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Avatar universal

Does anyone else get frequent PVCs (bigeminy/trigeminy) ONLY in the evening and before falling asleep?

I've been diagnosed with PVCs. I rarely experience them during the day and never when exercising. I can't even really find a correlation between caffeine/alcohol and them (although I never consume anything caffeinated). I exercise regularly. And I never experience them when exercising.

However, when I do get the PVCs, they come every other beat or almost every other beat non-stop for hours. This bigeminy and trigeminy always occurs in the evening, sometime around 7 or 8 as I'm settling down from dinner and a trip to the gym. As I let my mind and body relax, the PVCs get more frequent and eventually as I lay down to get to sleep the PVCs occur at nearly every other beat.

Lately, I haven't been able to take this at night, so I will jump out of bed and furiously pump out about 50 push-ups without stopping. This gets my heart rate up quite a bit, maybe around 80 or 90 bpm. The PVCs are totally gone in what I understand is called "overdrive suppression". This works every time and sometimes if I'm lucky, will keep the PVCs at bay just long enough for me to fall asleep.

What is really interesting, is that the PVCs don't wake me up, and I'm not even sure they are occurring when I'm unconscious. I have woken up early in the morning before my alarm clock goes off, or even in the middle of the night now and then and have not felt one PVC. It seems that once I'm unconscious, these are also suppressed, or I'm just super relaxed and the heart pumps without anything irritating it to cause a PVC.

Two questions:
1) Has anyone experienced or is experiencing anything like this at all?
2) These facts are always true, and the PVCs are not that random. Don't these symptoms point to a clear cause?? My PVCs occur at slower heart rates so Beta Blockers don't work. And ablation seems extreme still. No other solutions?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Can't sleep :(
Erik
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Avatar universal
I had heart ablation 1 year ago and have a  bvd-icd put in at that time. Here a few weeks ago I went into tachacardia and my icd fired. Since then me ep doctor has done some test and changed a few settings on the pacing side.  I am a 55 yr old male very active and have now began getting these palps or pvc's like you. At early evening or when I lie down for the night. So now I have a monitoring devise with a instant transmit button and doctor said push it everytime I am having these pvc's. I go back in a week so I am hoping I can make it that long these things are really slowing me down at night and constant anxiety the icd is going to fire again due to these being so close together in the evening hours.
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Avatar universal
Sorry about my last post. It wasn't intended to be a reply. But the only options were "Answer" and "Comment". Since I wasn't answering anyone, but mainly expressing my own situation, I opted for "Comment". I didn't know that would be make my text a response to someone's post. So I apologize.

Below is my stand-alone post:

I'm almost 59 years old. I have PVC's about 90% of the time or more each and every day. I've checked into ER a few times for them (always on the advice of a nurse on a nurse line) and I've seen two cardiologists and had echo-cardiograms done on two occasions (most recently a few months ago). I wore a heart monitor for one week about one month ago.

The echo-cardiograms both showed my heart to be physically healthy, and the heart monitor simply revealed lots of PVCs. I can always feel these PVCs from their thumps in my chest and they are extremely apparent when I check my pulse. They manifest as a pause between heart beats followed by the thump, usually every 2 to 4 beats. At times the pause is after every beat, and other times it's after 7 to 12 or more beats. Most of the time it's after 4 or less beats, though. There is never any chest pain and I'm never out of breath.

My PVCs seem to be different from most who report experiencing them in that they are usually triggered/exacerbated by exercise. I only weigh 143 pounds and I try to workout a bit each day. But I've slacked way back because of these things.

I was first prescribed metoprolol, which didn't make much or any difference. I was then prescribed propranolol, which seems to take my already low blood pressure and heart rate down to frightening levels. Normally my heart rate is in the mid 50s and normally my BP is 100/58 or so. Even half a dose of propranolol brings my heart rate into the high 40s and my BP to 92/48. I'm especially afraid these figures will go too low when I'm asleep.

