frequent heart palpitations

[belinny]

I am 34 years old with a history of having heart palpitations since I was in my early teens.  My mother has them quite bad but has never been tested for it.  My grandmother now has a pacemaker that she totally depends on 100%.  I had my third child on July 13 and during the pregnancy they were the worst that they have ever been.  At Christmas last year I had them repeatly one after another after I had gone to bed.  I lost count in a half an hour that is how many that I was having.  I didn't faint and I wasn't short of breath but I did wonder if I should go to the emergency room.  On a good day I will still have them, sometimes 2-3 in a row.  They have been to the point where it seems to actually stop and I can count up to 2 or three before the next beat.  I am about 50lbs overweight but I am trying.  I have taken off 50lbs in the past two years.  I seem to be healthy as far as everything else goes.  I have had ekg and I did have a heart monitor put on for a day but that was years ago.  I was wondering if I should be tested again?  My doctor did tell me that he would test me again if it really bothers me but he doesn't think that it is anything to worry about.  I just wonder if this is going to steadily increase with my age and if I am going to have to worry about a pacemaker too.  My heart rate for the most part will run high (90-100)but after I had the baby it tends to run in the 60's for the most part.  Sometimes I have a tightness or heavy feeling around my throat and upper chest area but I have never fainted,been short of breath or had pain.  Thank you.

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hi Belinny,

Sorry to hear you are struggling.  You are not alone -- I see people all the time with similar concerns.

I was wondering if I should be tested again?

I usually give the same advice your doctor gave you.  I would consider retesting if you are very concerned.  The reason I would retest is not because I am concerned.  We know that young people with normal hearts do very well with PVCs.  I would retest because sometimes people need the reassurance of normal test results to know they are doing ok.  If you think this will help, it is reasonable to pursue repeat tests.



I just wonder if this is going to steadily increase with my age and if I am going to have to worry about a pacemaker too.

There is no way to know the answer to whether your PVCs will increase over time.  I should also emphasize that I have never seen a study that PVCs are related to the need for pacemakers or conduction system disease.


I hope this answers your questions.  Good luck and thanks for posting.

[ihatepvc's]

Are you sure you are getting them in a row? Could it be every other beat and just feel like every beat? If you are indeed having several in a row, then it's considered tachycardia which is not a danger either with a normal heart according to my cardiologist.

[francie12]

Thanks for your answer.  I can't really tell if it is every beat or every other beat--it feels fast--but either way I guess it's nothing to worry about.  Thanks again.

[anacyde]

Hi!  Congrats on your new child!  I had another baby last December :)

Anyhow, I'm not a doctor, I'm just going to tell you my personal experience on this.  After both of my children were born, I had a low heart rate for a while.  It eventually came back up.  Right after delivery though, it was about 45 sitting up.

After both children were born, I had palpitations.  Much worse the second time, some coming a few in a row.  I got it checked out and it's still nothing.  They are improving with exercise and time, and relaxation techniques like yoga and tai chi.

They seem to run in families.  Almost every woman on my mother's side of the family has them (no one has pacemakers).  It is possible that your grandmother's pacemaker is for a rhythm entirely unrelated to the rhythm you're having.  If you're checking out fine, try not to worry unless you develop some strange new symptoms or something changes.

As for the chest tightness, I got that after each child was born, for me it was just muscles adapting to toting an armful of baby around, heh.  With normal testing, it is almost assuredly just the work hazards of motherhood ;)

Hope you feel better soon!

[anacyde]

P.S. - if it makes you feel any better...as far as frequency goes, I was having as many was 40 in 30 minute timeframes.  And still, they were nothing my cardiologist or his associate were  concerned with.

[ihatepvc's]

If you read up on several of these posts regarding pvc's, you will realize that you are not having as many as you think. Some of these people get thousands upon thousands per day, sometimes every other beat. I've had them for over twenty years and am finally learning to ignore them and accept that they are benign. Did you discuss taking medication for them with your doctor? That sometimes really helps. I take 20 mg's of Propranolol which usually stops them for about seven hours.

[fearfactor]

I just had a baby on Aug. 31 by caesarean and noticed my HR is a lot lower than it was in pregnancy.  In the hospital it was running around 60 or so (maybe under the influence of meds that REALLY relaxed me!); it is now around 70-75 while it was running around 85 in the late stages of pregnancy.  Amazingly, I had few palps during my pregnancy but they are starting with a vengeance again.  I am trying to stay positive and hope that they will go away.  It's weird what hormones can do - I am sure they are responsible for what I'm going thru right now.

