Aa
pvc's
I know I have posted once before but i need to ask your opinion. I had a normal echo, x-ray, blood tests, ecg, ekg. I still feel the skips and alot of times is going up stairs or lifting heavy weight during excersize. With all of these tests ok would you be more likely to think It is ok to excersize or should i seek further evaluation. I dont get dizzy or feel faint and have no pain. I am 28, 6ft, 180 lbs and work construction. Thanx. Oh im on 50 mg atenolol
Hello again! I have a quick question. If you do have pvc's or pac's, are they always able to tell when doing an ekg? I've had the ekg done 3 times and every time it was normal with no skipped beats. Mind you, by the time I get this done I am calm and not feeling the sensations. Plus they only do it for like a second, how does that tell anything? I am just wondering if they can tell this even while your not having one. Thanx for the feed back. It helps alot!
melissad,
Wow, does your story sound like mine. I was also a bit of a worrier, but not about my health. I also had a GA and woke during the procedure. When I woke up after the procedure I had this unexplainable feeling that I was going to have health problems for a long time to come. To cut a long story short, here I am 20 years later (now 37) and I have suffered through all sorts of arrhythmias. I have had all the tests done and have been told I am OK. It would be good if there was a chat room on this site where people could share more of what they are going through when they find someone in the same boat. To answer your question about how ectopics feel, everyone is different, but for me, and may others on this site, I have all sorts of feelings, some are painful, some are not, some kick hard, some flutter, some burn, some leave a sensation for minutes, etc. That said, if you looked at them on an EKG, they would all be either PACs or PVCs. It is all about timing and where in the cycle the ectopic occurs that affects how it feels.
Megz21,
PACs originate in the atria and PCVs in the ventricles. With PVCs you will generally have a pause after the ectopic beat followed by a compensatory (heavier) beat. With PACs the same applies, although often you won't have a pause or compensatory beat after the ectopic beat.
Jeff
Wow, does your story sound like mine. I was also a bit of a worrier, but not about my health. I also had a GA and woke during the procedure. When I woke up after the procedure I had this unexplainable feeling that I was going to have health problems for a long time to come. To cut a long story short, here I am 20 years later (now 37) and I have suffered through all sorts of arrhythmias. I have had all the tests done and have been told I am OK. It would be good if there was a chat room on this site where people could share more of what they are going through when they find someone in the same boat. To answer your question about how ectopics feel, everyone is different, but for me, and may others on this site, I have all sorts of feelings, some are painful, some are not, some kick hard, some flutter, some burn, some leave a sensation for minutes, etc. That said, if you looked at them on an EKG, they would all be either PACs or PVCs. It is all about timing and where in the cycle the ectopic occurs that affects how it feels.
Megz21,
PACs originate in the atria and PCVs in the ventricles. With PVCs you will generally have a pause after the ectopic beat followed by a compensatory (heavier) beat. With PACs the same applies, although often you won't have a pause or compensatory beat after the ectopic beat.
Jeff
I know how everyone feels. I feel like my anxiety started, then the skipped beats, now i'm also having ****** side effects because of my medication, and i feel pretty down most of the time beacuse of it. I'm only 21! I should be out partying but my worry just gets the better of me.
I'm still confused about the difference between PVCS and PACs. As far as I'm aware, PVCs are like thump thump THUMP and it feel like your heart just skipped a beat, but what's the deal with PACs? I've been feeling a fluttery type heart beat and was wondeirng if this is a PAC? Also I dont get how everyone gets these weird beats and just dont notice them. IF you got it, you'd notice it for goodness sake!
Well i hope everyone feels better soon....just remember you're not alone, and there is light at the end of the tunnell.
Megan
I'm still confused about the difference between PVCS and PACs. As far as I'm aware, PVCs are like thump thump THUMP and it feel like your heart just skipped a beat, but what's the deal with PACs? I've been feeling a fluttery type heart beat and was wondeirng if this is a PAC? Also I dont get how everyone gets these weird beats and just dont notice them. IF you got it, you'd notice it for goodness sake!
Well i hope everyone feels better soon....just remember you're not alone, and there is light at the end of the tunnell.