The cardiologists seem to just maintain that my PVCs are not life-threatening and to either live with them or medicate them. The last cardiologist mentioned the option of ablation.

One thing that's puzzling to me is that on TV shews and in movies, ER doctors and paramedics always get very concerned and reactive when a patient is portrayed to be experiencing PVCs. They'll say something like: "he's throwing PVCs! Administer such n such, stat!" And the nurses on my nurse line have always demanded that I go to ER immediately, even after I tell them that I have already been to ER a number of times and have already seen a cardiologist for the same symptoms, who told me that my condition isn't life-threatening. What gives with these apparent contradictions?

I asked my first cardiologist if PVCs can do hart muscle damage... he said not unless you experience them for at least two weeks continually. Well, my latest barrage of PVCs began on June 5 of this year and hasn't let up yet. By "continually" did he mean upon every heart beat with no normal beats at all? Or did he mean having them every few beats for two weeks or more, like has been the case with me? It's all pretty confusing.

Any opinions of advice will be appreciated. Thanks.  



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Avatar universal
I have had Supraventricular Tachycardia for many years.  At first it was scary but once I was diagnosed and did some reading about it, it became just an annoyance.  I am on 25 mg Atenelol 2x a day.  

The last couple years, I have experienced episodes that are very different...palpitations that can last from 1 min to an hour.  Lately they have been happening every day.  My doctor had me wear a Holter Monitor (which I have done many times over the years) but this time my doctor said I have something that is very rare Bigeminy and Trigeminy.  

Because I have had SVT for so many years, I am not easily scared by heart arrhythmia's so I would be the kind that would ignore it and just deal with it.  However, as I have been reading about it, I realize it is something that must be checked out because there can be underlying causes.  I will be going to my cardiologist for tests in a couple of weeks.  Arrhythmia here and there for a few seconds or a flutter now and then is no big deal but if it goes on and on and is frequently happening...get it checked!

I quite often will have Bigeminy and Trigeminy at bedtime and am also awaken by it as well.  Mine is not triggered by exercise and I can have them when I haven't had coffee or stress.  However, I have noticed lately that if I have a relaxed day, I might not have them until I go to bed.  A stressful day, I might have many lasting as long as a hour and when I go to bed.  
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1 Comments
I'm almost 59 years old. I have PVC's about 90% of the time or more each and every day. I've checked into ER a few times for them (always on the advice of a nurse on a nurse line) and I've seen two cardiologists and had echo-cardiograms done on two occasions (most recently a few months ago). I wore a heart monitor for one week about one month ago.

The echo-cardiograms both showed my heart to be physically healthy, and the heart monitor simply revealed lots of PVCs. I can always feel these PVCs from their thumps in my chest and they are extremely apparent when I check my pulse. They manifest as a pause between heart beats followed by the thump, usually every 2 to 4 beats. At times the pause is after every beat, and other times it's after 7 to 12 or more beats. Most of the time it's after 4 or less beats, though. There is never any chest pain and I'm never out of breath.

My PVCs seem to be different from most who report experiencing them in that they are usually triggered/exacerbated by exercise. I only weigh 143 pounds and I try to workout a bit each day. But I've slacked way back because of these things.

I was first prescribed metoprolol, which didn't make much or any difference. I was then prescribed propranolol, which seems to take my already low blood pressure and heart rate down to frightening levels. Normally my heart rate is in the mid 50s and normally my BP is 100/58 or so. Even half a dose of propranolol brings my heart rate into the high 40s and my BP to to 92/48. I'm especially afraid these figures will go too low when I'm asleep.

The cardiologists seem to jet maintain that my PVCs are not life-threatening and to either live with them or medicate them. The last cardiologist mentioned the option of ablation.

