Whats causing my PVC's

[tom]

I am concerned about a recent condition that has come up in my life. I have had no heart problems until now and all of a sudden I have these PVC's and can find out what is the problem.
I have had blood work, EKG, X-ray, and just recently a stress test and all have come back normal. But I am still having the PVC's and no one is telling me why I am having them, Can anyone tell me why?

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Tom,
PVCs are somewhat like the common cold - a lot of people have them but not a lot is known about them.  Some individuals have reported things that trigger PVCs, like caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco so you can start by cutting these things out.  Other triggers such as stress are harder to eliminate but do play a role.  Sometime just knowing that PVCs are benign and not dangerous is reassuring.  You can find a good support here from others with the same concerns as you.  There are plenty of other postings concerning PVCs on this site as well that you can read.  Best wishes.

[yellowrose]

tom, i started having them when i was 21, went to dr after dr, they keep telling me nothing was wrong. i was having pvc and pac they put me on a beta blocker  so i would stop coming to office so much. it scared me to death, iam now 41 and still have them, i know they will not kill me , so i live with them better, are times they still run my life try not to let them. i have learned to not drink caffine , that includes peanut butter, choclote, peanuts anything that has caffine. it has helped , plus try not to get stressed hard to do sometimes. no there is no one thing that causes them , drs dont know they just tell you it nothing to worry about. so take them at there word , i didnt and the more i worryed they more i had them, when i stoped letting the run my life they got better.hope this helps some. take care and God bless.

[stevebu]

Tom, if all tests show your heart to be healthy and normal that is good.  What is causing your PVC's?  I will share with you what i have discovered and maybe it will help.  Stay away from caffiene, cigs, alcohol.  I also have discovered a lack of sleep increases PVC's.  When I have been under more stress than usual i get them.  If i fail to drink plenty of fluids they seem to get more frequent.  Exercise helps, but this may increase PVC's when you first start an exercise program.  I also take a multi vitamin  which seems to help.  And some days, I just seems to have more and I don't know why.  

Are you getting dozens a day, hundreds, thousands?  I have not had one PVC today, but there have been days when I had hundreds. I understand your frustration, they are disturbing to say the least.  I have learned to live with them and I exercise hard 6 days a week.  Good luck!

P.S   Is your thyriod level ok?  Some people have told me that problems witgh your thyriod can lead to PVC's and other heart rythm problems.

[tom]

I have had my Thyroid level checked and it is all ok. All of my blood work was ok. The only thing else that is going on with my health is that I do also suffer from GERD and I have been having some reflux lately. Has anyone else had any association between the to of these conditions. I have read some info from other sites that would support this. I don't know what to think. Does anyone have anything that can help.

[Mary to Tom]

If you look in the archives, you will find many references to a link between acid reflux and PVC's. I also have had these things for many years and find sometimes after a heavy meal they are much worse. What helped mine? I was in a car accident, got rear ended badly, at that time they were very bad and after the accident they went away completely for over a year but right now they are back.

[kim]

I am 31 and have been experiencing these PVC's also for about six months. Every morning I wake up with them they seem to happen between 7am and 10:00am then they are gone for the whole day.My thyroid,cholesterol, blood pressure and heart rate is normal.  At times I due suffer from anxiety.  I have been to four doctors and they said to me that I just need to live with it and learn to cope and not worry that I have a heart condition.  Reading your stories about PVC's and your experience helps me to deal with mine knowing that I am not the only one.

[vicki]

Tom,   I have found that my PVC's are related to the amt. of CHO (carbohydrate) that I eat. It has helped me alot to cut down on that.

[Kathleen]

The cause of my pvc's turned out to be low potassium levels due to the fact that I had parasites and bad bacteria in my colon.  My doctor said to me on my first visit, "Let's find out why you're having pvc's."  She did 2 tests: 1. an intracellular (not serum) potassium test and 2. a stool test.  This gave her the info she needed.  She cleared my gut with and antiparasite and an antibiotic and put my on once a week potassium IV's for 1 month.  I no longer have pvc's.  I don't think everyone has the same cause, but I also had the experience of going to another doctor first who told me to go home and not worry about it.  Those of us who wake up one day and our lives have changed because now we have pvc's know there is a cause and don't wish to "live with it.".  Find a doctor who will treat your cause and not your symptoms.  GOOD LUCK!