Megan
Hi,I used to get panick attacks in my mid teens right after expierencing alot of difficult losses in my life.Lost four loved ones in less than a year.I would get sick to my stomach and shake ,sweat and feel like something bad was going to happen.After I married pretty young they got worse and would feel like I was going to have a heart attack.Then I got counceling and that seemed to help and they went away,after spending alot of big bucks later.People dont understand panick attacks they think you should just stop it,like you asked for it! But I think there is a part in the brain that can cause these conditions to arise.But I do believe you can over come them.When you recognize the symptoms to keep it from going into a full blown attack.I never used to notice any pvcs my panick attacks just happened,probably from something in the back of my mind that I was worrying about.Now in the past nine years Ive developed pvcs and other arrythmias I dont know what to call it .And I see that alot of people here have panick attacks.It makes me wonder how many people used to get panick attacks before developing their arrythmia.Wondering if being in a nervous state can cause a person to develope these arrythmias.Like the heart could only take so many panick attacks and now it shoots out the extra beats or skips beats.Just a thought Ive had there may be no truth to it.~hope you can over come the panick attacks they are no fun!!momof6
Thanks,
I think Ill just stick with having a balanced diet.I feel that I pop enough pills a day as it is.I geuss we all wish there was some kind of supplement out there that could at least keep us safe from what we are all worried about,a dangerous arrythmia!Eat right,exercise,thank God for all your blessings, love your families and dont worry!!:)Thanks for all the info.~momof6
I think Ill just stick with having a balanced diet.I feel that I pop enough pills a day as it is.I geuss we all wish there was some kind of supplement out there that could at least keep us safe from what we are all worried about,a dangerous arrythmia!Eat right,exercise,thank God for all your blessings, love your families and dont worry!!:)Thanks for all the info.~momof6
Hey! I was just browsing the internet (like I do so often when I get freaked out) I can relate to alot of the post on this site. Well, I guess I'll tell a bit about myself. I am 29 years old, married to a wonderful man, and have 4 beautiful children. I started having occasional panic attacks right after my youngest child was born, I've always been a worrier, but never about my health. Anyway, I had my tubes tied like 2 months after my sons birth. I had complications with the anesthesa and it took along time for me to wake up (7 hours), When I did wake up I had a tube dowm my throat and couldn't move- anything. When all of the medicine wore off I was fine, except I had a low pulse rate (due to the meds I guess) of 35 bpm and I had to stay in ICU over night for observations. But it seems like this is when all of my anxiety and panic began. I started having panic attacks alot (lots of ER visits and 911 calls) Awful anxiety constantly. I was always afraid, always worried. I don't have any insurance, and each time I went to the ER they would say it's panic and the best thing for me to do would be see a psycologist. I went back to ny OBGYN and told him of my attacks, he told me with 4 kids I was just sressed and perscribed me xanax. This worked wonders on keeping me out of the ER, but I still got them and I started feeling like I was going crazy, I called the local mental health, I began counsuling and zoloft. The zoloft helped a great deal with the panic, but I became numb. Then about 6 months into the zoloft, I had my first skipped beat, scared the **** out of me. I went back to mental health and they kept telling me, it's normal' it's nothing. This did not help me. I stop taking the zoloft. Felt okay for a minute. Then the skipped beats came back, just one every now again, but this started my panic back up agian. I went to the doctor thry took blood, did an EKG, said everything looked great and of course wanted me to take anti- deprssents. I am way too paranoid to take those now. So of course the same old things kept happening. The skipped beats started coming more often. More trips to the ER, more referrals to see a head doctor. Then I started noticing that my skipped beats were usually really bad right before I started my period. So, I thought it was hormonal. But, nooo, My hormone levels are fine. Well, about a month ago I had a skipped beat that was un like the others. It lasted for ever, I got dizzy. I was soo scared and of course I paniced. I went to the ER, they did a complete cardiac work up,EKG, blood work, chest x rays, etc.. and said it was more than likely stress, but did refer me to the cardiologist (which I can't afford to go to.) Well, wierd as it is, I started my period that next morning - early. They are still happening like this, I have the regular little ones that catch my attention and give me a scared feeling in my stomach. Then I have these big scary ones. I am constantly checking my heart rate, constantly on edge. I can't do anything any more without panicing. It has so taken a toll on my life. I never happy, I have no sex drive, and haven't in a really long time. My husband has been supportive, but he is about fed up. He tells me it's in my mind, to change the way I think, if only it were that easy. I am wondering if there is a difference in how normal PVC's feel and not normal ones. Should I save up to have the stress test and holter moniter, do these show more into it? I am so sick of not being me, of always worrying, always afraid. If anyone has any advice/comments, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanx so much!
hi,I read that fish oil,is suppose to stop life threatening arrythmias.? Now it increases pvcs? I havent started taking the supplement but have increased eating salmom or tuna a couple of times a week.Its hard not knowing really what to do.Thanks momof
How do you folks deal with panic attacks. Man they are scary. I just had one...lasted about 5 minutes and I am still a little freaked by it. They are happenig about once per week. I have heard that Lexapro is a good drug. Any thoughts?