One thing that's puzzling to me is that on TV shews and in movies, ER doctors and paramedics always get very concerned and reactive when a patient is portrayed to be experiencing PVCs. They'll say something like: "he's throwing PVCs! Administer such n such, stat!" And the nurses on my nurse line have always demanded that I go to ER immediately, even after I tell them that I have already been to ER a number of times and have already seen a cardiologist for the same symptoms, who told me that my condition isn't life-threatening. What gives with these apparent contradictions?

I asked my first cardiologist if PVCs can do hart muscle damage... he said not unless you experience them for at least two weeks continually. Well, my latest barrage of PVCs began on June 5 of this year and hasn't let up yet. By "continually" did he mean upon every heart beat with no normal beats at all? Or did he mean having them every few beats for two weeks or more, like has been the case with me? It's all pretty confusing.

Any opinions of advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
Avatar universal
Get them all the time, Bigeminy PVCs that last minutes at a time.  57 and first noticed them ~15 years ago.  Get about 9,000 to 12,000 per day.  Had all the tests (MRI, CT, Echo, Stress, Blood, etc.)  multiple times and every time the doc says I am perfectly healthy.  Now I get a bit light headed from them once in awhile so going in for a electrophysiology study and possibly a  Reveal LINQ Loop Recorder.  Docs still think it is nothing, but want to play it safe.  I am really not concerned just getting sick of them when I try to sleep and they are thudding away.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
You know you might get your testosterone checked. The heart is the organ with the most testosterone receptors. Noticed you were early 40s when started about the time T. starts dropping.  They will tell you if it's not below 200 it's fine. Mine was 430 but still benefitted from boost to around 1000.  Never been better been on  supplamentation for 5 years.  I'm 65. My heart just seems to feel and beat stronger. Try at your own risk not a physician.  I highly recommend T. treatment. Now for the pvc issue.  I notice everything about my body.  I noticed when I was having muscle or skeletal issue high in shoulder neck area that I developed what was diagnosed as ec topic heartbeat which is what I assume are pvcs. It didn't go away for weeks and I finally thought maybe a  ponection with shoulder necknives and heart.  Long story short and true I promise.  My only intent is to help people.  I asked my wife to take her foot and put pressure on the side of the shoulder while laying on my stomach. I felt a pop and the ectopic beat after weeks it was gone.  Told chiropractor about a few months later and he said man you are preaching to the choir. True true story.  I hope that works for you.  Try at your own peril.  Good luck.
George  
Avatar universal
I am having palpitations for over a month now. I am waiting to get a holter and talk to a cardiologist. I hope it's temporary.
Helpful - 0
212161 tn?1599427282
wow so many of us , sad they can't find a miracle pill to take them away.

i have had since i was in my 20, hear thumps, soft ones and lots of flutters

does any one have the burps with theirs, for two days now i have had the tiny flutters and than have lots air and have to burp.

i have had them where they were every other heart beat, the real hard ones , went to ER they hooked me up for 10 hours cardio drs said no big deal only was worried about bp it was 210/103 when i got there from stress

they are very scare no matter how long you have had them. i am 55 now and they still stress me out, even these tiny flutters i am having and they are not every other beat so i should be glad, but not lol

i know mine are PACS every time i have them monitored they always say pacs i know they come from the top part of the heart.

prayers for all of us
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am a 59 yr old female with a history of throwing pvc,s. Didnt feel well over the summer and had a heart stent put in after a cardio cath revealed a congenital abnormality ( a bend in the artery) I haven't felt normal since. I previously did zumba twice a week, bike, treadmill, etc.my december  stress test detected bigeminy. Increasing my atenelol to 25mg. am with an additional 50mg pm. I take ativan 25 prn. I also have a back issue which a take flexeril. I just read that flexeril should not be taken if you have a rhythm disorder, so much for my pain relief! waiting for a repeat stress test to see if upping the atenlol makes a difference. looking to see if a change in my diet will affect the rhythm. also looking for stress reduction comments ( ti-chi ?? I am looking forward to resuming my exercise routine but need to be cleared by my cardiologist . hope  to have good news by the end of the month !
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Avatar universal
I am a RN, and have always been very healthy, exercising several days a week, if not daily when I can.  I did have SVT and catheter ablation when I was around 36 (I'm 53 now).  I was told that my form was a genetic issue from birth that shows up in your 20's or 30's. After periodic checkups with my cardiologist, I've always been considered clear of any residual problems as a result of the prior issues.