[judith]

TOM,

I'VE HAD GERD AND PVC BITH.  UNTIL I HAD THE GERD, I HAD NOT HAD PVC'S.  I HAVE A MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE, BUT IT HAS NOT CAUSED PROBLEMS UNTIL THE GERD ACTED UP.  GOOD LUCK

[Patti]

Tom:

Just a few days ago I experienced my first "fluttering" in my chest. I believe these to be PVCs. At the time of the "flutter" I
checked my pulse, and found that I was having skipped beats. I have never had this before, but I believe the cause was that I had a stressful incident, as my teenage son was out late and called after midnight, starteling me awake. After this happend I started feeling the "fluttering in my chest.

Another thing, is that I have had problems with reflux for quite some time, but it has recently been exacerbated.

Also, I am on thyroid medication, so I wonder if that may also play a role. I seem to have only a few flutters during the day, but I mostly get them at night when I lay down to go to sleep, and in the morning when I wake up; it seems to be worse if I lay on my back.

[tom]

Patti,
I have found that I really do think that my GERD is the base for all of my PVC's. For some reason now my GERD has been at a all time high and I just can't seem to get it under control. Since its flare up I have had the PVC problem. I have had blood work, echo, stress test, holter monitor, and ekg. Nothing has shown up as a cause for the PVC's. So I believe that it is my GERD. My Gerd was bad at night until I elevated the head of my bed when I sleep with pillows and now it is not as bad. Your PVC's might just be noticed more at night when you are laying still in bed. I have been told also that a thyroid condition will cause PVC's maybe you should get your level checked.
Good luck

[Karen]

I'm very suprised that so many of you mentioned GERD as being a factor for PVC's.  I have both but never put the two together but it make sense.  Tom, have your blood checked for helicobactor bacteria.  I had GERD so bad and asked for the test against my doctor's advise.  It came back positive.  I have to check it again because I still have the symptoms but not as bad.  The PVC's drive me crazy!

[to Arthur Bloom]

ARTHUR, ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS CAN BE TRACED FROM WHEREEVER YOU ARE SENDING E-MAILS FROM?  JUST A SHORT NOTE TO TELL YOU THAT THE MODERATOR ON THIS BOARD WOULD BE ABLE TO LOCATE YOU IN A MINUTE AND I KNOW THERE COULD BE RAMIFICATIONS.  THIS IS A HEALTH RELATED BOARD AND PEOPLE DO NOT ENJOY READING YOUR COMMENTS, STOP WASTING SPACE AND TIME.

[John L.]

I've been having PVCs and PACs for 25 years...I still remember the first one in a college classroom, I freaked out. I did the whole doctor routine and the answer then was being told not to worry and valium. After years of worry and going to doctors for EKGs, stress tests, and Holter monitors, etc, I finally realized I needed to try and stop worring about PVCs and get on with my life. One thing you can possibly do is CONTROL your PVCs. I've done it (knock on wood) to the point of almost total elimination, most times with only one or two noticeable a month; this from a time, at their worst, when I would get 40-50 an hour for hours a day every few months.

Most of my PVCs come from stress and eating certain foods that are hard to digest; popcorn, nacho chips, Corn Pops (no joke), and canned corn are the worst. Keep a log of what you've eaten and see if there are any correlations. Lying down or reclining after eating also causes them for me. When a PVC does hit, I immediately loosen my belt or unbutton the top button of my pants, that, most times, stops them in their tracks. If reclining, sit up for a while. It has something to do with the vagus nerve, irritation and  pressure. Stay away from caffine and other stimulants while you are having episodes, I drink 4-5 glasses of iced tea a day and lay off for a few days when I feel I'm getting too many PVCs. It's been a couple of years since I've had to lay off caffine.

Stress contributed to my PVCs a lot, and soon all I ever worried about were the PVCs which, of course, made them worse. That led to anxiety and panic attacks, which led to some wasted months and years of worry and anxiety.  Sometimes when I begin a strenuous exercise, I feel my heart beating fast, I begin to get anxious about PVC's, that kicks in the adrenaline, and bang...PVCs. If I continue the exercise the adrenaline gets used up and the PVCs usually go away. Walking up steep hills in higher altitudes do it to me every time.