I have had heart skips (tachycardia, palpitations, pvcs) you name it for many years. It all started in my 30's and I am now 72 and would you believe, I'm still alive!!!?? I went through hell with panic and anxiety attacks way back then too. I could not sit still in church, and always had to sit in the back row of any church, theater, etc. so I could escape when I needed to. It was awful until finally I was able to gradually convince myself that it was mind over matter. The more you concentrate on the "feeling", the worse it gets. You are not crazy and you are not alone. I am completely over these feelings, but there are times when the memory of how I felt will hit me. For instance, when stopped at a red light while in my car, I could bring on the nervous, panicky feeling if I dwell on it, but I have learned to tell myself to stop thinking like that -- it's mind over matter!!! The important lesson to be learned, if you have been tested and found to be okay, BELIEVE THE DOCTOR AND GET ON WITH LIFE -- DO YOUR DYING 70 YEARS OR SO FROM NOW -- DON'T WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE WORRYING!!
Fish oil supplements are now discouraged from my understanding in those with coronary heart disease, I think a recent study shows that ventricular arrhythmias developed by around 10% in those taking fish oil supplements with heart disease, apparently it has sodium channel blocking properteries similiar to flecainide is not recommeded for persons with heart disease, a diet of fish is okay from what i understand, but the extra supplements should be avoided. I could be completely wrong about this so confirm any doubts with your doctor or cardio.
One of the Cardiologists on this forum was the one who talked about the study that showed that fish oil caused Ventricular Arrhythmias.
When i read your comments it was like i was looking in the mirror, i am 40 years old , had panic attacks off and on for the last 24 years, pvcs and tachycardia for as long as i can remember, yet for some reason i never let them interfere with my life been married to great woman for 20 years this year, we have two sons the youngest just turned 16.
Remember panic attacks are disabling while they occuring but pose no threat to life , with a normal cardiac workup , palpitations though distressing are very rarely a threat to life, i 've been in ventricular bigeminy while making love and managed to ignore it , after all i've been through i figure if it was dangerous I would have been long gone.
There is probably some little electrical glitch for all our symptoms, but remember the vast majority of people have them though very few are aware of it, the key is learning to cope and talk oneself's through a a panic attack, otherwise you will develop panic disorder.
While paxil and zoloft have made some persons life completely different and is even very effective in helping panic attacks/disorder , they are best avoided if necessary , biofeedback,breathing exercises, and talking with others who have the same experience is probably the best therapy.
Beta blockers work for some and does nothing for others, though they are the one line of drugs that have proven to reduce the mortality rate in persons with heart disease and most ventricular arrhythmias. Good luck.
You need to put your mind somewhere else or you will drive yourself insane. I was once where you are. Paxil, Xanax and Toprol XL have helped me a lot. Also, magnesium oxide helped.
There is a study that shows Fish Oil can cause Ventricular Arrhythmias. It could be making your PVC's worse. I would consider stopping it. Good luck!
There is a study that shows Fish Oil can cause Ventricular Arrhythmias. It could be making your PVC's worse. I would consider stopping it. Good luck!
I'm with Eric on the fish oil. I took fish oil for about 30 days and it seemed to moderately help my PVCs until they went absolutely crazy. Can't say for sure that it was fish oil but a felt much better a couple weeks after stopping the supplement.
Marilyn / Everyone,
Just out of interest, how do you know whether you are getting VT or SVT? I have been getting runs of something for many years, but it has never been captured (we have tried). I know I get lots of PACs and PVCs, but I do not know what this is. I can be sitting there, then suddenly I might get say 3 or 4 ectopics (bigemmy), with each ectopic being followed by a pause and compensatory beat, and then my heart will suddenly rattle off a burst of tachycardia (sometimes so fast it is hard to count) and during this my heart just feels like it is kicking eratically in my chest. It lasts for a few seconds and then returns to normal. No other symptoms. Anyone else that has felt this and had it captured?
Jeff
Hi jeff, You ask: Is there a reason for your VT?
