Ectopic Heart beats

I am having missed heart beats quite frequently, and am very distressed about this, I have had the missed beats for about 10 years 'off' and 'on', but lately they are getting to frequent, and I am feeling very afraid, I am on Ternornim morning and night, but my heart still has extra beats, what can I do to help these extra beats.  I have seen a cardiologist whe seems to think this is common, and is a benign condition, but it doesnt make me feel any better when they happen.
thankyou

[Bromley]

Having an issue with your heart can be frightening. In the end, what matters most is that effective action is taken to address your issue.  If your condition is benign, then perhaps no action other than your doctors instructions are needed. However, this is only the physical part of it.

For peace of mind, you also want to know for yourself that the problem has been correctly understood and that it is being treated properly. It is also nice to have some reassurance that everything is OK. Some people find comfort in knowing the details and rationale for the medical finding of "benign". Others only want to know that they are in trustworthy hands, and prefer the reassurance.

To help with this, some doctors will do more to help their patients deal with issues. Other dont, and that is when it may make sense to seek out a doctor that can assist with this.

I prefer knowing. If I was VERY worried about my heart, I would give my issue the full treatment. I would seek a second opinion, educate myself on the dx and medical testing used to determine it, ask my doctor a lot of questions, and talk to other people who are in the same boat. I would continue with persistence until the fear subsided.  

If you followed this approach, and all you had were PVC's, your fear would probably subside quickly because you would find out soon after you start that doctors everywhere are telling people with structurally normal hearts (inlcuding no symptoms of heart disease) not to fret about it!!

kind regards, bromley.

[Bromley]

If PVC's are your issue, they tend to wax and wane. So dont fret!!

However, if this is a suddenly new thing, see your doctor soon. But don't fret. It does no good, and can even be counterproductive...

Brom.

[marie333]

Hello Bromley,
I am so glad that you responded to my message, thankyou very very much, I feel a little reassued about my heart, as I said I have been having them for years but have been getting worse over the years, bu for the past week things have been very very depressing, as the missed beats have been so bad, (this happens every now and then) I was having them every 15 to 20 minutes, and even taking half Ternornin  25 ml twice daily did not seem to help, but I will try and relax, and hope I have more reassurance from other people with the same problem, it sure helps to know that their are other people out their with the same problem.
My cardiologist assures me it is benign but I wonder sometimes.
Thankyou again
Marie

[blondie313]

I have had PVCs the past few years and found a wonderful cardiologist who actually believes there is a HUGE connection with hormones in women. After all the tests, she said I could stay on Atenolol 25 mg a day to block some of the beats and calm my fears but they are benign. Sometimes I get flareups but for the most part they lie dormant for two weeks each month and then I may get a few on one day or I may get a few days of off and on PVCs. I am 44 and have been told they may get more frequent before menopause and they may go away completely afterwards, it's unknown.:) I had a run of 11 skipped beats that my private physician said was horrible and would kill me...then the cardiologist he referred me to wanted to ring his neck...she said as long as my heart is healthy, these are sometimes unexplained benign cardiac events. Many people get them daily, some of us are unfortunately "lucky" enough to actually feel them, and that is where the anxiety comes into play. I sometimes feel a slushy feeling in my chest and I know I will probably get a PVC or two when I feel that way, but I just ignore it now. Exercise, cut your caffiene, lower your stress and don't worry when you get one. I hope things get better.
Amy:)

[bonnytiz]

Hi, I have been having ectopics for 2 years now, they come and go,I have had all the tests and they are benign,sometimes they are very regular, every 2 or 3 beats and they really affect my head when they are as often as that.I get them whether I am stressed or not, they seem to please themselves. I find them really disruptive but I do try and ignore them but sometimes its  impossible, particularly when you are lying down trying to sleep.I find that when I am active either I dont notice them so much or they ar'nt there, so I try to keep busy when they are bad. I am taking a small dose of beta blocker which is helping, I am sure that if I increased the dose I wouldnt feel them but I dont want to do that.
Cut out caffeine ,chocolate, and dont smoke.
Hope you feel better soon.