Exercise is supposed to help in elminating PVCs. I never exercised enough to notice a difference, but I never feel any PVCs with moderate exercise like mowing the grass or taking brisk walks.

An earlier post mentioned vitamins and I  agree...this really seems to help me. I take a multi-vitamin and some extra E, Bs, C, and beta carotene (none in mega doses). If I don't take the E for a long time I get more frequent PVCs. This only seems to happen with vitamin E,  not taking the other vitamins doesn't seem to make a difference.

The above suggestions worked for me, they may not work for anyone else...they may be bunk, but I've been feeling pretty good for years (except for a stiff neck, the reason I logged on to medhelp.org in the first place).

Worry about these PVCs nearly ruined my life, but if they were going to kill me it would have been 25 years ago. I know they are  at the least disconcerting, but all your tests have come out OK, so try and figure out what causes them and try to control them.

When my cousin was in his medical residency he told me of a man who got PVCs only when he crossed his legs, the doctors told him to stop crossing his legs...my own feeling is that PVCs can be triggered by a number of causes unique to the person (I once got them from an allergic reaction to a sulfa drug) and the thing to do is to try and find the particular cause or causes of your PVCs and try to control them.

[Marc Matteo]

Take all the advice above! I am 29 years old with no previous signs of abnormal rhythms. I had an episode about a year ago where I felt my heart stop for a second then start again. It lasted for about a week. It is scary but if you have had all the tests I had (EKG, Stress Echo, Blood Tests) and was told you were OK trust them, this isn't life threatening. One thing I started doing in addition to stopping smoking, giving up caffeine, and eating heart healthy foods is meditation. Take 20 minutes a day and sit in a dark room by yourself. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. It may sound funny to do it but believe me any competent doctor will tell you that this will help your physical state. Good Luck and enjoy the next hundred years. This won't kill you!

[Gary L.]

I am a 50 year old male and noticed my first PVCs 4 weeks ago today.  They lasted for one week and then "flipped off".  Now they come and go.  They occurred consistently about 20 minutes after eating.  I discovered that a 5-minute brisk walk would elevate my heart rate to about 110 beats per minute and turn off the PVCs.  So now I simply take a walk right after every meal.  Bingo!...almost no PVCs after eating.  Moderate stress will bring them on also.  The walk helped this, too.   If I am lying in bed and the PVCs start, I get up and take a little walk.  It works for me!   Medical tests are coming back pretty normal.  I do believe the initial cause is related to excessive carbohydrate intake or insufficient animal protein intake.  I have been a semi-vegetarian for 5 years in an attempt to be heart healthy!  Lack of protein caused me to eat more carbohydrates.  I am striking a balance now, eating more protein, trying to limit carbohydrate intake to the first half of the day, and eating smaller and more frequent meals. So far, I feel like I am gaining control.

[Mike V]

I was transported to the hospital in Feb. 2000 for rapid heartbeat.  This was the first time this had happen.  After spending a day of ekg's, echocardiograms and heart monitors, I was sent home with a prescription of Metoprolol, to slow down the heart rate.  After giving up caffine, cigarettes and salt, I tried to get back to a normal life.  Within the last month, I was constantly dizzy and my heart rate was irregular and in the low 60's and upper 50's.  After another trip to the hospital, I was diagnosed with Wolfe Parkingson White Syndrome.  I had to wear a Holter Monitor for 24 hours.  I was taken off my Metoprolol which scared me to death, for I was sure the rapid heartbeats would return.  I was surprised when they didn't.  However, I developed something that scared me even worse. PVCs.  They are to the point of taking over my life.  I get so discouraged when I get them.  I was informed last week by my cardiologist I would need to have a Catheder Ablation done to take care of my WPW.  He says this may help the PVC's from acting up.  I keep hearing from him and his associates that PVC's are annoying but not worrysome.  I should mention I am only 35 years old.  This whole condition has me so screwed up that everytime I feel a pain in my body I think the end is near.  Does anyone else feel this way?  Am I going crazy?  I got three beautiful daughters I want to see grow up but I am letting this get to me to the point of living everyday in fear that I am going to die.