Well, I think it might be from my heart attack. I have some scar tissue from that and I think the scar tissue effected my electrical circuitry. As I started getting the pvc's right after my heart attack and only when I was exercising.. (at first). Then they just got worse and worse. But they could be from the fact that I had rheumatic fever as a baby - the surgeon who replaced my mitral valve - said my old valve was scarred from rheumatic fever. NOW I have a brand new St. Jude Mitral Valve.. It clicks kind of loud some nights. I have to say in all honesty - my breathing has improved tremendously since my surgery. Of course right after my open heart surgery I went into 'intermittent' full heart block and had to be paced 100%. So, now since my heart is 100% programmed - I don't get vts or pvcs' or pac's anymore. Hell of a way to get rid of them. But I must say I'm very lucky to have survived a heart attack at age 37. Actually, I must tell you I had my heart attack just after having SEX !!! Yes, I got lucky that night !!! hehehe - I blame everything on my husband. I still love him.. :-) and I tell him everyday - how lucky he is to have me.. We've been married for 32 years !!! Damn lucky I'd say..
I agree with jfk - Dr. Weeks has some excellent books for anxiety and phobias. I had both of those. It was awful - but if you really want to get rid of them I found those books to be very helpful. I have a phobia of 'hospitals' YES, can you believe it HOSPITALS - I saw "snakes" everywhere !!! Talk about phobias.. I hate snakes - They were all over the beds and floors and wrapped around my neck !!! It was awful and the only way to get over this phobia was to go to the hospital and face it - I did that everyday. First I stayed 2 minutes and the next day 2:30 minutes and it took me 6 mos to get over the phobia (fear). It comes back every now and then.. But not as bad. I was horrible when I went in the hospital - I could never figure out 'why' and so I saw a MD (shrink) and so I told him - I feel so uncomfortable when I have to go in the hospital and I told him I literally feel like I'm in a 'pit' full of snakes. So he told me what to do - face the fear - let it pass within you and 'give' into your fear - 'let go'.. That's when I saw all the snakes. He said I had to keep going back to the hospital - I thought he was NUTS.. I'm not doing that - I hate hospitals.. But in reality that's the only way I got rid of the snakes.. I also NOW go to a better hospital where they give better care and I also have new doctors that listen better and they use the butterfly needle instead of the 'foot' long one. Plus when they draw blood - I get the butterfly needle - and if they can't get my vein after 3 try's for an IV they 'stop' trying.
Jodie - I'm glad you don't have problems with your meds. The meds didn't take my sex drive away 100% in the beginning - but I think it did effect it some over time - I started menopause at age 40 - I refuse to take the hormones. My sister died of breast cancer. I've heard alot of people say - Blood pressure pills killed their sex drive. I thought no way that could happen to me - I got plenty of hormones !!! Plus, I took a diuretic for years and it didn't bother mine - but beta blockers are awful.. I'd rather have the pvc's.
Jodie: You said: Im 40 years old and can honestly say that since I started that medicine my sex drive is nill. My poor husband. But I just don't care, I don't want it. How bad is that!!! Well, your not alone - I think that's why they made PROZAC !!! They give you one pill it causes another problem and then you get another pill. I went 10 years after my heart attack rejecting every pill. I just plain refused to take the drugs.. But with the VT's and gasping for air - and getting 'shocked' from my ICD - I gave in.. I take the meds and keep my mouth shut - which I have to say - I don't keep my mouth shut to often as most people will attest to on this board.. But I have found that 'meds' are wonderful and they can save your life.. Literally saved my life.. But they have their drawbacks.
Hi tickertock, C9 beta blockers and libido
While beta blockers are infamous or famous for a decrease in libido in both sexes, most are never bothered in this way by beta blockers, those persons are very fortunate , for example I am on 100mg of atenolol daily and it does not interfere with my sex drive at all, it also keeps the PVCs and tachycardia at bay, though i admit i have slight fatigue and memory loss, but no other DREADED side effects.
I have the memory loss as well - I thought it was from getting 'older' - or maybe from the open heart surgery. But, I honestly kind of like having it. I can say: Well, I'm getting OLD - and its a good excuse for forgetting things.. I use it to my advantage. Just like the selective 'hearing'...
You said: From the literature I read actually only about 3% of persons taking atenolol is bothered by a decrease in sex drive.
I bet the other 97% stopped taking it..
I never read the side effects on the drugs I take - hell if I did I would not take them... Like coumadin - I've taken that drug for a year and I still haven't read the side effects - but I know what I've been feeling since I started the drug - so I can only say for ME - this is what I get - personally I don't care what they (drug companies) say are the side effects - if I didn't have it before I took the drug and I do now after a year -then I'd say its a side effect and not some fluke thing.. I don't even discuss it with my doctor - what can he do - I can't stop taking the meds.. SO it doesn't do any good to complain.. and switching drugs - well can be hell for me.. It took me a long time to get find a beta blocker that didn't hurt me.