Just a few weeks ago, at a new nursing job that was EXTREMELY stressful, I started having pvcs and pacs at work.  Then I would have them in the evenings when I settled down to watch tv after working 12 hours.  One evening they got so bad, with my heart literally throwing itself at my chest wall and having trigeminy/bigeminy, I called my ex husband and he felt I needed to go to the ER.  Eventually, they subsided, and I couldn't figure out why they got better when I was at the ER.  I went twice in 10 days to the ER (I'm NEVER sick and NEVER go to the ER), and after each visit, I went to my cardiologist for a follow up.  Both times, the cardiologist said they were benign, and kept suggesting Xanax, saying I seemed to have a lot of anxiety (I'm a nurse, do you think?? Lol).  Having seen a gazillion patients who were addicted to high doses of Xanax, I refused during the first visit.  After the second follow up with him, I did agree to try the lowest dose of 0.25 mg, and told him that I would even cut that in half when I took it.  I don't have an addictive personality, so I'm not worried about becoming addicted to it.  I just don't want to have to depend on an anti anxiety to fix this.  I will say, I'm not sure it's working, as I still am having the crazy heart flips and flutters, although they have lessened during the day and are mostly at night (not every night, though).

I do work out at the gym on the elliptical, and I do interval training, hitting high speeds then recovering, and repeating it for anywhere from 25-50 minutes.  I do not experience any arrhythmias during my workouts, so that's good.  One evening during an "episode", I put a pulse ox on to measure my heart rate, and it would be so crazy, jumping to tachycardia and then immediately to brady.  Scared the bazoozles out of me, and I was afraid I was going to die during my sleep.  I actually slept at a friend's house that night, just in case.  And last night they came on so strong while I was laying in bed watching tv around 10:30 pm and lasted until around 2 am!  I had to get out of bed and come to my recliner so that I could keep my upper body elevated, as it became tough to breathe with all the pounding and flip-flopping.  I'm sure the anxiety I felt from the continues episode didn't help either.  And I do have asthma, so go figure.

I am so glad to have found this site, and to see that I'm not crazy!  I felt as though my cardiologist was thinking I am crazy, because when I said I didn't want to take the Xanax, he said it's cheaper than psychotherapy.  I do feel somewhat relieved reading all the comments about how common it is.  I will try the coffee in the early evenings to see if it helps.  I had them while reading all these posts, and I did try the valsalva maneuver a few times (holding my breath while bearing down) while sitting here reading, and they have stopped, at least for the time being.

Thanks so much for the comfort you've given me tonight!  :-)
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Avatar universal
This thread has really helped me realise I am not alone, I have my heart doing the 1..2..1...2 in my chest right now and it kept me awake all last night.  I know they are apparently harmless but they sure mess you pat night !

Appreciate your feedback as to who beat these damned things
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212161 tn?1599427282
also want to add mine are pac been monitored and every time they are pacs
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212161 tn?1599427282
hi, wow do you still have them like that. thank you for talking to us who are very scared of them it helps so much

do you believe you can get them with acid reflux, and i have a lot of back problems can it cause that along with chest dull pains, back fused with rods , have had heart checked out they say its fine. thank you for your info
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Avatar universal
what a great thread. you can add me to the list too. never ever thought so many had these annoying PVCs. and yes, at their worst, mine were always worse at night, especially when lying down. thanks to all for the great posts and the young man that started this thread.
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Avatar universal
Hi, I just found this thread in an internet search.  I'm a 66 year old male who has been treated for afib for five years now.  Recently I started having bouts of pvc's -- in the evening!  They always start right after dinner and sometimes continue for hours.  I like some others have noticed that if I do some strenuous exercise, they let up.  Hate to have to admit this, but sexual activity seems to stop them as well.