[Rebecca]

I am curious to know if anyone has ever made a connection between heart arrythmias and high altitudes.  Ten years ago I moved from sea level to 4500 ft above sea level and since than, my arrythmias have definitely worsened.  My old roommate also moved from sea level to a higher altitude and was told by ER doctors that living at high altitudes does have something to do with it.  She also has had several tachycardia episodes.

[lorretta]

I am a 25 year old female with PVCs and i am wondering if anyone knows of a good website that has any info on a diet regime that is targeted at reducing this problem? i also have to wonder sometimes if this is hormone related because i find it is worse when im due for my period. any other ladies find the same???

Take care and keep well

[lorretta]

To mike..I can relate to what your going through. im 25 with 4 children and I get so disheartend by all of this Im sure soemtimes that each day will be my last. I spend alot of my time living in fear..waiting for the next episode..wondering if it will be the one that leaves my kids without a mother. Sorry for sounding morbid,..but It is just so frustrating !!
***@****

[Michael Varga]

Ok, I have read an astronomical amount of replies from all the people suffering from PVCs like myself.  We are letting it take over our lives.  Well, It is time we grab the bull by the horns, quit worrying about this and live life to the fullest.  I am no expert, but here is my game plan.  First, whenever you start getting these PVCs, change your thought process.  I know it is hard but ignore the PVCs and think about something you enjoy.  You can think about family, friends, happy thoughts, sex, sports, anything but the PVCs.  Second, I notice my PVCs when I sit still, heck, I am even having them now while I type this.  But I am going to ignore them.  How?  Get up and walk, get a glass of water, call a friend, pull weeds.  Third, quit putting your fingers up to your neck to feel your pulse.  I know alot of you do this, myself included.  This one I still need to work on but I am trying.  Forth, And this is a big one.  I know our spouses have no idea what we are going through.  Mine says she understands but She doesn't know what they feel like, how scary they can feel, ect.  So, what we need to do is quit complaining to them about it.  Believe it or not, when I quit complaining about them to her, I don't seem to notice them as much.  Fifth and finally, cut out the stress in our lives.  I am a police officer in a small town.  Talk about your politics.  I am sure other officers, managers and anyone else with stressful jobs would like to quit and do something else.  At times I would like to but can't because it would be financially hard.  So how to cut out stress?  Walk!  After work walk with your spouse, walk with your children, and before you know it you won't notice the PVCs and you may find yourself getting into shape.  Come on everyone, lets all try this and quit letting these PVCs take over our life.  I wrote to this site on Sept. 9 2000 and was scared to death.  Now two weeks later my fear is turning into anger, and I am ready to fight back.  Loretta, I hope you read this.  I pray for you daily.

[Lorretta..to mike]

Mike..I read your post. Everything youve described is me, especially the pulse thing. Im trying not to take my pulse so frequently but it has become a subconcious response. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit..well this particualr habit has been a couple of years in the making. BUT,,,starting today Im going to take your advice. Im going to try and not take my pulse for 24 hours. Maybe I should start a "pulse jar"..you know..every time I slip up I have to put 1 dollar in the jar.
Its so frustrating that a normal bodily function..like the beating of our hearts..is taking up so much our lives. Mikes right people..we cant let this thing beat us. We can spend our days worrying so much this thing is going to kill us that we forget to live..to enjoy all the important things in out lives.
Oh..and mike..ive got one more thing to add to your list of things to do and things not to do
DONT spend hours looking up your symptoms on the internet!!
This can only prove to cause worry,fear and doubt in your docs diagnosis. We can enter a web site with palpitations and by the time weve left the computer we need a heart transplant!!!
Good luck to you..and to mike..thank you :0)

[Lorretta..to mike]

Mike..I read your post. Everything youve described is me, especially the pulse thing. Im trying not to take my pulse so frequently but it has become a subconcious response. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit..well this particualr habit has been a couple of years in the making. BUT,,,starting today Im going to take your advice. Im going to try and not take my pulse for 24 hours. Maybe I should start a "pulse jar"..you know..every time I slip up I have to put 1 dollar in the jar.
Its so frustrating that a normal bodily function..like the beating of our hearts..is taking up so much our lives. Mikes right people..we cant let this thing beat us. We can spend our days worrying so much this thing is going to kill us that we forget to live..to enjoy all the important things in out lives.
Oh..and mike..ive got one more thing to add to your list of things to do and things not to do
DONT spend hours looking up your symptoms on the internet!!
This can only prove to cause worry,fear and doubt in your docs diagnosis. We can enter a web site with palpitations and by the time weve left the computer we need a heart transplant!!!
Good luck to you..and to mike..thank you :0)

[Paul P.]