You see I didn't start on atenolol as my first beta blocker - NO, my first drug was solatol - and I got epileptic seizures from that drug. I actually went into a trance and I could not physically MOVE.. They even documented it with medical 'tests'.. They diagnosed me with epilepsy. Of course I had only been on the drug for a month.. Although my doctor (at the time) insisted it was NOT the solatol - as he said - you have epilepsy and you just don't want to accept it.. I fought long and hard on this and I was finally able to see another neurologist and he let me get off the drug but I had to stay in the hospital 48 hours with electrodes all over my head - bad hair day to say the least. But anyways I had no seizures... Actually the neurologist said - you do not have epilepsy. Yet you demonstrated on this drug that you did. He said - call the kettle black - its the drug that caused it.. Then he said not only do you not have epilepsy (which they gave me drugs for) he said: Marilyn - You have the brain waves of a teenager !!! Isn't that AWESOME - I don't tell to many people cause then I can't blame things on my senility.. :-) Now there's a bright neurologist.. he certainly had some 'common' sense in him.. I'll never forget the first morning I woke up with having slept with all those electrodes - they happen to be doing rounds at the hospital and I woke up with about 10 young interns all around me.. I almost died - my hair must have looked awful. They said: we'll let you go back to sleep and they LEFT... I hope I wasn't snoring when they came in.. :-(
So, in all probability my pvc's were caused from my heart attack and yet - I know when I went through menopause the pvc's got worse. Also during that time of the month - they got worse - during the winter mos - they got worse. When I exercised they got worse. It took 10 years for them to come to a head. All the while - getting worse - my (previous) cardiologist laughed at me when I asked for a holter monitor - he swore I was having nothing but pvc's - I sat in his office and said: I'm having ventricular tachycardas - I want a holter monitor and I want an appt. with my electrician. I had a 100% ablation for avnrt and my electrician was a genius. He's now my cardiologist.. :-) Anyways, my previous cardiologist practically threw me out the door - but being the obstinate woman that I am - I insisted I get a monitor and so he checked his cmedical upboard and they happened to have one heart monitor left. So he let me take it... Within a week I produced ventricular tachycardias and he called me like 3 days after I had phoned them in and said he was 'busy' and I would need an appt. with my electrician right away.. well the rest is history. But, I say especially if you 'work out' - you get to know your body and I know what to listen to and what to ignore. This has taken me years to learn. PVC's are fine - VT's for some people are NOT.. As you go along in life - you will learn to become more comfortable with how your body works. Yet, when there is danger you will also know that. There is a young woman I met - who actually was at Harvard University studying to become a doctor and she was a runner - well she passed out one day while running and her dad was a cardiologist out in Washington state - so he insisted she get it checked out - well it ended up she had long QT and she ended up needing an ICD and she was healthy and had not had any heart problems. She is now a pediatric doctor and studying to be a pediatric electrician. She's a great doctor and she listens to her patients. She's also 'running' races and we touch base once in awhile. So, I guess the morale of the story is - you just never know - it can happen to me - it can happen to anyone.. Take Care of your heart. You only have ONE..
Best Wishes
Marilyn (runner)
Well, I think it might be from my heart attack. I have some scar tissue from that and I think the scar tissue effected my electrical circuitry. As I started getting the pvc's right after my heart attack and only when I was exercising.. (at first). Then they just got worse and worse. But they could be from the fact that I had rheumatic fever as a baby - the surgeon who replaced my mitral valve - said my old valve was scarred from rheumatic fever. NOW I have a brand new St. Jude Mitral Valve.. It clicks kind of loud some nights. I have to say in all honesty - my breathing has improved tremendously since my surgery. Of course right after my open heart surgery I went into 'intermittent' full heart block and had to be paced 100%. So, now since my heart is 100% programmed - I don't get vts or pvcs' or pac's anymore. Hell of a way to get rid of them. But I must say I'm very lucky to have survived a heart attack at age 37. Actually, I must tell you I had my heart attack just after having SEX !!! Yes, I got lucky that night !!! hehehe - I blame everything on my husband. I still love him.. :-) and I tell him everyday - how lucky he is to have me.. We've been married for 32 years !!! Damn lucky I'd say..