[francie12]

Quickie question...when you have many pvc's in a row, 12+, is it still pvc's or do they call it something different?  Though my pvc's are seemingly less frequent now, I seem to be getting them in long runs and wonder if this is still A-OK.

[gismatrix]

I hate PVCs just as much as the rest of you do.  Lately, when I get really anxious, I go into bigeminy and it takes a while for it to calm down and return to normal sinus rhythm.  I had two avnrt ablations this year (the latest on July 25th with "knock on wood" no SVT yet.  However, I get more pvcs than ever before and the bigeminy.  Is is possible that this bigeminy will go away with time assuming I can get the anxiety under control?  I also have peptic ulcers and GERD which exacerbates my pvcs.  Does anyone know if it is safe for me to exercise with this bigeminy happening and if it will potentially help lessen or eliminate the episodes?  Any insight is appreciated.

-Bill

[BRAZZY3]

I need some answers Mr. Dr recently stopped my Coreg for 2nd time because I was having side effects crying & low libido.  1st time off I felt fine he did this one week off to see if symptoms improve then he did one week on to see if they came back.  This was after MUGA scan showed no weakness in heart & EF was up to 63%.  My dose was 6.25 2x daily.  After second removal two days later I was sleeping and felt heart racing I jumped up and yelled my husband's name.  He was startled...I took my pressure in both arms readings were 167/94 hr 99 & 157/80 hr 102 normally my pressure is much lower took reading few minutes later was normal but for the rest of the nite I could not sleep, I just felt weird in my chest.  Can PVC's cause such frightening feelings?  Was diagnosed w/DCM 2/24/06...

[Fran71]

I wonder why so many people on this forum with PVCs also have SVT. Are the two related? PVCs are in the ventricles; what's the connection between them and supraventricular tachycardia? Just wondering.

[dmil241]

There is no connection because supraventricular means "above the ventricals". SVT would be associated more with PACs. I think most people on this forum suffer from both and simply call them all PVCs. I know that some people say they can feel the differnce but personally I doubt it. I know people who have been hooked up to monitor swearing they are having numerous PVCs and they are actually having PACs. I believe and I may be wrong that you can only tell the difference by watching a monitor. I know that most people won't like this idea. It does not have anything to do with how hard the thud is because that is related to how full either the atrium or the ventrical has gotten prior to pumping the blood out.

[dmil241]

WOW...you really took a giant leap there! Yes-experiencing PVCs involves the hearts' conductionsystem BUT to say that it is diseased is NOT accurate. I don't think that ANY cardiologist or general family doctor would agree with what you wrote.

Conduction system disease is very serious. It involves bradyarrhythmias and AV block and things like that. PVCs are simply NOT in the same category no matter how upsetting they can be to experiecne!

[RHYTHMRN]

Hi,
I am kind of in the same boat.  I also had 2 ablations this year for AVNRT.  The last was 6/22/06.  I have not been the same since the ablation (Inappropriate Sinus Tach at first and now tons and tons of skipped beats - 24 hrs a day ).  I also have no tolerance for activity and become short of breath with minimal exertion. The skipped beats are causing me a lot of anxiety now and I am afraid to exercise.  I see my EP next week and am going to talk to him about this.  I would have skipped beats (they are calling mine PJCs and PACs) occasionally before I had the ablations - 5-6 per day on a bad day.  Now having up to several a minute.  This is very uncomfortable and I don't think I can take this indefinitely.  Does your EP feel that you increase in PVCs is from the ablation??  Please respond..........

Rhythmrn

[tickertock]

PVCs are triggers for about 30% of all SVTs. It depends on the timing of the PVCs, on rare occasions PVCs can even trigger atrial fibrillation. Check out http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/1998/01_98/karas.htm

[tickertock]

PVCs and PACs are automatic, random escape ectopic foci in the atria and ventricles, they are millions of cells within the heart muscle, from time to time some of them become irritable and misfire and cause PACs(atrial) and PVCs (ventricular), while they might interrupt the conduction system and reset the sinus node, they in themselves are not a disease of the conduction system of the heart. My understanding only , I'm not a medical doctor.

[PikaPika88]

I think they are all sort of methods that our heart wants to communicate to us.  Just the dr unable to produce enough of the records said it'll take lives away so they leave it aside and documented "no harm"!  Actually, it is the symptom of something..... May be they don't want to disclose the documentry to increase the patients in ER.  May be the research failed to prove it.  

