1ST DEGREE AV BLOCK

I was at the er for dizzyness and shortness of breath and was told i have a 1st degree av block. At the time i didnt think much of it and was able to recover and was feeling normal for e few months untill late of last year. I started to have the same symptoms, dizzy short breath, chest pain and head pressure, i also feel like i will pass out sometimes. I saw a cardiologist finally after asking to see one to my pd. Cardiologist told me i was fine and in no need for any medications and pointed to axnxiety, man i hate when they say that to me. So my question is does anyone have a first degree av block with or without symptoms?, and how long are your pr intervals?  My pr intervals are always 190-218, what makes this number change so much?

[bbxx]

HI. I have this. I dont have my numbers---I will check and see if I can find them. I know everything I read about it --no one treats first degree. I dont think there are symptoms. Have you ever had an ECHO? You may have mitral valve prolapse (unrelated) but those symptoms are common with mvp. Do you ever have pvcs?

[bbxx]

I would also be interested to know the cause of your heart block? Mine was acquired from Prozac.

[oxer]

Bbxx, so what your saying is that you have no symptoms with your heart block?. I think mine was stress related. I do have trace mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. Do you think my valve regurgitation is the problem?

[bbxx]

I have first degree heart block, plus I have over 4,000 pvcs daily, plus I have mitral valve prolapse and mild mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and leaflet thickening. I dont think your symptoms are from 1st degree heart block. If you look up mitral valve prolapse syndrome (which is believed by some cardiologists and not by others) you will see however, that many people with the mvp and regurgitation experience exercise intolerance, feeling faint etc... I also have low blood pressure too and had svt.
Did they do a 24 hour holter? What was the result? Anything about any other stuff?

[oxer]

I did have a 24 hour monitor, i had a max heart rate of 130 and low was 42. Doctors called my monitor normal sinus, no pvc.i have no prolapes on any of my valves. Echo only found trace on mitral and trace on tricuspid. I agree that its not the heart block, I feel its the valve regurgitation. Do you have symptoms with your valve regurgitation? If so what are they?

[bbxx]

I honestly dont think it can be pinned down. I have a collection of things so I think its related to all combined.

[oxer]

i understand i feel the same way, i dont understand what is causing what. i was having alot of health anxiety last year. Now i feel like i will never be the same me. I know that my valve regurgitation is the cause of all my symptoms becease i found out that i had a 1st degree heart block back in 2007, and i was ok untill last year. Alot of stress and anxiety caused my valves to leak, well thats how i see it. I am having a stress echo in one week and i will see how the heart is working under stress.  

[bbxx]

I dont think the anxiety caused your valves to leak (in my opinion). Did you just find out about the valves? I think this is what is scaring you so much. A LOT of the population has this minute amount of leaking fromt their valves and it is not a factor according to all the cardiologists I have seen. Hang in there and dont be afraid. It looks like your heart is really great. Lots of us on here would sure love to have  your NO ectopics! :)

[oxer]

I have question, they give people Betts blockers for there pvc's. Can you take anything for your pvc's? I ask because i know you have heart block like me.

[bbxx]

I dont take anything. First degree heart block is common. Lots of people have it.

[dmacd74]

Hi!  I also have trace regurgitation with one valve (forget which one) and "slightly sclerotic leaflets".  My cardiologist, the fellow cardiologist (who was AMAZING!!), and my EP all said, nearly everyone has "trace", even young peeps.  They also said that the leaflet thingie is normal for my age.  I decided not to worry about it.  I don't think my pvcs are caused by any of that, and all my echos come back "Normal" at the end of the report, too bad I am not "normal" in other areas - lol.   I can have up to 17K pvcs per day, currently I think I am having about 7 or 8K, which seem exercise induced.  They suck, but the more I focus on the heart, the more I imagine bad stuff, and then I get more anxious, and then I get more and more pvcs!  I am on 50mg of Toprol (beta blocker) and I don't think it does much.  Oxer, sorry to say, but you have just joined our club.  Try not to worry stay close to your doctors, and when they tell you something, try to believe it.  Reassurance is the closest thing to a remedy that I have found to date.

Debbie

[bbxx]

I may be getting you confused with someone else, but didnt you have ablation to stop the pvcs?

[oxer]

Sorry to say but iam not feeling well at all right now. i am confused. i played lots of sports and my cholesterol has never been bad. Do people feel PVC and are they painful? My 24 hour holter showed no pvcs, but man i know i am having some type of skiped beats. It feels like i get shocked in the chest, its never in the center but more on the left side under my breast bone, after large meals i cant stand the pain. i know everyone has some form of regurgitation, What i want to know is if anyone has sypmtoms that they can honestly say are caused by there valves leaking. also would just trace cause shortness of breath and feeling near blacking out moments. Somtimes i have to stop completly everythimg and sit down and catch my breath before i can continue with any type of walking or movements.

[dmacd74]

No ablation yet, have appointment with big shot in Boston in June.  I was supposed to see him in April, but because he is such a big shot, they keep changing my appointment.  Supposedly I am a perfect candidate for pvc ablation - unifocal, right ventricular and over 15K per day.  My cardio wanted me to lose some weight first (not obese, just chubby from having kids - last one is 18 hahaha!!).  I've lost 13 pounds, so doing ok.

Oxer, I feel so sad for your anxiety and really believe you don't feel well.  Even though I have trace regurge, it has never been said to me that that causes my skips.  But I guess that can be possible, I really don't know.  Please stay in close contact with your doctor, call today.  Bother the heck out of him/her until you get some answer.  You should not be feeling this bad every day.  Perhaps there is some other test they can do.  Sometimes, I do feel pain in the area of the chest that you describe when I am having pvcs, but I think they are muscular pains.  I mentioned the pain to my doctor, he sent me for a stress echo and told me my heart reacted well to stress and not to worry.  Easier said than done.  Call your doctor today and describe what you are going through.  Write again.  Debbie

[vjkelly]

pvc's and svt's for thirty years.  They are annoying but won't kill you...really that does not help they idea of trying forget about them because they are not life threatening...like trying to ignore a ten pound gorilla in the room.
  I work as an EKG tech and everyone has them just some people feel them and others don't.  I had a heart attack ten years ago and then five weeks ago...after my first heart attack they put me on Topral and my pvc's diminished and where I used to be in the ER for times a month for SVT's only been in once in ten years so I gotta believe it's the Beta Blocker Topral.  
   After my last stents a few weeks ago...they hit a node and I went in AFIB and then heart stopped...sinse then my EKG's show I have 1st degree Av block.  Is it possble that the accindental irratation of the node during stent surgery gave me the 1st degree Av block.
   Again ask doctor about Topral for the pvc's or svt's.

[oxer]

Hi I read your post and I hope your doing well. I don't know much about afib and don't know whey people get it in the first place.. I know it's possible that any arrhythmia can trigger another. But I see your on topral for PVCs and I know that some beta blockers slow down conduction and its possible it causing your first degree av block.. I know once they remove the beta block sometimes normal rhythm is restored. If you don't mind me asking, do you happend to know what your pr intervals are with this 1 st degree block. Also where you aware of your pr interval number prior to your medication change.. It might the new medication your on that cause the 1st degree block. I do have a question for you? As a ECG tech do you see this av block a lot? Is this something you see a lot of?