I agree with jfk - Dr. Weeks has some excellent books for anxiety and phobias. I had both of those. It was awful - but if you really want to get rid of them I found those books to be very helpful. I have a phobia of 'hospitals' YES, can you believe it HOSPITALS - I saw "snakes" everywhere !!! Talk about phobias.. I hate snakes - They were all over the beds and floors and wrapped around my neck !!! It was awful and the only way to get over this phobia was to go to the hospital and face it - I did that everyday. First I stayed 2 minutes and the next day 2:30 minutes and it took me 6 mos to get over the phobia (fear). It comes back every now and then.. But not as bad. I was horrible when I went in the hospital - I could never figure out 'why' and so I saw a MD (shrink) and so I told him - I feel so uncomfortable when I have to go in the hospital and I told him I literally feel like I'm in a 'pit' full of snakes. So he told me what to do - face the fear - let it pass within you and 'give' into your fear - 'let go'.. That's when I saw all the snakes. He said I had to keep going back to the hospital - I thought he was NUTS.. I'm not doing that - I hate hospitals.. But in reality that's the only way I got rid of the snakes.. I also NOW go to a better hospital where they give better care and I also have new doctors that listen better and they use the butterfly needle instead of the 'foot' long one. Plus when they draw blood - I get the butterfly needle - and if they can't get my vein after 3 try's for an IV they 'stop' trying.
Jodie - I'm glad you don't have problems with your meds. The meds didn't take my sex drive away 100% in the beginning - but I think it did effect it some over time - I started menopause at age 40 - I refuse to take the hormones. My sister died of breast cancer. I've heard alot of people say - Blood pressure pills killed their sex drive. I thought no way that could happen to me - I got plenty of hormones !!! Plus, I took a diuretic for years and it didn't bother mine - but beta blockers are awful.. I'd rather have the pvc's.
Jodie: You said: Im 40 years old and can honestly say that since I started that medicine my sex drive is nill. My poor husband. But I just don't care, I don't want it. How bad is that!!! Well, your not alone - I think that's why they made PROZAC !!! They give you one pill it causes another problem and then you get another pill. I went 10 years after my heart attack rejecting every pill. I just plain refused to take the drugs.. But with the VT's and gasping for air - and getting 'shocked' from my ICD - I gave in.. I take the meds and keep my mouth shut - which I have to say - I don't keep my mouth shut to often as most people will attest to on this board.. But I have found that 'meds' are wonderful and they can save your life.. Literally saved my life.. But they have their drawbacks.
Hi tickertock, C9 beta blockers and libido
While beta blockers are infamous or famous for a decrease in libido in both sexes, most are never bothered in this way by beta blockers, those persons are very fortunate , for example I am on 100mg of atenolol daily and it does not interfere with my sex drive at all, it also keeps the PVCs and tachycardia at bay, though i admit i have slight fatigue and memory loss, but no other DREADED side effects.
I have the memory loss as well - I thought it was from getting 'older' - or maybe from the open heart surgery. But, I honestly kind of like having it. I can say: Well, I'm getting OLD - and its a good excuse for forgetting things.. I use it to my advantage. Just like the selective 'hearing'...
You said: From the literature I read actually only about 3% of persons taking atenolol is bothered by a decrease in sex drive.
I bet the other 97% stopped taking it..
I never read the side effects on the drugs I take - hell if I did I would not take them... Like coumadin - I've taken that drug for a year and I still haven't read the side effects - but I know what I've been feeling since I started the drug - so I can only say for ME - this is what I get - personally I don't care what they (drug companies) say are the side effects - if I didn't have it before I took the drug and I do now after a year -then I'd say its a side effect and not some fluke thing.. I don't even discuss it with my doctor - what can he do - I can't stop taking the meds.. SO it doesn't do any good to complain.. and switching drugs - well can be hell for me.. It took me a long time to get find a beta blocker that didn't hurt me.