Like you I was getting frightened at having them one after an other.  Bigemy, Trigemy whatever it's called.  I take both flecainide and metoprolol for my afib.  Funny but I haven't had an attack of afib since the first one!  But I have always had pvc's, even when I was in my twenties and thirties.  I was always told they were benign, and to ignore them.  Easy for the doctor to tell you!  I do notice that if I'm distracted, I either don't notice them or they go away.  These latest episodes though are just like yours.  They start like clockwork about seven in the evening and continue until I go to bed, most of the time.  I don't always have them.  I also notice that if I get stressed out, they happen.  I was doing some work on my house this past weekend.  I was very frustrated, and my 94 year old mother was acting like the inspector general, telling me the time every five minutes!  Suddenly I felt a tightening in my chest, and they started big time.  I almost panicked, but called my doctors office an left a message.  He called back and told me to take an extra dose of metoprolol.  It seemed to help.  I saw him yesterday, and he upped my dosage to 1/2 tab twice a day.  I will see if it helps.  Last night I still had the pvc's, they just seemed less strong than usual.  I will see what happens.  It was comforting to read this thread, and know I am not the only one with this problem.  Like others have said, I have to realize these will not harm you.  Otherwise I would be dead by now.
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Avatar universal
Hi i see how ur dealing with this i been dealing with this for many years now but this past 5 months its been worst an i feel the same way as you if my wife will get tired and just give up on me.  THIS is NOT a SOLUTION  but sence i been dealing with this lately  when i just need a good day or a couple of days i take a 1mg ativa/ lorazepam this is a muscle relaxent and i dnt kno how it wrks but it does for me i can have my day compleatly back  and have a good day so if u want to have a peacefull day this might help at least ti we can find some that helps us compleatly
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Avatar universal
Hi i see how ur dealing with this i been dealing with this for many years now but this past 5 months its been worst an i feel the same way as you if my wife will get tired and just give up on me.  THIS is NOT a SOLUTION  but sence i been dealing with this lately  when i just need a good day or a couple of days i take a 1mg ativa/ lorazepam this is a muscle relaxent and i dnt kno how it wrks but it does for me i can have my day compleatly back  and have a good day so if u want to have a peacefull day this might help at least ti we can find some that helps us compleatly
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Avatar universal
I'm a 40 year old female medical provider and have pretty much continuous Bigeminy (every other beat is a PVC) for years.  I want to reasure you that it is perfectly OK and nothing to worry about.  They are harmless and I wouldn't bother taking meds for it.  I have just learned to ignore them and continue to live a normal life. My greatgrandfather had them and he lived to 103 years old...he didn't worry about them either
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Avatar universal
You sound somewhat like i did years ago. I believe mine was partly menopause. Now that i've finally over that hump things are better. I did drink coffee at around 5pm and that helped so much. I think what it did was change the speed at which my heart would beat thus keeping it from skipping around. It worked about 75% of the time. I'd still have episodes,but it did seem to limit them.
Then, i started having them again but not quite as forceful as when i was getting them with menopause. I also started having a slight pinch in my ribs. I found when that pinch was bothersome, my heart would also skip around.
Finally when i had something go out in my shoulder, i went to a chiropractor. He fixed my shoulder and also got that pinch out of my rib. When the pinch was out of my rib, so was the skipped beats. Found out there is a nerve in that part of your spine that controls your heart rhythm. I was also getting heartburn when i was getting this rib pinch. Fixed it all. Other than when i'm under a lot of stress or i can tell my hormones are shuffling around, my heart is quiet.
The day he got that pinch out of my back, the next day it came back. It had been there for years so it only figures it would pop right back into where it wasnt suppose to be. I thought, i cant run back to the chiropractor every time that pinch come back. So i thought back at how he got it out. Figured out a way and now i pop it by myself. I have a 1 foot section of a swimming noodle, i sit on the floor with it behind me, i lay back where the noodle crossed my spine where i felt the pop at the chiropractors office. I gently lay back on the noodle until i hear a pop. I do not do this unless i feel the pinch in my rib. And as long as i do this, i am almost free of skipped beats. My heart is so quiet, its wonderful.....I am a high strung person, and i know when i will get any heart flutter,its usually when i'm stirred up or hormonal..No more of the hours at bedtime of endless hours of flips and flops..
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Avatar universal
There's a very interesting article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzy-cohen-rph/abnormal-heart-rhythm_b_854619.html
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Avatar universal
Anyone on here try any of these ...?

