trip to er for palps

[Jackie]

Could you please tell me if the following ECG strip shows anything abnormal.

Female - 38 years

Vent. Rate - 76 bpm       Normal Sinus Rhythm
PR Interval - 130 ms      Normal ECG
QRS Duration - 80 ms
QT/QTc - 396/445 ms
P-R-T Axes - 23 43 30

I went to the hospital followng a long bout of PVC's.  I was getting them every minute or so and I was getting really scared.  Of course when I arrived in emergency they had stopped and when they hooked me up to the machine they caught not one.  Why does your heart do that?  They can come on like crazy at home, but once you are in the hospital they stop?

My heart was feeling like it would do a couple of quick beats and then stop and then go back to its normal rhythm. I would sometimes get the sensation of fluttering for a few seconds as well (PVC's)? Is that not bad for your heart to being doing that every minute or so?

The doctor that checked me out said that he gets PVC's as well and not to worry about them, but I feel that I get them way to much and this is causing me great anxiety.  Every time I feel one I think that my heart will stop.  That's a lot of times during the day when I think this is it!  What a life huh?

Also I have a question about Atenolol.  My doctor in the past has said that if the PVC's are controlling my life so much that I could try the Atenlol.  My normal blood pressure is super low (90/70), and I know that Atenolol makes your blood pressure lower.  What other meds could I try that would not lower my blood pressure any more than it already is?

Thank you for a very informative forum.

[Peter]

Very interesting re the link between hiatus hernia and pvc's
I am getting them quite often now and have always thought they were somehow linked to the vagus nerve,
I have a hiatus hernia as well.
I completley got rid of all symptoms of my hiatus hernia by a remedy I found on the net.
Namely take one teaspoon of pure undiluted ginger juice first thing in the morning for 3 weeks.
It completely eleminated all reflux problems and symptoms.
I stopped taking it months and months ago and coincidently my pvcs are back with a vengence!
I shall now go back on the ginger juice to see if it helps stop my pvcs.
I have also been told that high doses of magnesium can help, has anyone any experience with magnesium supplements controlling pvc's?

[MikeB]

Dear Jackie and ALL

Maybe this will help.

From: Mike Brewer  70403.***@****

19 January 2001

Dear All

PVC

[tracy]

I have been reading everyday after my first comment and I tell
you I have felt great and havn't been feeling too many flutters
since. It sure is reassuring that you won't die from PVC's.
To Kim, some advise for you is not to feel your pulse all the time even though it is natural for you being a nurse. If you feel you heart miss that beat you will built up great anxiety and your finger will never leave your wrist or neck again. That is what I did for the first year my started. That's when they start to rule your life. Yes I also find that when I am stressed out or have a bad nights sleep and even everytime I bend over I have these stupid flutters and I drive myself nuts. I have been tested twice and everything is normal and I am told to live with them. Easier said than done.
Anyway to everyone, keep typing and reading I believe that this forum is great therapy.
Tracy

[MikeB]

I've just joioned this group having seen the many people suffering from PVC's.

I was plagued by them and thought for a long time that they were the result of my two AVR surgeries in 1982 and 1993.

In 93-95 I had months when I would get 20,000 A DAY (bigeminy, trigeminy etc - sorry if that's the wrong spelling). Life was HELL. The best heart consultants, surgeons, could offer no explanation "They won't kill you" was the frequent reply.

To cut a long, long story short, I was finally properly diagnosed. I had noticed like many PVC letters to this forum, that "indigestion" and digestive discomforts seemed to be a factor. The cause was esophagitis, inflamation caused by acid reflux upsets the vagus nerve and makes the heart jumpy. I started on LOSEC but even that did not finally clear the acid damage enough. I researched may, many articles and began to see a pattern. There ARE a FEW doctors out there (gastro-enterologists AND cardiac consulants) who recognize the connection. Finally, I tried taking antacid mixtures (eg Maalox) VERY regularly. Within two weeks my symptoms practically disappeared. I still take LOSEC. I have LONG periods (months) with no problem. If I neglect my digestion problem (hiatus hernia) the PVC's can flare up. If I resort to Maalox and take care with my eating, I can generally eliminate them within 2-14 days depending upon how long I let them go untreated.
There is much misery from PVC's and I urge sufferers to try the Maalox and possibly LOSEC regime under a doctor's care.

I wish you GOOD LUCK. If you want more of my story and copies of articles found on the net showing the role of the esophagus as it affects heart rhythm, feel free to e-mail me 70403.***@****.

