mine for sure and hormones. Also cold medicine and thyroid meds for hypothyroid trigger. I need the thyroid meds but cannot take them due to terrible PVC's. I had an ablation for SVT and had hoped the PVC/PAC's would be zapped too but no such luck. I still can't eat anything but meat and veggies. I got the surgery so I could eat normally again. No more tachycardia though which was the worst.

[wingmom18]

I also found my PVC's to be at their worst in correlation with menstrual cycles. I would recommend to any female that you note on a calendar when you have a bad PVC day/night, you may be surprised to see that they are cyclical.  I am over 50 but not menopausal yet.  My OB/GYN put me on a low dose birth control pill that keeps my estrogen levels from fluctuating. I had blood work done and hormone levels were normal, but remember that any blood work is just a "snap-shot" of what your levels are at that moment and could fluctuate later. I also have an increase in PVC's if I haven't eaten or have not slept well.

[Rosemary349]

I'm female and noticed certain hormonal times affect them (mid month and end of the month).

I've definitely found a huge improvement with Dr Eby's sugestions to take L-Arginine and Taurine (and I'm taking a minute dose each day compared to what he suggests in his article.  You are likely to find it if you google it)

Plenty of sleep helps keep them away (not always possible though with work, etc)

Not allowing myself to get too hungry, hunger and low blood sugar trigger them and so does eating if I've gone too long without food.

Hope some of this helps

[Violet47]

For those of you who are having PVCs when you lie on your left side, I would recommend that you see the gastroenterologist. It could be that you have a condition in which your esophagus is too tight. This can cause a slew of problems including esophageal spasms or PVCs, trouble swallowing or a tight feeling in your chest. I used to have PVCs when I laid on my left side. Then I had my esophagus stretched (takes 5 minutes under sedation) and it stopped my PVCs. I have had the procedure done twice in the past ten years and it works like a charm. This is also a great way to get rid of that really tight feeling in your chest that is unrelated to anything else. I also drink Naturally Calm, which is a powdered magnesium. That helps take the edge off and relaxes the muscles. A lot of people have a magnesium imbalance and don't even know it. I hope this helps.

[airpup]

One of the best things that help my pvcs is magnesium chelate, 250mg daily. I take the 100 mg tablets throuout the day so that I constantly have additional magnesium in the body. I believe that my gerd is causing the magnesium deficiency in my ody so if any of you have gerd, try to get it under control through natural means rather than medication to lower your stomach acidity. Also, when needed, ativan or other anxiety medications can help with the pvcs but make sure to use in low dosages sparingly to avoid addiction. You can also try this natural supplents called I-theanine, which is large amounts of green tea extracts to promote calmness... No caffeine included.

[prelude868]

I have them the same way.  They just happen when they want to...
Very annoying! They just come out of nowhere.

[prelude868]

I have them the same way.  They just happen when they want to...
Very annoying! They just come out of nowhere.

[Matchew]

I have had the same issues with multi-vitamins and PVCs as well as, What i have found to set mine off:  Caffeine from regular tea, ( green and black are okay for me) Aspartame (equal) along with caffeine is a big one , sucralose (splenda), Multi-vitamins, powerade zero, and vitamin water zero.  Salt seems to be a trigger in large quantities.  the main items I avoid are the powerade zero, vitamin water zero and vitamin supplements.  I was having 10-30 PVCs a minute, now I have 1 or 2 a day at most.  I have also taken up bicycling again, which by itself did not help.  I have had PVCs for the past 7 years.  I thought I would treat them with hydration drinks and found after years of using them they were making them worse.  

[lildebi]

does anyone know why a certain movement would bring on these pvc's, i actually was diagnosed last night with these and while i find relief in knowing there just weird, my girlfriend took my pulse and is the only one besides me that ever felt in one me and told me last night thats what it was , can anyone help me

[krixen]

Sucralose was HUGE for me, once I stopped that in about 5 days my PVCs actually stopped completely for awhile. it is in everything!

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

mine have beem recored they are pac .i have very few pvc

[SillyHeart]

Things that HELP:

Cook your own meals.  Watch Food Network to learn how if you don't already.  They'll be lower sodium, lower sugar, lower fat.

Drink plenty of water.  This helps very much.

Avoid sugar.  This also helps very much.

Exercise regularly.  Start slowly if you're nervous.  Even 10 minutes a day is a fine start.  Go for brief walks.

Learn breathing techniques for relaxation.  I have recently discovered that this helps me a lot.  Tense, tight breathing exacerbates the PVCs.

Treat your anxiety if it's overwhelming you.  Reduction in PVCs will follow.

[Victric]

One question, have you got your PVCs documented? Or how do you know they're PVCs and not just PACs?

