bigeminy trouble

[Jester74]

I seem to have benign pvc's. Holter and ECG said uniform ventricular extrasystoles, echo said structurally normal heart. I had a lot of PVC's during the echo, but that seemd to be no problem. The cardio told me I could do anything with this. Medication was not prescribed, betablockers made it worse, and other meds could have serious side-effects.
I started exercising again, and wear a polar monitor. I can actuallt see my heart skipping beats. It seems to be worse when my pulse is under 120. I have alot of them while resting and during the day. I am in bigeminy and trigeminy a lot of time, and i have skipped beats as well as two consecutive fast beats.
The cardio sias that i wouldn't be able to feel the skipped beat but only the next fuller beat. But I really do feel the skipped or extra beat, because the sensation in my chest coorsponds with the skipped pulse. When I lay my hand on my chest i feel my heart beat regular, and when it beats extra or skips I do feel an different beat, like its more on the surface of my chest, an extra kick. This keeps frightening me, and although I try exercising I'm still worried about going running or whatever while experiencing the bigeminy. When I feel my pulse during the day I always feel this bigeminy or single skips like every third beat. Sometimes I have a buuterfly feeling in my chest alday and it's like being out of breath.
When should I see a doctro again, or do I really hev to accept this is normal ?
Before august I had a regular pulse, and the cardio got no clue what's causing this. Could this disappear as well

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

He jester,

Yes these arrhythmias do seem to come and go as they please.  When you have normal heart function and PVCs, there isn't much we can do besides beta blockers.  If they are severe, PVC ablations are done, but this not an avenue I would look to at your stage. If something changes you should certainly see your doctor, but you do not need regular follow-up for PVCs.

I know you've been told this before, but try to ignore them.  You know they are there and checking your pulse will only make you more concious of them.  

I hope you feel better soon.

[Gaspipe]

Rest assurred you are not alone if your heart tested normal and if things like BP etc are normal you may be like many of us and need to learn to live with your PVC's. Ive had them for nearly 20 years and they come and go and it seems as time passes they come more than they go. Not to sound negative but just to emphasize that you can learn to live with them. Hopefully in time medicine will come up with ways to treat PVC's in a way where the cures are not worse than the disease.Until then don't lay in bed and take your pulse and obcess over them... do something to get your mind off them ie excercise take a walk with the dog or go to a movie whatever it takes! Just remember you are not by any means alone . So stay positive stay active and drink your Gatorade.   You can conquer them Gaspipe

[kellebelle]

Oh my, I am too pvc challanged. I had a new experience last night and would appreciate anyone's input. I felt a flutter in my chest/left side almost like a quiver I could feel this when I touched my chest..With that a rush of adrenaline and my heart began to race.This happened twice in an hour.I usually just get a flip here and there not this strange spasm.Is this what a couplet, bigeminy, nsvt would feel like??? Not trying to post a new question just wondered if this is what jester or gaspipe have experienced. Thanks for listening guys....anything new with
my heart freaks me out!!! Good idea to go out and get your mind off your symptoms I will take your advice. Have a great day.!
Kelly

[runnertom]

I too have had PVCs for many years. I did have bypass surgery and it was thought that my LAD blockage may have been the cause of the PVCs that occurred mainly during exercise. I also could not feel mine but my Polar monitor showed them and of course is could feel the "skipped" beat if I was trying to take my pulse. It turns out that the PVCs became worse after surgery. Now, however, after two years they have become less frequent than before the surgery. The jury is still out as to whether there was/is a connection.
What I have found that at rest, all the often cited triggers do apply. They are much more frequent after a couple glasses of wine. They are susceptible to anxiety to the point that I can cause the to happen at will by paying attention to my pulse. Since they don't really impact my running in any way I can detect, I have learned to ignore them and go on with life.

[elegreenmachine]

A couplet feels to me like a double PVC.  Like the PVC sensation with a double feel to it. I also felt quivers before but did not come through on holter as anything, maybe a muscle spasm in my chest.  But the adreneline rush was there also because you feel it and then the flight fight response kicks in.  I hate feeling them I wish I didn't but I do.  I envey the ones who don't feel them.  After so many years of having them the worry about each one diminishes.  If you feel new sensations a call to the doctor is always an option.  It might make you feel better.

[pbanders]

I had a period last year where I had nearly constant PVC/PAC's for two months, it felt like they'd never go away. Then I had a few weeks where it went away, then came back for another month.

Now, I've had over 2 months with no problem. My attitude is that I will have to get used to them coming and going on their own schedule, and that I'm not going to get stressed out about it. I'll enjoy the days when I have no problems, and tough it out when they're bugging me.

[dafan]

Jester, You sound exactly... like me. Mine started in February of this year. They were 'only' in the evening at that time. Then during the summer months they all but dissapeared, maybe 10 or 12 a day. Then in November my wife had minor gall bladder surgery and that morning i could feel myself really begin to have anxiety and boom they hit that morning for an hour in those double beats some begiminy etc. Hundreds per hour. They quit more or less for a week then right before Christmas they came with a vengeance. All day long. I got really worried and went to PA to an ep doctor. I did the stress test and they do diminish with exercize. in fact not one before or after. They put me on Toprol XL and it might be helping just a little bit. Some days might have only in the low hundreds. The funny thing is after i work out they seem to really subside for the rest of the day now. I know this, they have seriously altered my life... Even tho ive had an echo ekg and stress test that were all normal. So i dont know what the future holds btw im 50 yrs old and very high anxiety person. Also as a side a lot of the time if im resting they now go away and if i get up and walk around even casually they will kick up again only to subside when a sit back down. The bottom line is i dont think any doctor understands the mechanism by which they are triggered whether it be stress 'the huge one for me' caffeine or alcohol. Sorry for being so long but i think a lot of us are in the same boat.