Mike

[kim]

I am 32 years old and over the past year I have been also suffering from what I feel are PVC's.  It feels like your heart skipping a beat, or a hard heart beat.  I have been to several doctors and they have all said that I have absolutly nothing to worry about.  I have had three EKG's and they were all normal.  The dr's explained to me that having flutters in my case are stress related.  It feels like the heart having hiccups.  It happens every morning and then sometimes after a meal.  I have read all the other postings regarding pvc's and its comforting knowing that I am not the only one that feels this way.  It makes you scared at times to feel these in your heart.  I am also a nurse so I have been taking my pulse and even when I have them my pulse rate stays normal.

[lisa]

I am so glad I got a computer fo Xmas..have worried about this for years.  Diagnosed when 16 now 33. My Doctor has told me its not life threatening and I should learn to live with it.  I find stress/ alcohol/pmt/caffine and monosodium gluotmate (in so many foods these days) triggers, the latter bveing the worst.  Only bad thing to come of it so far was high blood pressure during my pregnancy and having to stay in hospital.

I feel much better now I have read your comments

[raymond]

Steve, I reckon it's normal to have a higher heart rate when the body is fevered...I think it's the temperature.
I also notice an increase in heartrate after eating.  At the moment I have had to stop running for about 3 months as I injured my hip...but my heartrate during exercise is from 140 to 150+ bpm.  Of course the layoff hasn't done me much good and so it's about 150 with energetic aerobics at present.  Strangely although I sweat a bit, I don't get out of breath even with my heartrate fairly high.
I reckon 1/2 hour to an hour of exercise each day is enough...got to have time to do other things lol.
Sometimes my heartrate is up around 100 bpm after eating..I try to avoid msg.  There doesn't seem to be any information regarding correlation of heartrates and food on this site...does anyone have any thoughts or information on this

Best wishes all

               Raymond

[jan]

Dear Ette,
You are not a pain! That's what this forum is all about, we help each other.  The flushing is normal and will subside. I was glad for it because I have Raynauds and being on the beta blocker makes my hands and feet much colder at times. :o)  Did you use the search engine on this site to read all you could about your husband's condition and medicine? It's real good. I think it's a great help to hear of others and their experiences. Here is an excellent website to check out drugs and their interactions with other drugs and foods:  www.drkoop.com   , go to drug checker. The instructions will tell you how you can list all your medications at one time to check for interactions. Again, I am glad I could be of some help.

[ette to jan]

thanks for your reply
another question i have is do you get any side effects? my husband was on tambocor for awhile then this started to give him another type of heart flutter.  The doctor said he could go off the medication as his wpw wouldnt kill him, evan though it scares us both.  After 18 months his normal doctors has decided to try verapamil but didnt tell us of any side effects.  
Hes been on the verapamil for two days and today after taking hes tablet hes became hot and very tied which happens after his heart has been racing for awhile.  So i just wonted to know is this normal for these tablets.  sorry to be a pain but we came from a country town in Australia and its hard to get feed back on anything especially from people that know from experience.

[jan]

My symptoms were fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness. My IST showed up on my 1st EKG, but it was so fast and I was sooo tired and had been sitting still, that the dr. didn't believe it. So, when they did the 2nd and it was high, but not as high, he figured he made me nervous by doing a second. When I was able to see my reg. doc he sent me to a neuro. After 1 1/2 yrs. and his many tests, just to rule out heart trouble he ordered an echo and holter.  The echo showed mild MVP w/mild MR (a later one showed mild TR). The holter showed long periods of tachycardia totaling 4+ hrs., the highest rate being 170. I never felt anything, but tired.  I do feel it now, but I am not sure I feel it all the time because of that holter. The only time I was aware that my heart went fast was when I would get up to do something, but it was always short lived and I never worried about it. I feel palps when I am upset, my heart pounds, but it is not tachy. I feel PAC's and lately they have been different. Not as strong and they feel like a little run. Sorry so lengthy.

[stevebu]

just thought i would through my two cents in here.  Yeterday I had about 12 PVC's all day.  Two days ago I had between 200 and 300.  Most of them occurred within 4 hours after my normal 1 hour cardio workout.  It is normal for this to happen after I work out.  But curiously, other days I work out I do not get hardly any PVC's afterwords.  

I was sick with a high fever for 3 days last week and did not get one PVC.  During those three days my resting heart rate was about 75.  Usually my resting heart rate is 50.  Does any of this make any sense?  I am convinced there is no real way to control these things.

