constant pvcs

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I'm a 28 year old female and have had constant pvcs for the past month. I was put on Beta blockers and then on Flecainide but both had horrible side effects. I am now on no medication but the pvcs are constant. My heart seems to skip every second beat, then every fourth - sometimes it makes it to seven. It is making me extremely lightheaded and tired. Is it common to have pvcs all the time? I have seen a cardiologist and he said it's not dangerous. I'm sure he's right but it is exhausting to live with. i hav egiven up caffeine, alcohol etc. I'm not overweight and have no other health problems.
Thanks

[CCF-M.D.-CA]

I am assuming that they have perfoemd an echocardiogram and verified that appart from the PVCs yor heart is structurally normal. Also that your EKG did not feature any high risk for sudden cardiac death findings. If both of these were performed witht he above results then it is true that PVCs ( single that is not in groups) are by themselves not harmful provided you have a structurally normal heart. In patients with heart disease, increased frequency of PVCs is linked with increased risk for sudden death, however, especially if you have many in a row, which it sounds like you do not.
The PVCs are not in themselves harmful, but if they cause you to have symptoms of exhaustion or lightededness then they can be suppressed by a variety of medications both related and unrelated to flecanide. You can ask for another medication from you cardiologist or electrophysiologist.  If you are unable to tolerate any such medication then you may need what is known as a PVC ablation, where in the electrophysiology laboratory they locate, isolate and ablate the focus for the PVCs.

[Momto3]

Hi and welcome!

I can really relate to the feelings you are describe.  I used to have constant pvcs and know how tiring it can be.  I started out with beta blockers, eventually moved to flecainide, rhythmol and finally had 2 ablations to reduce the number of pvcs.  

In almost all cases, pvcs are benign, but when you have them all the time, the symptoms associated with them can be exhausting.  I did well on the beta blockers (mostly inderal) for a long time.  Long story short - I tried flecainide for 3-4 months and didn't like the side effects (mostly nervous system related).  My doctor had me try rhythmol and it was much better.  It worked great to keep the pvcs at bay and had fewer side effects (for me).  Not sure if that is an option, but maybe you could ask your doctor about it.

Hope it's a great day!
connie

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Thanks for that. I have had all the tests to make sure that there is nothing structurally wrong so really it seems to be a matter of finding medication that works or hoping that it goes away. My cardiologist didn't mention ablation so i assumed I wasn't a candidate for that but i'll talk to him about it at my next appointmnet. I'm glad to hear that someone else had bad side effects from flecainide - i didn't realise that I was having side effects because they only came on after about two weeks but i couldn't do anything when I had them and was afraid that I was going to stay like that forever! Now that I'm off the medication, it's a great relief but I'd really like to get the pvcs sorted out.
Anyway, thanks again for your advice.

[bama jane]

I have  pac's and some pvc's all day evey day for 8 years and it is exhausting. I wonder how many in a day would make ablation  worth the risk and what test would show where they are coming from and if they are ablatable other than an ep study. My doc says won't kill me but it is really life altering at times.  A good day for me is a couple of hundred.  I also get short runs of atrial tach. Some times I can handle them okay but when they are constant it is like a kind of torture.  Have tried most heart meds and none seem to make them less. When I first got this I thought it was only a matter of time before they got better or someone came up with a cure, that was 8 years ago and I haven't heard of anything that helps that I have not tried.  Don't ever get to sleep through the night, usually not more than a couple of hours at a time. Anyone with any ideas on coping with these would be appreciated. Anyone with information on how to get rid of them would be even better!!! (wishful thinking I know.)  I have gotten a lot of good ideas on this site.  It's funny I use to be afraid that these would kill me.  I am past that now.  I worry about them getting so bad that my quality of life suffers more.  I understand about the shortness of breath, or the rush you get with them, even the chest pressure when there are a lot in a row. When people say they are just a nuisance I say "there goes a person that has very few or is one of the lucky ones that does't have symptoms with theirs." My dad was in constant afib and never felt it. He eventually passed of  congestive heart failure from the chronic afib and copd.  I guess I took my heart for granted until this happened. Never knew what a skipped beat was.  Good luck to you all.

[fearfactor]

Hi, if I were you and had so many palps and it really affected my quality of life, I would consider ablation.  I know it's scary and there are risks involved but so many people have had great improvements with ablation.  If I ever get to the point where I have a lot and it's interfering with my life, I will most certainly get an ablation if it's possible for me.  I know what you mean about not fearing them killing you but affecting your quality of life.  I feel the same way.  I really don't fear death from them anymore but just am afraid I will get to the point one day where I can't work, enjoy family or do anything because of palps.  I am one of those that just has a few a day but I totally empathize with what you are going through.  Hope you find a solution!

[bama jane]

Hi fear factor,
Thanks for the advice.  I did have an attempted abaltion but it did not work for me. That was a long time ago.  I also have other rhythm 's that I didn't mention like junctional rhythms, acclerated junctional rhythms, and a few others.  I had sent my records to Dr. Natalie (at cleveland clinic) a few years ago and he looked at them and said there wasn't anything that could help at that time, but that none of them were life threatening, just difficult to live with. Maybe he felt the benefit was not worth the risk. If it does deteriorate to a certain point I will try it again, but my cardio thinks now is not the time.  Maybe if they could fix more it would be woth it.  Her thought is that I could end up with a pace maker and still have the same problems.  It has always puzzled me why it came on suddenly with more than one rhythm problem.  Thanks for your input.  

[diva2007]

Well last yr my heart doctor had me wear a 30 day loop event monitor because i was having chest pain dizzness and shortness of breathe with the fast heart rate. Well the results from that said i has Sinus Tachycardia Supraventricular Tachycardia.  Well this year he had me wear a 24hr Holter Monitor which said i had Multiform Ventricular Ectopic these is not getting better I'm having them everyday all day with chest pain shortness of breathe and very tire. I'm going to call the clinci and let the nurse know but i will like to know what us can i do. I also have Right Side Heart Failure with a ejection fraction of 32% I have Mild PAH I aso have Enlarge Left Atruim Mild MR And Mild TR And Some Left Side Dysfunction. What else could the docotr do about my Heart

[bama jane]

diva,
try posting your message under ask a question. If you can get it posted, the doc will answer.  Good luck.

[416340]

I'm a 24 year old female who has been diagnosed with Right Ventricular Outflow Track Ventricular Tachycardia with about 25,000 PVC's a day. Over the past year, I tried living with this, but my episodes started becoming more frequent and more intolerable (dizzyness, extreme fatigue, palpitations, chest pain).  For the past few weeks, i have been taking a beta blocker (Sotolol) and it's been very effective.  However, i am very concerned about the long term side effects of beta blockers and am debating if i should get ablation done.  Has anyone here choosen ablation surgery even though the medication was working?