You see I didn't start on atenolol as my first beta blocker - NO, my first drug was solatol - and I got epileptic seizures from that drug. I actually went into a trance and I could not physically MOVE.. They even documented it with medical 'tests'.. They diagnosed me with epilepsy. Of course I had only been on the drug for a month.. Although my doctor (at the time) insisted it was NOT the solatol - as he said - you have epilepsy and you just don't want to accept it.. I fought long and hard on this and I was finally able to see another neurologist and he let me get off the drug but I had to stay in the hospital 48 hours with electrodes all over my head - bad hair day to say the least. But anyways I had no seizures... Actually the neurologist said - you do not have epilepsy. Yet you demonstrated on this drug that you did. He said - call the kettle black - its the drug that caused it.. Then he said not only do you not have epilepsy (which they gave me drugs for) he said: Marilyn - You have the brain waves of a teenager !!! Isn't that AWESOME - I don't tell to many people cause then I can't blame things on my senility.. :-) Now there's a bright neurologist.. he certainly had some 'common' sense in him.. I'll never forget the first morning I woke up with having slept with all those electrodes - they happen to be doing rounds at the hospital and I woke up with about 10 young interns all around me.. I almost died - my hair must have looked awful. They said: we'll let you go back to sleep and they LEFT... I hope I wasn't snoring when they came in.. :-(
So, in all probability my pvc's were caused from my heart attack and yet - I know when I went through menopause the pvc's got worse. Also during that time of the month - they got worse - during the winter mos - they got worse. When I exercised they got worse. It took 10 years for them to come to a head. All the while - getting worse - my (previous) cardiologist laughed at me when I asked for a holter monitor - he swore I was having nothing but pvc's - I sat in his office and said: I'm having ventricular tachycardas - I want a holter monitor and I want an appt. with my electrician. I had a 100% ablation for avnrt and my electrician was a genius. He's now my cardiologist.. :-) Anyways, my previous cardiologist practically threw me out the door - but being the obstinate woman that I am - I insisted I get a monitor and so he checked his cmedical upboard and they happened to have one heart monitor left. So he let me take it... Within a week I produced ventricular tachycardias and he called me like 3 days after I had phoned them in and said he was 'busy' and I would need an appt. with my electrician right away.. well the rest is history. But, I say especially if you 'work out' - you get to know your body and I know what to listen to and what to ignore. This has taken me years to learn. PVC's are fine - VT's for some people are NOT.. As you go along in life - you will learn to become more comfortable with how your body works. Yet, when there is danger you will also know that. There is a young woman I met - who actually was at Harvard University studying to become a doctor and she was a runner - well she passed out one day while running and her dad was a cardiologist out in Washington state - so he insisted she get it checked out - well it ended up she had long QT and she ended up needing an ICD and she was healthy and had not had any heart problems. She is now a pediatric doctor and studying to be a pediatric electrician. She's a great doctor and she listens to her patients. She's also 'running' races and we touch base once in awhile. So, I guess the morale of the story is - you just never know - it can happen to me - it can happen to anyone.. Take Care of your heart. You only have ONE..
Best Wishes
Marilyn (runner)
While beta blockers are infamous or famous for a decrease in libido in both sexes, most are never bothered in this way by beta blockers, those persons are very fortunate , for example I am on 100mg of atenolol daily and it does not interfere with my sex drive at all, it also keeps the PVCs and tachycardia at bay, though i admit i have slight fatigue and memory loss, but no other DREADED side effects.
From the literature I read actually only about 3% of persons taking atenolol is bothered by a decrease in sex drive.
Some persons never suffer from the lack of sex drive while on beta blockers until they read that it is one the side effects and then all of sudden they notice a decrease in their sex drive, this is psychological to reading about the side effects and mostly likely not related to beta blocker usuage at all.
Although there are definitely persons that beta blockers do interfere with their sex drive, the numbers are way overblown, though i really do sympathize with those are bothered by those unwanted side effects.
maybe those that are affected by one beta blocker could try another sometimes i understand that helps. I am only relating my experience with atenolol, everyone has different responses and side effects to a particular drug.
Rambios- go out and get the books Hope and Help for your Nerves and Peace from Nervous Suffering by Dr. Claire Weeks. I was just like you in my early 20's. This is pure anxiety you have and the more you fret the more you feel the nasty pvc's. I used to get hundreds a day. I also have PAT and other wierd feelings. You have to stop focusing on them and I know it is almost impossible. Her book saved me. I'm not kidding. It is easy reading and they are both short but to the point. My heart settled down because I learned how to deal with the anxiety of thinking I was going to die every time it skipped.
Go to Amazon and order them. Let me know if it helps.
Konopka - I never thought about that. I only take 6.25 mg of tenormin a night to help with the pvc's and tachy beats. It isn't much but I only weight 105 lbs. Im 40 years old and can honestly say that since I started that medicine my sex drive is nill. My poor husband. But I just don't care, I don't want it. How bad is that!!!
Jodie
Go to Amazon and order them. Let me know if it helps.
Konopka - I never thought about that. I only take 6.25 mg of tenormin a night to help with the pvc's and tachy beats. It isn't much but I only weight 105 lbs. Im 40 years old and can honestly say that since I started that medicine my sex drive is nill. My poor husband. But I just don't care, I don't want it. How bad is that!!!
Jodie
Is there a reason for your VT?
Is there a reason for your VT?