Hi,
I a RN in an emergency room who suffers from runs of Ventricular Bigemeny(Pvc between every normal heart beat) 10 to 30 times an hour. My Pvc's are caused by an increase in Catecholamines in the body. These are chemicals that are released during stress or excitement. Just about anything that increases your adrenelin. I get them when I yell at the kids, when I am at work and the ER is busy and I am running around like crazy. I get them when I am sedintary and all of a sudden I jump up to do something. I get them shoveling snow or taking out the garbage. I have notice that alcohol really increases them, although biologically I do not know why. However, coffee does not seem to bother me. I have gone  a week without coffee and a week with it and they are always the same. I see the reference for GERD and PVC and I find that intersting. I will be doing more research into that area. I have had reflux disease for 5 years and take prevacid 30mg once or twice a day depending on how I feel. Works great. Anyways, my point is that if your pvc are caused by this, then they will not go away without the right medication or procedure. I was on high dose betablockers(toprol xl 100mg twice a day) and verapamil 240 mg once a day for a while. I felt like they were not doing much for me until I quit taking them before my eps studies. I was wrong. I have been in bigemeny for almost 2 full days and its driving me crazy  :)    Good luck to everyone

Paul

[Gina]

Just recently, I'd have to say about a week ago, these 'flutters started, or I'd say my heart was skipping beats. Couldn't really explain it. I'm really worried about it, and I'm not sure if my family has the money to even take me to a doctor. We're really most times tight for money and I'd feeling horrible knowing another bill was being delivered, and because of me.
I haven't been to the doctor in quite some time. I've been pretty good until this week. I'm only 19 years old.
I was wondering if maybe being overweight causes this? Because I'm overweight. I've been alittle stressed lately about being stuck in the house all the time. I'm not really allowed to go out.. I was curious what causes these flutters.. I know I have to go to the doctor, I just hope I can convince my family that it's needed..

[Michael Varga]

I just had a catheder ablation done on Sept. 26 for WPW.  My Doctor said that he fixed that problem and he also believes it should take care of my PVC problem as well.  Well so far he is half right.  I do believe he took care of the WPW but for the PVC problem, I am not so sure.  I started getting them about 3 days after the ablation.  They were not so severe or frequent.  I was told that I may have them up to two months after the ablation.  Today I have them very frequent and very often.  I am trying to figure out why.  I did enjoy a mexican dinner last night for my parent's anniversary part.  Did I enjoy it too much? I seem to notice that after having spicy foods like buffalo wings, salsa, etc., the PVC problem acts up again.  I am going to keep my head up and a positive attitude.  I will give it the two months.  If it turns out to be the spicy foods, then I will deal with it.  On a positive note, I have been corresponding with Lorretta who I consider my PVC partner.  She had been inspirational in helping me through this.  I want to wish her and husband a very happy wedding anniversary.  I know they will have many more because Lorretta is a strong person and will not let her PVC problem get the best of her.

[RosemaryL]

Thanks to everyone who talks about their experience. I have read information on the internet...some good...some scary, but this site is great! I was diagnosed with SVT 6 years ago and learned to live with it but 9 months ago started with PVC's (recently diagnosed). I appreciate the "pros" who have lived with this and are passing on their wisdom. My doctors just say "get on with your life" but it's tough when you're the one feeling the symptoms! I feel that most of the stress in my life is because of the worry over these stupid PVC's !!

