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PAC's

Hi,
I'm a 51 year old male, that has dealt with these miserable irregular beats for about 30 years. Cardio doc says they are PAC's. He just tells me to not worry about them. He wasn't to keen on the idea of an ablation.I have never been able to get used to them. I have had more wires hooked up to me than the Space Shuttle, but everything seems normal. I have good blood pressure, etc. My cardio doc says thats the way I am wired, and there is not much that can be done. 1.5 years ago, he put me on 25mg. of Atenelol. That seemed to help a bit. Lately I have noticed the irregular beats to seem to miss with a harder thump, in the upper area. Especially after a workout, or after eating. I have on the advice of the Nurse, upped the dosage to 50mg a day. I am very active, and am getting severely depressed about this, as I can not seem to ever get on top of this. Unfortunately I am one of those people that feels every heartbeat. I can tell you where I was, and what I was doing when my heart skipped. I don't know how to get around this, as I can't make myself not feel my beats. No matter what activity I am doing, I am always monitoring my heartbeat, in the back of my mind. 3 times in the last 20 years, I was landed in the hospital for a few days with A-Fib. The heart always converted on its own. Every time I was sent home, and told my heart was fine. Anxiety will also set my rhythm off. If only I didn't feel my heartbeat, life could be ducky. Then I would't care if it thumps or skips or whatever. Anyway, I need some advice, help, or maybe a hanky, to try to get through this. Thanks, Mark
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Avatar universal
Saw the cardio doc again. He feels they are probably nothing. Wants me to wear an event monitor for a couple days. They don't have one available right now, so I am in the waiting stage. Mark
Helpful - 0
1147530 tn?1314821596
You doc is not the only one who indicates "that's how you're wired".  All the cardio's and EP's I have seen has said the same thing to me, and in essence, it is the way we are wired.  I also have a lot of PAC's and the EP told me that these do not warrant ablation.  My cardiologist agreed with that conclusion.  Ablations work for some issues, but also have the capacity to make things worse in others.  Unfortunately for some of us that have "benign" pac's and pvc's, sometimes there's no effective remedies offered by the medical world to stop them 100%.  I too feel "everything" and my heart is the dominant thought in my waking hours.  So, I am left with trying to accept.  I am not ignoring and I am under the care of 2 cardio's (one being the EP) plus have tried many recommendations made by the cardiologists, yet I still have the arrhythmia.  I'm with you, this is an enormous pain in the ***, esp. since it has taken me over mentally, but I keep pushing to ACCEPT that this is how some cells in my heart are choosing to act.  I may get to a point of acceptance where I may not notice them as much or think about it, that's my hope.  I believe this mental anguish is the product of NOT being able to accept (that they're benign and that this is actually happening to me).
I wish you peace of mind.
Helpful - 0
1137980 tn?1281285446
Personally i think its time to get a second opinion munk......for a heart doc to say that this is just the way you are wired it totally crazy.  Get a second opinion and a different viewpoint...no one has to live with this in this day of science and medicine and the progress we've made.  An ablation is not extreme but an incredibly easy procedure that usually the only docs that gripe about them are the docs that don;t  do them.  You shouldn't have to be going thru this physically or emotionally and it is totally un necessary in my opinion. If you've been going thru this for 30 years well munk that is 30 years too long and if they are having to up your meds because of increased episodes common sense would tell you things are getting a little progressive so its time to get pro active and take care of this.......i would be more than depressed i would be mad....just do it munk....you'll only be out 50.00 for a sit down and a second opinion and just make sure when you spend that money it is well spent on a doc that does it all....diagnosis, surgery, ablations and mapping....don't be just seeing a family doc or a diagnostic doc go to someone that covers all of the bases and at the end of the appt. ask them how he or she is going to fix it....i bet then you get the answer...good luck munk.....
Helpful - 0
1182699 tn?1297574784
Hi Mark- You sound like the male version of me.  My doc's exact words were that's how I'm wired,  I feel every PAC I have and am very symptomatic.  I feel every heartbeat and my pulse all over my body.  It causes me to have severe anxiety and panic.  I am 37 and have dealt with them for over 15 years.  I have asked about ablation as well, but they tell me it's not bad enough for that drastic of a measure...I feel otherwise...they make me feel terrible and I feel like I have missed out on so much because of them.  I wish you good health and if you find a cure, be sure you post it...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
AVNRT Atrio Ventricular Nodal Re-Entry. It's a pathway near the AV node that's doing a short circuit from time to time and sets off SVT. Usually they burn or more recently Cryo freeze the culprit (tissue) and destroy the pathway leading to normal heart beats. the suppose chance of success for this type of SVT ablation is 95% with a slight 5% of recurrence and then it's up to 98% permanent success. But these stats are from 2003 and 2005. So maybe it's gotten even better since.

Since you have your appointment tomorrow let us know what's going on with your condition

Iane
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What exactly is AVNRT? Yes the worry and depression is very high in me right know. Don't really know the answer, as these things still persist. Am seeing the cardio doc tomorrow, will see what he has to say. Mark
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes, I should have a CryoAblation with-in a year. I Hoping for great success as I can't remember what it feels like to live with-out worry or weird feelings with anything related to the heart. The only thing I don't know and the cardio. couldn't tell me is, are the PAC's related to AVNRT and that they too would go away after ablation.

For sure for my case, the Propafenone worked great while you are on the medications effect. Taking it every 8 hours is the real downside.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Has your cardio ever suggested ablation or anything else that might relieve the symptoms? Mark
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Mark,

I understand what you are going through. I've had SVT for over 13 years and felt all sorts of irregular symptoms. The latest ( over 8 months ) has been PACs, I get them many times during the day a little less at night. I was on Atenolol for 10 years having never felt one before, but this year PACs made there showing. While I was on Propafanone I noticed they would rarely break through and only come back once the medication had finished it's half-life. Down side to this medication was that it needs to be taken every 8 hours to be effective, unless you have the SR ( slow release ) version.

Iane
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Is anyone out there? Would sure like some input. Mark
Helpful - 0
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