All the abnormal beats will lead to "wait and see" game.  Wait until it turn out somethings....  See what will turn up next?  Fortunate one will survise and with a handful of "Thanks"!  They probably forgot what they complaint in the past. What they begged to look in before this incident happen!  Un survise one that unable to speak up.  

I just want to know why can't we prevent it before it turns up something wrong or worse?  

Pika

[PikaPika88]

I understand what is tickertock said.  Most of my palpitations are start from PAC & PVC and it turns into tachy.  That's why my cardio said I didn't have PAC or PVC.  All I've is tachy or fib.  If in the first place, they treated or control my PAC & PVC then the tachy and fib will not or would not happen today!

One of the survivor can speak up!  

Pika

[KCDM]

i so know how you feel, these palps are slowing killing my quality of life day by day. i woke up the other morning with the most crazy irregular beats and pvcs, pacs and whatever else i may have had, all i know is i felt my chest and my heart was going all over the place, no sense to it.

i have been evaluated recently and given a great bill of health, echo, stress test, ekg, holter etc. yet here i am crying tonight, becuase i feel i will die...i am so broken now by this...what do i do now? i am a small piece of what i used to be and who i used to be. i'm only 23...

iam having a crazy fast pressure in my chest with the feeling that i can't catch my breath for a few moments. activity seems to make it all worse...at times i walk up stairs and i am gasping for air, other times not, more so lately i am. i am in good shape weight wise and don't smoke...anyone feel like this ever? i feel like this is it, i'm dead, no one helping me now...sorry if i damper the mood, i feel this is the only place i can go for help.

:(

[gismatrix]

I have been told that the scars caused by ablating (RF energy application) can possibly create additional foci from which PVC can originate.  My problem seems to be consistent with anxiety and/or eating.  My lastest episode of bigeminy was after climbing several steps and fearing it might happen...sure enough it did.  

I plan to exercise more and see how it goes.  I definately have a faster heartbeat after eating and have more pvcs.  It could be blood sugar or something... really don't know.  

I must agree that I do not feel the same since this whole thing started back on Feb 2006.  Maybe I "listen in" too much.  

My EP told me that my pvcs and bigeminy are benign... but I sure feel anxious at times when I don't think I am worrying about my heart or health.  I guess I have to just press on (put my faith in God) and try to get through this.

[woodruff]

"i am so broken now by this...what do i do now?"

Since you have been given a clean bill of health--and at your age, you probably really are physically healthy--the thing to do now is deal with your emotional reaction to your disturbing but not dangerous symptoms.

People don't want to hear this, but I beg you to listen:  The person to see about how you feel now is a psychiatrist.  Shrinks have MD degrees; they actually have had medical training and, having your records in hand, can relate what you're feeling emotionally to how your body is doing.

Speaking as someone who has been there (as have many of us on this board), I can tell you that a little shrinkage, and possibly the right drugs for anxiety, can give you back your life.

[anacyde]

Congratulations on your new baby!!!  Hope you're getting some sleep, those first few weeks are rough! ;)

[KCDM]

i am actually in the process of finding one, i know my mind is in a mess over this and maybe maximizing my feelings/symptoms regardings this. you have been there? plz, any experience of your own like mine would be very helpful.

i find it so hard to trust my own instincts anymore. once, i would know when something is wrong, now it's as if it's a game of me tring to desperatly figure out whats REAL and whats not. though my symptoms are certianly real...they may be a manifest of anxiety (which i hope for since that means that nothing is indeed wrong with my heart).

has anyone else had my symptoms though? not just the anxiety?

[kitcurious]

I think what some people have been saying is that they do have the same symptoms as you and also have experienced anxiety.

If your testing shows you are healthy, these probably are the same benign ectopic beats very many people have. An anxious nature may be part (not all) of the difference between those who frequently notice their heartbeats and those who don't. My son had many ectopic beats noted at his last exam and he has never felt a single one.  

If you go to the search section here and type in PVC you will find more posts about PAC/PVC's than just about any other topic and these may reassure you. In the absence of structural heart disease they are not dangerous. If you have so many hundreds (or more) a day that you are overwhelmingly distracted from daily living you could seek further medical assistance in dealing with them. There are medications that do not stop them, as I understand, but decrease your ability to perceive them when they occur.

More reassurance? My grandfather had what they then termed "spells", even had syncope, for 30 years and said he was going to die everyday. He finally did die, when he was around 84, and it wasn't his heart.

I hope you can work through this and enjoy your life again.

[fearfactor]

Thanks!  The lack of sleep plays heck on my palps, but thankfully they're not too bad!  Our little girl is precious!
Stacy