[tracy]

Wow, I can't beleive I have found so many people with the same
heart flutters{pvc's}that I have and have had for the past 5
years. I have too been tested twice by 24 hr holter and echo as
well as blood work and ECG. Nothing showed on mine either.
I cannot find a way however on how to live with these things as
I have also tried Atenelol and I didn't help much. I had a baby
six months ago and beleive it or not my pregnancy was wonderful
and I didn't have any PVC's for 4 weeks after the baby was born.
I really thought that I had It beat but now when I do get them
they are much stronger and last longer and are very annoying. I
sometimes think my heart will give up but everyone says not to
worry. I am glad of this comment area as reading others stories
is really helpful. I am from Ontario, Canada. and it seems like
all of these comments come from around the world. It's nice to  
hear everyones suggestions.

[stevebu]

sorry for my terrible spelling

[to Jan]

Jan how come you were not aware of your arrythmia?  Did you not feel palps?  Was it diagnosed from a holter or ECG?  

I feel every palp I have and they cannot find anything wrong with my heart.

Just curious why you do not feel them and how you know you have them.

[Jackie too]

Hi:
I had this all the time too.  I am 26 and have fam. history so was scared it was something bad.  I had palps ALL the time- sometimes I was sure my heart would just stop.  My doc kept telling me it was stress.  I sometimes had a faint pressure in my chest, and got tired very easily.  I had an EKG done, bloodwork for thryoid and electrolyte count and listening tests- all normal.  Few months later, I was sure there was SOMETHING wrong- I knew it wasn't stress!  It started to control where I went, it was all I thought about- I was so mad at my body because I have always taken care of it with diet and exercise.  After a year and a half, I was a cardiologist who attached a 24 hour holter monitor, did more blood work, and did an echocardiogram.  Everything normal, except this time they saw a minute valve disorder called MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE.  It is usually detectable by listening, but mine, and lots of others aren't!  It isn't fatal or dangerous- and when I looked it up on- line, it says as much as 20% of the population may hav it and not even know it.  It was like reading every symptom I had on that list!  Only major precaution is before surgery, go on antibiotics to prevent risk of infection.  I am not on meds, but know those who are, so it is an option.  But it isn't deadly- just a condition that wears you out a little more than others (commonly misdiagnosed as Epstein-Barr Disease b/c of fatigue).  Ask your doc about that- it could be a real possibility- and I consider it good news!

[jan]

I wasn't aware that I had an arrhythmia, but since being on the medicines I have been aware at times, but I am not sure I am aware of every time. I said that to say this, since I have been on the combo of atenolol and verapamil I haven't been aware of any episodes whatsoever! :)

[ette]

Jan you mentioned you are on verapamil for arrhythmia does this help?  I only ask because my husband has been put on this he has wolfe parkinson white syndrome.  Or if anyone else nows.

[jan]

Jackie,
My blood pressure was consistently 90/60 until I hit 40 yrs., then it went up to 110/70. I am on atenolol AND verapamil and my blood pressure at my last dr. visit was 134/80. My blood pressure is all over the place now, 110/70 - 134/88, and that's on 2 blood pressure medications. It has never gone lower than  110/70. I just thought I'd mention it, I know it's weird, but... (I am on them for an arrhythmia and syncope).

[Diana Lynn]

To: Hey Jackie

I've questioned both my gyn (who is world renown) as well as the cardiologists regarding palps/chest pain and menstrual cycles.  Both have indicated no correlation between the two.  If you've read about any correlations, please post the readings for us to review.

[Hey Jackie]

Jackie, try drinking more as sometimes when you don't it can bring on pvs's as can hormonal changes just before your period.  Get your thyroid checked too. Caffiene and some gastro problems can bring them on too.

[sman]

Jackie...

I used to get PVC's all the time.  I also used to drink quite a bit of alcohol as well.  I have not had a drink in 10 months and my PVC's have disappeared.  I had them consistently for almost eight years and when I quit drinking, the pvc's went also.  I don't know if you drink or not, but the drinking seemed to cause mine.  Also, I am very healthy now and eat a good diet and take a multivitamin every day as well as exercise 5 to 6 days a week.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

PVCs do not damage the heart and are actually a common occurrence. Some people find them very annoying, and medications such as atenolol are useful. Stress is a trigger for PVCs, and caffeine is another common trigger. Sometimes, PVCs occur with no obvious cause. Atenolol would be tricky to use in your case, as your blood pressure is low. It may be best to use lifestyle measures instead of medications in your case. Avoidance of caffeine and alcohol, as well as adequate rest may help.