[Janis Garcia]

Mike I just read what you wrote and i can understand about how you feel.  My dad was diagnosed with PVC's at the beginning of this year, it's really hard to try to understand how doctor's can just say not to worry about it.  I see my dad how he struggles and it brakes my heart to know that he is having a hard time.  My dad is only 39. When i read that you have 3 daughters and that you want to see them grow up makes me want to cry. It makes me want to cry because my dad told me not to long ago, that he doesn't know if he will make it to see me get married.  I can understand even though i don't have them myself, but I'm really close to my dad and I'm really scared.  He has been to 5 or 6 different doctor's his had all the test's done, but still all he gets is "don't worry you're heart is fine"! but I know that he doesn't want to give up.  He believes that there is something that might help, we just don't know what it is.  I don't think you are going crazy.  My dad just tells me he is scared because this is all so new to him.  So i think this is what's going on with you.  Have faith in God and i know that you will live to see your girls grow up. I hope this helped a little.
JUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I wish you the very best.                          
                       GOD BLESS YOU.

[pammelah]

I am 28 years old and 17 weeks pregnant with my fifth child, and I like alot of you out there just started to have these pvcs.  Now I am not allowed to drive my kids to school (as i passed out driving during one "attack",) and my doctor wants me to take a beta-blocker only I'm not prepared to do so without some real assurances that the baby will be fine dispite them.  I've been conversly enlightened,encouraged and enraged as I go looking for answers.  The thought that you can live with these things seems only to hold true when they arn't destroying the normalacy of your life, but when I can't breathe, when my kids are watching me pass out and calling their grandparents for help, when I am affraid to leave the house just in case... well living with this just doesn't feel realistic.  I've had good doctors with kind faces and supportive family, but what I don't have are clear answers as to why, why now, for how long, or how can I stop them.
  What if during labor.... well anyway thank you to all out there who have offered your best and your honesty.

[maryann]

I started having Ischemic heart problems(not enough oxygen to the heart muscle) and PVC's. I passed out while working out and my doctor did a cardiac catheterization and found that my blood pressure had been so high for so long my heart muscle had thickened. This, he said, was reversible. My other doctor did a blood test for helicobactor pylori and candida and both were positive and now I am wondering if my problems with my heart are related to the two of them. I will start the antibiotic therapy tomorrow and only time will tell.

[Chris M.]

Coming past this message board has been a god-send.  To finally hear from so many folks who have the same problem is very, very comforting.

My story sounds a lot like all of yours...one day I was on top of the world, pushing myself hard in my career, excercising like a fiend (I felt I was the healthiest I had ever been) and then I wake up one day and am having these skips and runs and feel like I need to take deep strenuous breaths all the time.  Despite the fact that I'm on top of the world and about to go on a long and much anticipated vacation, my entire world crumbles.  What's going on with my body?  I'm really healthy, right?  I work out six days a week!  I eat healthy!  People at work look to me as a paragon of fitness!  What the hell is wrong?!  My vacation is seemingly fun, but inside I'm a disaster.  I skip business trips to see doctors.  Over a span of months they do all the tests....blood work, chest X-ray, pulmonary function, thyroid, allergy, stress-echo, ecg - which shows the PVCs.  Finally they tell me it's anxiety and acid reflux, so here's some acid blockers and some anti-anxiety drugs...just learn to live with it.

What?!

I took the drugs they gave me.  I took a leave of absence from work to get myself together.  Didn't do much good.  The acid blocker still doesn't keep me from regurgitating and the anti-anxiety has helped me not worry about it so much but I still don't feel good.  I rarely excercise and have since quit my job and moved out of state to be closer to my family.  I'm starting a new job in a few weeks and going off of the anti-anxiety medication but my confidence is completely shot.  I definitely feel there is a GERD-PVC relationship but it frustrates me that doctors seem to just shrug and show you the door.  Some people have been very supportive but lots of friends and family look at you as a nutcase because the doctor says its no big deal.

This would be much easier to take with a rational explanation/diagnosis and some firm steps to take to help rid me of this problem.  I also wish I knew what brought it on.  I'm a 25 year old male, non-smoker, had always been thin but worked out very hard to gain body weight to where I was at a very average body size (6'2", 205 at the time, dropped down to 185 since).  I had taken sports supplements (such as creatine) for a period of time but stopped taking them all when this first began 9 months ago.  I assume that any effect they had would have been lost on my system by now.

I don't think I'll get many or any answers but it's nice to know there are others in the same situation and have a place to spill all of this meandering info.  Thanks!