Thank you. I really appreciate your comments. I am trying to understand and cope. I also need to stop reading articles on the Internet because they too have also scared me silly. You know, about 3 years ago, I never feared for my health. Never once worried about it. But now, it is almost like everyday: "will it happen today?", "what will happen today?" I can go two weeks with no symptoms, I run, I laugh, then BAM! PVCs start I go into a depressive state. You are correct, I need to tell my wife how much I am going to try to get my mind back to normal.
Thank you again.
Thank you again.
Hi Ya All, Sorry about all your worries regarding pvc's and so forth. :-( I've had them for years - they don't bother you after awhile. One day you wake up and say this is silly - they didn't kill me yesterday or the day before - or last year or the year before - so they probably won't kill me today.. Then you wake up the next day and say: Well, if your going to kill -why don't you just do it and get it over. Then (poof) they go away.. See a good challenge never hurts.. Then a month later I have ventricular tachycardia and years later an ICD !!!!
Oh well, there is one thing I wanted to mention. Don't you think the atenolol (beta blocker) pretty much kills your sex drive ?? I think it does.. I never had this before I took that med.. I think the med makes you alittle depressed too.. Probably cause it kills the sex drive - if you ask me.. I mean it makes sense.. when you think about it.. I think alot of blood pressure meds do this.. No wonder they say heart disease and depression go hand in hand !!! If I didn't 'ever' have a sex drive - heck I'd be depressed.. Who wouldn't be.. Forget about the pvc's - what about our need for a good sex drive.. I'd quit the beta blocker pills but then my VT's come back.. and then I run the risk of getting shocked. With my luck it would probably happen when I was having SEX !!! On one of my Interrogation I had numerous VT's - So my EP says: So what were you doing at the time Marilyn ??? I said: MMmmmm it was probably that glass of wine you told me to have.. So he goes into the actual 'event' and he says: well it appears you were very 'active' at the time.. (Late Friday Night) !!! All I can say is its a good thing it got caught on tape - or I'd never believe it !!! :-)
Well thanks for letting me 'vent'. Hope ya all get better..
Marilyn (runner)
Oh well, there is one thing I wanted to mention. Don't you think the atenolol (beta blocker) pretty much kills your sex drive ?? I think it does.. I never had this before I took that med.. I think the med makes you alittle depressed too.. Probably cause it kills the sex drive - if you ask me.. I mean it makes sense.. when you think about it.. I think alot of blood pressure meds do this.. No wonder they say heart disease and depression go hand in hand !!! If I didn't 'ever' have a sex drive - heck I'd be depressed.. Who wouldn't be.. Forget about the pvc's - what about our need for a good sex drive.. I'd quit the beta blocker pills but then my VT's come back.. and then I run the risk of getting shocked. With my luck it would probably happen when I was having SEX !!! On one of my Interrogation I had numerous VT's - So my EP says: So what were you doing at the time Marilyn ??? I said: MMmmmm it was probably that glass of wine you told me to have.. So he goes into the actual 'event' and he says: well it appears you were very 'active' at the time.. (Late Friday Night) !!! All I can say is its a good thing it got caught on tape - or I'd never believe it !!! :-)
Well thanks for letting me 'vent'. Hope ya all get better..
Marilyn (runner)
Thanks a lot now I have to worry about my heart and my computer. I have the beats to for over half of my life. They have not killed me yet but have caused a lot of wasted worry.
Whoa- I know how you feel as I have been there. Sometimes I have 1000's of pvc's a day, and sometimes very few. Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your body, and your mental health. Not to mention the effects it has on the people around you as well. I think alot of us on here have spent too much time focusing on what we assume to be wrong with us. My doc's have told me that everyone has some amount of pvc's now and then. Some of us are just way in tune to them happening. I get them when I am doing heavy lifting, and when I am laying in bed watching television. Pvc's have a way of being indiscriminate about when they need to annoy you. The doc here will probably tell you that if you have had a normal cardiac workup, and an event monitor with no major problems that your symptoms are more of a nuisance than a bona fide health concern. I can't trivialize the way you feel because I have been there, and still go there from time to time. Life is too short to live it in fear and worry about every ectopic beat that comes your way. Your computer could blow up right now and kill you, but you probably don't spend too much time worrying about that right? Tell your wonderful wife how important she is to you, and that you are really going to make an effort to live your life to the fullest extent possible. I am sure she will be quite happy to hear that you can take charge of your life again and move forward. The anxiety will gradually pass as you rediscover that you can ease back into a normal routine without worry of a panic attack. I think you will find that you will come out of this stronger and healthier than you have ever been. Just keep fighting and lay off the Matrix flicks.
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