Anyway, I get PVCs/PACs (don't know which since I haven't got them documented) when lying on the left side, when feeling anxious, or when starting or stopping an exercise.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

wow, ok this is what sets mione off, I DONT KNOW, if under stress i dont have them , anxiety no cause, eating dont bother me, iam just not sure i have pac maybe they different than pvc but mine come as they want to for no reason, i get them for weeks and than they go . so am i strange or is there something wrong with my heart, ya ghave reason i have none ,i live a very nice life great husband two great kids dont work can shop everyday if i want to no money problems , just a great life but i still have these things they are the only thing that makes my life stress. so tell me why. i have had the recorded so i know i have them. wow i feel like there is something really wrong with me ya all have reason i dont help me out any one have them just because?

[canihelp]

One more thing.  I absolutely can not go without sleep or stay up too long visiting!!  it will trigger me off bad.  I've had to learn to be obsertive to those around me and get in bed at reasonable time.  I then sit up & read & meditate for awhile.  Does wonder for my night's sleep.  If I wake in the morning with problems (which can happen if restless night, etc), I prop up in bed and push the button to soothing music & go back to sleep for a bit.  When I stay in hotels, I take a headset & music of what I'm use to at home & my pillow.  This helps alot.  
Staying Calm is so vital, and sometimes not easy when the body is wanting to send other signals.

[canihelp]

ok, some tips I've learned to help:
In Summer, carry mister at all times when I'll be out of doors.  It mists & has a little fan on it.  I'm the envy of everyone.  They even come up to me & ask me to mist them.  Heat sets me off quick, so this is great.  I also carry a beach umbrella in my trunk for any time I'll be sitting in the sun. (ballgames, car shows, etc.) again, I get lots of friends wanting to share my shade.  I'm fair skinned so it looks like I just don't want to get sun burned. Always, Always have ice cold water with me.
In Winter,  the cold can set me off when it hits my back especially, so I have real sheep skin covers on my leather seats in my car.  Very nice & nice in Summer too.  Keep long hair in Winter time. Stay indoors as much as possible. Got a fur lined hooded coat for when outdoors.  Great!!  Carry hot chamomille tea in the movies, or wherever I go.

I keep a long handle curved back massager for when I feel the back tightening up.  One at home, one at work in my office, & one in the car.  It really helps loosen the muscles & stress back out.

Come On, let's hear some more good solutions!!!!

[Carey01]

How about things that HELP??

Stay rested
Avoid sugar and caffeine and all the other triggers mentioned
Stay calm .....

And I hope some people have some other new not so obvious ones!

[bzmed]

I would agree with Starscream.  Changes in physical positions, laying on my left side (maybe they are just more noticable with pressure?).  I try to limit to one soda a day (some days I have a two dr. pepper day) but I haven't notice foods that set it off.  I noticed recently (before I went back on beta blocker and as I was adjusting to the Toprol) that eating and swallowing made it much more noticable or set it off.  Weird.  I have valve problems so maybe as the valve shifts position the regurgitation gets worse which increases the arrhythmias.  Just a guess....!

[maggiemag]

Lack of sleep was the big one for me.  But ANXIETY is the biggest trigger of all, and then the increased ectopy causes more anxiety and then more ectopy and then more anxiety........  Get the anxiety under control and don't ever take your pulse.

[SillyHeart]

My PVCs are triggered by:

Caffeine
Sugar
Dehydration (or too much salt)
Eating too much at once
Getting too hot
PMS
Multivitamins (don't know which vitamin it is, so ( just avoid all multis)

During PMS weeks bending over, changing position, also trigger.

[Carey01]

Too much olive oil (like when you dip the bread at restaraunts)
Skipping meals -- this is a biggie for me.

[canihelp]

thanks for your comments.  No kidding, bending over, turning on left side, etc.. can cause PVCs at times!  Not eating too much at meals is a good tip that I'd forgotten.  That really causes stress on the system. And grease!! ugghhh!

[Starscream]

Ive noticed sodas and coffee can set them off with me. Eating a meal no matter how big or small can set them off with me...also just rolling onto my left side will set them off, twisting my head to look behind me right or left will, bending over, moving my shoulders back, standing straight up, reaching an arm across my chest to grab something from the end table will, taking a deep breath, clearing my throat sometimes ....uhm... :p

But after the session with the ablation yesterday they aren't going off as much with my body movements now and are a lot milder. But seriously, there are foods out there that can set them off.

Id suggest watching sodas, and coffee, basically anything with caffeine as a major ingredient and heavy meals. I never add salt to anything I eat or cook but I would imagine that can set them off as well. Also stress can set them off too so try and relax and not let things get to you..which is easier said then done for me. But at least its a thought..hehe

[wunabnorm]

well, less carbs, greasy foods, pastas, breads, rice... Also try to avoid eating too much. I notice when I eat larger meals, the occur more often as well. Good Luck