[dafan]

ps. forgot to say that i feel everyone also. I think it is the cannon A wave that happens when the ventricle beats against a closed valve... i think... I tend to feel them in the upper part of my chest and up into my neck ever so slightly.

[Jeff67]

Jester,

In response to your comment about feeling your ectopic beats.  I have had PACs and PVCs for 20 years (now 38).  I can assure you that there is absolutely no doubt that I, and many others, feel the ectopic beat.  I wish I had a dollar for every time a cardiologist has told me I am feeling the compensatory beat. I am not sure why the general belief among doctors is still that you cannot feel the ectopic beat.  I experience a whole host of sensations with the ectopic beat - pain, abrupt kick, flip-flop, drawn out contraction, etc.  I have actually seen one cardiologist that experienced this himself so I had no trouble convincing him.  Having said all that, the fact we can feel these and others cannot does not change the fact that they are just ectopics.

[nanee5]

Hi,, I have not been able to submit a question, but have seen that apparently I am in the same boat as the rest of ya.  I have those weird heartbeats, PVC's, whatever,, Have felt the adrenaline rush, lightheaded, and basically scared to death.  Have a cardiologist appt. in MARCH,,(they must not think its very important), but my doc did hear a murmur, and thinks it might be MVP.  Im wondering if that can cause these symptoms, and if so, all of a sudden like they happened?? Anyway, glad I can talk to you all about this stuff, maybe one day be able to post a question...LOL.

[pms_barbie]

I too could feel my bigeminy.  It was nasty feeling.  I had an ablation for the bigeminy.  No bigeminy just some pvcs though.

[Cashiers]

Hi to all,

Anyone tried the med Flecanide/tambocor, would appreciate any comments on this drug.

I too suffer from all of the above, woke me up last night couldn't sleep for all the erratic rhythems.

I'm trying very hard to not take pusle and move on with the day.  The fresh cool air feels good when feeling bad.  There is plenty of that moving about the country.

Everyone stay warm out there

Laura

[Momto3]

Laura,

I was on flecainide for about 4 months for frequent pvcs.  The medicine worked very well at reducing the pvcs.  I did experience some gastro side effects and the doctor changed the medication to rhythmol. The rhythmol produced less side effects, but I needed to take it 3X/day rather than 2X.  For me, that was no big deal, but the doctor said some people prefer 2X/day.

Good luck!
connie

[Gaspipe]

I was on Flecanide for a couple of years to control very frequent PVC's. I stopped about 4 years ago when a routine physical blood test showed a decreased white cell count. I went off the flecanide and white cell count was normal in 3 months. Coincidence? I don't know but I never went back on the drug and have since learned to live with the PVC's as best as possible .My humble opinion is this is a class of meds to avoid if possible even though cardios will tell you with a normal heart it is safe. Good luck Gaspipe

[dquenzer]

There is a great deal of controversy about the use of anti-arrythmic meds for PVC's and PAC's.  The biggest problem is that it is possible that these drugs can cause other arrythmias.  They are not "benign" in that sense.  Also I was once a sufferer of AFIB and these drugs worked for a time and then after 6 months they didn't work.  I finally had an ablation that thankfully took care of the problem.

As to how to handle these ectopics may I say there is no easy solution.  I also get ectopics from time to time.  They are generally due to stress and lack of sleep.  I recently got rid of something that was causing me stress and it made a difference in the ectopics I experienced.

Before taking drugs I would surely explore all kinds of other means such as stress reduction and or other lifestyle things that might percipitate them.

I have noticed that not only in my life and in the life of others that these things seem to come and go.

[Kapybaren]

I am just courious (pardon my spelling, I am från Sweden and have little experience in writing in english): Do you all have a concept of how many PVC:s you have a day?
I had this annoying thing since 1997, more or less. In periods, even for years sometimes, i have just ignored them. I have been examinated with holter monitor, eco etc several times. All showed just plain pac:s and som pvc:s (and short runs of pac:s).
Now I have about 15000 to 20000 pvc:s a day, In periods. These periods comes more and more frequent since a became pregmant and stopped taking betablockers.
I still try to ignore them, but it is not easy when they come about 15 a minute. My BP goes down and a feel sick from them. Has anyone of you had an ablation for PVC:s, and if so: did it help?

[Momto3]

Hello!

Your english writing is GREAT!!  

I was having 20,000+ per day and had 2 ablations in 2003. Now, I only get occasional pvcs.  Pregnancy seems to bring them on in many people. Many of the doctors suspect that hormones play a role in some women.  

Has your doctor suggested an ablation? My doctor was not encouraging an ablation until my pvcs started causing problems for me (cardiomyopathy).  Prior to my ablations, I took beta blockers on/off for about 12 years.  In 2003, I was put on anti-arrythmics because the doctor wanted to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of pvcs I was having.  In my case, the frequency led to a cardiomyopathy.  Since the procedures, my EF is back to normal and the CM has resolved.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it continues.  

connie

[paulinius]

A related discussion, PVC'S was started.