[bobad]

Hi Marie,

Although your "benign" arrythmia is certainly not life threatening, neither are they totally benign. In some people, anxiety accompanys PVC's, and this can impact the quality of life just as much as more serious conditions can.  If you really think about it, any condition that requires potentially dangerous or addictive medication is not benign.

Occasionally, benign arrythmia can be early stages of more serious conditions. As long as yours are constant, just hang in there. If new symptoms crop up, such as faster or slower heartbeat, weakness, feeling faint, waking up perspiring heavily, etc, be sure to bring it to your cardiologist.

Best of luck and health,,,

[blondie313]

I understand your concern that other underlying conditions may exist, so therefore it is important to get a full cardio and physical workup.  But in a normal, functionally strong heart PVCs are more common than most people realize, and they alone do not lead to heart disease. Beta Blockers simply lessen the feeling of a "thump" or "skip" by limiting the adrenaline flow. I have had this converstaion with my cardiologist in depth and I firmly believe in her diagnosis that PVCs will not lead to anything sinister...some people simply FEEL them, which "can" make people anxious, it's an unusual feeling to experience. However, my cardio told me she has hooked herself up to a Holter and noted many PVCs but she is one of the lucky ones who doesn't feel them. So Marie, of course if you get any other serious symptoms, get them checked out...but if you get or have had a workup and you have no signs of heart disease, PVCs alone will not lead to a serious cardiac event, nor do they predispose you to heart disease down the road. Best of luck to you:)
Amy

[marie333]

Hi All,
Thankyou for all your advice, and for sharing all you experiences re: the PVC`c
I am on medication and my cardio recently increased the dose because the beats were coming more often
Every tine I visit my doctor I tell him about the beats, but I don`t think he really knows enough about the subject, because he always says, well when they occur just call an ambulance and get them to take you to the hospital, so they can catch the beats.
I have been of stress leave from my job for the past 20 months, and things have worsened since then
I am home alone for the majority of the days, and am so frightenened that my heart will stop altogether when the beats occur
I have Diabetes and am on medication, I also take antidepressants, for the stress and bullying which occured in the workplace in 2006, I think all this has aggravated the PVC`s what does averyone think.
Do certain medications make the PVC`s worse?
Marie

[marie333]

Just thought I would update you all on my Ectopic Heart Beats, yesterday (Tuesday 5th Aug) I had the best day, no missed beats all day, and all night I slept without any pounding in my chest, I even omitted to take the night time Ternornim tablet.
Now today Wed 6th Aug I started with the missed beats and have been continuing all day, and have been feeling tired and depressed, can someone help and reassure me that this condition is benign "again" because I feel like ending it all.
Marie

[marie333]

Just thought I would update you all on my Ectopic Heart Beats, yesterday (Tuesday 5th Aug) I had the best day, no missed beats all day, and all night I slept without any pounding in my chest, I even omitted to take the night time Ternornim tablet.
Now today Wed 6th Aug I started with the missed beats and have been continuing all day, and have been feeling tired and depressed, can someone help and reassure me that this condition is benign "again" because I feel like ending it all.
Marie

[jkfrench]

If your heart is structrually normal and you have had the tests to confim that then it is totally a benign condition.  It is so easy to say this when our hearts are not acting up.  I have weeks where I just feel about 20/day.  Then I have weeks where I have several a minute.  I have called my doctor and I have been back many times when there are changes to my "pattern" and he continues to say that these things tend to wax and wane and they will NOT harm me in any way.  He even went as far as to say, go sky diving if you want.  (and this when I was having a bad run of them)  Your anxiety is getting the best of you.  You are sensitized to this condition and that will make it worse.  I know, I have been there too.
You are going to be okay.  I know I have mentioned these books before but Dr. Claire Weeks was wonderful in helping me get my life back.
Go to amazon and order the two books:  Hope and Help for your Nerves and Peace from Nervous Suffering.   I would suggest not omitting your tenormin even if you have a good day.  I take this drug as well.  I think it really does help.
Good luck and I really know how you feel.  
Frenchie