CQ10
Taurine
L'carnitine

From what I've been reading Taurine and L'carnitine can cure PVCs/PACs completely. Haven't tried these myself, as I want to be tested for a deficiency first, but getting the doc to agree to test for micro nutrient deficiency when all the doctors ever want to do is send you home with the "learn to live with it" flea in your ear is not going to be easy.
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Avatar universal
I have had these skipped beat for what seems like forever.  I also have the copper taste in my mouth when it happens and usually only at night. I have done the monitors for 30 days at a time and they show pac's and sinus tachycardia.  Dr's all tell me these are all normal and nothing to worry about.  My biggest concern is that my father has sick sinus syndrome and has had 5 heart attacks and is on his 3rd pacemaker. His first heart attack was when he was in his 50's.  His mother (my grandmother) died of sudden cardiac death in her early 70's. I am a 42 year old woman in good health and normal weight I am very active and this has been going on for roughly 20 years but now getting much worse almost every night.  is it because I am approaching menopause?  I wish I could get some really answers as I am just not confident with what the cardiologists are saying.
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212161 tn?1599427282
Hi and yes on the pot tying, once mine start and they are coming every other beat for hours on hours, my anxiety kicks in and I am up going to potty a lot

It must be the anxiety that causes that only thing I can figure out, when I am anxiety I am forever going to potty,

Hate to say this but happy to see I am not the only one that gets them from 2-10 hours at a time ,

Before it was now and than a few at time now, they don't want to leave ,once they get here,

Funny with all on this site , I don't know one person who lives around me that gets these.

So this site helps me to know it's not just my heart, prayers for all on this site to have a pap free week or less paps ,
Helpful - 0
351404 tn?1299489130
It has been helpful to read this thread as I get these crazy beats most times I lie down at night.  I have a tinnitus pulse in my ear anyway, so cannot help but listen to them and try to stay unpanicked!   I do agree it is not helpful to be told they are harmless (quote "well they are not AFib anyway') and not to worry.  Couple of tips, lie quietly on your back first off before turning on either side.  Try listening to the radio with earphones when you get anxious - it does help to keep from concentrating on the beats.  

I go into AFib without Flecainide anyway, despite two ablations, so I am always half expecting it to take a turn from strange beats and into AFib again.  Makes it hard to sleep..

PS Does anyone else find that there is very increased urination during these episodes?  Seem to trot backwards and forwards a great deal....
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Avatar universal
I know exactly how you feel. I'm sick of hearing they are normal from the doctors and specialists. I never suffered from them my whole life and now out of the blue they start up - there must be an underlying cause. They just can't find it or don't know where to look.
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Avatar universal
I have a hard time believing that these are "normal."  Skipped beats on a regular pattern for hours on end can not be "normal" in my opinion.  Especially having gone all my life without them and now they start right up every single morning and continue the rest of the day.  One two-skip, one two three-skip, one-skip.....etc....etc...e.tc.....all day long.  Then it gets worse......bigeminy for and hour at a time....etc...etc.....Normal?  Yeah right.
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